Johns Hopkins University - Student Life - Fraternities and Sororities

Fraternities and Sororities

The University Office of Greek Life recognizes thirteen fraternities and eight sororities, which include approximately 25% of the student body. Greek life has been a part of the university culture since 1877, when Beta Theta Pi fraternity became the first to form a chapter on campus. Sororities arrived at Hopkins in 1982. As with all Hopkins programs, Greek discrimination on the basis of "marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status" is prohibited. JHU also has an anti–hazing policy and prohibits alcohol at recruitment activities. Hopkins does not permit "city–wide" chapters, and requires all members of a JHU recognized fraternity or sorority to be a JHU student.

As of spring 2011, 1,208 students were members of one of Hopkins' fraternities or sororities. The All–Greek Average GPA was 3.31, above the undergraduate average GPA. In spring 2010 the university was considering construction of a "fraternity row" of houses to consolidate the groups on campus.

All Johns Hopkins fraternities and sororities belong to one of four Councils: the Inter–Fraternity Council, the National Panhellenic Conference, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Multicultural Council.

The Inter–Fraternity Council includes eleven fraternities:

• ΑΔΦ – Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, chapter founded 1889.
• ΑΕΠ – Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, Psi chapter founded 1936. Jewish interest.
• ΒΘΠ – Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Alpha Chi chapter founded 1877.
• ΛΦΕ – Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity, Upsilon chapter founded 1994. Asian–American interest.
• ΦΔΘ – Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Maryland Delta chapter founded 2008.
• FIJI – Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, Beta Mu chapter founded 1891.
• ΦΚΨ – Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, Maryland Alpha chapter founded 1879.
• ΠΚΑ – Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Iota Tau chapter founded 1994.
• ΣΑΕ – Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Maryland Phi chapter founded 1994.
• ΣΧ – Sigma Chi fraternity, Kappa Upsilon chapter founded 2003.
• ΣΦΕ – Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, Maryland Alpha chapter founded 1929.

The National Panhellenic Conference includes four sororities:

• ΑΦ – Alpha Phi sorority, Zeta Omicron chapter founded 1982.
• ΚΚΓ – Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Eta Epsilon chapter founded 1999.
• ΦM – Phi Mu sorority, Gamma Tau chapter founded 1982.
• ΠBΦ – Pi Beta Phi sorority, Maryland Gamma chartered November 20, 2010.

The National Pan–Hellenic Council includes two historically African–American groups:

• ΑΦΑ – Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Sigma Sigma chapter founded 1991.
• ΣΓP – Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, Rho Omega chapter founded 2009.

The Multicultural Council includes four groups:

• αΚΔΦ – Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority, associate chapter founded 1997. Asian–American interest.
• ΔΞΦ – Delta Xi Phi sorority, Lambda chapter founded 2003. Multicultural interest.
• INΔ – Iota Nu Delta fraternity, chapter founded 2008. South Asian interest.
• ΣΟΠ – Sigma Omicron Pi sorority, Lambda chapter founded 2002. Asian–American interest.

Delta Phi Fraternity, also known as St. Elmo's, maintains a chapter exclusive to students at Johns Hopkins, though it is not recognized by the Office of Greek Life.

Unrecognized Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta African–American interest sororities often recruit Johns Hopkins undergraduates, in their city–wide chapters. Delta Sigma Theta was the first National Pan–Hellenic Council member to charter on the campus in 1976, as well as the first sorority of any kind on the JHU campus.

Kappa Alpha Theta, a National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sorority, was disbanded by its national headquarters on April 14, 2009 after twelve years on campus. The removal was due to repeated risk management violations.

In March 2010, Johns Hopkins University officially opened for NPC extension. In May 2010, the University Panhellenic Council selected Pi Beta Phi, which opened in the fall of 2010.

Recruitment for Inter–Fraternity Council and Panhellenic Conference fraternities and sororities takes place during the spring semester for freshmen, though some groups recruit upperclassmen during the fall semester. All participants must have completed one semester and must be in good academic standing.

Many of the fraternities maintain houses off campus, but no sororities do. Baltimore City allows housing to be zoned specifically for use as a fraternity or sorority house, but in practice this zoning code has not been awarded for at least 50 years. Only Sigma Phi Epsilon's building has this zoning code due to its consistent ownership since the 1920s.