Credit to UIC Fraternity and Sorority Life for the thumbnail image.
Ladies, school is back in session for the spring semester, and that means involvement fair time. While cultural organizations, sports clubs, Her Campus and professional clubs might pique your interest, there is always something that draws people’s attention, no matter what college they go to: Greek Life. The University of Illinois at Chicago is incredibly fortunate to have a multitude of diverse sororities and fraternities for undergraduates to join, but with the 16 sororities on campus all being part of different Greek councils, how do you know which one you want to join? While nothing beats going out to sorority informationals and events to see which sorority is the right fit for you, this basic overview of the University of Illinois at Chicago Greek councils might give you a slight idea as to what sororities you might want to check out.
Collegiate Panhellenic Council (CPC)
The CPC is the first council on this list, unlike the other three, is the only one that caters exclusively to college women (for men, the fraternities that they want to join would be under the Interfraternity Council, or IFC). Under CPC, there are three national sororities: Alpha Sigma Tau, Delta Phi Epsilon and Phi Sigma Sigma and two local sororities: Chi Sigma Omega and Lambda Zeta Chi. These five sororities are more traditional, they have a formal recruitment in the fall and individual recruitment in the spring. However, it’s important to note that not all of these sororities will hold recruitment in the spring if they filled up their house during the fall. If you’re interested in one of these sororities, check out each sorority’s Facebook page for more information about any upcoming recruitment events.
Greeks of the Pan-Asian American Council (GPAAC)
The GPAAC is the second Greek organization you might encounter on campus. GPAAC is a co-ed council, with four fraternities and four sororities. The four sororities are alpha Kappa Delta Phi, Alpha Phi Gamma, Delta Kappa Delta and Delta Phi Omega. While many of the sororities and fraternities under GPAAC are Asian-Interest organizations, they are not Asian exclusive and welcome anyone of any race or background to come out to their recruitment events. GPAAC recruitment happens every semester at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with the first three days of recruitment featuring events that require all eight groups to attend. The second week of recruitment for a GPAAC chapter are chapter specific events, where each potential new member can look at each organization in more detail and see which organization is right for them. For further information about GPAAC and events, check out the GPAAC Facebook page and keep an eye on the sorority’s pages for more information about individual events.
Latino Greek Council (LGC)
The LGC is similar to GPAAC in that it is also a co-ed council, featuring both single-gender organizations and co-ed organizations. While these organizations are Latino interest, they are not Latino exclusive. The four single-gender sororities under LGC are Delta Xi Phi, Gamma Phi Omega, Lambda Theta Alpha and Sigma Lambda Gamma, while the two co-ed groups are Alpha Psi Lambda and Delta Psi Alpha. LGC recruitment occurs every semester at UIC, and their recruitment typically kicks off with a sports day featuring all the organizations under their umbrella. Their second day of recruitment is a meet and greet with all of the organizations before they split off into individual recruitment events. For more information about LGC events, check out their Facebook page and each individual page for more information about LGC related events.
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)
Finally, the last, but certainly not least organization at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is the NPHC. This umbrella typically consists of groups that are associated with the Divine Nine, a group of historically African American Greek Life organizations. Of course, these groups will accept anyone who shows a genuine interest in their groups, and are completely interested in furthering the goals of their organization. NPHC at the University of Illinois at Chicago has three sororities: Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Zeta Phi Beta. These groups will typically hold individual events, which require the potential new member to bring a resume and transcript. Additionally, these groups also require an interview before a potential new member receives an invitation to join. This way, the ladies of the sorority can get to know her in a one-on-one professional setting. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, NPHC will be holding their recruitment events throughout the month of February. For more information, check out their Facebook page.
And of course, if you have any other questions about Greek life at UIC, please check out the official Fraternity and Sorority Life page on UIC’s website. I wish you the best of luck in all of your future Greek endeavors.