GREEK LIFE AT E A S T E R N K E N T U C K Y U N I V E RS I T Y
WELCOME F R O M F R AT E R N I T Y & S O R O R I T Y L I F E
Dear Students, As the executive director of Eastern Kentucky University’s Student Affairs, I truly believe in our mission to enhance the quality of life for our students by supporting the University’s commitment to the academic success and holistic development of every Colonel. Our goal is to foster intellectual, physical and social development through programs and direct services which challenge and support students as they develop attitudes, abilities and skills for life-long learning within an ever-changing global environment. I know firsthand the benefits of being a member of a Greek organization. I joined a sorority at my undergraduate institution and continued my involvement by volunteering as a Greek chapter advisor when I started my professional career at EKU. Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with fraternity and sorority members in various capacities at multiple institutions. Greek organizations provide members with a support system, opportunities for personal growth, leadership development experiences and lifelong friendships.
Dr. Loni Yost Executive Director, Student Affairs
Dear Students, Welcome to Eastern Kentucky University! As the director of fraternity and sorority life, I am thrilled to introduce you to the incredible opportunities within our Greek community. Joining a fraternity or sorority is about becoming part of a legacy that fosters lifelong friendships, leadership development and academic excellence. When you join a fraternity or sorority, you become part of a tight-knit family that provides unwavering support. These bonds extend beyond your college years, offering a network of alumni who are always ready to lend a helping hand. Our Greek organizations are designed to help you grow as a leader, providing various roles and responsibilities that develop your skills in organizational management, communication and teamwork. These experiences prepare you for success after college. Fraternities and sororities prioritize academic achievement, offering access to study groups, mentorship and resources to help you excel while at college. Many of our chapters also offer scholarships to support your academic and extracurricular goals. Greek life is deeply committed to giving back to the community. Through various philanthropic events and community service projects, you will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world around you, enriching both others’ lives and your own. Being part of a fraternity or sorority challenges you to grow personally, helping you develop your values and gain confidence in your abilities. This personal growth is a cornerstone of the Greek experience. Additionally, our Greek community is rich with traditions that foster a sense of belonging and pride. Greek life is about finding your place, your people and your purpose. It is an experience that shapes your college years and provides lifelong support. I encourage you to explore all that our community has to offer and take the leap into an enriching journey that will leave a lasting impact.
Dr. Shawn M. Dowiak Director, Fraternity & Sorority Life
ABOUT GREEK LIFE AT E A S T E R N K E N T U C K Y U N I V E RS I T Y Joining a fraternity or sorority provides opportunities to foster community, build connections, have an exceptional college experience and create exciting memories that go beyond the classroom. Fraternities and sororities at EKU do great work. Fraternity and sorority members are leaders on campus. Greeks serve as orientation leaders, Colonel Crew Leaders, and in Student Government Association. Additionally the Greek community gives back to the wider community. This past year, Greeks raised more than $175,000 philanthropic dollars for various charities throughout the state and the nation. Additionally, members conducted more than 12,000 hours of community service. Considering the community is 1,200 members, that represents 10 hours per active member! Fraternities and sororities are overseen by the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life which operates out of the Center for Student Involvement. Four Councils provide self-governance to this community: the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), the United Greek Council (UGC), the Interfraternity Council (IFC), and the College Panhellenic Association (CPA). Currently 29 chapters call EKU home, with expansion expected in several communities. Fraternity and Sorority Life at EKU is a vibrant part of the Eastern experience.
At Eastern Kentucky University... More than ONE in TEN students go Greek!
GREEK ALPHABET Alpha (al-fah)
Beta (bay-tah)
Gamma (gam-ah)
Delta (del-ta)
Epsilon (ep-si-lon)
Zeta (zay-tah)
Eta (ay-tah)
Theta (thay-tah)
lota (eye-o-tah)
Kappa (cap-pah)
Lambda (lamb-dah)
Mu (mew)
Nu (new)
Xi (zie)
Omicron (om-e-cron)
Pi (pie)
Rho (roe)
Sigma (sig-ma)
Tau (taw)
Upsilon (up-si-lon)
Phi (fie)
Chi (kie)
Psi (sigh)
Omega (oh-may-gah)
Why Join a Fraternity or Sorority? Community & Support Greek life provides a sense of belonging and community. You’ll experience support from day one all the way to graduation. You’ll also receive support in your professional endeavors. Fraternity and sorority membership is a lifelong experience.
Leadership Development Develop skills such as public speaking, event planning, leadership development, recruiting, communication, collaboration and team management by taking advantage of leadership opportunities within the chapter, council or wider Greek community.
