Starting a New Greek organization here at Quinnipiac University is a major process that can take years. The administration, when it decides to expand, tries to find the fraternity of sorority will best represent the students.
First, the school must approve the expansion of Greek life on campus. As of right now, Quinnipiac’s administration would like to see more fraternities and sororities.
“The administration is trying to grow the Greek system,” said Assistant Director of the Student Center and Leadership Development Scott Hazan. “It’s a great networking tool for students and they get a tremendous amount of leadership training that they will benefit from when they leave here.”
Usually it is the administration that decides to expand, but with the approval of the administration, the students can also start the process of adding a new sorority or fraternity. Once the decision is made to add to the programs, the University has National Greek Organizations come to Quinnipiac to sell their organization. Each sorority and fraternity is interviewed to decide who will best fit within the Quinnipiac community; the University contacts that Greek program and together they discuss the best way to create and develop the new program on campus.
The new fraternity or sorority will come to campus for four weeks in the spring and start their recruitment process to develop their new “colony.” The newly accepted students have this time to learn about the history and services of the organization, they will be initiated and after the four week period the new fraternity or sorority will be recognized on campus.
All Greek organizations here at Quinnipiac stay on campus because of Hamden town law prohibiting fraternities or sororities to be housed off campus. According to Hazan, with all of the programs here on campus it gives a “different social aspect” and students are able to see first-hand the activities and services that Greek life has to offer.
Still, Hazan believes that a lot of the services go unnoticed.
“Most people don’t recognize all of the service that they do for the community,” he said.
All that these organizations do for the school and the surrounding communities are reasons that the administration would like to see the Greek system grow.
For fraternities, there is no cap for the number of members in the fraternity. Yet, for the sororities, there are different rules about membership and the numbers that are allowed. The University requires at least a 2.0 GPA in order for members to join, and stay part of the organizations.
Quinnipiac students will see additions to the growing Greek life on campus as soon as this spring with the addition of the newest fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon and with the administrations desire to expand the programs, possibly others in the near future.
