Skip to header Skip to Content Skip to Footer
students sitting on the lawn
img_30

Expectations of Membership

Prospective Students

It's important for students to carefully consider these expectations and their personal goals when deciding whether to join a fraternity or sorority. Joining a Greek organization can be a fulfilling experience, but it's important to make an informed decision and understand the expectations and responsibilities that come with membership.

Financial Expectations

Financial obligations are a major consideration when joining a fraternity or sorority. It is essential that each member take responsibility for his or her commitment to a particular organization. Each organization has their own set membership fees. Typically, the first year of membership in a Greek organization is the most expensive due to the one-time new member fees.

Overview of types of fees

  • One-Time Fees
    • New Member Fee: Covers costs for new member resources like manuals, notebooks, materials and new member pins.
    • Initiation/Badge Fee: Covers costs for national dues, member badge/pin, etc.
  • Annual Fees
    • Local Chapter Dues: covers the cost of various chapter activities like recruitment/intake, brotherhood/sisterhood activities, service projects, social functions and special events.
    • Risk Management Fee: national insurance, risk prevention education and resources, etc.

Time Commitment

Joining a fraternity or sorority involves a weekly time commitment. The amount of time spent weekly with the organization varies with each member and organization. Be sure to ask about time commitments during the recruitment/informational process.

Overview of time commitments

  • Meetings
    • Typically one meeting per week
  • Special events
    • Social events, brotherhood/sisterhood events, Philanthropy events, Fraternity & Sorority Life/Council sponsored events
  • Service hours
    • Most organizations have a required number of service/volunteer hours per semester
  • Individual commitments
    • Leadership positions, committee involvement, event planning or special projects

Academic Standards

It is important to remember in order to be a member of a fraternity or sorority, you have to be a student first. That means upholding the academic standards of UNCW.

Organizations may have additional academic expectations that are unique for their members. Some organizations have academic excellence programs, which may afford or limit membership privileges based on academic achievement.

Example academic standards

  • GPA
    • Maintain/achieve a set GPA for initiation
    • Maintain/achieve a set GPA for full active membership
  • Study Hours
    • Participate in required study hours in designated locations 
    • Participate in study or tutoring sessions for your major

Hazing

Hazing is absolutely forbidden. No member, new or seasoned, should be hazed or participate in hazing another person. Hazing is something that we will not tolerate and has no place in creating bonds of brotherhood/sisterhood.

Silent participation or acquiescence in the presence of hazing, as well as failure to report hazing when a Student has knowledge or suspicion, are not neutral acts; they are violations of the Hazing Policies:

North Carolina law (NCGS § 14-35):

“It is unlawful for any student in attendance at any university, college or school in this State to engage in hazing, or to aid or abet any other student in the commission of this offense. For the purposes of this section Hazing is defined as follows: ‘to subject another student to physical injury as part of an initiation, or as a prerequisite to membership, into any organized school group including any society, athletic team, fraternity or sorority, or other similar group.’ Any violation of this section shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor.”

Code of Student Life:

Engages in hazing.

Hazing by university groups is prohibited on or off-campus. Hazing is defined as a covert or overt action, occurring on or off-campus, by an individual or group of individuals in connection to recruitment, initiation, rite of passage, or membership in a fraternity, sorority, UNCW sport club, group, organization or athletic team; that subjects any other member of the university community, voluntarily or involuntarily, to activity which creates an atmosphere for potential or actual humiliation, degradation, verbal, emotional or 24 physical distress, abuse or injury; or compromises the academic mission and/or reputation of the university.

If you have any questions, call the Office of the Dean of Students at 910.962-3119.

Report Hazing Incident

Contact Fraternity & Sorority Life

Phone: (910) 962-7722

fsl@uncw.edu

4855 Price Dr,
Fisher University Union, Suite 2041
Wilmington, NC, 28403

Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Summer hours:
Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Get Directions
top