2018/2019 Colonies/Expansions/Charters/Closures

[TheGreenHeart]

Just announced by our national president—Theta Phi Alpha will be establishing new chapters this upcoming academic year at both Marywood University in Scranton, PA, and Benedictine University in Lisle, IL.

[Xidelt]

Congrats to Theta Phi!!

[Sister Havana]

Congratulations Theta Phi Alpha! I live 10 minutes away from Benedictine University. How doubly exciting - a new colony in a brand-new Greek system!

[LaneSig]

The women of the Kappa Alpha Theta chapter at Harvard University have voted to close their chapter. The decision is based on the sanctions that the university has imposed on members of single-sex organizations.

[33girl]

That sucks.

[PGD-GRAD]

The Harvard “Crimson” indicates that the Theta women voted to become a “gender neutral social group” beginning in the fall. I believe I read that KKG disbanded their sorority chapter and did the same last year.

[AZTheta]

Here is a link to a letter from Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity President:

https://www.kappaalphatheta.org/blog...ot-have-chosen

This is truly regrettable. Shame on Harvard. Shame. Kappa and Theta - gone. Good luck to DG and Aphi.

[Xidelt]

I remember the #hearherHarvard Twitter movement when Harvard first announced the sanctions. My current mood: #suckitHarvard

[33girl]

#huckFarvard

[LaneSig]

Phi Sigma Kappa has been closed for a period of no less than 2 years at Northwest Missouri State University. Closure is due to RMF.


I can honestly say that in all the years that I have been creating this particular thread, I have never seen so many closures occurring over the summer months.

[d59u]

Per their web site Delta Gamma at Harvard voted to disband. No word on action by Alpha Phi.

[NYCMS]

Does anyone know the reasoning behind this policy from Harvard? Given the three sororities that have now closed/disbanded, I would suspect Alpha Phi would too.

And I wonder if this policy might travel to other Ivy League schools, such as Yale and Princeton where there are many sorority chapters.

What a terrible loss and a shame.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by NYCMS

Does anyone know the reasoning behind this policy from Harvard? Given the three sororities that have now closed/disbanded, I would suspect Alpha Phi would too.

And I wonder if this policy might travel to other Ivy League schools, such as Yale and Princeton where there are many sorority chapters.

What a terrible loss and a shame.

Princeton already doesn’t recognize Greeks and every time they have publicized it, pledge class numbers increased.

Harvard is making it very clear that they don’t want a certain kind of student, and I hope they are okay with the alumni who were that certain kind of student cutting off their donations.

[BetaIotaDZ]

Did an Internet search for an article on Harvard's decision that all groups be coed. I'm surprised at the premise because it is only since 1977 that a female could pursue a Harvard diploma.

A Wikipedia listing on Harvard fraternities did say that in 1985 when Harvard's "final clubs" still did not admit female students (in the years since 1977) that the university was revoking their recognition on campus. But final clubs appear to be local groups and Harvard also has a long history of national fraternities. Theta came to Harvard in 1993 - so after the 1985 issue with final clubs. And as Panhellenic identity leaves this campus, a number of single sex final clubs appear to remain.

Not successful in an Internet search to find out how DKE and others will handle the coed membership requirement. Boy, a lot of DKE alumni must be in touch with their alma mater.

Wikipedia quoted from the recent Harvard policy: "As part of an effort to marginalize organizations that contribute to a social life and a student culture that for many on our campus is disempowering and exclusionary [the following actions will be taken in the 2018-2019 academic year]". It's a weird quote because many grads from that campus are waving a Harvard degree which is considered disempowering and exclusionary for so many land grant university grads in the job market.

For many this Harvard decision is personally very hard. But let's turn our attention to the land grant university graduates who are deserving of the best networking opportunities a community of alumni has to offer.

[PGD-GRAD]

I have no idea if this is ever done, but I was thinking: why didn’t the Headquarters of the 4 NPC sororities band together and—if they were going to disband, do it in solidarity. Then make a group statement and all sign off on it. It seems to me that would have been more powerful than one at a time and perhaps garner more publicity.
But then I don’t know how these things work; I guess the Greek world is in uncharted territory on this one...