The Phi Delta Theta fraternity house on Cowley Avenue photographed on July 11, 2019.
According to Vice President of Student Affairs Denise Maybank, about 12% of Michigan State’s student population is involved in Greek life. If you’re new to MSU’s community, joining a Greek letter organization can be an easy way to meet new friends and quickly get outside of your social comfort zone.
The Michigan State Greek community is home to 63 social fraternities and sororities, which are organized underneath four different councils.
The Interfraternity Council (IFC) is comprised of 28 fraternities, and the Panhellenic Council (PC) oversees 14 sororities.
The nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities are governed by the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). The Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) fosters a Greek community for the 10 Latinx, Asian, Progressive, and Multicultural/Multiethnic Greek Letter Organizations at Michigan State.
Every council has a unique way of connecting potential new members with chapters, and to help students with the process, MSU’s campus-wide Greek Fall Welcome will be held Thursday, Aug. 29 at The Rock on Farm Lane.
Greek Fall Welcome is a large event that most chapters on campus attend, and is great for introducing students who may be unfamiliar with Greek life to different councils and chapters.
The Interfraternity Council
The IFC holds a number of pre-rush events to introduce students to chapters. IFC is Michigan State’s largest Greek council and can be difficult to navigate for new members who are unfamiliar with Greek life.
The council will have question booths at both The Rock on Farm Lane and inside Wells Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 3. In addition to this, IFC’s “Meet the Chapters” event will be held at the Kellogg Center’s Big Ten Conference Room A from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 22.
IFC’s official rush period runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sept. 24-27 each night. During this period, potential new members can visit chapter houses and see which fraternities might be a good fit for them.
In addition to Fall rush, IFC holds a spring recruitment period for students who may not be sure if they want to join a fraternity during the fall semester.
When asked about how going Greek had impacted his life, IFC’s Vice President of Recruitment Andrew Scott said, “I really couldn’t ask for more. I’ve made professional connections and gathered a great group of life-long friends.”
The Panhellenic Council
The PC requires women who want to participate in the fall formal recruitment process to register online by using a link provided on the council’s webpage.
The first day of PC formal recruitment is Friday, Sept. 13, and continues sporadically until Bid Day, which is on Wednesday, Sept. 25. The full schedule for PC’s formal recruitment is available online.
Some Panhellenic council chapters hold spring recruitment, but the council itself typically doesn’t hold an official, council-wide recruitment period in in the spring.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council
The NPHC allows its chapters to recruit and initiate members through a more individual, private process. No council-wide recruitment events are listed at this time, but those interested in joining an NPHC fraternity or sorority should follow @msu_nphc to connect with individual chapters.
The Multicultural Greek Council
The MGC will host an introductory recruitment event on Sept. 4. The location and time of this event are still yet to be determined, but those interested can follow the MGC on Instagram @msu_mgc.
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“Joining the Greek community as a first-year student was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I have made lifelong friends, learned valuable leadership skills and have been given opportunities that I would not have had access to without my involvement in Greek life,” Alex Childers, president of IFC’s Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, said. “Being part of a community that values service to others is something I’m proud of and will value after I leave Michigan State.”
More information on MSU Greek life can be found at www.greeklife.msu.edu/ and www.studentlife.msu.edu/greek-affairs.
