Effective 7/2020 – Albright College

Effective 7/2020

View Policy as a PDF.

Dear Interested Student,

I am excited about your desire to form a new fraternity or sorority on campus.  This packet will inform you of the College’s expansion policy to form Greek-letter organizations at Albright College.  This policy has been endorsed and approved by the Vice President for Student and Campus Life & Dean of Students, as well as the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership in collaboration with the Greek Life Office.

The packet consists of two separate documents.

  1. The College’s Expansion Policy which summarizes the process toward establishment; and
  2. The College’s Expansion Application which outlines the information needed to be considered for establishment.

The policy, as well as the application, was developed to ensure fraternity and sorority expansion occurs in a manner which includes a carefully developed plan conducive to the educational mission and core values of Albright College.  The policy aims to provide support and guidance for new groups, as well as consider the strengths of our current Greek organizations.  The overarching goal is to provide maximum support for current Greek students and their chapters, as well as non-affiliated students interested in adding a new opportunity within Greek Life for Albright students.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the policy or application process.  I look forward to reviewing your application and learning more about your interest in Greek Life.

Best,
Keith D. Walls
Coordinator of Greek Life and Multicultural Affairs

Fraternities and sororities have a long heritage and rich tradition at Albright College, with the first fraternity established in 1900.  In an effort to ensure managed growth of the Fraternity and Sorority Life community, while maintaining stable, viable membership in the existing chapters, the following policy has been developed to outline the College procedure for the recognition and support of new social fraternities and sororities.  As we look to the future of Fraternity and Sorority Life, we must continue to focus on our current chapters and work to improve the Fraternity and Sorority Life community internally, while considering the needs and interests of the broader student population.

As current chapters become stronger, Albright College recognizes the prospect for expansion of new, sustainable chapters that will provide opportunities for non-affiliated students.  Each expansion process is unique, but similar in the fact that establishment requires a cohesive effort from multiple constituencies.  Specifically, interested students, inter/national organizations, and college representatives must work together to develop successful new chapters that will thrive.  The road to establishing a new chapter can be long and tedious but the rewards are great.

Please note that there are many steps and elements considered in expansion of Fraternity and Sorority Life and, while every effort will be made to promote the welfare of current and new organizations, some expansion initiatives may not be successful or come to fruition.  This policy will better outline some of the initial steps in the application and approval process.

Recognized Organizations

Any group interested in expanding to Albright College must have an established Inter/National Headquarters and be recognized by one of the following umbrella organizations:

  • North-American Inter-Fraternity Conference (NIC)
  • National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
  • National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC)
  • National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)
  • National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO)
  • National Asian Pacific American Panhellenic Association (NAPA)

Albright College does not support or recognize fraternities or sororities not affiliated with a national governing organization and has not since 1987.

Recognized inter/national organizations that do not fall under an umbrella group (such as service or religious based) will be considered but only through this application and expansion process – please contact the Greek Life Coordinator if you are looking to start an organization of this type so that they can work with you to identify other interested students.  Inter/nationally based academic honors societies, aside from Order of Omega, are not subject to this policy nor governed by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership – for the establishment of an academic Greek letter honors society, please contact the specific academic department.

Fraternity and Sorority Life Expansion Application

Any interested group of full-time, regularly matriculated students may complete a Fraternity and Sorority Life Expansion Application. Completed applications are accepted by the Fraternity and Sorority Life Office at any time – applications for consideration for Fall semester must be submitted by February 15 and applications for consideration for Spring semester must be submitted by September 15.  Please understand that each application will move at its own pace and the different organizations involved may delay the process.

The Greek Life Coordinator will review all submitted applications for complete content – only completed applications will be considered.  If completed applications are on file at the dates outlined above, the Fraternity and Sorority Life Expansion Committee will be convened.

The application is to be filled out by an interested group of full-time, regularly matriculated students, so in the instance an organization is interested in expanding to Albright College without the interest of students, the organization may seek student interest through advertising and interest meetings on campus with the approval of and collaboration with the Greek Life Coordinator.

