The Greek System and Campus Life New Haven CT

The Greek System and Campus Life

By Howard and Matthew Greene

There are a lot of factors that can affect the impact of the Greek system on a college campus:

• The type of Greek system
• The size of the overall college campus
• The percentage of students in fraternities and sororities
• When rush takes place

Greek houses can play very different roles in college life. We encourage you to examine carefully what type of college will work best for you, and whether the presence or absence of a Greek system is a factor in your decision.

It's all Greek…
Greek systems consist of co-ed and, mostly, single-sex fraternities and sororities. Most of them use Greek letters, such as Sigma Phi Epsilon, to designate the name of the house. Some also go by school-specific nicknames.

Many fraternities and sororities are part of national, privately run organizations, such as the Delta Delta Delta (""Tri-Delt"") sorority. Others were established locally on campuses, or left the national group to become independent. Often these houses split off from their national system due to differences over racial integration, social policies, or other issues during the latter half of the twentieth century. Some local houses rejoined their national system when the nationals changed their policies to become more progressive.

Housing
Greek houses are so-called because they often serve as residential living and social environments for members. This was part of their original pu...

Author: Amy Ambler

2009 Peterson's, A Nelnet Company. All Rights Reserved

Click here to read more from Petersons