2017/2018 Colonies/Expansions/Charters/Closures

[LaneSig]

The following schools have opened for expansion:

Benedictine University(IL) - new Greek system- previously announced

SUNY-Farmingdale

Union College(NY)

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

The following schools have opened for expansion:

Benedictine University(IL) - new Greek system- previously announced

SUNY-Farmingdale

Union College(NY)

Interesting that Theta Phi Alpha just closed their colony at SUNY-Farmingdale and Union College has had AXO pull out of colonizing and Tri Delta close this year...hope these schools can fix whatever issues are plaguing them and preventing successful growth.

[Xidelt]

I think it is irresponsible for the authority on each campus (Panhellenic or head of student activities) to vote to open Farmingdale and Union for sorority expansion.

[KDKells]

I know we presented at Union when AXO did. I do not want us to attempt to colonize there unless whatever issues have been sorted out.

Interesting that out of this two are NY schools. Didn't the SUNYs have issues with hazing and local (state) organizations that then joined national ones?

[33girl]

Just because it opens, doesn’t mean anyone will bite. I think Pitt-Bradford has been open for 3 years and no groups have touched it, because they all have at least one brain cell in their heads.

And sometimes it’s not the school, it’s the group. Have no idea if that’s the case at any of these places, but there are differences between the 26.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by KDKells

I know we presented at Union when AXO did. I do not want us to attempt to colonize there unless whatever issues have been sorted out.

Interesting that out of this two are NY schools. Didn't the SUNYs have issues with hazing and local (state) organizations that then joined national ones?

The SUNY system had nationals and then somewhere around 1950ish, the state made the groups leave their nationals because of white clauses. Think that lasted about 5 years. Some went back to nationals, some turned into regionals and some stayed local.

And these are 2 NY schools but they are pretty much as alike as Ruth’s Chris and Burger King.

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by Xidelt

I think it is irresponsible for the authority on each campus (Panhellenic or head of student activities) to vote to open Farmingdale and Union for sorority expansion.

You can't make women (or men) join a group that they simply don't want to join.

There have been numerous campuses that had an organization that was/is struggling to recruit that opened for expansion. In some cases, the struggling chapter closed right after the new chapter colonized (or a year or two later). On some campuses, the struggling chapter closed the semester before the planned colonization. There are also campuses where the struggling chapter continued to stay open and continued/continues to have low membership numbers or managed to capitalize on the interest (and the help of RFM) and turned themselves around. I could name some campuses, but I don't want it to look like I am dogging any chapters.

So, if the campus is wanting to grow or the other chapters are wanting to control their size it is best for them to expand.

[33girl]

Not to mention, a chapter being a dog in the manger doesn't do itself any favors. My chapter voted for expansion (national colonization of interest groups) twice when we were under total, and HQ reprimanded us for it. What on earth were we supposed to do? If they'd wanted to join us, they would have in the first place. We saw voting for it as being positive and Panhellenic, and the new groups did increase overall interest in Greek life.

It's different at huge Greek schools where the only expansion ever seen is a ground up colonization, but neither of the schools in question are remotely like that.

[clemsongirl]

I think the big difference between the two schools I named is that Tri Delta closed at Union for RMF, not for low numbers. According to Irishpipes' thread they made quota in the formal recruitment the semester before they were closed. And what I didn't realize was that when AXO pulled out of colonizing, they did cite that there weren't enough women interested to create a viable new chapter. That was also Fall 2016 rather than Fall 2017 like I had thought.

Regardless, it sounds like any new group selected will have to do something different to be successful.

[LaneSig]

Congratulations to Delta Gamma on chartering at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington this past weekend.

[LaneSig]

Zeta Tau Alpha has been invited to colonize at the University of Texas-Tyler in Fall '18.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

The following schools have opened for expansion:

Benedictine University(IL) - new Greek system- previously announced

SUNY-Farmingdale

Union College(NY)

When did Benedictine announce that they are open to a Greek System? That's in my back yard (almost literally!).

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by honeychile

When did Benedictine announce that they are open to a Greek System? That's in my back yard (almost literally!).

They originally announced that they were establishing Greek Life sometime this past fall.

I do know a certain fraternity expansion committee member reached out to them 3 different times to discuss presentations/colonizing, and never ever heard back from them.

[LaneSig]

Phi Mu has been invited to colonize at Pace University(NY) in Spring '19.

[KDKells]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Phi Mu has been invited to colonize at Pace University(NY) in Spring '19.

Which campus is this?