Fraternity Expansion at Ball State

[KDclassy602]

I'm an active at Ball state now and just in the last 2 years ATO and Lambda Chi have both gone from colonies to having their charters back. Currently we have 11 fraternities and 10 sororities (IFC/PHC). Fraternities: ATO, Delta Tau Delta, Lambda Chi, Phi Delts, FIJI, Phi Sigs, SAE, Sig Chi, Sig Nu, Sig Ep, and Theta Chi. Sororities: AChiO, AGD, AOPi, Alpha Phi, Chi O, DZ, KD, Phi Mu, Pi Phi, and Sigma Kappa. We're at 8.6ish% of the student population being greek and I haven't heard of any colony additions coming anytime soon, but that's just what I have (or haven't) heard.

[CubbyPike13]

At one point, the Pike expansion was looking at Ball State. Instead, they decided to recharter at Iowa, Arizona State, Florida, and Missouri State.

I wish they would have because Pike doesn't really have a positive reputation in Indiana unless you are in the Terre Haute area. IU's chapter is down and Purdue's is always on probation.

I had heard from someone close to the expansion team that they looked at Ball State for a while until they heard about the bad reputation that Ball State's Greek life had. Is it really that bad or what?

[IndianaSigKap]

I am by no means an expert, but I do get to campus at least once a year and I have former students who attend BSU. I wouldn't say the Greeks have a bad reputation at all. I think it's more that the university doesn't really put much emphasis on Greek life. The sororities do not have houses, they have suites on dorm floors. However, other campuses near them (Purdue and Butler) have big sorority houses so it often doesn't seem like a big deal to be in one at Ball State. The sororities seem to get along for the most part. I have former students in chapters who live in apartments with girls from different chapters. The fraternity houses aren't the huge mansions you see in the South, a few of them are pretty run down. There are tons of off campus apartments in the area and they aren't all that expensive, so Greek life doesn't have the advantage of being cheaper than apartment life. Hopefully someone who attended Ball State will post in more detail.

[CubbyPike13]

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

I am by no means an expert, but I do get to campus at least once a year and I have former students who attend BSU. I wouldn't say the Greeks have a bad reputation at all. I think it's more that the university doesn't really put much emphasis on Greek life. The sororities do not have houses, they have suites on dorm floors. However, other campuses near them (Purdue and Butler) have big sorority houses so it often doesn't seem like a big deal to be in one at Ball State. The sororities seem to get along for the most part. I have former students in chapters who live in apartments with girls from different chapters. The fraternity houses aren't the huge mansions you see in the South, a few of them are pretty run down. There are tons of off campus apartments in the area and they aren't all that expensive, so Greek life doesn't have the advantage of being cheaper than apartment life. Hopefully someone who attended Ball State will post in more detail.

Thanks for more information.

When I had talked to people that I knew within the expansion team at TTKA's headquarters, they said that they had been given a bad reputation because of some of the things you mention. Greeks don't run the campus let alone does Greek life thrive there.