2023/2024 New Chapters/Expansions/Charters/Closures

[LaneSig]

Sigma Chi has closed at Pennsylvania Western University-Clarion. Closure is due to low membership numbers.

This leaves PennWest-Clarion with one IFC chapter.

[shadokat]

And trust me when I say, NOBODY involved with PennWest gives a rats ass about greek life. They'd be just fine with them going away.

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Sigma Chi has closed at Pennsylvania Western University-Clarion. Closure is due to low membership numbers.

This leaves PennWest-Clarion with one IFC chapter.

[PKT4LIFE]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Sigma Chi has closed at Pennsylvania Western University-Clarion. Closure is due to low membership numbers.

This leaves PennWest-Clarion with one IFC chapter.

The remaining IFC chapter has 4 members.

How is it that there are 5 NPC organizations but one IFC chapter? It would be interesting to know the membership# for the NPC organizations.

[shadokat]

I don't know exact membership numbers for all the organizations, but the average sorority has around 20 members.

10 years ago, Clarion had over 6,000 undergraduate students. Today, they have around 3,900. Of those 3,900, about 2,600 are full-time students. Over 70% of the students are women. The acceptance rate at Clarion has risen to 99%.

This is why the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education consolidated these smaller schools under umbrella universities. (PennWest, Commonwealth, etc.) The smaller schools don't have the resources to function has a full-on university, but combined, they do. It's a sad situation for PASSHE for sure.

Originally Posted by PKT4LIFE

The remaining IFC chapter has 4 members.

How is it that there are 5 NPC organizations but one IFC chapter? It would be interesting to know the membership# for the NPC organizations.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by PKT4LIFE

The remaining IFC chapter has 4 members.

How is it that there are 5 NPC organizations but one IFC chapter? It would be interesting to know the membership# for the NPC organizations.

They’re in the 20s or 30s I think. It’s never been the type of campus where the Greek system is contained, ie you don’t have to be Greek to go to Greek parties and vice versa.

When I was a student there in the 80s we had 10 IFC fraternities (not counting the underground group and Pershing Rifles who basically functioned as a fraternity) and 7 NPC sororities. It started going downhill in the 90s with a very unfriendly President who was more concerned with buildings than student life and has basically never recovered. The fact that on campus housing is compulsory for the first two years, and is expensive, pretty much has put a dagger through Greek life.

This closure truly sucks. The alumni who helped the chapter get restarted were in school with me and are some of the best guys in the world, who embody the meaning of fraternity.

[shadokat]

Sadly, per the last Greek Life Report in 2021, Sigma Chi had 8 active members and Sig Ep had 4 members.

The sororities are a bit better off:

DPhiE - 32
DZ - 26
Phi Sig - 25
Tri Sig - 22
Zeta - 29

The drops in enrollment don't help an already disconnected Greek system for sure.

Originally Posted by 33girl

They’re in the 20s or 30s I think. It’s never been the type of campus where the Greek system is contained, ie you don’t have to be Greek to go to Greek parties and vice versa.

When I was a student there in the 80s we had 10 IFC fraternities (not counting the underground group and Pershing Rifles who basically functioned as a fraternity) and 7 NPC sororities. It started going downhill in the 90s with a very unfriendly President who was more concerned with buildings than student life and has basically never recovered. The fact that on campus housing is compulsory for the first two years, and is expensive, pretty much has put a dagger through Greek life.

This closure truly sucks. The alumni who helped the chapter get restarted were in school with me and are some of the best guys in the world, who embody the meaning of fraternity.

[Cookiez17]

Gamma Phi Beta at Southern Methodist University will be closing at the end of the spring semester.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxdGtJTO06R/

[Low D Flat]

Originally Posted by Cookiez17

Gamma Phi Beta at Southern Methodist University will be closing at the end of the spring semester.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxdGtJTO06R/

How is that campus going to function with only 6 NPC chapters?

[Cookiez17]

Originally Posted by Low D Flat

How is that campus going to function with only 6 NPC chapters?

I have no idea, especially since quota was so high during the last formal recruitment.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by Low D Flat

How is that campus going to function with only 6 NPC chapters?

That is going to put so much pressure on the remaining chapters to take larger new member classes.

[PGD-GRAD]

Gamma Phi has been on that campus since 1929…going on 100 years. And I just read that in the spring the campus is choosing a NEW SORORITY—either Alpha Phi or Alpha Delta Pi.
That just seems CRUEL and SO UNFAIR. How dare they immediately replace a chapter that old with a new group? They need more competition, but….

[carnation]

Originally Posted by PGD-GRAD

Gamma Phi has been on that campus since 1929…going on 100 years. And I just read that in the spring the campus is choosing a NEW SORORITY—either Alpha Phi or Alpha Delta Pi.
That just seems CRUEL and SO UNFAIR. How dare they immediately replace a chapter that old with a new group? They need more competition, but….

My cousin's wife was an ADPi there. They folded awhile back.

I feel that Greekrank had a lot to do with Gamma Phi closing.

[Cookiez17]

Originally Posted by carnation

My cousin's wife was an ADPi there. They folded awhile back.

I feel that Greekrank had a lot to do with Gamma Phi closing.

There was a thread "declaring" who would be the new bottom . This is exactly why Gphi closed and why they haven't had a new chapter come on in ages. I hope this causes everyone to take a long look at themselves and the toxic attitudes they've had.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by Cookiez17

There was a thread "declaring" who would be the new bottom . This is exactly why Gphi closed and why they haven't had a new chapter come on in ages. I hope this causes everyone to take a long look at themselves and the toxic attitudes they've had.

I saw that and was so annoyed because it appears the toxic atmosphere that negatively impacted Gamma Phi Beta is continuing on that campus.

[PKT4LIFE]

Originally Posted by carnation

My cousin's wife was an ADPi there. They folded awhile back.

I feel that Greekrank had a lot to do with Gamma Phi closing.

ADPi and ZTA still own their homes at SMU. They are leased out as "Panhellenic Houses I and II". Maybe one will return if SMU is open to expansion.

"Panhellenic I and II Houses are independently managed by the housing corporations of two national sorority chapters who are not currently operating at SMU. Alpha Delta Pi and Zeta Tau Alpha house corporations lease out their houses to affiliated sorority women through their own independent processes."