Leadership
As self-governing organizations, fraternities and sororities provide many opportunities to enhance your leadership skills. Whether you take on a formal role or just lead by example, Greek Life provides the opportunity to develop leadership skills that will last a lifetime. The Student Life Office also provides special training and leadership opportunities specifically for the Greek community. Greek students are leaders outside of their organizations as well. They are represented on SGA, UPC, as Orientation Leaders, Montevallo Masters, Montevallo Mavens, in College Night, intramural sports, theater and musical productions, and numerous other student organizations and campus activities.
Philanthropy
Did You Know? • Greeks make up 16% of the undergraduate population at the University of Montevallo.
• Studies reveal that sorority and fraternity alumni are much more likely than non-Greeks to participate in community service after graduation.
• Since 1825, all but two U.S. Presidents have been Greek. • 85% of Fortune-500 Companies are run by Greeks. • Both women elected to the U.S. Supreme Court are Greek. • As undergraduates, Greeks raise approximately $8 million a year for charities.
• As undergraduates, Greeks give approximately 900,000 million volunteer hours per year.
A mainstay of fraternity and sorority life is to actively serve our community. As the largest values based organizations on campus, Greek organizations dedicate their time and energy to numerous philanthropic projects.
• 76% of US Senators are Greek. • Of the nation’s top 50 companies, 43 are run by Greeks.
Philanthropy is a term used for a service project sponsored by a Greek organization from which time, money, or donations are given to charitable organizations. Each organization plans their own ways of raising money or giving of their time. Activities include talent shows, pageants, lip sync competitions, basketball tournaments, food drives, etc. Philanthropy is an integral part of the Greek experience.
Scholarship
The Greek community realizes that academics should be the top priority of every college student. This is why fraternities and sororities emphasize scholastic achievement. Greeks are often acknowledged for their academic achievement both as a Greek community and as individuals. The Greek community strives to achieve grades above the non-Greek women’s and men’s GPAs. Panhellenic GPA = 3.342 IFC GPA = 3.054 NPHC GPA = 3.294
all greek GPA = 3.272 non-greek women’s GPA = 3.166 non-greek men’s GPA = 2.908
Famous Greeks Vera Bradley, Drew Brees, Laura Bush, Kenny Chesney, Katie Couric, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Grace, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ashton Kutcher, Oscar Mayer, Sandra Day O’Connor, J.C. Penney, Colin Powell, Orville Redenbacker, Ronald Regan, Condoleeza Rice, Eleanor Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Dr. Seuss, John Singleton, Jada Pinkett Smith, Shirley Temple, Donald Trump, Carrie Underwood, Hines Ward, Tiger Woods, Mark Zuckerberg
Greek Life
Order of Omega Order of Omega is a Greek honor society that recognizes Greek men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in interfraternity activities. The Mu Iota chapter of Order of Omega was established at the University of Montevallo in 1992. Each year, 15 new members are initiated into the chapter. Order of Omega is a great leadership opportunity that allows members of different organizations to lead and serve the Greek community together.
Panhellenic Council (NPC) The Panhellenic Council is the governing council for the five NPC sororities on campus (Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Phi Mu). The Panhellenic Council exists to develop and maintain positive relations between the NPC sororities and the greater Greek community. Panhellenic is the coordinating body for recruitment and represents the single largest women’s organization on campus.
Formal recruitment for NPC sororities is held each September. Women may register online at www. montevallo.edu/greeklife/panhellenic.
Interfraternity Council (IFC)
IFC is the governing body of the four IFC fraternities (Alpha Kappa Lambda, Alpha Tau Omega, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Gamma Delta) at the University of Montevallo. IFC strives to promote excellence in all areas of Greek Life. Each fraternity is represented on IFC by an officer and a delegate. IFC oversees fraternity recruitment in the fall. Men may Each chapter is represented on register for recruitment by filling Panhellenic by an officer and a delegate. Each chapter also has two out the registration form which is women who serve on the recruitavailable in the Student Life Office ment team as Pi Chi’s or recruitment or online at www.montevallo.edu/ counselors. greeklife/interfraternity-council.
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) NPHC is the governing body for the three NPHC sororities (Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta) and theand the two NPHC fraternities (Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi) at the University of Montevallo . The NPHC exists to develop and maintain positive relations between the NPHC organizations and the greater Greek community. Each chapter has a delegate who attends the meetings. Officer positions are also held by members of the different chapters. Each NPHC chapter holds their own recruitment during the first few weeks of either the fall or the spring semester. Interest meetings are publicized with flyers hung around campus. It is very important to research the different NPHC organizations and decide which one fits you best before you attend an interest meeting.
Why Go Greek? When you start your time at the University of Montevallo, you will be faced with many decisions. Joining a fraternity or sorority is definitely an option worth considering. Greek Life is about creating lifelong friendships rich with heritage, bound together by common values. The Greek community emphasizes leadership, scholarship, service, and brotherhood/sisterhood. Through sorority and fraternity life, you will find a home away from home and friends to last a lifetime. Once you join a Greek organization, you will find many opportunities to enhance your leadership skills, support your academic endeavors, and meet a vast network of other collegians and alumni across the country. The opportunities in fraternity and sorority life are endless.
Recruitment vs. Intake There are two different processes in which you can become a member of a Greek lettered organization. Recruitment is the process used by IFC and NPC Greek Organizations. They hold a formal recruitment process at the beginning of the fall semester. Those interested in a NPC or IFC organization must register with the respective councils to be considered for a bid. IFC and NPC recruitment culminates with a bid day where each participant receives a bid from an organization through a mutual selection process. Intake is the recruitment process used by NPHC organizations. During the fall and/or spring semesters, chapters post flyers for interest meetings. Interest meetings are held to offer interested students further information about the fraternity/sorority, as well as information about becoming a member. Before attending an interest meeting, all interested students should research the organizations on their own to determine which organization is best for them.
Hazing Contrary to popular belief, hazing has not always been a part of Greek life and has nothing to do with the original founding principles. Today’s Greek organizations are values based groups dedicated to the development of character and building friendships. All fraternities and sororities oppose hazing. UM policy and Alabama state law prohibit all acts of hazing by any organization, member, or alumni. By participating in hazing, you put yourself at risk for going to jail and/or losing your financial aid. Fortunately, most collegians recognize that hazing has no place in Greek organizations. The University of Montevallo has a zero tolerance policy for hazing. If you suspect any type of hazing, please contact the Student Life Office. The University encourages students to pay attention to the organization they are joining. Occasionally, there are local organizations that are not sanctioned by the University who may try to recruit members. You should join those organizations at your own risk, as they are not recognized or governed by the University.