Fraternity and Sorority Life Expansion Committee

All Fraternity and Sorority Life Expansion applications must be approved and endorsed by the Fraternity and Sorority Life Expansion Committee (FSLEC), which convenes once a semester 10 days prior to or following midterms. FSLEC is chaired by the Greek Life Coordinator and is composed of:

  • one (1) fraternity/sorority associated student to represent each council (preferably the President/Chair);
  • one (1) member of SGA (preferably an unaffiliated student);
  • one (1) unaffiliated student (preferably a senior; cannot be involved in any current Fraternity and Sorority Life Expansion applications);
  • two (2) Chapter or Faculty Advisors of established Fraternity/Sorority Chapters (preferably one fraternity and one sorority);
  • one (1) member of the Alumni Association Board;
  • one (1) Faculty/Staff member who is not a current advisor for a Fraternity/Sorority and
  • The Director of Student Involvement and Leadership or an appointed representative

A quorum of this committee must be available to meet or approval cannot happen.

Students on the committee can serve up to 1 academic year on the FSLEC. Once a student has served their time on the FSLEC, the Greek Life Coordinator will seek a new representative to fill that spot and give their recommendation to the FSLEC to approve or deny.

Once convened, FSLEC will first determine if the College is ready for expansion.  Specifically, FSLEC will discuss the strengths of the established chapters, particularly in regards to membership size and sustainability, as well as evaluate the composition and interest of the general student population.  If determined that campus is ready for expansion, FSLEC will review all applications for content and quality, as well as consider which group best matches the need and has the best potential for success and longevity in the current campus climate.

FSLEC will provide recommendations regarding the best application to move forward and may request to meet with that proposing group, if they deem it necessary in finalizing a recommendation.  Otherwise, the Greek Life Coordinator will communicate and work with the applying group to discuss their potential for moving forward in the process and possibly establishing at Albright.  Other groups who submitted application for review will be informed of the status of their application by the Greek Life Coordinator.

The FSLEC has the option to deny all applications if none fit the current campus needs sufficiently and they retain the right to offer to a maximum of one group a semester the possibility of establishing at Albright.

Overview of Expansion Procedure

Approved groups are expected to follow one of the three specific expansion procedures:  Interfraternity Expansion Procedure, Multicultural Organization Expansion Procedure, or Panhellenic Organization Extension Procedure.  These procedures are designed specifically to fit the needs of the organizations and umbrella group that have interest in expanding at Albright College.  Approved groups will work closely with the Greek Life Coordinator as well as members of the FSLEC who will guide the group through the procedure.

Interfraternity Expansion Procedure

Interested groups who have been approved by FSLEC to form an organization under the umbrella group of the North-American Inter-Fraternity Conference (NIC) are expected to participate in the following:

  • Consult with the Greek Life Coordinator, who will work with NIC to contact all organizations interested in expansion and request appropriate materials and a formal request regarding extension from those organizations.
  • After all requests and supporting materials have been submitted, FSLEC (along with the IFC in this instance) will select 3-5 finalists to present to the College community. The Greek Life Coordinator will provide details regarding what the presentations must highlight.  Those groups interested but not selected will be notified by Greek Life Coordinator.
  • Following campus presentations, a recommendation will be provided to the Dean of Students, who will make the decision of which organization to invite to establish on campus. The decision will consider the quality of the proposal and presentation, as well as the needs of the campus and potential for long-term success.
  • Once an invitation is extended and accepted, other groups will be notified of the selection by the Greek Life Coordinator. The Greek Life Coordinator will immediately begin working with the selected organization to prepare a schedule for establishment.