Networking Opportunities Fraternity or sorority membership gives you the advantage of networking with current students in your chapter and other chapters, Greek leaders nationally and alumni. Tap into this resource for career advice, internship opportunities and job placements. Research based on national and local data has shown that the networking experience in fraternities and sororities provides the most benefit for first-generation college students (Dowiak, 2016; Sanchez, 2011; Tull & Cavins-Tull 2018).
Philanthropy & Service Greek life is all about giving back. Every fraternity and sorority supports charitable efforts through community service and philanthropic fundraising. Every fraternity or sorority has causes that they are asked to support by their headquarters, and many have chapter level opportunities for support as well.
Academic Support Greek organizations offer study groups, coordinated study-hour programs, tutoring and mentoring to help you stay on top of your academics. They may also promote academic achievement through scholarship, awards and chapter standards.
Social Activities Fraternities and sororities provide a social outlet for students to make friends, to participate in group activities (such as intramural programs and Greek community-wide events), informal time with your brothers or sisters and even conferences and leadership schools that allow you to connect globally with the members of your Greek organization and wider Greek community.
Values & Ritual Fraternities and sororities have a values-based system by which members are asked to conduct their lives. They have ceremonies that celebrate their values and, through those ceremonies, establish bonds within the membership.
Personal Growth Greek life at EKU pushes you to grow, get involved and develop a stronger sense of self—all while having fun and making a difference.
Long-Term Benefits Research done by Gallup (2014) indicates that fraternity and sorority members are significantly more likely than all other college graduates to be thriving in each of the five elements of wellbeing (purpose, social, financial, community and physical well-being). Fraternity and sorority members were also significantly more likely to be involved in extracurricular activities in college and indicated that through these activities, they were more likely to start their own business and be better prepared for life after college.
National Pan-Hellenic Council The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a student organization that coordinates activities between nine fraternities and sororities on campus. Historically established as African American Greek-lettered organizations, NPHC today focuses on community awareness and action through educational, economic and cultural service activities.
Joining Process Students usually join in their second semester of freshman year or later as sophomores, juniors, or seniors. While each chapter has its own requirements, most expect at least a 2.5 GPA and 12 completed credit hours at EKU. Membership costs typically range from $1,000 to $2,500, covering about two to three years. Members interested in an NPHC fraternity or sorority can express interest either through the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, by going to events held by NPHC, or directly to the organization they are interested in. NPHC organizations practice discretion, meaning recruitment is not public like IFC or Panhellenic. Instead, students should express interest directly to members or through the Fraternity & Sorority Life office. Chapters host interest meetings and require an application before beginning the membership intake process.
EKU Chapters • • • •
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
• Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. • Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Two additional chapters are seeking to restart their undergraduate experience on EKU’s campus: • Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
• Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
Panhellenic Council The Panhellenic Council oversees seven sororities on campus. These seven chapters represent the oldest sorority experiences that exist nationally. These chapters started at the same time as the IFC chapters on our campus.
Joining Process
The Panhellenic Council recruits new members by offering bids, which are invitations to join. The cost of membership to join a Panhellenic Chapter is between $614 and $939 for your first semester of membership. There are two ways to get a bid from a Panhellenic Council sorority: • Primary recruitment: Bids are given following a mutual matching process where the potential member selects the chapters that they want to return to in the next round, and the chapters select the women that they want to see as well for the next round of recruitment. The mutual matching process spans several days and takes place in the fall semester. This process includes an orientation, a sisterhood round where women and chapters discuss the sisterhood that exists in each chapter, a philanthropy round where women learn about the philanthropy work that each chapter does and a preference round where each sorority has a formal ceremony with the potential members that illustrate the values of that chapter. During this time, you get to know all the chapters on campus and find out which is the best fit for you, and the chapters get to know about you and what your values are. The process leads to bid day, where every woman who has maximized her options throughout recruitment will be eligible for a bid, provided she meets the GPA requirements set by each chapter. • Continuous Open Bidding (COB): Bids are offered anytime after the primary recruitment period. COB happens in both the fall and spring semesters. Not all sorority chapters get to participate in COB; historically, the COB process is required only for those chapters that have not met their maximum chapter size on campus.
EKU Chapters • • • •
Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Omicron Pi Chi Omega
• Delta Zeta • Kappa Alpha Theta • Kappa Delta
Interfraternity Council The Interfraternity Council (IFC) oversees 13 fraternities. IFC fraternities were the first Greek-letter organizations founded. They are also the oldest group of Greek letter organizations on campus.
