Fraternity and Sorority Life

Sorority Formal Recruitment Exemption 

Are you interested in Sorority Life but unable to commit to the week-long Formal Recruitment process? The formal recruitment exemption process allows first-year women the opportunity to join a sorority without participating in formal recruitment.  Exemptions could be approved for, but not limited to, athletics commitments, work, or learning differences. You must submit a request for exemption before September 8th at 5:00 pm.  

Pre-Recruitment Events

Get to know current members through pre-recruitment events! These events can be found on Involve by visiting the calendar or by navigating to each organization's page to view the events they are hosting. Click here to check out what is going on! Pre-recruitment events are an essential part of getting to know each organization and are highly encouraged, but not required, to join Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Is FSL (Fraternity and Sorority Life) for me?

There are many reasons why students choose to join a fraternity or sorority. Many students join with the desire to belong to a community and form a close bond with their peers. Others indicate that it was the leadership training and community service opportunities that first attracted them to FSL, while others still cite the academic and networking benefits. At Muskingum University, we have a rich history of providing students with these opportunities, as well as others.

How do I join

At Muskingum University, formal recruitment takes place during the fall semester, while informal recruitment occurs in the spring. All first-year students must have a 2.5 high school GPA to join in the fall, and upperclassmen must have a 2.35 university GPA or higher. Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct for more information.

Each student must also attend FSL Orientation on September 14th at 5:00 pm before joining an organization. These orientations will cover information about each organization, the hazing policies in place at the university, what it means to be a Greek member, and the recruitment process. The Greek 101 dates, times, and locations are sent out each semester to new members.

What is Recruitment Week

Recruitment Week is a week-long process. It is a chance for you to introduce yourself to the sororities and fraternities and for them to get to know you. You will attend different party nights to learn about the values, standards, and purpose of each organization.

What is a Recruitment Counselor

A Recruitment Counselor is a member of a sorority who has chosen to disassociate with her chapter in order to help women go through the recruitment process. She disassociates during the recruitment process to better serve as an unbiased resource for prospective members. At Muskingum University, Recruitment Counselors are only used in conjunction with sorority recruitment.

Will I be hazed?

Hazing is against federal, state, and local laws. It is also against the policies of Muskingum University student organizations, as well as the policies of each chapter on campus. Hazing has no place in the activities of fraternities and sororities.

Does it cost a lot?

Joining a fraternity or sorority does carry a financial commitment. Each chapter is self-supporting with revenue coming from dues-paying members. When students become part of the FSL community, they agree to pay dues and fees while enrolled at Muskingum University to maintain their membership.

While FSL membership is affordable, some chapters may be able to make accommodations for special circumstances. However, it is recommended that you discuss the financial obligations with your support system before joining.

Does being a member of a fraternity/sorority really have benefits after graduation?

Definitely! Being a member of FSL is a lifetime commitment. Once you are initiated, you are a member for life! Each organization maintains an extensive alumni network, which is extremely beneficial for networking opportunities, including internships and jobs.

Being a member of a fraternity or sorority gives you a connection to hundreds of successful Greeks in the job market. Additionally, many chapters have alumni groups that operate in many cities throughout the country.

Becoming an active member of such an organization after graduation will supply you with more connections for job networking... and gives you the opportunity to build even more lasting friendships!

Joining a fraternity or sorority does carry a financial commitment. Each chapter is self-supporting with revenue coming from dues-paying members. When students join a fraternity or sorority, they agree to pay dues and fees while enrolled at Muskingum University to maintain their membership.

While Greek membership is affordable, some chapters are able to make accommodations for special circumstances, but you should discuss the financial obligations with your parents before you join.

Key FSL Terms
FSL students may use some terms you may not understand. 

Active: A person who has been initiated into a lifelong membership of a fraternity or sorority and is in good standing with this organization.

Alumnus/Alumna: A fraternity or sorority member who is no longer an active member of a collegiate chapter.

Alumni/Alumnae:  A group of fraternity or sorority members who are no longer active members of a collegiate chapter.

Bid: A formal invitation to join a sorority or fraternity.

Big: Short for "Big Sister" or "Big Brother," an active member to serve as a mentor for new members.

Brother: An initiated member of a fraternity.

Chapter: A membership unit of a national or international sorority or fraternity.

Chapter Consultant: An alumna or alumnus who establishes and maintains a close advisory relationship with a chapter and serves as a teacher, counselor, and friend.

Colors: The official pair or triad of colors that represent a specific Greek organization.

Deactivate: The formal process by which an initiated member disaffiliates him/herself from the chapter.

Dry: Term used to describe events where alcohol or other substances are forbidden. All recruitment events are dry events.

Extension/Expansion: The process of establishing new chapters.

Formal Recruitment: The official recruitment period that is established for new members to be able to join an organization. 

Founders' Day: The date celebrating the original founding of an FSL organization.

Fraternity: A Greek letter sisterhood or brotherhood.

Good Standing: A status reached upon the fulfillment of all financial, scholastic, and behavioral obligations to a chapter.

Greek Week: A series of events and activities organized by fraternities and sororities, often in the spring semester, to promote unity, friendly competition, and community engagement. 

Hazing: 

Collin's Law - Ohio's State Law for Hazing

"Hazing" means doing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act of initiation into any student or other organization or any act to continue or reinstate membership in or affiliation with any student or other organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person, including coercing another to consume alcohol or a drug of abuse, as defined in section 3719.011 of the Revised Code.

Stop Campus Hazing Act - Federal Law

The act defines the term hazing to mean any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate, that (1) is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization (e.g., a club, athletic team, fraternity, or sorority); and (2) causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the IHE or the organization, of physical or psychological injury.

House: A chapter's physical facility.

Inactive: A member attending the same institution in which his/her chapter is located who has no material participation in chapter activities.

Informal Recruitment: A continuous, open rush period with no specific activities of recruiting and pledging.

Initiate: A member who is undergoing or has undergone the initiation ceremony.

Initiation: Ritualistic ceremony during which new members receive lifelong membership privileges.

Interfraternity Council (IFC): The cooperative campus organization of collegiate members of men's fraternities.

Lavaliere: A piece of jewelry with the letters of one's chapter.

Lavaliering: The practice of a fraternity member giving his lavaliere to a woman, signifying their committed relationship.

Legacy: A member whose mother, sister, or grandmother was a member of the same sorority, or a member whose father, brother, or grandfather was a member of the same fraternity.

Letters: A specific group of Greek letters chosen to represent the specified Greek organization.

Little: Short for "Little Sister" or "Little Brother"

Local: A sorority or fraternity without guidance from or affiliation with any national organization.

New Member: A woman or man who has accepted a sorority or fraternity bid but is not yet an initiated member.

Panhellenic Council: The cooperative campus organization of collegiate members of women's fraternities/sororities.

Pin: The symbol worn by initiated members of a Greek-letter organization.

Pinning: The practice of a fraternity member giving his pin to a woman.

Pledge: A promise made by a new member.

Recruitment: A period during the school year in which events are held by each Greek organization for the purpose of selecting new members.

Ritual: The sacred ceremonies practiced by every chapter of a Greek-letter organization.

Sister: An initiated member of a women's fraternity/sorority.

Sorority: A Greek letter sisterhood.