Fraternities and sororities

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Columbia Greek Life
See also Wikipedia's article about "Fraternities and sororities".

Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations of college students. Many of these organizations are located in brownstones in and around frat row.

The Columbia University Greek community is comprised of 11 fraternities in the Interfraternity Council (IFC); six fraternities and six sororities in the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC); and five sororities in the Panhellenic Council (NPC).

The Inter Greek Council (IGC) oversees these 28 fraternities and sororities.

Students interested in joining Greek life can refer to the "Go Greek" section of the Inter-Greek Council's website, which lists recruitment information for all 28 Greek organizations.

Greek organizations regularly hold philanthropy and service events that are open to the Columbia community. The IGC lists upcoming Greek events that are open to all Columbia students in the "Announcements and Events" section of the Columbia Greek Life website. The section is updated every Friday with Greek life announcements and upcoming events for the week. The IGC encourages all members of the community to participate in these events.

What Columbia Greeks Do

  • Each chapter holds large-scale philanthropy and service events every semester and requires members to participate in a variety of community service and educational events. The Columbia Greek Life website details information on every chapter's service and philanthropy work.

ALPHA Standards of Excellence

  • All chapters must meet the "ALPHA Standards of Excellence” each semester. ALPHA Standards are instituted by the university to uphold and promote community standards of philanthropy, service, and fraternal development. The ongoing recognition of Columbia fraternities and sororities depends on their meeting or exceeding the requirements of these standards. Examples of ALPHA Standards include organizing large-scale philanthropy events, holding educational workshops, and organizing leadership development programs.

Greek Life Facts

Academic Performance

  • The average GPA for Greeks is consistently above the average GPA for Columbia students.
  • In spring 2013, it was announced that the average Greek GPA for the 2012 calendar year was a 3.32. To add context, the average grade given out in an econ class is a 3.18 and the majority of Greek life members are econ majors.

Greek Community Philanthropy and Community Service Performance

  • In spring 2012, it was announced that during the 2011 calendar year, Columbia Greek organizations raised a total of $242,400 for philanthropy (average of $251.74 per individual member.)
  • Greeks donated a total of 23,996 hours towards community service (average of 24.9 hours per member.)
  • In 2013 78% of total Relay for Life funds raised were raised by Greeks ($56,275.22 out of $72.632.65). In 2012 58% of total funds were raised by Greeks ($37,349 out of $66,459).

Growth in Greek Life

A chart of Greek life's growth, published in The Blue and White

Columbia traditionally had a very low-profile frat scene, with Greek life playing relatively little role in student life, with participation hovering around 10%. Since 2006, however, participation has exploded and nearly doubled to closer to 20%[1].

This has perhaps been the outcome of Columbia's alleged "War on Fun." There is of course a delicious irony here, in that Columbia has consciously killed off its dorm social scene in favor of a fraternity social scene. The increasingly expensive/lame bar scene in Morningside Heights and increased NYPD crackdowns on underage drinking, once rare, might also have something to do with the trend.

Since 2012, the Inter-Greek Council has released annual reports detailing achievements in academics, philanthropy, and charity work.[2][3]

Brothers in Sigma Chi. These students have all probably graduated and the setting of this picture is unknown. However, since their behavior makes them look like stereotypical fraternity members it remains on this website.

In spring 2012, the following statistics were released on the composition of the Greek community:

  • CC: 14.55% (662/4550 Student body)
  • GS: 2.51% (38/1515 Student body)
  • SEAS: 8.54% (174/2038 Student body)
  • Barnard: 14.48% (346/2390 Student body)
  • List College: 15.5% (31/200 Student body)

