Welcome to Greek Life

Joining a fraternity or sorority is a lifetime commitment here at UW-Whitewater. It means you are joining our family. To join, our community standards have set the following requirements:

• Must have a 2.7 cumulative GPA to join any fraternity or sorority. Those wanting more info regarding transfer calculation or disability accommodations should email greeks@uww.edu
• Check out our social media channels for specifics. Please be sure to check specific organizations' pages for intake information as well!
  • UW-Whitewater Greeks - Facebook and Instagram
  • Panhellenic Council - Instagram
  • Intercultural Greek Council - Instagram
  • Interfraternity Council - Instagram
  • National Pan-Hellenic Council - Instagram
• Each organization has different requirements set by their governing organization. Please contact the individual UW-Whitewater chapter for information regarding specific chapter requirements.

Inquiring or participating in learning about organizations DOES NOT REQUIRE you to join a Greek organization, nor does it obligate any Greek organization to offer you membership. There is no charge either. Our community has two styles of joining. Those are formal or informal recruitment and intake processes.

Each is defined below:

Formal Recruitment

Formal recruitment is the primary selection period of the year for potential new members that include scheduled events for entertaining and selecting new members. In the fall, prospective members can learn more about each sorority or fraternity that participates in formal recruitment. This process allows individuals to become acquainted with each organization to make an informed decision about membership.

• PHC Sorority Formal Recruitment
  • Looking to join one of our Panhellenic Council Sororities? Express interest in the Fall Formal Recruitment process here.

• • • Alpha Sigma Sorority
    • Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority
    • Delta Zeta Sorority
    • Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority

• Fraternity Formal Recruitment
  • Looking to join one of our Interfraternity Council Fraternities? Express interest in the Fall Recruitment process here.

• • • Alpha Sigma Phi
    • Delta Chi
    • Lambda Chi Alpha
    • Phi Chi Epsilon
    • Phi Delta Theta
    • Sigma Tau Gamma

Intake Process

An intake process is the educational process that one goes through to become a member of an organization. This process is different for each organization that does intake. In general, a potential new member decides which organization to join by showing interest towards a particular organization in ways such as attending the organization's events, contacting the president of the organization, etc.

UW-Whitewater Greek Organizations that Participate in Intake:

• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Instagram
• Alpha Phi Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
• Chi Sigma Tau National Fraternity, Inc.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
• Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity, Inc.
• Omega Pi Lambda, Sorority, Inc. 
• Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
• Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
• Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority, Inc.

Academics

• Academics should be your student's number one focus while in college. That's why most Greek organizations require a minimum GPA to become and remain a member. Usually, each individual chapter has an elected official who is responsible for keeping track of members and their academic performance. Furthermore, many fraternities and sororities have educational programs, such as tutoring and study sessions, which can assist the entire chapters in excelling academically. Most chapters also offer member scholarships. Since obtaining a degree is the main reason for attending college, make sure your student realizes that they must keep up their grades if they want to participate in a Greek organization.

Financial Responsibility

• Your student will have financial responsibilities when it comes to joining a fraternity or sorority. At most schools, there is a one-time new member/initiation fee as well as semester membership dues. The organization they want to join will determine the number of dues they will have to pay each semester. If your student is really interested in becoming a member of Greek life, you need to sit down with them and work out a college budget to determine whether joining a fraternity or sorority is affordable. Most textbooks needed for courses at UW-Whitewater can be rented from the bookstore FOR FREE, so if this is a cost they have already budgeted for, then joining a Greek organization on average costs less than the full price that textbooks would be each semester.

Hazing

• In the past, fraternities and sororities have received a bad reputation for participating in hazing, which is any action taken that produces bodily harm or danger, mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, fright, or ridicule. Today, all fraternity and sorority policies strictly prohibit any type of hazing activity. In fact, the organizations and UW-Whitewater have taken on a zero-tolerance stance on this issue. If you feel that your student may be participating in inappropriate activities associated with hazing, you should contact the UW-Whitewater Hazing Hotline at (262)-472-HAZE (4293).

Time Commitment 

• On average, your student should expect to contribute 2-4 hours per week for meetings and mandatory activities. If your student has the time, they can also choose to participate in optional activities, such as holding an office, attending social events, helping with various projects, etc. Some organizations require more time than others. Advise your student to ask questions regarding time commitments before joining. 

Activities

• Fraternities and sororities participate in many different activities. The kind of activities your student may participate in will vary depending on which organization they join. Possible activities may include:

• • Fundraising for charities
  • Tutoring elementary school students
  • Conducting environmental and neighborhood cleanups
  • Organizing clothing and book collections
  • Volunteering at shelters
  • Attending social events

• You should discuss with your student what they would like to do and then support their decision. If your student decides that joining an organization is the right decision, make sure they thoroughly research the different sororities and fraternities on campus to find the organization that best aligns with their personal values.

UW-W employees serve as advisors to Whitewater's 230+ student organizations and clubs. They are full-time employees of the institution that have agreed to serve in this volunteer capacity. Each year confirmation of their position is sent from the Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs to formalize their commitment and coverage.

Greek Academic Advisors are volunteer UW-W faculty and staff. They serve as the primary connector between the academic mission of the University and the Chapter. They assist and advise the Chapter in ways to improve their academic performance and achievement. The Academic Advisor was previously known at the Campus Advisor that every student organization is required to have.

Without the service of these individuals, the quality of the student experience would be much less. Student Activities & Involvement is very thankful for their time and efforts.

Individuals interested in assisting the Group Community in this role should contact Student Activities & Involvement at (262) 472-1471.

Expectations of Greek Academic Advisors

• Provide linkage between University and the Chapter.
• Meet with organizational leadership regularly to create and implement academic assistance efforts.
• Provide general guidance and advisement of students in their efforts.
• Be familiar with University policies, procedures, and resources.

Empower students to organize and run their chapter and to foster academic progress and achievement.

The following documents & links are made available for use by chapters, councils, and their leadership.

Guide to Greek Life

Greek Terminology
Hazing Report Form
Event To-Do List