ON CAMPUS
Affiliation Opens Chapter Doors for Transfer Students BY LISA YOUNG STIERS (EPSILON OMICRON, INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY)
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ometimes, plans change. Life happens. Priorities adjust. Dreams evolve. A student’s original university no longer fits.
More than 1 million students transferred to another college or university in 2021, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. For Alpha Chi Omega collegians, that also means leaving their chapters of initiation behind. But, if members’ new colleges or universities also have an Alpha Chi Omega chapter, they have a choice – affiliate. Affiliation has offered members the chance to continue their collegiate chapter experiences since the early years of the Fraternity. Simply put, affiliation is when a member joins an Alpha Chi Omega chapter into which she was not initiated. According to Alpha Chi Omega policy, an active collegiate member in good standing who transfers to a college or university where there is a collegiate chapter may affiliate – though this is not required and the collegian may instead become an alumna member. More information about the full procedure is available at my.alphachiomega.org. What does affiliation look like in practice? These Alpha Chi Omega sisters share their experiences.
MOVING CLOSER TO FAMILY A childhood dream to explore the west coast and spread her wings brought Olivia Cosgrove to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. "I've always ached to explore new states and felt that doing so would help develop me into the person I 42
ALPHA CHI OMEGA
OLIVIA COSGROVE
wanted to become," Olivia says. "I was immersed in the new environment and quickly fell in love with the scenery, friends and culture in San Luis Obispo." Alpha Chi Omega added a sense of belonging. "My initial attraction to Alpha Chi Omega was hearing how openly every member talked about their personal development and the friendships they had gained from joining as a freshman,” she remembers. “I wanted the same for myself.” As a first-generation sorority member, getting involved in the Epsilon Omega chapter was initially nervewracking. But Olivia quickly became the assistant VP risk management and threw herself into overseeing the wellbeing of her chapter. Alpha Chi Omega became home. Sadly, actually being away from home brought heartache. "I felt that I was missing family events that could not be replaced by pictures sent on text messages," Olivia explains. "I kept going back and forth if transferring would be the best decision for me. How could I leave the life I had made for myself and the friendships? It was not an easy decision."
