Fraternity and Sorority Life
202 Peabody Hall
Phone: (352) 846-3171
Fax: (352) 392-6450
www.greeks.ufl.edu/
What are fraternities and sororities?
- Fraternities and sororities (also known as women’s fraternities) are student organizations whose primary purpose is the personal development of their members, as distinguished from honorary, professional, departmental and service fraternities.
- Unlike most other student organizations, membership in a social fraternity or sorority is normally a lifetime affiliation, and, generally, students are not permitted to be initiated into more than one fraternity or sorority.
- Fraternities and sororities promote intimate relationship bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood, and members typically refer to fellow members as “brothers” or “sisters.” Traditionally, most fraternities and sororities are designated by Greek letters; hence, the organizations and their members are often referred to as “Greek organizations”, “the Greek community,” or simply “Greeks.”
- Fraternities and sororities typically have rituals and creeds that promote the ideals such as friendship, loyalty, academic achievement and intellectual development, service to the community and the alma mater, honor and integrity, leadership and personal responsibility.
- Many fraternities and sororities have an indoctrination and orientation period prior to initiation, and pre-initiated members are commonly referred to as pledges, associates or associate members, candidates, intakes, or new members.
- Some fraternities and sororities operate a chapter house. A facility is considered to be a fraternity or sorority house if it is owned or leased by the organization and/or its alumni(ae) and recognized by the University, and is designated as such by the University of Florida or City of Gainesville.
What types of Fraternities and Sororities exist at UF?
Joining a fraternity or sorority at UF is a popular option for many students. More than 14% or approximately 4600 of the undergraduate students are members of fraternities & sororities (the national average for state schools is 15%-18%). At Florida, students have the option of joining different types of Greek groups. There are 56 national based fraternity and sorority chapters which are governed by one of the following councils:
- Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternities consist of 23 men’s organizations typically with privately-owned houses in Gainesville or on campus that recruit the first week of classes in the fall and spring semesters.
- Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) is comprised of four fraternities, three sororities, and one associate member sorority, who are generally culturally or ethnic based. These organizations recruit at various times of the year.
- National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) consist of five fraternities and four sororities and are the historically African-American organizations which also recruit at separate times during the year. New students will have the opportunity to see each organization showcased at Black Greek Explosion.
- Panhellenic Council (PC) sororities consist of 16 women’s organizations most with privately-owned houses in Gainesville and on-campus, all of whom recruit the week before classes begin in the fall semester and a limited informal recruitment in spring.