Joining Process
IFC fraternities recruit new members by offering bids, which are invitations to join. The IFC requires that you have a 2.5 high school GPA (if joining as a firstsemester freshman), or a 2.5 previous term GPA or 2.5 cumulative GPA if you are an established student. The cost of an IFC fraternity is between $400 and $600 during the first semester that a new member joins a fraternity. There are three ways to get a bid from an IFC fraternity, which provides year-round opportunities to join: • Bid Promising: Chapters may choose at their own discretion to offer potential new members a “Bid Promise Card.” This card represents a promise that the potential new member will receive a bid from that chapter on bid day. The right to extend a bid remains that of the chapter and as such, a bid promise may be revoked at the chapter’s discretion. • Recruitment bids: Bids are given at the end of the sponsored recruitment period in the fall and spring semester. As the most traditional bidding method, you’ll attend events hosted by the Interfraternity Council and by the chapters you’re interested in during the scheduled recruitment period. If a chapter thinks you would be a great fit and if you express interest in a chapter, they offer you a bid on bid day, at the end of recruitment where you will have a chance to choose which fraternity experience is most appropriate for you and your values based on all the bids you receive. • 365 bids: Bids are offered any time after the scheduled recruitment period. Individuals who didn’t participate in recruitment and who would still like to become a chapter member should reach out to individual chapters for a 365 bid.
EKU Chapters • • • • • • •
Alpha Tau Omega Beta Theta Pi Kappa Alpha Order Kappa Sigma Lambda Chi Alpha Phi Delta Theta Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI)
• • • • • • •
Pi Kappa Alpha Phi Kappa Tau Sigma Chi Sigma Nu Sigma Pi Tau Kappa Epsilon Theta Chi
United Greek Council EKU’s newest council, the United Greek Council (UGC), is the student organization that governs one current fraternity. UGC organizations were founded for Latino and Latina students; as with all Greek organizations any student is eligible to join who meets the requirements of the particular fraternity or sorority in the council.
Joining Process
UGC fraternities and sororities host membership intake once or twice a year. The cost of membership is between $200 to $600 during the first semester you join. Similar to NPHC, some chapters require students to have a 2.5 GPA and 12 credits earned on-campus in order to join. Others allow students to join in their first semester freshman year. Like NPHC, UGC chapters practice a term called discretion. Unlike IFC or Panhellenic chapters, recruitment is not a public process. Your interest in a UGC fraternity or sorority should be expressed to members of the organization alone or through reaching out to Fraternity & Sorority Life. Chapters will hold interest meetings to explain requirements and host programming that potential members should attend to learn about the organization prior to attempting to join.
EKU Chapter • Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity
FAQ s Will joining a fraternity or sorority affect my grades? Membership in a fraternity or sorority can help improve your grades. When students go Greek, they’re joining a supportive community of peers—many of whom already have experience navigating the college environment at EKU. Whether looking for guidance on EKU’s many student resources or help navigating classes, your Greek peers are ready to help.
What are the expectations of Greek life? Membership in a fraternity or sorority comes with responsibilities. You’ll likely be expected to maintain a certain GPA, attend chapter meetings and events, get involved in community service or philanthropic efforts and take part in social activities. Many organizations also have guidelines around behavior and overall conduct to make sure members are upholding the values they promised to honor as a new initiate.
What is the vibe like in a fraternity or sorority? Each chapter has its own unique vibe, much of which is based on their national values. The key to being successful in fraternity and sorority life is finding the right chapter that matches your values, interests and what you’re looking for in your college experience.
How do I know if I’m a good fit for a fraternity or sorority? Think about what’s important to you. If you’re passionate about leadership, service and networking, you may find a great fit in Greek life. During recruitment, pay attention to which organizations feel like a natural match for your values and goals, and consider the membership in that chapter. Can you see yourself being friends with at least two to three people in the chapter you are interested in pursuing? If so, you’ve probably found the right home.
How much time does being in a fraternity or sorority take? Like anything worthwhile, fraternity and sorority membership takes time and commitment. You’ll have scheduled activities like weekly meetings, service projects and new member education— but beyond that, you decide how involved you want to be. Most members manage school, jobs and Greek life just fine. The more you put in, the more rewarding the experience tends to be!
Fraternity & Sorority Life Powell 013 | 859.622.3855 | greeklife@eku.edu @ekustudentlife eku.edu/in/greek-life @eku_fsl greeklife.eku.edu
Dr. Loni M. Yost Executive Director Student Affairs Dr. Shawn M. Dowiak Director Fraternity & Sorority Life
hello.eku.edu/greek
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