 |
Parents FAQs
What's a sorority, really?
Sororities are national and international Greek-letter organizations
that have been in existence for more than 150 years on accredited
college and university campuses. Chapters function as an extended family
unit, providing a caring, safe environment that encourages individual
development for a lifetime. Sorority programming develops leadership
through involvement in chapter offices and committees, as well as
involvement on campus. Other opportunities for Greeks include
scholarships and philanthropic and social service involvement. Many
sorority chapters offer campus housing, and those details vary from
campus to campus.
So how will my daughter benefit from sorority membership for a
lifetime?
As a collegiate member, she will have a support group that truly cares
about her, leadership opportunities, academic support and encouragement,
and a safe social outlet. The bonds of sisterhood she develops during
college will remain with her after graduation. Wherever she goes, even
to another country, she will have a support system and opportunity to
form beneficial relationships. To be a
member, my daughter has to go through recruitment?
Membership recruitment is a period of mutual
selection. It is a process during which your daughter gets to know about
the sororities and members on her campus, and the sorority membership
gets to know your daughter. Recruitment activities might include open
houses, informal events, and/or formal events. Often the final
activities of recruitment are called "Preferentials," and are formal
events. NPC provides guidelines for college Panhellenic organizations to
determine the exact dates and rules for recruitment on each campus.
I want my daughter to get a good education. Will being Greek
promote that?
Yes. All NPC member sororities have scholastic standards for their
members. As a new member, your daughter will be encouraged to achieve
academic success. Sororities offer a variety of tools to support this
effort, including group study hours, tutoring, and peer incentives.
Additionally, NPC whole-heartedly promotes high academic achievement,
and awards individuals for scholastic excellence through its ongoing
Year of the Scholar program. Every year Greek women are awarded
thousands of dollars for exceptional academic achievement from NPC and
other Greek groups.
What kind of expenses are we talking about?
Financial expectations vary among sororities. There are one-time fees,
as well as regular dues. Each sorority chapter determines dues based on
factors including programming for its members. When housing is
available, those costs are often competitive or less than campus
options.
I've heard about alcohol abuse among
Greeks...and what is hazing, anyway?
As always, it seems the positive aspects of
Greek life are overshadowed by the negative acts of a few. Learning how
to be responsible in social situations is a very important lesson for
young women today. NPC and its member groups understand that, and have
developed a program called Something of Value, which addresses this and
other issues from a values-based perspective. The NPC member groups have
agreed to aggressively educate our members and help teach our women
responsible behavior.
NPC defines hazing as "any action or situation, with or without consent,
which recklessly, intentionally, or unintentionally endangers the mental
or physical health or safety of a student, or creates risk of injury, or
causes discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule, or which
willfully destroys or removes public or private property..." Hazing is
not accepted among NPC member groups
|
