What is the Panhellenic Association?
The Panhellenic Association at the University of South Florida serves as the governing body to the 8 Panhellenic sororities on campus. Panhellenic Associations form on college campuses with 2 or more Panhellenic sororities; they exist to develop and maintain sorority life and interfraternal relations.
Through their all-sorority programming efforts, Panhellenic Associations often promote superior scholarship, leadership development, and dissemination of information important to women in general. These opportunties include academic incentives (such as scholarships), recognizing every October as the “Month of the Scholar” for sorority women, programming focusing on women's issues, and Panhellenic sisterhood socials. The USF Panhellenic Association also co-sponsors functions with other Greek councils and student organizations on campus and participates actively with Panhellenic alumnae chapters in the area. Lastly, the Panhellenic Association is the coordinating body for Formal Recruitment.
Which Panhellenic sororities are at USF?
- Alpha Delta Pi - ΑΔΠ
- Alpha Omicron Pi - ΑΟΠ
- Chi Omega - ΧΩ
- Delta Delta Delta - ΔΔΔ
- Delta Gamma - ΔΓ
- Kappa Delta - ΚΔ
- Sigma Delta Tau - ΣΔΤ
- Zeta Tau Alpha - ΖΤΑ
Why should I join a sorority?
The University of South Florida has over 45,000 students - coming into such a large university can be very intimidating and at times overwhelming. By joining a sorority, you have a tight-knit group of friends who can help you to become acclimated to your new life as a Bull. Sororities expect all members to maintain an above-average GPA. Along with helping members with academics, the Greek community is made up of the most active individuals on campus and can help you network within the campus community and beyond. In addition to these networking skills, sorority life will improve your time management skills as well as your leadership skills, both of which are very important in the real world.
Joining a sorority is the greatest leadership and developmental experience a college woman can have! Each sorority encourages individual development by setting high ideals in leadership, scholarship, service to others, and social maturity. Memories of sorority experiences will be treasured for years after graduation, and many of the friendships created through each sisterhood will be cherished for a lifetime. No matter which sorority you choose, you will find a unique bond of friendship and you will be joining a group of women with whom you will be able to share laughter, dreams, and even tears. Above all, the lessons learned will remain in your heart forever!
What should students know before joining a sorority on the Panhellenic Association?
A sorority is a fraternal organization for women. These groups of women are bonded together by their ritual which contains the founding principles, ideals and aspirations of each organization. As a lifetime member of a Greek organization, students are offered the chance to develop as leaders, serve the local community, and focus on their academics and career preparation while being surrounded by a caring support network of peers and alumnae. With all of these advantages, also come expectations of membership. Sorority women are expected to commit to academic excellence, community service work, and character development.
How many hours a week will I spend participating in sorority activities?
The average amount of time you will spend will truly depend on your commitment to your respective chapter. During your new member period, you will have new member meetings at your at your sorority house weekly, special programs to attend, and chapter activities to enjoy. As an initiated member, the majority of your time will be spent in chapter meetings, studying, attending social activities, playing intramurals, participating in philanthropy events, and doing community service. What's important to understand about a sorority is that you get out of it whatever it is that you put into it!
Which sorority is the best to join?
All of the sororities offer different incentives and opportunities through their membership. It really depends on what you are looking for in a sorority and what each has to offer your needs. The best way to find out which sorority is right for you is to go through Panhellenic Recruitment.
What is Recruitment? How does it work?
Recruitment is the main process by which women interested in Panhellenic sororities at USF join each organization. Formal Recruitment happens in the fall semester of each year - for 2011, Recruitment is scheduled for August 31 until September 5! During Recruitment, potential new members (those seeking to join a sorority) learn about each sorority at USF and the expectations of membership for each group. Potential new members are given an opportunity while visiting every organization to ask questions about their activities, financial obligations, new member programs, scholarship requirements, community service opportunities, and what it's like to be in a sorority.
The Panhellenic Recruitment experience at USF lasts a week. There are four rounds. In the first round (Spirit Day), you will visit every single sorority. As recruitment continues through the second, third and fourth rounds of events, the number of women that a sorority can invite to its events decreases and the number of events that a woman can attend also decreases. On Philanthropy Day (second round), you can visit up to 6 sororities, on Sisterhood Day (third round), you can visit up to 4 sororities and on Preference Day (fourth round), you can visit up to 2 sororities. During these events, both the potential new members and the sororities are narrowing down their choices. On Bid Day, each potential new member will be accepting one bid, or invitation to become a new member of a sorority.
| Can women who are not Freshmen go through Recruitment? |
| Yes! Sororities accept women of all class levels - as long as you are an undergraduate, full-time student in the USF-Tampa campus, you are eligible to join a sorority! Sorority life has many wonderful opportunities to offer to all college women. There is no reason for you to miss out on the experience because you are not a freshman. All undergraduate college women are encouraged to participate in Recruitment regardless of their year in college. |
|
| |
| Who is eligible for Recruitment? |
|
A woman is eligible to participate in Recruitment and join a sorority if she is enrolled at the USF-Tampa campus as a full time, undergraduate student (taking 12 credit hours or more). She may not be a graduate student and must not be an intiatied member of any National Panhellenic Conference sorority.
|
|
|
| |
| How long does the New Member period last? |
| The length of new member periods, like many other things, differ from chapter to chapter. The new member period can last anywhere from four weeks to an entire semester because each chapter has a different new member program. This is one of the questions you’ll have to be sure to ask while going through the Recruitment process! |
|
| |
| What is the minimum GPA I need to go through Recruitment? |
|
There is no minimum GPA requirement to go through Recruitment. Each sorority has different requirements for membership into their organization ranging from a 2.75 to a 3.1 . To find out the specific GPA requirements for each sorority, email the chapter President or ask a sorority representative during Recruitment.
| What do I do if I go through Recruitment and end up deciding sorority life is not for me? |
| You are under no obligation to join a sorority just because you participate in Recruitment. You are encouraged to participate in Recruitment because it is an excellent opportunity for you to learn about sorority life and meet new friends. Sorority life may not be for every woman but Recruitment definitely is! |
|
| |
| What is a Recommendation Letter? |
|
A recommendation letter is a letter of reference provided by an alumna of a sorority to her sorority’s chapter at USF. The purpose of this letter is to give a sorority chapter the chance to learn more about you before Recruitment. In the recommendation, she will write about the talents and skills you possess that will contribute to that particular sorority.
How do I get a Recommendation Letter?
Keeping in mind that recommendation letters are not required, you can start the process by letting friends, relatives, and teachers know that you are going through Recruitment at the University of South Florida. If you find an alumna friend, she has two options: she can write a letter of recommendation or she can obtain a form specific to her sorority from her sorority's national headquarters. She SHOULD NOT contact the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at USF or the Panhellenic Association for information regarding recommendation letters. Remember, these are completely optional and are not a requirement to go through the Recruitment process.
| Where should recommendation letters be mailed to? |
| The alumna recommending you should mail the letter before Recruitment (at least a week prior to) to the sorority she is recommending you for at USF. The addresses for all of the sorority Reference Chairmans can be found on this website under Panhellenic Sororities at USF. In that section, click on the specific sorority you are looking for, and look for the Recruitment Info section; you will find the addresses there! |
|
| |
| Are recommendation letters mandatory? |
|
No - recommendation letters serve as a way for sorority members to be introduced to you before Recruitment begins. “Recs” are optional. Don’t worry about securing a letter of recommendation - you will not be penalized if you do not get a recommendation. It is the sorority’s responsibility to obtain recommendations on you. Recommendation letters do not secure you a bid to a sorority.
|
|
|
|
|
|