So, your student wants to Go Greek?
For many students, college is a time of self discovery. They are learning more about who they are, what’s important to them, and how they want to leave an impact. Many students find themselves and their sense of belonging through Greek Life. For many families, though, fraternities and sororities can be a mysterious, confusing, and unknown territory. It is important that you are informed about fraternities and sororities here at TCNJ so you can support your student in making the decision that is best for them. Scroll through this page to get answers to all of your questions and more!
Who is in charge of the fraternities and sororities on campus?
All student organizations, inclusive of fraternities and sororities, are housed within the Office of Student Life. We currently have over 230 recognized student organizations on campus, with 30 of those organizations being a fraternity or sorority! While each organization offers something unique, at their core, they share a common foundation built upon scholarship, academic excellence, service, and brother/sisterhood.
TCNJ has two professional staff members who advise and support our recognized organizations. Aimee Wardle is the Assistant Director, and Kaitlin West is the Coordinator. You can find out more about our Student Life staff here.
When can my student join an organization?
We believe it is important for students to acclimate to college life before making such an important decision, so first year students can’t join a fraternity or sorority until their second semester at the earliest. Transfer students coming from another college or university with GPA and credit hours that meet our requirements are eligible to immediately join an organization. First-year TCNJ students admitted in January will be ineligible for recruitment until the following fall semester.
The minimum requirement to join any organization is:
- Completion of 3 TCNJ Units or 12 transfer credits
- A minimum 2.5 Cumulative GPA.
- Must be an enrolled, full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student.
Many organizations have individual GPA requirements that are higher than the College’s eligibility standard. GPAs will not be rounded and Advanced Placement credits are NOT counted toward the credit requirement.
How can I know which organizations are recognized on campus?
A great way to learn about our organizations is to visit the Greek Life Fact Sheet on our website. There you can find a list of all of our organizations and their full profiles. Each profile has basic information such as their nickname, how many members are in the chapter, the organization’s GPA, their service and philanthropy contributions from the previous semester, and any organizational conduct history from the past five years. If you’re on instagram, we highlight our active organizations and event information on our Instagram page, so give us a follow!
I’ve heard that there are unrecognized groups. What’s the difference between a recognized and unrecognized organization?
Recognized organizations are fraternities and sororities that are currently active and recognized by Student Government, the Office of Student Life, and Fraternity & Sorority Life. These groups are in good standing and receive advisement, support, and recognition privileges from FSL Staff.
Unrecognized organizations are groups that have been suspended or had their recognition revoked for violations of the Student Organization Code of Conduct and/or Student Life processes. They do NOT receive advisement, support, or recognition privileges from TCNJ, and may not receive recognition or support from their headquarters.
You can learn more about both recognized and unrecognized organizations and their status on our Chapter Conduct page which is updated regularly. Additionally, we send out a letter to both students and their families regarding unrecognized organizations. You can find a copy of the most recent letter here.
What are some discussion topics I can use to talk to my student to help them find an organization that fits them best?
Research is key! It’s important to know about the chapters on our campus before deciding to join. Students will have the opportunity to attend recruitment events throughout the semester that are hosted by each chapter, which is a great way to meet current members and learn more. Some topics of discussion can include:
- What type of experience are you looking for?
- Are you more interested in a professional organization? A social organization? An identity or culturally-based organization?
- What are the values of the organization? How do they align with your values?
- Is the chapter officially recognized by TCNJ?
- How much are dues and fees?
- What happens during the new member process?
- What is the chapter’s philanthropy? What type of service do they do?
- Does the chapter offer any type of scholarship program?
- When officially a member, what does the time commitment look like?
- How will membership in the specific organization benefit you?
What does recruitment look like?