Multicultural Organization Expansion Procedure

Interested groups who have been approved by FSLEC to form an organization under one of the following umbrella groups – National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO), Nationals Asian Pacific American Panhellenic Association (NAPA) – are expected to participate in the following:

  • Consult with the Greek Life Coordinator to identify organizations within the appropriate umbrella group who may be interested in expansion and request appropriate materials and a formal request regarding extension from those organizations.
  • After all requests and supporting materials have been submitted, FSLEC (along with the Multicultural Greek Council, if established) will select 3-5 finalists to present to the College community. The Greek Life Coordinator will provide details regarding what the presentations must highlight.  Those groups interested but not selected will be notified by the Greek Life Coordinator.
  • Following campus presentations, a recommendation will be provided to the Dean of Students, who will make the decision of which organization to invite to establish on campus. The decision will consider the quality of the proposal and presentation, as well as the needs of the campus and potential for long-term success.
  • Once an invitation is extended and accepted, other groups will be notified of the selection by the Greek Life Coordinator. The Greek Life Coordinator will immediately begin working with the selected organization to prepare a schedule for establishment.

Panhellenic Organization Extension Procedure

Interest groups who have been approved by FSLEC to form an organization under the umbrella group of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) must understand that the Panhellenic Extension Procedures strictly follow the NPC Manual of Information, Section E on Extension.

When a number of female students are unable to affiliate with the existing chapters, the College Panhellenic Council may wish to (a) raise chapter Total or (b) add another NPC group.  So long as it is feasible to campus structure and organizations structure, the College Panhellenic will raise and reset total, as recommended by the NPC MOI 2019 edition.

The College Panhellenic council should consult with the NPC Area Advisor, the NPC Extension Committee Chairman, the Greek Life Coordinator and the FSLEC if they believe that they are at a point of extension without a formal interest group in existence. In the case when neither an interest group nor application for expansion has been submitted, the College Panhellenic can form an extension committee to research and recommend whether Panhellenic extension should or should not be considered (NPC MOI, Extension E-3).  If the College Panhellenic finds in favor of extension without an approved interest group, they must consult with the FSLEC who will consider if campus can support without an approved interest group.

In the case of an approved interest group and College Panhellenic determining the need for extension, the following steps should be taken:

  • The College Panhellenic votes to open the campus for extension
  • If the College Panhellenic votes to open, an Extension Committee is appointed by the NPC Area Advisor and the NPC Extension Committee chairman are contacted with the decision.
  • College Panhellenic asks the Chairman of the Extension Committee to notify all NPC organizations of the extension opportunity and/or send a letter of introduction to specific NPC organizations to solicit interest in extension.  These letters should included those details outlined in NPC MOI Extension E-4 Article V #2 E.
  • College Panhellenic selects those organization in wishes to make presentations. Arrangements are made by the Greek Life Coordinator and College Panhellenic Council for a campus presentation.  Those groups not selected are notified by the Extension Committee and/or Greek Life Coordinator
  • After presentations, the College Panhellenic decides which group meets the needs of the campus and works with the Dean of Students to issue an invitation. All information for selection, vote and issue of offer is located in the NPC MOI.  College Panhellenic notifies the other groups of the selection.
  • The College Panhellenic, Extension Committee Chairman, Area Advisor for NPC and Greek Life Coordinator immediately begins working with the selected organization to prepare a schedule of establishment.

The Fraternity & Sorority Life Expansion Application includes three components: a letter of intent from the group leader(s); a complete list of interested individuals; and a letter of support from a potential Faculty/Staff Advisor.  Interested groups should identify one or two individuals to serve as a group leader(s) who will be contact(s) for the Greek Life Coordinator as well as the Fraternity and Sorority Life Expansion Committee (FSLEC).

Complete applications are accepted at any time, however review will only take place twice in an academic year.  Deadlines for applications are September 15 for hopeful spring expansion and February 15 for hopeful fall expansion.  Applications submitted after September 15 and February 15 will be considered for review the subsequent semester.  Upon receipt and initial review, the Greek Life Coordinator will be in contact regarding the status of the application, what additional materials it may need and when it will be reviewed by FSLEC. Exceptions to this timeline can be made under the discretion of the Greek Life Coordinator and the FSLEC.

Letter of Intent

The letter of intent should outline the group’s interest in fraternity or sorority expansion at Albright College.  Specifically, the letter should address the group’s goals, as well as how they could potentially fill a void and/or strengthen Fraternity and Sorority Life at Albright.  The letter should also address the potential benefits to the entire campus community if the interested group was approved to move forward in the expansion and establishment process.

