Introduction to Greek Life at NIU

Fraternities and sororities are groups of students who attend the same college. They study together, go to many of the same events and activities, do volunteer work and sometimes live in the same house. They often have similar interests and/or backgrounds.

There are many benefits to joining fraternities (for men) and sororities (for women):

• Meaningful relationships to help you adjust to college life
• Academic support to help you succeed in your studies
• Community service to help you get involved and give back
• Alumni involvement to help you create a strong professional network
• Skill development to help you build leadership and other skills

Why Is It Called Greek Life?

When the first fraternities and sororities formed in the U.S. more than 200 years ago, they wanted to stand out from other university groups. They decided to use Greek letters for their names, hoping to connect themselves with ancient Greece, a time known for its intellectual and cultural achievements. We still use the term Greek life today when we talk about being in a fraternity or sorority.

Greek Life at NIU

The first sorority was established at NIU in 1944 and the first fraternity in 1947. Over the next several decades, Greek life grew at NIU, and several groups built houses for their members to live in. The NIU Office of Student Involvement and Leadership Development provided support to the groups during this time. In 2018, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life was founded to fill this role.

Chapters and Councils

Today, NIU has more than 40 fraternity and sorority groups, called chapters. The chapters are connected to larger national or international organizations that have chapters at other universities, as well. For example, the fraternity Alpha Sigma Phi has chapters at NIU, Illinois State University, the University of Illinois and many other schools.

Fraternities and sororities are organized into councils that provide additional support and oversight. NIU chapters are part of four different councils:

• Interfraternity Council (IFC): Many of these fraternities have houses for their members at NIU.
• Multicultural Greek Council (MGC): These fraternities and sororities focus on Latin American, Asian American and other multicultural students.
• National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): These fraternities and sororities are historically African American and focus on Black students.
• Panhellenic Council (PHC): Many of these sororities have houses for their members at NIU.

Housing

Some chapters at NIU have houses where members live and hold meetings. Sometimes members are required to live in the house for a certain number of years. Houses are not owned or managed by NIU.

Members of chapters without houses often live together (on or off campus) and hold meetings and events around campus.

Cost

The cost of joining a fraternity or sorority varies. Chapters that have houses where members live are more expensive than chapters without houses. The first semester after joining is the most expensive because of one-time new member fees.

Safety and Hazing

Fraternity and sorority members must follow the NIU Code of Student Conduct and social event policies. They receive training from NIU on diversity, equity and inclusion; off-campus events; and other topics; and may receive more training from their organization. Each chapter has at least one alumni advisor and one faculty/staff advisor to provide guidance.

Hazing refers to acts or activities by an organization that could harm future or current members. It's illegal in Illinois and has no place in the NIU community. You can report hazing or other misconduct to Student Conduct.

Unrecognized Groups

Some fraternities and sororities are recognized by NIU and some are not. Recognized organizations receive support from NIU and can use campus facilities and property. Due to health or safety concerns, unrecognized groups don’t receive support from NIU and can’t use campus facilities or property.

NIU discourages joining unrecognized organizations. At this time there is one unrecognized group: Omega Delta Fraternity (OD). If you have a question about the status of an organization, please reach out to FSL at fsl@niu.edu for more information.