Citywide Greek Organizations

The Greek Task Force at SUNY Potsdam has submitted their recommendations to the school.  You can read the full report here.  Stay tuned for further developments and dates for meetings (one this semester and one during the July Reunion).

One of the recommendations is to stop allowing non-SUNY Potsdam students to join SUNY Potsdam Sororities.

Students from both schools participating in an Ice Carnival event in the late 70s

Until 1977 there were no sororities at Clarkson, so there is a long tradition of Clarkson women joining local sororities.  In fact, look at an old Clarkson yearbook and the locals are everywhere.  They were recognized by Clarkson until 1987.


I pledged Omega Delta Phi Sorority as a Clarkson freshman during the Spring 1988 semester.  Some of my friends opted to join a Clarkson sorority but I was intrigued by the idea of meeting more of the women in town.  Perhaps the male-to-female ratio at Clarkson had something to do with that!  I benefited from this connection, and others feel the same way.  So many that we've started a group of Facebook: Clarkson Alumni of Local Sororities.

Here are some other examples of "City-wide" Greeks - apparently we're not alone!  Perhaps SUNY Potsdam should look at these examples as they consider how to handle their dual-college sororities.  Stay tuned for more posts about this!

Chicago
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Chartered on October 8, 1913 at the University of Chicago. It spans across four other Universities which includes Roosevelt University, Loyola University, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Columbia College Chicago.  This document outlines policies for Chicago city-wide fraternities and sororities.

Philadelphia
Each house accepts students from more than one area college.  This document provides information to advisers on managing city-wide sororities and fraternities.  This article discusses benefits and challenges of such an organization, including this quote:

"Citywide organizations are very different than fraternities and sororities concentrated on one campus.  I think of it as a good thing. Our organizations have diversity of thought coming from different institutional backgrounds - Alpha Kappa Alpha sister and Drexel student Chantee Steele

St. Louis
With the exception of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., the Black Greek organizations in St. Louis are considered citywide chapters. Citywide means that the chapter may consist of several universities at any given point, including Harris-Stowe, SLU, WASH U, UMSL, Fontbonne, Webster and Maryville.  Washington University

San Antonio
Alpha Kappa Alpha - Our Lady of the Lake University, St. Mary’s University, University of the Incarnated Word, and Trinity University.

Lehigh University
Here is their relationship statement for city-wide Greeks.

Tufts University
According to this article they are working to revive their dormant multicultural citywide Greek organizations.

“To allow the Greek community to have a greater impact from a Boston-wide stance is very large ... You never know what’s going on at some other collegiate institution that you could go and participate in because your fraternity brothers or sorority sisters are over there...It makes the connection larger, which I think is amazing because you have those [connections] built in across the city.  You never know who you may meet.” - Graduate Assistant at Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Hayley Keene

New Orleans
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority - members are students at Loyola University and Tulane University