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WELCOME, PARENTS! The Ohio Wesleyan fraternity and sorority community is pleased to have your child on campus. And we thank you for your interest in fraternity and sorority life.

This page provides information about our fraternity and sorority community and its policies and initiatives. If you should have questions or concerns, please contact the office of fraternity and sorority life (please see the contact us section).

Check out our Greek Life Video!

What are Fraternities and Sororities?

Fraternities and sororities:

• Are value-based organizations, dedicated to the development of character and leadership.
• Provide a place for students who share similar interests and ideals.
• Offer a unique balance of leadership, social interactions, community service and philanthropy, and networking opportunities.
• Help students make the most of their college experience while providing them lifetime friendships.

Fraternity and Sorority Housing

Men:

• Fraternity houses are owned by Ohio Wesleyan University and are managed by local fraternity house corporations.Ohio Wesleyan provides the fraternity house corporation's with three payments a semester of the fraternity men's room and board finances. These finances are used to operate and maintain the chapter house as well as the kitchen facility.
• Fraternity members move to their chosen fraternity's house when they become members. Typically, this move occurs the semester after the student joins the fraternity. For instance, a student who joins in the fall may move in for the spring semester.
• Freshmen who join a fraternity will move into the house at the beginning of his sophomore year.

Women:

• Sorority members continue to live in residence halls or small living units (SLUs), as OWU sororities are nonresidential.
• Sorority houses are located on West Winter Street, one block north of the residential side of campus. The groups use these houses for meetings and events. Ohio Wesleyan does not own the sorority chapter houses.
• As with traditional campus housing, exceptions to this policies (such as living off-campus) must be approved by the Residential Life Office. Students may enter a lottery for off-campus housing in January. Fraternity members must obtain permission from their House Corporation to enter the lottery. Entering the lottery does not guarantee that a student will be granted permission to live off-campus. For more information on the lottery, please visit the Residential Life Web site.

Meal Plans: What Happens to My Meal Plan When I Join?

Men: Here's what happens...

1. You receive a bid from a fraternity and you decide to join that fraternity.
2. You sign up with the Council of Fraternity Presidents and the Greek Life Office (Fraternity Status Change Form)
3. Your application is approved by Greek Life and is forwarded to the Residential Life Office.
4. Residential Life enters the information into the University's Administrative Computing System; which results in 100% of your old meal plan being switched to the fraternity meal charge. However, since this process usually occurs after the start of the semester , a manual adjustment is required.  This adjustment varies depending on the status of your meal plan at the time you joined the fraternity.
5. IF YOU HAVE UNUSED FOOD POINTS FROM THE FALL SEMESTER, these are converted to voluntary food points, remain on your meal card and are available for use at campus facilities.  You are charged a fixed cost for the number of weeks in the spring semester that you were on the University's Meal Plan.  You also receive a credit for the number of weeks you were not on the Fraternity Meal Plan (but were charged in step #4).
6. IF YOU HAVE USED ALL OF YOUR FALL SEMESTER POINTS AND HAVE BEGUN TO USE SPRING POINTS,you are charged for the actual spring points you have used and a fixed cost for the number of weeks in the spring semester that you were on the University Meal Plan.  You will also receive a credit for the number of weeks you were not on the Fraternity Meal Plan (but were chargde in step #4).
7. Therefore, the fraternity, which you have joined, receives an allocation of money based on the fraternity meal charge.  The fraternity does not receive your food points.  Should the fraternity ask you to purchase food with your meal card on their behalf and you elect to do so, this purchase would be charged to YOUR student bill, in addition to the fraternity meal charge reflected in step #5 and #6 above.

 NOTE: The above steps assume you are joining a fraternity in the spring semester.  In the case where an upperclassmen joins a fraternity in the fall semester, the charges and credits are similar to those described in steps #4 and #6.  Step #5 does not apply

This process does NOT include those students who plan to join the Chi Phi Fraternity.

Women:

• Sorority members continue on the traditional food plans. For more information on these, please see the Dining Services Web site.

Finances

Men:

• When a man joins a fraternity, his room and board transfer to the organization. There is a slight increase in the cost for board (approximately $200). The charges are still billed to his OWU account.
• Fraternity members are also charged dues, which vary based on the chapter. These charges cover brotherhood, philanthropic, operational, and social expenses.

Women:

• Sorority members are charged dues, which vary by chapter. These charges cover house-related expenses (utilities, repairs, etc.), sisterhood, philanthropic, operational, and social expenses.

Academics

• Greeks recognize that academic achievement is the basis for future success.
• A minimum GPA is required to join a Greek organization and to maintain good standing within the organization. Each GPA requirement is based on a national standard that each chapter upholds, they may vary from organization to organization.
• The all-fraternity and sorority GPA is consistently higher than the all-campus GPA.
• Each  chapter develops academic programming.
• The fraternity and sorority governing bodies recognize outstanding individual and chapter scholarship each semester.
• Each chapter's minimum GPA requirement are as follows:
  • Fraternities (CFP)-
    • Alpha Sigma Phi: 2.50
    • Delta Tau Delta: 2.25
    • Phi Delta Theta: 2.25
    • Phi Kappa Psi: 2.30
    • Sigma Phi Epsilon: 2.60
    • Sigma Chi: 2.25
    • Chi Phi: 2.25
  • Sororities (NPC)-
    • Delta Delta Delta: 2.50
    • Delta Gamma: 2.25
    • Delta Zeta: 2.50
    • Kappa Kappa Gamma: 2.33
    • Kappa Alpha Theta: 2.50

The New Member Period

• During the New Member Period, which can last any where from 4 to 8 weeks, new members learn more about the national organization, the chapter at OWU, chapter functions/operations, traditions, the purpose & values of each group, as well as the active membership.
• At the conclusion of this process, new members are initiated and become active members.
• New Member Education is an additional time commitment, it is comparable to taking an academic class.

Hazing

• Hazing is defined as any mental or physical requirement, request, or obligation placed upon any member or prospective member of an organization by other members of that organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of discomfort, pain, fright, disgrace, injury, or personal degradation; or which violates any federal, state or local statute, or University policy.
• Ohio Wesleyan and its Greek community oppose hazing in any form. It is counterproductive to the mission of Greek Life. To view the University’s Hazing Policy, see the most recent Ohio Wesleyan University Handbook.

Community Service & Philanthropy

• Each chapter holds annual philanthropic and service events.
• Fraternity and sorority organizations serve the local community and special philanthropies.
• Service projects include tutoring at local elementary schools, blood drives, Adopt-a-Highway cleanups, clothing and food drives, and a campus-wide cleanup.
• Chapter philanthropies include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Reading is FUNdamental, the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Livestrong Foundation, the Red Cross, the Children's Miracle Network, as well as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Leadership

• Students can take major leadership roles within their chapters as well as one of the fraternity and sorority governing councils.
• Leaders develop skills for self-governance, responsibility, accountability, and communication.
• Fraternity and sorority members are regularly involved as leaders in other campus organizations.
• National and regional leadership conferences and officer training programs are offered annually.

Links

• North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) – governing body for the 66 men's national fraternities.
• National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) – governing body for the 26 women's national fraternities.
• National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) – governing body for the 9 historically African American fraternities and sororities.
• Mid-American Greek Council Association (MGCA) – promotes leadership and educational experiences for student leaders.

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