Recruitment can look very different depending on the organization. For some, the recruitment period is a time where students can attend informational sessions to learn more about an organization’s history, values, philanthropy, service, and more. This is a great time for students to ask questions, connect with current members, and reflect on the membership experience they’re looking for. For others, the organizations participate in a formal recruitment process over the course of a few weekends where they get to know each organization. Although this process can seem overwhelming, there are current members who have participated in training and will guide and support interested students through this process to help them find the organization that they best fit with.
If my student goes through recruitment/intake, are they guaranteed an invitation to join a fraternity or sorority?
No, just as students are trying to figure out which organization matches their values and interests, chapters are determining who would be the best fit for their organization. Many times this is based on specific criteria such as grades or involvement in campus activities or community service. Our fraternities and sororities are private membership organizations and are under no obligation to explain why a student wasn’t offered an invitation to membership, so our staff will not know the reason why a student wasn’t asked to join.
We suggest that you and your student consider this to be similar to what happens in a job interview. Sometimes things work out, other times it doesn’t. If your student wishes to keep looking for a fraternity/sorority experience, they can participate in recruitment during the next semester. If not, but they’d still like to be involved in some way, encourage them to consider any of our other 200+ clubs and organizations on campus.
My student receied an invitation to join a fraternity or sorority. Now what?
Students will participate in a New Member Education period. This is a time where your student will learn more about their organization’s history, how the chapter functions on campus, and much more.
The new member process can take no longer than 6 weeks as per our policy. Your student should receive a calendar of events from the New Member Educator (the student charged with the responsibility of administering the new member program) at their first meeting. Typically you can expect your student to have weekly meetings with the rest of the students who are joining and current members. At these meetings students usually participate in teambuilders, learn fraternity/sorority history, organizational structure, talk about the requirements they must meet in order to become an initiated member, etc. Our policy limits the time spent in the new member program to no more than 15 hours per week. Nothing in these meetings is secret, as we require all chapters to submit their new member education plan to our staff for approval before the new member process starts.
Who can my student talk to if they have any questions?
- New Member Educator (the student leading new member education efforts)
- Chapter President (the student elected to represent the organization for the semester/year)
- Chapter Advisor (usually an alum of the chapter or organization representative)
- TCNJ Student Life Staff
Will my student be hazed?
The College of New Jersey has a zero tolerance for hazing- it is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, as well as New Jersey state law. More information about hazing prevention at TCNJ can be found here.
Every new member is mandated to attend a hazing prevention workshop prior to beginning their membership. Your student will learn about what hazing is and could look like, and most importantly: how to report. Additionally, if organizations or individuals are found responsible they will be adjudicated through the Office of Student Conduct and Off-Campus Services. To learn more about the Student Code of Conduct, please visit the Office of Student Conduct’s Website.
We have a variety of ways to report hazing:
Contacting by phone, e-mail, or in person:
-Aimee Wardle, Assistant Director for Student Life: FSL
wardlea@tcnj.edu – 609-771-2473
-Kaitlin West, Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life
westk1@tcnj.edu – 609-771-3282
-Dave Conner, Director of Student Life
conner@tcnj.edu – 609-771-3125
-Contact Campus Police – 609-771-2345
-Contact Dean of Students Office – 609-771-2780
-Report to ANY TCNJ Faculty or Staff member
-Submit a report online at conduct.tcnj.edu
- Click on “Submit a Report”
- Click on “Hazing Report”
Does TCNJ have fraternity or sorority housing?
No, there are no fraternity or sorority houses on or off campus. However, members from the same organization may choose to live together off campus. These houses are not considered official fraternity or sorority houses.
What is my role as a family member of a student in an organization? How can I learn more?
Be a pillar of support! This can definitely be a time filled with many emotions, so keep in touch with your student throughout the process and offer encouragement. To learn more, you can always browse our chapter profiles, learn more about recruitment and intake information, see how our students give back to the community, check out the community grade reports, or contact our staff.
If you still have questions about Fraternity & Sorority Life, please feel free to reach out by emailing studentlife@tcnj.edu. You can also learn more about our staff and what we do by visiting studentlife.tcnj.edu/fslstaff/