About our Greek Community
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We are loyal
As members of
fraternities and sororities, we participate
in ritual events together. These events are
meant to not only teach us the values of our
organization but also to remind us to live
up to these values and expectations each day
of our lives. Sharing these rituals with
our brothers and sisters builds a unique
bond of loyalty that is not experienced in
other campus clubs or organizations. The
bonds, formed during our early collegiate
days, extend well beyond graduation. Being
Greek binds students to their institution of
higher education, and members are found to
give more back to colleges and universities
in terms of service and financial
contributions after graduation. Studies
show that the spirit of philanthropy and
volunteerism continues after graduation,
when Greek alumni are more likely than
non-Greek alumni to get involved in
community and civic groups. Fraternity and
sorority members form the largest network of
volunteers in the US and donate more than $7
million each year to charitable
organizations.
We are driven
The national
values of Greek members encourage us to be
better men and women not only during our
undergraduate days, but when we leave our
college community as well. In today’s
competitive job market, a college degree is
no longer a sufficient means of obtaining
employment. Employers are looking for
people who are involved in extracurricular
activities and who have people skills.
Greek life encourages you to get involved in
campus life, be it in the chapter itself or
in other organizations at Georgia Southern
University. Fraternity or sorority
membership helps to build a solid resume and
network. Members of fraternities and
sororities go onto to do great things after
leaving their campus environment. From
social issues to academia, business to
philanthropy, the leaders of today are
gaining their edge from their fraternal
experience. This is very evident when you
consider that 30% of Fortune 500 executives
are Greek, and of the nation’s 50 largest
corporations, 43 are headed by members of
fraternities and sororities.
We
are talented
Through
involvement in various activities, a
sorority or fraternity can help develop
hidden talents and interests in its
members. Membership in a fraternity or
sorority teaches skills that are easily
transferable into the real world.
Membership requires students to hone skills
that help them in the classroom and in their
careers, including budgeting, public
speaking, networking, and managing time,
people, and projects. Some talented famous
Greeks include Dr. Maya Angelou, Brad Pitt,
Martin Luther King. Jr., Georgia O’Keeffe,
and Sara Jessica Parker. Music star Luke
Bryan was a Greek at Georgia Southern
University.
We
are confident
Having the
support of a group of your brothers and
sisters can encourage you to try new things
and take on new responsibilities – things
you may have never thought you were even
capable of doing. Greek membership teaches
you to inspire and encourage others to
succeed. The overall Greek experience will
develop you into a mature, responsible
adult, prepared to face the challenges and
rigors that life may bring. This sense of
responsibility, nurtured by a commitment to
your brothers and sisters, to your Greek
organization, and to yourself, will be
carried into every aspect of your adult
life.
We
are influential
Besides being
involved in the Greek community, there are
always opportunities for fraternity and
sorority members to get involved in other
areas of campus life. Greek students are
members of many other campus clubs and
organizations, often holding leadership
roles within those groups. Fraternity and
sorority members make up 11% of the student
body at Georgia Southern University, and you
will find Greek students represented all
across campus. After leaving college,
fraternity and sorority members continue to
play influential roles in their communities
and in the world. Forty-eight percent of
the US Presidents have been Greek, 42% of US
Senators are Greek, and both women appointed
to the U.S. Supreme Court are members of
sororities.
We are intelligent
The
fraternities and sororities at Georgia
Southern University realize that excelling
in academics is a top priority for all
students. There are GPA requirements that
prospective members must meet in order to be
eligible for participation in recruitment
and intake, and members are held to high
academic standards even after they are
initiated into the group. The all-Greek GPA
has traditionally been higher than the
all-student GPA. Individual chapters have
scholarship chairs to assist chapter members
in maintaining good grades. Each
organization also has a faculty advisor who
mentors the group’s academic program, and by
offering study hours and tutoring sessions,
Greek life helps to promote high academic
performance. We also have two national
honorary organizations that are exclusive to
fraternity and sorority members, Order of
Omega and Gamma Sigma Alpha.
We
are leaders
Greek
organizations provide members with limitless
and unique opportunities for the development
of their leadership skills. Members hold
leadership positions in their own chapters
and also in other campus organizations.
