Welcoming new chapters to Wake Forest

We are excited to provide information regarding expansion in fraternity and sorority life. Expansion is a formal term that refers to the addition of alternative organizations available to students and does not necessarily convey growth in the overall size of the fraternity and sorority community.

This fall, the Committee on Student Life approved updates to our Social Fraternity & Sorority Expansion Policy, bringing the University’s policy in line with national best practices. One of the key changes was to give our fraternity and sorority leaders agency in the expansion process from beginning to end, giving them the opportunity to positively influence campus for the next generation. 

As a result of these efforts, the Expansion Review Committee recommended, and the Committee on Student Life approved, bringing on one new Interfraternity Council (IFC) organization and one culturally based fraternal organization (CBFO). The committees will invite the following groups to participate in on-campus presentations:

• IFC
  • Phi Gamma Delta (February 25)
  • Delta Chi (February 27)
  • Pi Kappa Phi (March 2)
• CBFO (all on March 22)
  • Delta Sigma Iota Fraternity, Inc. (South-Asian interest fraternity)
  • Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc.
  • Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity, Inc.

On-campus presentations will be open to WFU community. Further details will be provided in the coming weeks.

The following trends in the fraternity/sorority community led to the decision to bring new organizations: 

• New chapters attract students interested in a values-based fraternity/sorority experience that they may not currently find in the community. This bolsters the efforts of chapters that are already striving toward positive change and offers alternatives to those still steeped in negative cultures, creating a healthier fraternity/sorority community.
• IFC recruitment registration has risen 23% since January 2016, but four IFC chapters have been suspended since November 2013. These factors created limited options for those who are interested.
• The community has one multicultural sorority, but no equivalent fraternity. Students currently have the option to join a historically white or a historically black chapter, without an option if another identity is more salient (Asian-interest or Latinx-interest chapters, for example). A new CBFO will create an additional opportunity for belonging for minoritized students seeking a fraternity experience.

Both committees evaluated very strong application packets using the values expressed in Expectations for Excellence, Wake Forest’s accreditation program for fraternities and sororities. The committees also prioritized national headquarters’ efforts in; long-term support to ensure chapter success; collaboration with the university; support of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and accountability measures for individual members and the chapter as a whole. 

The Office of Student Engagement expects to announce selected organizations by the end of this academic year and welcome them to campus in 2020-2021. Expansion is an exciting time for a fraternity/sorority community. It will be an opportunity to explore who we are, who we want to be, and how we partner with national organizations to help us achieve those goals.