Greek FAQs

Fraternities and sororities are values-based organizations made up of students with similar interests who live within the bonds of ritual, brotherhood and sisterhood and common goals.

Greek life provides a unique balance of leadership, scholarship, social interaction, philanthropy and networking opportunities. Greek organizations are dedicated to the development of character and leadership, offer a number of leadership positions within the chapter and encourage active participation in other student organizations.

Greek life at UTulsa focuses on five values and experiences:

• Community service and philanthropy
• Scholarship
• Sisterhood and brotherhood
• Leadership
• Social Activities

Being part of the Greek community allows students to have a chance to create bonds with people who have similar values and goals. It also allows them to find leadership opportunities both on and off campus. Most importantly, it allows students to become part of a smaller close-knit support group within the larger campus community.

Greek organizations put a strong emphasis on civic responsibility and community service. Each chapter supports its own philanthropic causes in addition to participation in Divine Nine, NPC- and IFC-sponsored events, making possible the donation of hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours to charitable organizations.

Each chapter holds annual fundraisers and service events, as well as participates in service activities throughout the year. The ability to give of oneself is one of the most important qualities that members develop as an active member of a sorority or fraternity.

Although being a part of the Greek system offers a wide variety of extracurricular and social activities, it is important for the students to remember that getting a quality education is the primary reason they chose to attend The University of Tulsa. Scholarship is a priority with all sororities and fraternities, which results in a combined Greek GPA that is consistently higher than UTulsa’s combined undergraduate GPA.

The Greek community also has its own national honor society, the Order of Omega, which has an active chapter on campus.

Joining a sorority or fraternity leads to lifelong relationships and unending support from its members. As potential new members find a home in their chapter, they join men and women who will become brothers and sisters. The complete meaning of Greek life encompasses not only what these members give a new member, but also what the new member contributes to the chapter as a unique individual. Within the chapter, students find a very supportive community of fellow students, creating a home away from home.

Participation in a sorority or fraternity provides countless opportunities to become better leaders, be involved in a variety of leadership roles and prepare for your professional career. Greek leaders develop skills for self-governance, responsibility and communication.

Greek organizations strongly encourage all of its members to be involved in other organizations and activities on campus outside of the Greek system. Most of our Greek members are actively involved in Athletics or intramural sports, multicultural student organizations, academic student groups and the Student Government Association.

Joining the Greek community provides members with numerous opportunities to become involved in leadership activities that help them grow personally, while benefiting the surrounding community, university and Greek life.

Perhaps one of the things Greeks are best known for is their ability to have a good time. After putting in long hours at school, in various organizations on campus and at community-service events, Greeks like to have fun.

Formal and semi-formal parties provide members with a chance to dress up and enjoy good food, dancing and an elegant atmosphere. Sororities and fraternities also plan frequent social functions with one another, which creates a strong bond within the Greek system. The functions are often themed events and have included laser tag, poker nights and outdoor games.

Joining a fraternity or sorority is a mutual selection process. This means that both you and the Greek chapters to which you are applying have some say and control over the process.

The three  Greek communities have different recruitment processes. Students may only be initiated into one national fraternity or sorority. If a student is initiated into an IFC fraternity or NPC sorority, he or she may not also join a Divine Nine sorority or fraternity. This also includes if the student was initiated at another campus.

NPC sorority and IFC fraternity chapters at UTulsa have a formal recruitment process. The Divine Nine sorority and fraternity chapters host membership intake events instead of a single recruitment process.

Recruitment is an opportunity to learn about Greek life and to get to know its membership. Students are encouraged to go through recruitment even if they are unsure whether they want to join.

Going through recruitment is not binding. Some students will attend recruitment and choose not to join. The experience not only provides a better understanding of Greek chapters, but also presents an opportunity to meet other students.

Divine Nine have open recruitment periods called the Membership Intake Process (MIP). Each chapter sets the dates and specific requirements for intake.

