Fraternity & Sorority Life FAQ
What are the benefits of joining a Fraternity or Sorority?
A truly rewarding fraternal experience provides our students with a complement to the academic mission while they are students at 黑料吃瓜网University and attends to their development, both ethically and academically, by providing them with peer groups, values-based programming, service opportunities, leadership development, social outlets lifelong friendships, and a career network. Our fraternal organizations seek to uphold the tenets of scholarship, leadership, service, and brother/sisterhood. These values based organizations challenge their members to instill these principles into their own lives through their activities and interactions with the collegiate brothers or sisters, and alumni.
What fraternities and sororities are at 黑料吃瓜网University?
Each Chapter is affiliated with a national or international organization that provides support and guidance for local chapters. Each chapter belongs to the either the 黑料吃瓜网Fraternity Council (IFC), the National Panhellenic Council (NPC), or the All-Greek Council.
- Social Sororities: Alpha Sigma Tau (AST), Delta Zeta (DZ), Sigma Sigma Sigma (Tri-Sigma)
- Social Fraternities: Lambda Chi Alpha (Lambda Chi), Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfornia (PMA)
- Professional Fraternities: Alpha Phi Omega (APO), Delta Sigma Pi (DSP), Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI)
When is Recruitment and how does it work?
All fraternities and sororities on campus welcome new members into their chapter every semester. 聽All recruitment events are listed on chapter RamPulse pages.
For Panhellenic sororities, formal recruitment is a structured process and is held in the fall semester every year. In Fall 2025, Panhellenic and social fraternity recruitment will be held from Sept. 2-6, 2025.
Fraternites and sororities also participate in Continuous Open Bidding (COB) following primary recruitment. This is an informal process where chapters will recruit to reach total or quota.
Recruitment for the social and professional/service fraternities is an informal recruitment process.
Your time as a potential new member should be spent getting to know the students in the chapter and learning about the respective organization you would like to join.
All information about recruitment will be posted here and on our Instagram pages.
If I attend an info night or recruitment event am I obligated to join?
Absolutely not! Just because you attend recruitment events or receive an invitation to join a chapter, it does not mean you are obligated to join. Primary recruitment is an opportunity to Greek life. If you decide it is not right for you, you may withdraw from the process.
How does the new membership process work?
Most chapters have a period of time, normally no more than eight weeks, where their newest members learn the history, traditions, and values of the organization. New members will typically be involved in leadership training, community service projects, and other activities that will often offer them opportunities to better know the organization and its other members.
Will I have to worry about hazing being a part of the new membership process?
黑料吃瓜网is dedicated to fraternity and sorority experiences that are free of hazing. Our handbook policies clearly establish prohibitions on hazing and we hold all individuals and organizations accountable for maintaining our campus standards.聽 All FSL chapters complete annual anti-hazing and bystander intervention training in addition to their own national chapter trainings. 鈥満诹铣怨贤鳸niversity unconditionally opposes any action taken or situation created, intentionally or unintentionally, whether on or off premises owned or leased by the organization, which has the effect of producing psychological or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.”
For more information on 黑料吃瓜网University’s Anti-Hazing Policy. (Policy 2300 in the Student Code of Conduct)
What are the costs involved in belonging to a fraternity or sorority?
As private organizations, fraternities and sororities are self-sufficient entities that require membership dues. Membership dues are used to pay for national advising and support, chapter events, membership recruitment, and programming in support of scholarship, leadership, and philanthropy projects. Financial obligations vary by chapter and many chapters provide their members with several payment plan options. If you鈥檙e worried about the financial commitment, you should speak with the chapter treasurer to find a solution prior to accepting a bid because your first semester and initiation fees can come as quite a financial shock to some students. All chapters are required to provide information about their cost of membership to assure financial transparency to all potential new members.
What is the time commitment involved with membership in a fraternity or sorority?
Students can make their experience as extensive as they like. Some members spend many hours a week being involved with their chapters by participating in committees, holding an executive office, or attending social and service functions while others may limit their time to chapter meetings and events. The more time a member spends with the members in their organization and at chapter activities, the more benefits a student will receive from membership. Just like any other activity, the more you put into it, the more you will get out.
What if I am not a typical Greek member?
There is no such thing!聽 As you meet the members of our FSL groups, you will discover a community with different styles, backgrounds, interests, faiths, and talents. What unites them are shared interests in connection, brotherhood/sisterhood, philanthropy, leadership, and service.聽
Does 黑料吃瓜网University offer Fraternity or Sorority Chapter Housing?
黑料吃瓜网University does not currently offer designated housing on campus for our Fraternities or Sororities. No chapters own off-campus housing. This keeps the total cost of membership down. Any off-campus residences occupied by multiple members of a group are self-selected roommate housing. We do not have any “Greek houses.”
What if I am part of the LGBTQ+ community?
Shepherd’s fraternities and sororities accept members based on who they are, not who they love or are attracted to.聽
Who do I contact for more information?
Please contact Rachael Meads at rmeads@shepherd.edu for more information.