Changes in Greek recruitment this fall have led to questions about possible fluctuations in membership. Two Panhellenic sororities no longer participate in formal recruitment, and the derecognition of Alpha Delta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternities reduced the number of Interfraternity Council houses from 15 to 13.
As of press time, 627 students have become new members of Greek houses this term, which is slightly fewer than the average of the past four falls. The count is based on the number of students who have submitted membership contracts to the Office of Greek Life. From 2012 to 2015, an average of 687 students joined Greek houses.
Aside from this year, the number of students who joined Greek houses in the fall has steadily risen. In the fall of 2012, 631 students became new members of Greek houses, rising to 692 in the fall of 2013, 703 in the fall of 2014 and 722 in the fall of 2015.
Office of Greek Life coordinator Ruth Kett said this fall’s count is likely to rise as newly affiliated students submit the last of their contracts with the Office of Greek Life.
Despite a perception of some inflexibility in the Greek system, there is precedent for new Greek organizations to emerge on campus. Presently, there is interest in establishing new Greek houses on campus, Office of Greek Life director Brian Joyce said.
“We’ve had quite a few groups asking – maybe not formally at this point, but there have been conversations,” Joyce said.
By “formally,” Joyce referred to the process outlined by the Office of Greek Life that requires approval by one of the five governing councils: the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, the Gender-Inclusive Greek Council, the Multicultural Greek Council or the National Panhellenic Council.
The College requires each Greek house to have at least four enrolled active members each term, but will make an exception if the national organization gives strong support. Dartmouth’s chapter of Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. had just one member from the fall of 2012 to the spring of 2014. As for maximum size restrictions for rush classes, Joyce said that only the Panhellenic Council puts a maximum cap on the number of new members their affiliated sororities can take. Joyce said this cap is about 40 new members a term, but it does vary year to year.
Individual houses have experienced changes in membership over the past five years. Sigma Nu, for example, received two new members last fall and nine this fall as of press time. Tabard welcomed two new members in the fall of 2012, 12 new members in the fall of 2013 and 26 new members in the fall of 2014. As of press time, the Office of Greek Life reports that Tabard accepted 12 new members this fall. Sigma Nu accepted 11 new members in the fall of 2012, and three in the fall of 2014. Rush classes of other Greek houses, such as Kappa Kappa Gamma, Bones Gate and Psi Upsilon, have been stable in recent years.
Instead of participating in formal Panhellenic recruitment, Sigma Delta switched to a shakeout process this fall. This switch parallels an increase in their fall new member class size. Compared to a new member class of 32 in the fall of 2015, Sigma Delt took 44 new members this fall.
