Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Greek Life?

  Greek Life is the community of students who are associated with one of the various social Greek Letter Organizations that exist on campus.  Currently, Greek Life represents roughly 8% of the total student population.  There are seven organizations on campus: four fraternities, two coed societies, and one sorority.  The Greek community on campus is governed by the IntraGreek Council, a representative council of students made of students from each of the organizations on campus.

• What are the chapters available on campus?
  A complete list of each of the organizations, their mission statements, and their contact information can be found here.
• What are the advantages of membership?

  True friendship, scholastic support, leadership development, community engagement, philanthropic projects, career opportunities and many other advantages.  Greek letter organizations are values-based organizations that are centered on the four pillars of Greek Life: scholarship, leadership, service, and brotherhood/sisterhood.

• How do I join a chapter?

  Each semester, the IGC determines an appropriate rush period during which organizations can engage in recruitment and intake.  The weeks following rush will be new member education/pledge activities that are unique to each chapter.  The official dates for rush will be posted on this website when the IGC determines them for both the fall and spring semesters.  Questions about individual pledge and new member activities can be addressed to the specific organizations.

• What is the difference between rush and recruitment?

  Rush is the defined period during which an organization can engage in the various types of activities related to intake of new members.  This includes specific recruitment events targeted at potential new members, offering bids to join an organization, and allowing potential new members to interact with the members of an organization they may not have previously encountered in order to get a coherent picture of the organization. 

  Recruitment is the term given to any activity that is designed to allow for the generation of a potential new member list.  Additionally, recruitment is the activities that allow for other members of campus to learn more about an organization.  Rush activities often fall under recruitment, but not all recruitment activities are rush.  Recruitment is an ongoing process where as rush is a specified time period defined for adding new members to official chapter rosters.

• What are the requirements to rush?

  Currently, any student who wishes to participate in rush and be recruited by an organization must have attended a We Speak We Stand bystander intervention training, be in good academic standing with the University, and have four or fewer Judicial points.  Wesleyan uses a deferred rush system where first year students are not able to rush until their spring semester.  This is to allow new students to acclimate to campus.

• What is the difference between the housed and non-housed organizations?

  Three of the organizations have privately owned residential space that are overseen by Wesleyan’s Program House system.  The majority of the organizations, however, do not have privately owned residential space.  Regardless of residential space, all organizations operate primarily with university space and work together to help provide programming space to the entire campus community.

• What is the university policy on hazing?

  The university policy on hazing can be found here: http://www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/studenthandbook/universitypolicies/hazing.html

  If you suspect hazing or want to report an incident, you can do so anonymously via the incident reporting form.

• How will my grades be impacted by Greek membership?

  Academic success is one of the four pillars upon which Greek life was founded.  The organizations at Wesleyan reflect this with a strong commitment to the academic success of all of their members.  Greek life has a Student Academic Resources Peer Advisor (link) liaison through the Student Academic Resources Office (Link).  This liaison works with each of the organizations to develop programming related to study skills and the various academic resources that exist on the campus.

• When can you move into the chapter house?

  Policies related to living in a chapter residence vary by organization.  The earliest any student would be eligible to live in Greek housing would be their second year on campus.  Other regulations, policies, and procedures about living in chapter facilities are determined by the chapter.  Any specific questions should be directed to the current chapter leadership.

• What percentage of students at Wesleyan are involved in Greek Life?

  Roughly 8% of the total student population is involved in Greek Life on campus.  

• How much does it cost to join a Greek organization? To continue in it?

  Cost to join vary by organization.  Typically, there are dues associated with the national organization (if applicable), programming costs, and cost of incidentals.  If the organization owns a house, there are typically costs for maintenance and upkeep of the space.  These costs, including rent if a student is living in the chapter house, are paid directly to the chapter.  The university plays no role in this process, and it is important for a student to understand their financial obligation prior to joining.

• Do I have to live in the house if I join a residential organization?
  No.  Living in the house is an optional component of being a part of any organization.
• How do Greek organizations contribute to Wesleyan student life?

