Fraternity & Sorority Life Welcomes New Members

At 19% of the student body, fraternities and sororities make up a significant part of the AU experience for a number of undergraduates. Still, these groups are growing, becoming more popular among students who want to get involved on campus, and – for many – that’s a great thing.

“They’re values-based organizations that are focused on leadership, scholarship, brotherhood, and sisterhood,” says Curtis Burrill, Student Activities’ coordinator of fraternity and sorority life. “For a lot of [students], it makes the college experience more manageable. You have that core family on campus. The values piece sometimes isn’t why people join, but it’s why people stay.”

Since the first fraternity and sorority started at AU in 1933, that core family has burgeoned into over 1200 students within 28 men’s and women’s fraternal organizations. Under the supervision of Burrill and each group’s national organization, students work together to manage AU’s fraternity and sorority community.

The Interfraternity Council, or IFC, oversees the campus’ thirteen fraternities, while the Panhellenic Association, or Panhell, governs AU’s seven sororities. The NPHC, or National Pan-Hellenic Council, directs seven traditionally African-American fraternities and sororities, and NALFO – the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations – leads one sorority on campus.

While this fraternity and sorority community steadily expands with each new class, it sees significant growth at this particular time of year – recruitment season. Aside from gaining new members, recruitment also offers fraternities and sororities the opportunity to break perceived stereotypes and educate the campus on their groups’ benefits.

Adam Cook, a sophomore Alpha Epsilon Pi brother, is serving as vice president of recruitment for the IFC this year. He and the rest of the governing body’s executive board have held information sessions on campus to get the good word out on fraternities.

“It’s nice to be able to point out the benefits in the philanthropy we do,” he says of the sessions. “Freshmen might see one part of a fraternity, but it’s nice to let them see the whole picture.”

The IFC, Panhell, and NPHC governing bodies lead largely different recruitment processes for their organizations. Panhell requires every prospective new member to meet current members of each sorority before a mutual selection process occurs, while the IFC offers voluntary events where students can learn more about the fraternity before invitation-only meetings. The NHPC holds discrete and personal recruitment sessions for its incoming members.

When thinking about the different membership intake processes, one often wonders what exactly fraternities and sororities are looking for in their new members.

Alexandra Moller – a recent December grad, Alpha Epsilon Phi sister, and outgoing president of AU’s Panhellenic Association – believes it comes down to potential motivation, commitment, and leadership.

“Every group is looking for girls who are going to get involved, get active, take leadership positions, and who are going to throw themselves into the sisterhood and do community events,” she says.

Cook agrees, noting that motivation and leadership may appear differently in members, and that’s what makes fraternities and sororities great organizations.

“Instead of a friendship breaking over the fact that two people are very different,” he explains, “a brotherhood or a sisterhood has the capacity to recognize those differences and then make the whole group stronger because of it. From what I can tell, that seems to be our best strength.”

This strength even extends to interactions among the different organizations, especially as they raise funds for their specific charities.

“Everyone has their own philanthropies that they support,” Moller says. “Everyone has their own mottos, their own types of girls that they [recruit], but everyone all together is for fostering the system. Everyone stands together and supports each other, which is great.”

Burrill, himself a member of Beta Theta Pi, has dedicated his career to advancing fraternity and sorority life, and he sees the lifelong values these organizations instill as particularly important.

“When you join these organizations, it’s for life,” he says. “We join maybe because we liked the people that are in them, but we stay because we find a connection with that organization at a higher level. Joining a group that will challenge you and push you to become a better person is why you join a fraternity or sorority.”

In that, fraternities and sororities represent a critical feature of the university, as they expand and continue engaging a new generation of wonks at AU.



For more on fraternity and sorority life at AU, click here.