Each chapter has an executive board
responsible for directing the chapter’s
goals and activities. Positions on the
executive board include, but are not limited
to, president, program development,
membership development, and treasurer. Many
chapters also have programming boards or
other committees that groom chapter members
to take on increasing levels of leadership
within their chapters and across campus.
Greek life provides the opportunity for
students to attend local, state, and
regional leadership conferences which
introduce them to a diversity of people and
ideas. These leadership skills contribute
to the fact that 10% of all those listed in
Who’s Who are members of fraternities and
sororities.
We
are role models
Fraternity and
sorority members play an active and
prominent role in Georgia Southern events
and organizations. No matter where you look
on campus, Greeks are in the spotlight! The
current President of GSU is Greek; the SGA
Vice President of Finance is Greek, and both
the current Miss GSU and Mr. GSU are Greek.
Fraternity and sorority members also serve
in important campus roles such as Southern
Ambassadors, First Year Experience Peer
Mentors, Minority Advisement Program
Sponsors, and SOAR Leaders.
We are students
Greeks are at
college, first and foremost, as students,
and the Greek community can serve as an
opportune way to ease into the collegiate
environment, enabling you to develop both
socially and intellectually. You can find
fraternities and sororities represented in
every campus major, in most every campus
club and honorary society, on athletic
teams, and actively participating on the
intramural field. Greek organizations also
help students remain in college by offering
financial assistance to offset the cost of
education. There are several scholarships
sponsored by the Georgia Southern University
Inter-Fraternity Council and Panhellenic
Association, many of the chapters on campus
offer scholarships to their own members, and
national organizations provide scholarship
as well.
We
are eagles
Fraternities
and sororities were established over a
century ago by students who felt a need to
enrich their college experience. Greek life
came to Georgia Southern University over
three decades ago. Since that time,
fraternity and sorority membership has been
instilling a sense of pride in the
institution. Attend any campus-wide
athletic event or student activity program,
and you will see Greek members out in full
support. Membership in a fraternity or
sorority also encourages students to remain
at and graduate from Georgia Southern
University. Both the retention and
graduation rates of Greek students are
significantly higher that those of their
non-Greek peers.
We are friends
One of the
most important aspects of fraternities and
sororities is that they offer lifelong
friendships. Whenever members need a
shoulder to cry on, someone to laugh with,
or someone to have a good time with, they
are always able to find a brother or sister
who is there for them. Chapters provide
multiple events to help foster and
strengthen these bonds. The fraternity and
sorority community at Georgia Southern
University is also very close-knit,
providing the chance for members to meet and
develop relationships with Greeks from other
chapters through educational, service, and
social programming. The brotherhood and
sisterhood developed while in college
extends long beyond graduation. When you
join a Greek organization, you are a member
for life. There are alumni groups all over
the country that expand the bonds of Greek
membership after college. Alumni work
together to offer invaluable opportunities
and lifelong support and friendship.
We are brothers
A fraternity
is a group of men working together toward
common goals and issues. The common bond
between all fraternities is the pursuit of
brotherhood. Brotherhood is a key element
of the fraternity experience and is one of
the best benefits you will receive. At
Georgia Southern University, we currently
have 15 Inter-Fraternity Council
fraternities and 4 National-Panhellenic
Council fraternities. The diversity found
among these organizations means that
everyone can find their place in our Greek
community.
We are sisters
Joining a
sorority truly does make Georgia Southern
University a “home away from home.”
Sorority members help you find a niche for
yourself with the larger university
community. We currently have 6 Panhellenic
Association sororities and 3 National
Pan-Hellenic Council sororities here on
campus. These groups offer membership to
women from all walks of life.
We are Greek
By joining a
fraternity or sorority, you are given an
opportunity that not many people have.
People ask why we are Greek. And, we try to
explain all the things that fraternities and
sororities are that you cannot see. Greek
membership is more than letters on a
sweatshirt; more than traditional songs; a
golden pin; ritual; an obligation; or a way
of life. Fraternities and sororities are
learning about people and about yourself;
giving without expecting a return; receiving
without knowing it; earning respect from
others as well as for yourself. Greek
membership will not solve all your problems,
but you will find good friends, confidence,
and help to take life one step at a time.
Life is filled with decisions. How you make
the most of your time at Georgia Southern
University will depend on the decisions you
make each and every day for the next four
years. We hope that you will make joining a
fraternity or sorority one of those
decisions.
Office
of Greek Life |