A Parent's Guide to Fraternity & Sorority Life
Fraternity and sorority life exists as a proven support network for your student. It can help with many of the worries and concerns your son or daughter might have regarding their college experience. It will also help your student succeed academically, become involved in campus organizations, prepare for their career and become a contributing member of the campus community. Some advantages to fraternity and sorority life include:
- A support group which will serve as a family away from home to help make the adjustment to college easier.
- Scholastic resources to help students achieve their academic goals,
- Leadership skills acquired through hands-on experience.
- Encouragement to get involved and maximize their potential on campus.
- Opportunities for active participation in community service projects.
- National research has shown that involvement in fraternities and sororities increases students' chances of graduating from college.
- Membership in a fraternity or sorority is for a lifetime, and extends far beyond the IWU campus. Your son or daughter will join a national network which can benefit them for years to come.
Campus Participation
In addition to being active within their own chapters, fraternity and sorority members
can also be found participating in various music ensembles, intramural sports, clubs,
service organizations, and special interest groups on campus. The fraternity and sorority
community is represented on nearly all of the NCAA sports teams at IWU. In the past
few years many positions in the Student Senate, including some of the highest offices,
were held by fraternity and sorority members.
Fraternity & Sorority Life and Academics
Academics should be your student's number one focus while in college. That's why most
fraternities and sororities require a minimum GPA in order to remain a member. Usually,
each individual chapter has an elected officer who is responsible for keeping track
of members and their academic performance. Furthermore, the fraternities and sororities
on campus have educational programs, such as tutoring and study sessions, which can
assist the entire chapter in excelling academically.
Leadership and Service
Joining a fraternity or sorority provides a multitude of leadership opportunities.
Each chapter elects a board of officers including a President, Vice-President, Scholarship
Chair, Treasurer and more. In addition, there are campus wide governing councils for
fraternities and sororities that offers leadership and learning opportunities. Your
son or daughter can also gain leadership experience through the community service
opportunities by working on each chapter's national and local philanthropy projects.
Life Long Benefits
The friendships your student will make as a member of a fraternity or sorority will
last far into post-college years. Membership in a chapter can be a life long experience
that is an investment in your student's future, as fraternities and sororities have
strong networks for their members to use for careers and job relocations. Wherever
your son or daughter ends up after college, chances are he or she will be able to
find an alumni chapter or member(s) from their fraternity or sorority in the areas
for professional networking and social support.
Courtney Turnbull - Assistant Director of Student Involvement
Department - Office Of Student Involvement