List of Fraternities and Sororities

Organization Type Chapter Designation Year Founded Governing Board National Association Location Notes
Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Beta Theta Pi Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Psi Upsilon Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity New York Mu 1895 Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference None Active 1895-1961 Reformed as a colony in 2012
Sigma Chi Fraternity Nu Nu 1894 Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference 523 West 113th Street Active 1894-1964; 1984-present
Sigma Nu Fraternity Delta Gamma 1908 Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference 556 West 113th Street
Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference 550 West 113th Street
Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Multicultural Greek Council National Pan-Hellenic Council Organizations
Lambda Phi Epsilon Fraternity Multicultural Greek Council National Asian Pacific Islander American Panhellenic Association Organizations
Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity Multicultural Greek Council National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
Pi Delta Psi Fraternity Multicultural Greek Council National Asian Pacific Islander American Panhellenic Association Organizations/North-American Interfraternity Conference
Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity Multicultural Greek Council North-American Interfraternity Conference
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Multicultural Greek Council National Pan-Hellenic Council Organizations
Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority Multicultural Greek Council National Asian Pacific Islander American Panhellenic Association Organizations
Lambda Pi Chi Sorority Multicultural Greek Council National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
Sigma Iota Alpha Sorority Multicultural Greek Council National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority Multicultural Greek Council National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
Omega Phi Beta Sorority Multicultural Greek Council National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
Alpha Chi Omega Sorority Panhellenic Council Panhellenic Conference
Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority Panhellenic Council Panhellenic Conference
Delta Gamma Sorority Panhellenic Council Panhellenic Conference
Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority Panhellenic Council Panhellenic Conference
Sigma Delta Tau Sorority Panhellenic Council Panhellenic Conference
Gamma Phi Beta Sorority Panhellenic Council Panhellenic Conference Approved for opening in 2015.
Alpha Delta Phi Co-Ed Society N/A 1836 Interfraternity Council North-American Interfraternity Conference 526 West 114th Street Active 1836-1840; 1881-present. No longer affiliated with Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity as of 1992

List of Inactive and Unrecognized Greek Organizations

Organization Type Chapter Designation Year Founded Governing Board National Association Location Notes
Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity Inactive
Beta Sigma Rho Fraternity Inactive
Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Inactive
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity National Pan-Hellenic Council Organizations Inactive
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity National Pan-Hellenic Council Organizations Inactive
Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity Inactive
Delta Phi Fraternity Inactive
Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity Inactive
Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inactive
Delta Upsilon Fraternity Inactive
Delta Chi Fraternity Inactive
Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity New York Gamma 1872 N/A N/A Inactive. Active 1872-1876; 1892-1991
Phi Delta Theta Fraternity N/A 1884 N/A N/A 565 West 113th Street[4] Inactive
Theta Nu Xi Sorority Chi 2004 Inactive
Zeta Psi Fraternity Alpha 1879 Inactive since 2009
Alpha Kappa Psi Co-Ed Professional Fraternity Unrecognized by the University
St. Anthony Hall/Delta Psi Fraternity Unrecognized by the University
Theta Tau Co-Ed Professional Fraternity Unrecognized by the University
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority National Pan-Hellenic Council Organizations Inactive/Unrecognized by the University

Columbia-Barnard Arrangements

Barnard did not formally recognize any Greek organizations, with the SGA claiming that the "discriminatory" admissions policies and membership dues requirements place Greek organizations at odd with Barnard's student government charter, until 2010

Barnard students have historically joined Columbia chapters of sororities. As a result of the boom in Greek life popularity, the Intergreek Council approached SGA to seek formal recognition. When SGA demurred, CCSC, ESC, and GSSC pressured Barnard's SGA to repeal their decision. In the end, a compromise was reached wherein SGA would fund a lump sum to Greek life (roughly $1000, which represents about 10% of the IGC budget). However, this situation is still considered unsatisfactory by many in CC and SEAS, since a disproportionate amount of their student life fees are going to support Barnard students in sororities.

External links

References

  1. https://twitter.com/blueandwhitemag/status/335442466767523840
  2. http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/sites/dsa/files/forms/Archigos.SP2012.pdf
  3. http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/sites/dsa/files/forms/Archigos%20Spring%202013.pdf
  4. Later occupied by Sigma Chi. The building was eventually knocked down to make way for Broadway Residence Hall, but its facade was preserved. It still has the Sigma Chi greek letters on the outside.