Underground Chapters

[AGDee]

I guess it would depend on whose definition you use. I think it depends on their National organization's view on it. If they haven't pulled their charter, as far as I'd be concerned, they're still an official chapter. Apparently there are some differences whether the university is public or private too. It sounds like, from a legal standpoint, private institutions have more power because public universities can't restrict the freedom of association. If students are free to choose where they live after their freshman year, then they should be free to choose where they live, whether its an off campus apartment or an off campus house owned by a sorority. That whole thing seems weird to me because Eastern Michigan never knew where I was living once I was out of the dorms. I used my parents' address since I was moving all the time, so how does the University even know where you're living? You could be commuting from home for all they know.

Since I have a lot of experience with a chapter (U of Toronto) where no NICs/NPCs/NPHCs are recognized, but they are in great standing with Alpha Gamma Delta, they are not underground in my eyes. I wouldn't consider them underground unless they were closed by our headquarters and continued to function as a sorority, either using our letters or switching to a local. The danger in the latter situation is that they have no liability insurance, no alumnae/advisor guidance and are putting the national organization at risk by their very existance.

Dee