Correction Appended
Membership in coeducational fraternities appears to be on the rise, with two of the three coed fraternities offering more bids and registering more students to rush than in previous years, according to Coed Council President Andrew Manns.
Manns said the increase in membership has been "an ongoing trend" over the last several years. Alpha Theta coed fraternity currently has 31 outstanding bids, while Phi Tau coed fraternity has offered 11 bids this term, according to Manns, who is also social chair of Alpha Theta. At this time last year, Alpha Theta and Phi Tau offered 16 and six bids respectively, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Tabard coed fraternity currently has six pledges, three fewer at this time last fall.
Alpha Theta conducts a different rush process than single-sex fraternities and sororities, Manns said. For Alpha Theta, rush occurs for two nonconsecutive days each term. During each evening, students have dinner at the house, receive a tour and become acquainted with members. Members decide to offer bids during a selective rush process the following Saturday.
Other coed fraternities and undergraduate societies have a rolling rush process, meaning that potential members can sink bids or join over the course of the year, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Once potential members have been selected to receive a bid from Phi Tau, they can choose to join the fraternity at any time before they graduate.
The increase in open events hosted by coed fraternities has been key to the increase in membership among some organizations, according to Manns.
"I've encouraged all houses to increase their visibility in campus by hosting more open events," he said. "In Alpha Theta's case, we're one of the houses that does the most open events each term both including and not including alcohol."
Membership at Tabard and the undergraduate societies Amarna and Panarchy is non-exclusive, according to several students interviewed by The Dartmouth. Any undergraduate who is interested in joining these organizations can do so, although College regulations prevent freshmen from joining.
Students can sink bids at any Tabard's meetings over the course of the term and can choose to join Amarna or Panarchy at any time.
Manns said the rush process for single-sex fraternities and sororities has not affected coed fraternity membership.
"I don't think they affected our numbers that much," he said. "I think [coeds] do a good job of reaching out to those who would otherwise be unaffiliated."
Coed organizations often cater to a different demographic of students than those who choose to rush single-sex Greek houses, according to Amarna treasurer Robyn Deakins.
"People who are considering fraternity or sorority rush are probably not considering joining Amarna," she said.
Because Amarna is not part of the Greek system, students can be a member of Amarna and a Greek letter organization at the same time, Deakins said.
Amarna, which became a full member of the Coed Council this year, has not gained any members since the beginning of the term, Deakins said. She attributed the lack of members to the ongoing nature of the enrollment process.
"People join at various points throughout the year," she said. "There's no particular time when you have to join."
The choice to join a single-sex versus a coed Greek organization is a matter of personal preference, according to Manns.
"Different people feel comfortable in different social spaces," he said. "The majority of people at Alpha Theta are people who feel comfortable being surrounded by both male and female members, and I don't think they'd feel that way in a single-sex house."
According to Deakins, the alcohol culture also differentiates the two systems.
"[Amarna was] founded as an alternative to the Greek system," she said. "I think we offer more of a place for [non-drinkers]."
She also pointed to the membership process as a distinguishing factor.
"We are non-exclusive, and that's important to me," she said. "We don't have a pledge term, so once you join you're a full member, and there's no hazing."
Representatives of Panarchy did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