Divine Nine chapters hold informational meetings throughout the school year. These meetings will be advertised on campus billboards, in residence halls, via email and social media. These meetings begin the intake process, providing information about the chapter, cost of membership, specific intake requirements such as minimum GPA and answering questions. It is acceptable for a person to attend more than one chapter’s informational meeting. Membership is for life, so take the opportunity to get to know each organization.

NPC has a formal recruitment during the weekend before classes begin. Formal recruitment lasts from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. To begin the process and learn more about NPC sorority recruitment, visit the Panhellenic sororities (NPC) website.

Yes. All Greek organizations prohibit discrimination. Membership is open to men and women who meet the qualifications defined by the organizations and the university. All Greek organizations are open to all undergraduate students.

Stepping began with groups of men singing acapella. When groups like the Temptations and the Four Tops were popular in the 1950s and 60s, fraternity brothers started mimicking their steps. This is how stepping evolved and how it got its name.

Others say stepping replaced the doo-wop sounds and cardigan sweaters of the 1950s. At around the same time as the Black Power movements and Africa-centered movements of the 1960s, stepping started to flourish with the incorporation of some traditional African ritual dancing and the incorporation of other elements like cheer leading, tap dance and gymnastics.

Over the years stepping has become very intricate and demanding, incorporating props, high levels of gymnastics and other elements found in team sports. Stepping is an original art form that was influenced by many elements from the past.

The University of Tulsa takes great strides to create and foster a safe, healthy campus community for all of its students. Along with the adherence to state and national laws, UTulsa has strict policies regarding substance use and hazing activities. The university also takes a proactive approach by providing programs and classes regarding risk management as well as a comprehensive early-alert process to help curtail any students who may be considered at risk academically, socially, emotionally or mentally.

Each Greek organization also expects its members to obey all local, state and federal laws and to abide by the sorority’s and fraternity’s policies, guidelines and standards. Every Greek group allocates significant resources to educate its members about the dangers and consequences of alcohol, substance abuse and hazing.

The University of Tulsa and all national Greek organizations have a zero-tolerance policy with regard to hazing. No member is allowed to take part in any form of hazing as a new or current member of his or her chapter. Hazing is also against the state law of Oklahoma.

For more information on what hazing is and how it is defined, see our campus hazing policy.

Greek organizations are self-funded through member dues and fees. Costs vary by chapter but typically include a one-time new member fee and ongoing semester dues.

Chapters usually offer scholarships, payment plans and online billing to make costs more manageable. You’ll receive exact fee details during recruitment.

Fees cover national dues, chapter operations, events, and member activities. Additional costs – like housing and meal plans – depend on whether you live in the chapter house.

NPC and IFC chapters have houses on campus. Housing fees/rent and meal plans vary depending on the chapter. Housing arrangements for each sorority and fraternity are determined by the financial and organizational responsibility of the chapter, so each chapter has different live-in requirements for its members.

Housing assignments for NPC and IFC chapters may occur at the same time it would be allowed within the residence halls (i.e., within the first week of classes in the fall, and spring to fall semester). NPC sorority houses are operated and run by University Housing. Moving into the house is considered the same as a room change within the residence hall. Costs for housing will be similar to a double in campus residence halls and will continue to be billed to your university account.

Sorority housing does close when university housing closes. So you will not be able to reside in the sorority house over long university breaks including winter and summer.

IFC fraternity houses are ran by separate housing corporations. Room setup and sizes vary greatly depending on the fraternity house. Because the houses are completely owned by separate housing corporations, if you move into the fraternity house, you will no longer be billed through the university. All rent and fees will be billed to you through the housing corporation. Often the costs of living in the fraternity house are comparable to living in a residence hall or campus apartment.

Some of the fraternity houses may remain open over breaks. However, this varies depending on the chapter.

Sigma Nu is operated by University Housing and is managed similarly to sorority housing regarding cost and open/close dates.

Yes. Greek membership is a valuable experience for every student, regardless of where they live. Commuter students can especially benefit from Greek involvement as this helps integrate them into part of the campus population, which can sometimes be difficult to do. Greek membership also can provide a place to hang out between classes, a place to study and a support group of friends.