Fraternity and Sorority Life at the U

With the fall coming to a close and the spring semester drawing near, our students are gearing up for the main recruitment season for membership in one of the University's 32 fraternities and sororities. As the time comes for your sons and daughters to return home for the winter break, we offer the following for you to gain a better understanding of this community, just in case the topic comes up.
First, the Dean of Students Office provides oversight for all of the fraternities and sororities in our community. We have four Deans in the office that work with the student-run governing bodies which, in turn, provide leadership for the organizations that have "chapters," or local student groups, at the U. The Deans each have regular contact with the members and leaders of the student chapters, their advisors, and their inter/national organizational headquarters, and they also provide measures of accountability for these groups where necessary.

There are four governing councils at UM and each serves a different group of organizations that were founded on like-minded principles and ideals. These range from the broadly defined fraternal association of men or women, to the more specific association of students from similar cultural or ethnic populations.

How do people join?
The process of joining is referred to by different names and has different phases, depending on the organization. In each is a period where the organization gets to know potential new members and decides whether or not to extend a "bid," or invitation for a student to join a particular group. There is then a period in which those who accept a bid learn more about their organization's history, values, members, and goals.

The Proud Greek Community
As different as the groups seem, they are similar in terms of their achievement in several very important aspects of college life. Most importantly, our fraternity and sorority members are successful academically. The members of these organizations also frequently give of their time, talents, and resources to service and philanthropic organizations, and they are among the most involved and influential student leaders at the University.

Associated Costs
Another aspect of joining is the cost associated with being a member. Members of these organizations pay "dues" to their group. These monies pay for operational costs, offer educational and social programming, and provide a host of other opportunities only available to members.

For More Information
While there is limited space here to share all of the exciting possibilities this community offers, there are many more opportunities that await students in Fraternity and Sorority Life. For more information about the different organizations at UM, please visit the Dean of Students website, and for more specific information you can also contact us in the office at (305) 284-5353. We look forward to responding to any questions or concerns that you may have.

When Can Student Join?

Fixed Recruitment Dates:
Interfraternity Council (men's groups only) - January 18 through February 5

Panhellenic Association (women's groups only) - January 13 through 18

On-Going Recruitment Dates:
National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (groups for either men or women)

National Pan-Hellenic Council (groups for either men or women)
Please contact the Dean of Students Office for contact information for each of these groups to get more information about how to join.