  The Greek organizations contribute to both the Wesleyan and the wider Middletown communities in a variety of ways.  They offer avenues for community service and leadership development, programming philanthropic events, as well as acting as We Speak We Stand facilitators in bystander intervention trainings.  Greek organizations offer students opportunities to get involved on campus and beyond.

• What are the differences between the different Greek organizations? How do I know which one is right for me? What is the best chapter on campus?

  Every organization on campus shares the common values of service, leadership, scholarship, and brotherhood/sisterhood.  Despite these commonalities, each organization is unique and has its personality.  During the recruitment process, students should get a sense of each organization, its members, and what it stands for.  As a part of this process, the students will decide for themselves the organization in which they feel most comfortable.

• What is the time commitment like if I join a Greek organization?

  The time commitment in Greek life is what you make it.  Some students choose to devote all of their co-curricular time with their organization; while others choose to divide their time between Greek life and the many other forms of student activities that exist here at Wesleyan.  Each organization may have some events that are required, beyond which individual members decide for themselves how involved to be in their chapters and the larger Greek community.  One of the core components of Greek life is learning how to balance your time effectively.  Greek students learn quickly how to manage their busy schedules, which will help them scholastically, as well as after graduation as they move into the workforce.

• What should I expect from my Greek experience?

  Your Greek experience will be defined by what you choose to make of it.  Greek life is a self-driven activity.  If you choose to engage in all of the opportunities available to you at the local, regional, and national/international levels, your Greek experience can take you far beyond what you could imagine.  While each Greek experience is unique, the common themes of commitment to each other, life-long friendship, commitment to a shared set of values, the pursuit of academic achievement, preparation for the world beyond college, service to the community, and development of leadership qualities are universal within Greek life.

• What’s the difference between a Greek letter organization and any other student organization?

  There are several key differences between Greek letter organizations and other student organizations.  The first and most critical of those differences lies in the reasons in which Greek letter organizations exist.  While many student organizations allow for students to come together over a shared interest or common goal, Greek letter organizations are unique in that they ask students to commit to a shared set of values.  Greek students are asked to commit to values that extend beyond a shared interest or goal, and these values influence much if not all of the work the students do on behalf of those organizations.  The second difference is built out of these values.  Because members of Greek organizations are asked to uphold certain values, the students in these organizations have ways to holding each other accountable and supporting each other in upholding these values.  While many student organizations offer similar opportunities to Greek life, very few offer the connections that exist within the Greek community.  When you are asked to uphold a shared set of values, and are held accountable to those values, the bonds that are created extend beyond mere friendship.  Brotherhood/Sisterhood/Siblinghood is not unique to the Greek community, but is embodied in every aspect of what Greek life is.

• How do I go about starting a new organization on campus?

  Currently, the University does not expect to expand residential Greek life (i.e. Greek housing options), but students who wish to start a new, non-residential Greek Letter Organization are free to do so.  The process of beginning a new organization on campus starts with getting approval to form a new group with the WSA.  Additionally, any new groups who wish to join Greek life must make a formal proposal to the IGC and undergo a term of probationary membership within that organization.  For more information, please email: IGC@wesleyan.edu

• Is there a difference between a social organization and a service organization?

  Yes.  Social Greek organizations are designed around a commitment to a shared set of values and beliefs meant to make better members of society.  Service Greek organizations have a similar shared commitment of values, but the goal of their organization is to serve the wider community to which they belong.  While service is a component of social Greek letter organizations, it is not the only objective and goal like it is in service Greek letter organizations.

• Are there any NPHC, traditionally Latino, or Asian-American Greek organizations on campus?

  Currently there are no NPHC, traditionally Latino/a, nor traditionally Asian-American Greek organizations on campus.  Historically, there have been chapters of each of these types of organizations, and students interested in joining one or starting a chapter here at Wesleyan can contact the Coordinator of Greek life at kbutler@wesleyan.edu.

• How do we find out more?

  If you have any more questions, please contact the IGC president at IGC@wesleyan.edu or the Coordinator of Greek Life at kbutler@wesleyan.edu