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To help understand the role that sororities play in campus life at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, here’s a rundown of some common questions we hear from UIUC students.
With students returning to campus this month, many first-year students are experiencing life on a college campus for the first time.
With that comes a slew of new people, experiences, and challenges that make college time so memorable. For many new students, this includes exploring Greek life and involvement in a fraternity or sorority.
Greek life is new to many incoming first-year students and a source of anxiety for students trying to find their way through college.
To help you understand sororities at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, here’s a quick rundown on some common questions students ask us.
Yes, sororities are very popular at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
There are more than thirty chapters of sororities at UIUC, allowing most students interested in sorority life to find a home among the many options available.
With more than three dozen chapters to choose from – including academic and multicultural-focused Greek organizations, most students interested in sorority life at UIUC find that there is a home for them among the many sorority options available.
Since most traditional Greek sororities have houses on campus, sororities play a significant role in campus social life.
The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs at UIUC notes that 6,366 undergraduates participate in Greek life while on campus.
Based on current enrollment figures, this equates to around 20% of the total undergraduate enrollment at UIUC, making it one of the largest Greek populations in the country.
There are 38 sororities at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Sororities are social clubs created with the intent of bringing like-minded people together.
All Greek organizations at UIUC are governed by one of four governing councils, which coordinate Greek activities and serve as a liaison between the individual chapters and the university.
These governing councils include traditional Greek councils and councils specific to multicultural and academic sororities and fraternities on campus.
The three councils that govern sorority life at the University of Illinois are the Panhellenic Council, the Black Greek Council, and the United Greek Council.
The Panhellenic Council is specific to sororities, while the Black Greek Council and United Greek Council govern fraternities and sororities.
The 23 sororities at the University of Illinois governed by the Panhellenic Council (PHC) are:
The Black Greek Council (BGC) is the governing organization for UIUC’s historically black Greek sororities and has been at UIUC for over 100 years.
The three sororities governed by the BGC at UIUC are:
The United Greek Council (UGC) governs culturally-oriented sororities and fraternities at UIUC, including chapters for specific racial, ethnic, and social groups on campus.
The 12 sororities governed by the UGC are:
The other governing council at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Interfraternity Council, governs fraternities on campus.
Formal recruitment takes place at the start of the fall semester.
The sorority rush process is managed by the governing councils of the sororities, with the Panhellenic Council having a more formal rush process than the other councils.
The recruitment process happens early in the fall semester when prospective new members participate in a week-long series of events with the chapters to get to know current members and understand the different offerings of each sorority.
The process ends with Bid Day when prospective new members are offered a bid to join one of their preferred sororities.
Multicultural and academic sororities at UIUC do not have a recruitment process but offer intake sessions whereby interested students can join the organization.
It is much less formal than the recruitment process of the PHC-governed chapters.
Sorority members at UIUC pay a few hundred to a few thousand dollars each semester in membership dues and fees.
Sorority members pay dues, which cover the cost of supplies and other items needed for meetings or special events.
Costs vary widely among the different chapters, and financial considerations are a significant factor that students should consider during the recruitment process.
The dues cover local and national chapter fees, with new members typically paying more their first semester than active members, given the new member initiation costs.
Beyond membership dues, sorority members can expect to pay out-of-pocket for sorority or council events throughout the year.
Membership dues may cover some costs, but others require additional expenses for current members.
Yes, most sororities at UIUC have their own chapter houses.
Sororities governed by the Black Greek Council or United Greek Council do not have chapter houses, but all non-academic sororities within the Panhellenic Council have houses.
Sororities with recognized chapter houses are spread throughout the central campus.
There are 20 sorority houses at UIUC, with 11 on the west side of the Main Quad and another nine on the east side.
There is no central sorority row at UIUC, although all houses are within walking distance of one another.
For Greek and non-Greek students looking for off-campus housing that provides convenient access to campus and an array of floor plan options, there’s no better choice than Illini Tower!
At Illini Tower, you can choose a studio, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments with both single- and double-occupancy options within each floor plan.
Illini Tower, located at 409 E Chalmers St in Champaign, IL 61820, is just three blocks from the University of Illinois’ Main Quad and is a short walk or bike ride from most of the academic buildings on campus.
The community offers on-site dining, a study lounge, onsite management, and free wireless internet for all its residents.
Contact the Illini Tower team today at (217) 888-2060 to learn more about pricing and availability.
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