Fraternity and Sorority Life jmu.edu/fsl
What is Fraternity and Sorority Life? There are a number of Greek letter organizations on campus, however, only social fraternities and sororities are considered a part of The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Social fraternities and sororities do not require a particular major or interest and take members from all academic majors and backgrounds. There are three councils at JMU: Intercultural Greek Council is home to our culturally based organizations with five fraternities and seven sororities and is advised out of the Center for Multicultural Student Services. The Interfraternity Council is home to our North American Interfraternity Conference fraternities with 19 chapters. The Panhellenic Council is home to our National Panhellenic Conference sororities with 12 chapters. The Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council are advised out of The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Student Leaders and staff in CMSS and The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life work collaboratively to provide a comprehensive experience for all three councils. How many people are members of fraternities and sororities at JMU? The total fraternity and sorority population is over 4,400 students or about 23% of JMU students. The average chapter sizes: PHC Sororities: 213 Members, IFC Fraternities: 98 Members, ICGC Organizations: 8 Members When can I join a fraternity or sorority? Recruitment options differ based on each council and chapter. Panhellenic primary recruitment occurs in mid-September, with individual chapters participating in continuous recruitment throughout the year as space allows. IFC has a formal structured recruitment at the beginning of both Fall and Spring semester. Both PHC and IFC accept members regardless of their year in school. Intake for ICGC groups happens in the Fall and Spring semester, with each organization setting their own requirements for eligibility to join. Anyone who wishes to participate in IFC or Panhellenic recruitment must register online, on the FSL website. Registration opens for both councils in the early summer. Will joining a fraternity or sorority affect my grades? Many social fraternities and sororities were founded as academic circle- safe spaces. While membership can be time consuming, academics and time management are prioritized. The all- fraternity/sorority GPA is consistently higher than the all-JMU average. What can I expect my member experience to look like? Membership in a fraternity or sorority at JMU encompasses much more than just parties. Members are some of the most active students on campus contributing over 55,000 hours of community service and raising over $400,000 for philanthropies. While many chapters do offer social activities such as date functions and mixers, consuming alcohol is an individual choice. New Members can expect to spend time with other members learning about the history and values of their organization through New Member meetings, team building exercises and ice breakers. Hazing is against the Commonwealth of Virginia law, JMU policy and every fraternity/sorority national policy. JMU has a zero tolerance policy against hazing and investigates all reports in a timely and thorough manner. What are the costs associated with Fraternity and Sorority Membership? Each chapter sets their own dues and fees each semester for Membership. These dues vary, but on average you can expect to pay around $350 per semester. Dues cover the cost of insurance, leadership and educational programming, travel to conferences and social programming for the chapter. Most chapters have an additional one-time initiation fee that covers the cost of new member materials and the basic membership badge.
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