The Greek community at Rochester Institute of Technology is a community of fraternities and sororities that represent various backgrounds, principles and values. RIT recognizes that fraternities and sororities can be a valuable component of the undergraduate experience. As their primary purpose, fraternal organizations maintain the enhancement of student learning through activities encouraging leadership development, organizational management, interpersonal and group dynamics, social development, philanthropic spirit, career development, academic achievement, and loyalty to the university. Demonstrating these qualities help them to earn them the privilege of RIT's recognition.

Starting a Greek organization involves much work and effort and could require several years. Organizations begin as an interest group, move to colony status, and then finally to status as a chartered organization. The recognition process will culminate with the organization and its membership adopting pre-established standards in the areas of scholarship, philanthropic and community service, leadership, diversity, organizational management, professional development, personal development, and new/associate member and intake education.

Recognition provides fraternities and sororities with certain privileges including but not limited to: the right to use the Institute's name; use of the Institute's mail and publication system; use of the reservation system; use of campus facilities, administration services, and advisor support; facility maintenance services and recognition as a RIT organization. RIT reserves the right to determine the policies and practices for the members of these organizations in order to become an organization, or remain recognized by the Institute.

This includes the following procedures. First, each fraternity and sorority must fulfill its own purpose. Second, chapter leaders must know, understand and provide reasonable methods of communicating and enforcing compliance with all RIT, local, state and federal policies, and laws. Third, RIT will only consider expansion with an inter/national fraternity or sorority at RIT; a local chapter will not be considered. Lastly, the Greek community must be able to effectively support each incoming chapter which includes reviewing institute demographics.

The fraternity and sorority expansion procedure applies to: 1) RIT students requesting to bring an inter/national fraternity or sorority to RIT, or, 2) inter/national fraternity or sorority headquarters who seek recognition at RIT. The institute operates with an assumption of non-expansion unless a need has been determined to change this assumption. Students and/or inter/national organizations must contact the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to determine the institutions current status regarding when expansion will be allowed and for which of the particular Greek Governing Councils before initiating any expansion efforts.

The following steps are required to ensure the organization is in compliance with the Expansion and Recognition procedures:

Step One »        Students interested in

• starting a fraternity or sorority at RIT; or
• interested in re-chartering a formerly recognized fraternity or sorority at RIT may pick up an Expansion Packet from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Inter/national organizations looking to expand at RIT may request an Expansion Packet to be mailed to the headquarters for review.

The Expansion Packet includes the following information:

• Expansion/Recognition Procedures for RIT Greek-letter organizations
• Demographic information on the Greek community
• Required paperwork to be filled out by perspective group

Step Two»         Students and the Inter/national organization will review the Expansion

Packet and determine if they would like to proceed in the process.If yes, the interested parties will submit all paperwork and supplemental materials to the Assistant Director of Campus Life for Fraternity and Sorority Life. Interested students and/or inter/national organization representatives may request a meeting to discuss expansion process.

Information to be submitted includes:

• New Fraternity/Sorority Organization Form
• Roster of Interested Members (if students initiate this process)
• Reponses to Inter/National Fraternal Organization Requirements for Expansion Consideration at RIT

Step Three»     The Assistant Director of Campus Life for Fraternity and Sorority Life will

present all information to the appropriate Greek Governing Council for consideration and/or continuation in their expansion and recognition procedures.

Please Note: The College Panhellenic Council (CPC), Interfraternity Council (IFC), National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO), and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) have distinctly different procedures and requirements for expansion/recognition. Any interested students/organization must adhere to the council specific procedures. Each council has the right to determine if expansion is feasible at any given time. Despite a desire to create a new fraternity or sorority at RIT, expansion of the Greek community at RIT is not guaranteed. ( Procedures may be found at: greek.rit.edu .)

Step Four»      Greek Governing Council Expansion and Recognition Process begins.

Unauthorized Expansion/Intake/New Member Activity

Rochester Institute of Technology defines this as, but not limited to: campus crashing; ghost lines; recruiting or soliciting membership; pledging, educating and/or initiating RIT students without having approved organization recognition by RIT; non-RIT students initiating the expansion process, etc.

First offence violations of this policy will prompt the following action to be enacted against the fraternity/sorority:

• Inability to seek recognition of fraternity/sorority as a recognized student organization at Rochester Institute of Technology until, at least, two calendar years after there is clear and definite evidence that no Rochester Institute of Technology student has been initiated into the fraternity/sorority.
• Inability to host or coordinate any events at RIT that, are affiliated in any way, to the fraternity/sorority.
• Inability to participate as a co-sponsor of any student event hosted at Rochester Institute of Technology.
• Without formal recognition at RIT via one of the main Greek Governing Councils and approval by the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs , the fraternity/sorority is not given permission to list RIT as a chapter/auxiliary on any materials, including, but not limited to, websites, chapter rosters, etc.

Voluntary Closure

A fraternity or sorority which was previously recognized via one of the RIT Greek Governing Councils and approved by the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs and subsequently closed due to decreasing membership, graduation of all membership, or by no fault of the group or any of its membership shall return to full recognition by following the RIT Recognition Procedures with the following addendum:

1. All outstanding debts to RIT and the Greek Governing Council must be settled prior to approval of colony status.
2. The fraternity/sorority must have been in good standing with the institute and Greek Governing Council upon voluntary closure.
3. All Greek Governing Policies and Procedures for Expansion and Recognition must be adhered to at all times.
4. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life must be contacted by the National Director of Expansion with its intent to return to RIT prior to any activity on campus.

Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life

34 Lomb Memorial Drive   Rochester , NY 14623

Ph: 585.475.7058 Fax: 585.475.7019 greek@rit.edu

Approved May 2008