The letter must indicate which umbrella organization the group is interested in becoming affiliated with.  The group should list up the three specific inter/national organizations within that umbrella organization they are particularly interested.*  It is highly recommended that interest groups do not limit themselves to one organization in the application process as it makes it a lot harder to evaluate the value of the expansion application.  For any specific organization listed, the group must provide a brief explanation as to why each organization was selected and how the organization correlates to the group’s overarching goals, purpose, and potential niche on campus.

If there has already been interest expressed from a specific inter/national organization with regards to establishment at Albright College, that information should not be included in the letter.  Please attach any formal letters of interest received from a specific inter/national organization to the application and it will be viewed as a supporting document for the application but not required for evaluation.

The letter should not exceed three pages and be signed by the group leader(s).

*Please note that even if the application is approved, there is no guarantee that the organizations listed or preferred in the applications will be the final organization selected by the college and given an invitation for establishment – every consideration will be made to reach out to the organizations of interest but pending their interest level in Albright College, the needs and fit within the current Fraternity and Sorority Life system and the interest of the student body once presentations are made, they may not be the final selection.

List of Interested Individuals

Each interested individual must be a full-time, regularly matriculated Albright College student in good standing who has completed, or will have completed by the deadline of the application, at least one semester at the College.  Each individual must have a cumulative GPA from Albright College of 2.5 or above and have achieved a minimum of 12 credits (passed 3 classes).

A list, in alphabetical order, of each individual’s first and last name, as well as the following information must be typed and submitted:

  • Class year and Major
  • Cell phone number
  • Leadership and Involvement at Albright
  • Previous and/or current Greek membership (including formal recruitment, declined bids and withdrawing during NME)
  • Greek legacy information (immediate family with membership in a Greek organization – please provide as much of the following information as possible):
    • Full Name and relation to individual
    • Greek Affiliation
    • College/University of affiliation and Class Year
  • Signature (must be a live or electronic signature – cannot be name in cursive or italicized font)

By providing their signature, individuals are providing consent for the Greek Life Coordinator to ensure that they meet the requirements and expectations for Greek membership.  Any student, who has been previously initiated into a social fraternity or sorority at any campus, shall be deemed ineligible to participate in the expansion process unless it is for their affiliated organization.  Please note that, per NPC, any individual who signed a MRABA or accepted a bid but did not accept or withdrew membership is bound for one (1) year to that NPC sorority and will not eligible for membership in any other social Greek organization until the term of the year is up.

The list of interested individuals must include the minimum number that correlated with the appropriate umbrella organization: **

  • National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): 22 individuals
  • National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): 12 individuals
  • North-American Inter-Fraternity Conference (NIC): 15 individuals
  • National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO): 12 individuals
  • National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC): 12 individuals
  • National Asian Pacific American Panhellenic Association (NAPA): 12 individuals

**Calculated as 40% of current umbrella chapter’s average membership and as 20% of the Panhellenic average where chapter within the umbrella doesn’t exist yet

When checking the eligibility of the interested individuals, if the Greek Life Coordinator finds that there is not eligibility of the minimum number, then the Coordinator reserves the right to ask for more names so that eligible interest meets the requirement.  Failure to provide will result in the application not being complete.

Letter of Support from Potential Faculty/Staff Advisor

The interested group should identify a potential advisor who must be a current faculty or staff member of Albright College.  The potential advisor should review the letter of intent, as well as the list of interested individuals.  If the group’s application is approved, the advisor will be contacted to confirm that they will serve as the advisor for the organization.  An organization cannot become established without an on-campus advisor.  The advisor’s name and contact information should be included in the letter of intent.  The application packet must include a signed, written statement from the individual of a willingness to serve and assist the group in establishment.

Per Albright College, an on campus advisor to a Greek organization can be someone of the opposite gender and does not need to be Greek affiliated in any way. Potential Faculty/Staff advisors cannot be the following people – Greek Life Coordinator, Director of Student Involvement and Leadership, Dean of Students or a Faculty/Staff advisor already overseeing one or more social/service Greek organizations.