Male Pledge Leaders & Female Pledges

[LatinaAlumna]

I would imagine that such an organization is just asking for trouble. There are so many potential issues that could arise from having a person of the opposite gender serve in an authority role over pledges/prospective members.

On a side note: I don't get how this organization you are describing works. You say that it's both a fraternity and a sorority (usually co-ed organizations are called "co-ed fraternities," and everyone goes through the same membership process whether they are male or female). So you're saying that in the past, only the male members had to go through a membership process? How is that allowed? This organization sounds sketchy to me, the way it's described in your post.

[Newjerseydean]

Thanks LatinaAlumna,

Basically, this GLO has existed as a Caribbean fraternity on our campus since 1999. Last year, they were approved to be classified as both a fraternity and sorority by our Greek Council and Director of Greek Affairs. They have never done any intake before as a sorority. And thus no sorority sisters to conduct pledge intake “now” for prospective female members. So only male members belonged to the fraternity and now they want females to belong to their sorority but have no females to be pledge leaders. They do not consider themselves a co-ed fraternity. Somehow they have a dual status as both a fraternity and a sorority. Do you happen to have any insight about this dual status concept and how we can promote a safe pledge process for members of the opposite gender?

[texas*princess]

I've never heard of such an organization.

Delta Sigma Pi is a co-ed business fraternity whose pledge classes usually consist of both men & women. The person in charge of the pledge class can be of either gender. Even if it is a male and there are female pledges they don't treat them any differently? I'm not sure why you would need a seperate "pledge leader" for the females.

But this is a professional fraternity and not a social, so maybe that is the conern?