Greek Life Office Box #83
St. Mary's University
One Camino Santa Maria
San Antonio, Texas 78228 phone: (210) 436-3726 fax: (210) 436-3300 greeklife@stmarytx.edu
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How much time does it take to be Greek?With any organization you join it is important that you learn how much time will be required. Learning to time manage your schedule is critical. The first semester you join a Greek Letter organization will require more time. You will have new member meetings in addition to chapter meetings. You should receive a calendar of events each semester to help you plan which events you will be required to attend. Most social events are optional. It’s up to you to determine how much time you want to spend with the chapter. On average you may spend four to six hours a week with your chapter.
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How will joining affect my GPA?Your first priority is to your academics. It is up to you to schedule your time wisely and make sure you have enough time to devote to your studies. Greek Letter organizations support their member’s academic success by encouraging them to attend study hall sessions and other academic programs. In addition, many chapters recognize individual academic achievement through awards or incentive programs.
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Are Greek students involved on campus?Greek students can be found all over campus! In fact, Greeks are encouraged to participate in other organizations outside of their chapters. They are involved in other student organizations and honor societies, including the Student Government Association, University Ministry, the Service Learning Center, Emerging Leaders, Resident Assistant program, Student Orientation Assistants, Cheerleaders, Code Blue, President Ambassadors, and the University Programming Council, just to name a few. Greeks students also work on and off-campus. Your involvement is not limited to only Greek Life!
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Do Greeks participate in community service?Each organization has a philanthropy project that they work with on a regular basis. Chapter members volunteer with these organizations each semester and often sponsor fundraising events to help raise money for their philanthropy. In addition, many chapters will plan additional community service opportunities for their members throughout the semester.
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Can I join more than more Greek Letter organization?It depends on which organizations you are interested in joining. Traditional social Greek Letter organizations limit your membership to only one social Greek Letter group. These chapters are members of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) or the College Panhellenic Council (CPC) and may include other Greek Letter organizations. You may however join a non-social Greek Letter organization in addition to a social Greek Letter organization. These organizations are service or academic based organizations. It is recommended that you do not pledge or associate with more than one organizations during the same semester. Your pledging or association period will require a good amount of time and it may not be wise to over commit yourself. To find out more about the differences between these groups check out our Organizations link.
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How much does it cost to join a Greek Letter organization? Each Greek Letter organization has different membership fees. On average they range from $195 to $300 per semester for active members. New members will pay a higher membership fee their first semester due to the inclusion of one-time membership fees. On average, new member fees range from $217 to $475 for the first semester. Members may pay additional costs for t-shirts or events that they would like to attend.
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Is there a lot of alcohol and substance abuse associated with fraternities and sororities? Greek Letter organizations have taken a proactive stance on alcohol and substance abuse. Chapters educate their members on responsible drinking practices. In addition, chapters are required by their national offices to follow risk management protocol when hosting events that serve alcohol. At all times chapters must follow university policies as well as the law. Serving or providing alcohol to minors is never permitted. That being said, occasionally a student will overstep our policies. The chapter advisor, chapter headquarters, Greek advisor and St. Mary’s University will work together to see that the necessary action is taken to help the student.
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Don’t Greek organizations haze?St. Mary’s University, along with the national chapter headquarters work together to educate all Greek members of the hazards of hazing. Hazing is not permitted in any situation. All members will participate in an educational session on Hazing and will receive a copy of the Texas Hazing Statue. Any student or organization that is alleged to be in violation of the Texas Hazing Statue will be referred to the Judicial Officer for an investigation and hearing. In addition, the student or chapter may receive additional sanctions from their chapter’s national headquarters.
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How and when do I join a Greek Letter organization? Before joining a Greek Letter organization, students must meet the following St. Mary’s membership requirement:
Pledging or associating a student organization requires the completion of 12 hours University classroom work taken on a full time basis (dual credit, APP credit and CLEP credit do not count toward this requirement) and at least a 2.0 last semester and cumulative grade point average. Last semester grades are based on full time status. Most organizations require a higher GPA.
Most students will join a Greek Letter organization in the spring semester, since only a small handful (mainly upperclassmen) meet the above requirements. Each semester the Greek Letter organizations will have scheduled events called “recruitment” to showcase their chapter. These events are open to all students interested in Greek Life and who meet the pledging requirement.
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What is Recruitment? Recruitment (aka rush) is the process that Greek Letter organizations use to introduce their chapter to potential new members. Recruitment takes shape in many different formats. It can be a single event such as a Bar-B-Q or a series of events over a span of time. These are structured events which give potential new members the opportunity to check out the different chapters and ask questions. In order to participate in recruitment, students must meet St. Mary’s membership requirement. Each organization follows a different recruitment format. Check out our Recruitment link to get specific information about the process for each group.
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If I go through Recruitment, do I have to join? Recruitment is gives you the opportunity to explore Greek Life without any commitment. Recruitment events give you the opportunity to check out what Greek Life has to offer you and to ask all your questions. Once you go through Recruitment you may decide that it’s not for you. That’s okay. You are not required to join any of the organizations you meet. Hopefully, you will walk away with a new perspective on Greek Life and will consider it again in the future. |
