Going Greek at TCU

By: Kyle Cochran

At TCU, students are provided with opportunities for learning, personal growth, and connections with others within the university’s community. They can come in many forms, from career fairs held on campus to study abroad opportunities around the world. However, they can also come from a place which most people – especially when viewing higher education from an outside perspective – would not expect. Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) at TCU constantly introduces students to these opportunities and about 45% of TCU’s undergraduate population takes advantage of them through membership in a Greek letter organization.

The “Rush” of Fraternity and Sorority Recruitment

Members of the Greek community participate in a variety of campus program.

Fraternities and Sororities at TCU exist within five governing bodies or “councils” which unite them under similar rules, regulations, and goals. Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Multicultural Greek Council, and Independent Greek Council house the thirty-nine different chapters found on campus. The majority of TCU students within FSL are members of chapters within Panhellenic Council (PHC) and Interfraternity Council (IFC).

New member recruitment exists at different times throughout the year for different councils, but for PHC and IFC, the majority of it is held at the beginning of each fall semester. For PHC, potential new members, or “PNMs,” (there are a lot of acronyms to remember…) are given the opportunity to tour the different houses on campus and meet different women from the various chapters. The chapters will hold presentations and skits, as well, to clue the PNMs in on what exactly the specific chapter is like. Over four days of chatting, singing, and all sorts of peppiness, both PNMs and chapters will narrow down their list and eventually make a match. With twelve Panhellenic groups on campus, PNMs are sure to meet many wonderful new friends through the process.

For IFC chapters, recruitment works with a similar concept in mind, but functions slightly differently. Throughout the summer, different fraternities will hold recruitment events and invite PNMs out to dinner, to a current member’s house, or anything else. There is much more flexibility towards the type of recruitment that can occur, so men are able to get to know current students at TCU and understand where they could potentially find their place. Fraternities can give unofficial “bids” to PNMs throughout the summer to join their chapter, though nothing is official until the beginning of the academic year. There is a formal recruitment process as well during the beginning of the academic year that is similarly structured to PHC recruitment, but at that point the majority of members will already have their list fairly narrowed down.

Growth, Leadership, and Success within Fraternity and Sorority Life

Below are a few great examples of ways in which fraternities and sororities at TCU help their members become more effective leaders on campus and in the community.

Fraternity and Sorority members participate in philanthropy projects year round.

At TCU, each fraternity and sorority is required to hold a “philanthropy” during the year to benefit a specific cause. Some chapters will benefit a local non-profit organization, but others will donate the money raised to the organization that is partnered with their national chapter. Philanthropies will usually involve a competitive event such as a flag football tournament or a song and dance competition in which other organizations around campus will participate. These competitions, in addition to t-shirt sales, penny drives, restaurant nights, and much more, will combine to determine the winner of each philanthropy and will help raise money for the cause. This is a great way for fraternity and sorority members to get involved on campus and make a change in their community!

Fraternities and sororities at TCU also hold new member education programs to help their members succeed in college and in their time after graduation. Many organizations will hold classes for new members in which they are required to learn information about the organization, about FSL at TCU, and about specific life skills thought to be important for personal growth. These lessons will come in the form of sessions run by current TCU students, by guest speakers brought in from outside the university, or by TCU alumni who want to stay in touch with their fraternity or sorority. The content of the lessons can be centered on practical, tangible skills such as study skills and table etiquette or on more broad topics such as interpersonal skills and the importance of building relationships.

Finally, FSL can provide students with numerous leadership roles to hold. Each organization has an Executive Council which is typically made up of a President and a number of Vice Presidents for various functions in the organization. These roles can help students have tangible experience to be carried into their lives after graduation. By planning events, interacting with different types of people, and handling tough situations, students are well prepared for similar situations in both their personal and professional lives.

Clearly, Fraternity and Sorority Life at TCU offers TCU students many great opportunities to be successful in college. This could be something you take advantage of down the road as well. For more information, please visit www.greeks.tcu.edu.