UMass Dartmouth Greek Life FAQ 1. Q-­‐What are the advantages of joining Greek life? a. Greek life provides the tools needed to become a strong community leader. Lifelong friends, leadership opportunities, personal growth, philanthropic projects, and networking opportunities are among the numerous advantages to joining Greek life. Fraternities and Sororities are organizations that are dedicated to the development of character among its members. 2. Q-­‐ What does joining a Greek organization really mean? a. Joining A Greek organization is joining a brother/sisterhood composed of others who share common goals/interests as one another. Membership into a Greek organization is a special support system that carries through no matter what life throws at you. Greek life can also provide special connections later in life due to networking-­‐ Brothers or sisters around the country will be useful when looking for internships/careers. 3. Q-­‐ How many sororities and fraternities does UMD have? a. There are 6 sororities and 7 fraternities on campus. Sororities: Phi Sigma Sigma, Delta Pi Omega, Alpha Sigma Tau, Iota Delta Nu, Rho Sigma Phi, and Mu Sigma Upsilon and Zeta Phi Beta Fraternities: Phi Kappa Theta, Chi Phi, Sigma Phi Rho, Theta Delta Chi, Zeta Lambda Chi (coed.), and Theta Delta Sigma (coed.) 4. Q-­‐ What is the difference between “National” and “Local?” a. The main difference between national and local organizations is that a local organization is the only of its kind-­‐ there is only one chapter. The local organizations at UMD can only be found at here; while national organizations have chapters all over the country -­‐and even the world-­‐ at different colleges and universities. Some students go local because of the uniqueness; while some go national due to the increased amount of alumni. It all depends on personal preference. 5. Q-­‐ What is the difference between NPC, IFC and Multicultural organizations? a. NPC, or National Panhellenic Conference, is the organization which holds 26 national/international sororities. b. The fraternity version of the NPC is the IFC, or Interfraternity Conference. This association holds all of the national men’s Greek life on college campuses. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is not recognized by the IFC. c. In addition, there is also the NMGC, which is the association involved with all multicultural Greek life organizations. There are 12 different multicultural organizations, one of which we have on campus-­‐ Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority. 6.
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Q-­‐ How will joining a Greek organization affect my GPA? a. One of the focuses of Greek life at UMD is encouraging strong academics among the members. Most organizations have a GPA requirement in order to maintain membership. One of the main principals of Greek life is academic achievement. Q-­‐ Is Greek life really like what I see in the movies/TV? a. What you see on TV couldn’t be further from the truth. Many people have a misconception as to what Greek life is. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Greek community promotes responsibility among its members. Most organizations have a judicial system in place when members are not acting in a responsible manner, and the University has a strict “No Hazing” policy. Q-­‐ How do I start a new chapter on campus? a. Greek life at UMD is organized through the Student, Activities, Involvement and Leadership (SAIL) office. Any student who wishes to start a new organization needs to submit a “New Organization” form on MyOrgs, the university’s online organization website. There needs to be at least 10 members to start a new organization. To start a new Greek organization, come into the SAIL office and meet with the Greek Coordinators or a professional staff member. Q-­‐ How do I join? a. Most organizations have a “Rush” period in the first or second weeks of each semester. This is a time to check out the different organizations and see which is the best fit for you. Does the Student Government Association fund Greek life? a. No, each Greek organization is responsible for funding their activities. SGA does not offer financial support for Greek life. However, there are plenty of recourses on campus to assist Greek Organizations with fundraising and other ideas; such as the SAIL office. Do Greek organizations have to have an advisor? a. Yes, Greek organizations must appoint an advisor to their organization. This can be any UMD administrator with whom you want your organization to be affiliated with. This advisor would be there for you to ask questions, provide guidance and also to be a support system to your Greek organization. The advisor serves as a form of a liaison between UMD and Greek life. How do I check out the Organizations online? a. UMass Dartmouth uses an online organizational database, “MyOrgs,” which lists all organizations offered on campus and information pertaining to them. The MyOrgs link can be found on https://my.umassd.edu/ under quick launch and then under the “campus links” tabs.