Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of my student joining a fraternity or sorority? / Why should your student join a fraternity or sorority?

  • These organizations are rooted in founding principles that foster academic excellence, civic engagement, brotherhood/sisterhood, leadership development, and social responsibility. Advantages include a support group and friendships, academic resources, leadership skills acquired through experiences within committees and positions, opportunities for involvement on campus and in community services.

  • The fraternity and sorority community offers a home away from home and encourages individual development within a smaller group of friends within the university environment.

  • When your student’s college experience is finished, their fraternity or sorority affiliation continues for a lifetime. This lifelong bond encourages continued involvement in the organization at the campus level and across the nation.

  • Fraternities and sororities are values-based organizations and are committed to worthwhile endeavors. Member is expected to maintain the high standards set by their national organization, the university, and their chapter.

What is recruitment?

  • Chapters in the UW community participate in recruitment. Formal recruitment is often held in the early fall semester each year for IFC and CPH groups. The formal process allows students to explore the full range of organizations before committing to one. However, throughout the remainder of the calendar year, students will have the opportunity to meet and interact with fraternity and sorority members.

How to join?  

  • Each governing council has a different way of recruiting or bringing new members into the organization.

    • Panhellenic Association has a formal recruitment process held in September each fall semester. Chapters that may have open space in the spring may engage in an informal recruitment process. Interest-specific organizations can hose recruitment at any time of the year.

    • Interfraternity council can engage in recruiting members at any point during the year but focuses on hosting recruitment events and offering invitations to membership in the first few weeks of each semester.

  • We encourage your student to fill out our Interested In Joining form so that we can pass your information along to council leaders and get you better connected to our chapters.

 What are the requirements to join?

  • Each organization has different criteria for membership with may include a GPA or academic expectation. We encourage students who are interested in joining to ask questions about membership eligibility as well as expectations for membership.

 What does the new member process look like?

  • All fraternity and sorority members experience a period of orientation that lasts about 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, your student and other new members will participate in meetings to learn about their chapters, be a part of leadership retreats, community service projects, and activities designed to build friendships among new members and the initiated members. We encourage students to ask questions of the person responsible for the new member education in each chapter to better understand the process of joining.

How much does a fraternity or sorority cost?

  • The financial commitment varies by organization and council. Each fraternity and sorority has their own dues. Generally, the first semester of membership is the most expensive. They can range from $100.00 to $2,150.00 a semester. The average cost for sororities at UW is $1,000.00 and $540.00 for fraternities.

What do dues pay?

  • What the dues cover is dependent on each chapter. However, the dues may include: national new member fees, national dues, chapter dues, social events, initiation fees, community service events, personal development, badge/pin fees, promo & recruitment shirts, sisterhood/brotherhood events, family weekend events, bid day shirts, and house corporation fees, house maintenance fees, homecoming weekend events, etc.

What about meals?

  • If the chapter your student receives a bid from is housed and has a kitchen, they have an opportunity directly after recruitment to alter their meal plans with Residence Life and Dining. Depending on the chapter, meals may be provided from daily to weekly. In future semesters, if your student lives in the house, meals are generally a part of the fees and provided.

Does my student have to live in the chapter house? When do they move in?

  • Generally, new members do not move directly into the house. If the chapter is housed, members may move in their second year.

Do fraternities or sororities haze at UW?

  • UW FSL seeks to promote a safe environment in which students may participate without compromising their health, safety, or welfare. All student organizations are accountable to policies of the Undergraduate Student Handbook. View the Presidential Directive 2-1988-1 on hazing. We educate chapters and new members on the psychological and physical harms through the year. We take hazing allegations very seriously and investigate each report we receive. However, the University cannot address issues they do not know about. If you suspect your student is being hazed please contact us or report a concern.

Who do I contact if I have a concern about my student?

  • The University of Wyoming is focused on helping students achieve their goals and on supporting them on their academic journey. We understand students are often navigating challenges which prevent them from fully engaging in their academic work or with the campus community. The UWYO Cares Team is a UW multi-disciplinary team responsible for assessing, responding to and evaluating the safety and welfare of individuals who present concerns of any nature. Families, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to report concerns about a student’s health, wellbeing, security and/or academic success. If you are concerned about your student please feel free to submit a UWYO Cares Report.  

How does my student leave the organization? 

  • If your student wishes to leave the organization, they will need to speak with the Executive Council (or equivalent) of their chapter. Some organizations handle it through the Standards Board process, while others allow individual termination. It is important to note that once initiated into a chapter, an individual cannot easily join another organization.

How will my student be supported?

  • Coming to college is a major life change. Joining a fraternity or sorority will help make the transition easier. There are multiple layers of support within the Fraternity and Sorority Life community. Members develop life-long friendships with their brothers/sisters and for many members, these chapters become a home away from home. Each chapter also has support from chapter advisors as well as from professional staff of the university.