North-American Interfraternity Conference
Encyclopedia
The North-American Interfraternity Conference (or NIC), (formerly known as the National Interfraternity Conference) is an association of collegiate
men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate
. However, the group’s executive and administrative powers are vested in an elected board of directors
consisting of nine volunteers from various NIC fraternities. Headquartered in Indianapolis
, Indiana
, the NIC also operates a small professional staff.
The NIC seeks to provide services including, “but not be limited to, promotion of cooperative action in dealing with fraternity matters of mutual concern, research in areas of fraternity operations and procedures, fact-finding and data gathering, and the dissemination of such data to the member fraternities.” However, it notes that “[c]onference action shall not in any way abrogate the right of its member fraternities to self-determination.”
As of June 2011, the NIC had seventy-five member organizations with 5,500 chapters located on over 800 campuses in the United States
and Canada
with approximately 350,000 undergraduate members.
Originally named the Interfraternity Conference, the name was changed to the National Interfraternity Conference in 1931. The current name, the North-American Interfraternity Conference, was adopted in 1999 to reflect the organization's affiliations at Canadian colleges and universities.
Also, the members agree to uphold universal fraternal ideals, to hold their individual chapters and colonies to their general vision statements, honor NIC resolutions, abide by the NIC Constitution and By-Laws, attend all meetings of the House of Delegates, and pay membership dues.
Each member fraternity must share a wealth of statistical information with the NIC including the number of new members, new member retention, the number of new initiates, total number of initiates, annual retention rate, the number of new chapters and their size, the number of closed chapters and the reason for closure, the total number of active chapters, number of members who are "campus leaders", number of hours of community service completed, and amount of money raised for charitable causes. This information is aggregated, and the raw data is destroyed.
The NIC requires its members to support open expansion on their campuses. It requires that its members are insured and have risk management programs. It imposes a grade requirement on new members and initiated members. It denies members from having women's auxiliary groups. It requires alcohol free recruitment and new member programs, and new member programs are capped at twelve weeks and encouraged to be shorter. Finally, each member must have provisions for the emergency temporary suspension of any of its chapters.
NIC members are required to "communicate its values through its ritual at least annually or as prescribed by its policies."
. Finally, it demands work to reestablish a five-day long academic week.
; therefore, it is important that the leadership of the organization gather on a regular basis. This occurs annually at the NIC Congressional Reception and the NIC Annual Meeting.
At the congressional reception, the leadership of the NIC, National Panhellenic Conference
(NPC), National Pan-Hellenic Council
(NPHC), and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
(NALFO) sponsor a series of meetings and receptions to advance an agenda that is positive toward fraternal organizations. Legislative priorities are determined with current emphasis on the College Fire Prevention Act which authorizes federal funding to upgrade fire safety in college dormitories and fraternity/sorority housing. It is estimated that there is $3.7 billion worth of fraternity housing, most of which is currently not fitted with fire prevention devices such as sprinklers. Other legislative priorities include Freedom of Association
, Freedom of Speech
, student privacy, and single sex exemptions under Title IX
.
During its 2011 annual meeting, NIC increased its membership to 75 with the addition of Delta Epsilon Psi
, a South Asian fraternity founded in 1998, which as of that date had 26 chapters and colonies throughout the country. With it, there are four South Asian fraternities members of NIC, increasing the number of cultural-based fraternities to sixteen.
juniors and seniors should be the primary focus of its public relations
campaign. Specifically, the NIC would like to convince these students that their values align with those of the fraternity system before they enter the college environment.
Additionally, the North-American Interfraternity Conference believes that fraternity involvement supports the retention and success of college students, and, therefore, that strong partnerships between the fraternity and university community will have a positive effect on both communities. Moreover, they believe that support from the university community is essential to the success on the NIC's public relations initiatives.
The IFC Academy is a one‐day, 14‐hour program, focusing participants on their role in developing high‐performing IFCs - specifically the role of the IFC in serving the needs of its member fraternities, and the role the NIC Standards play in supporting high performance. The program provides IFCs with benchmarks to measure your successes on campus, tools to assess how IFCs should be responding to the needs of its member chapters, and a renewed enthusiasm for advocating for the needs of the fraternity community on its campus.
The Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI) is a five day co-educational program that brings fraternity and sorority leaders together and teaches leadership skills, creates awareness of important issues, and calls on each graduate of the program to lead a change initiative within his/her fraternity/sorority community. The program, begun in 1990, has over 4600 graduates since its inception. In addition, over 120 fraternity/sorority advisors, staff, and volunteers participate each year as facilitators during the program. These facilitators support the work of the NIC staff by leading small group discussions that personalize the experience throughout the institute. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has become an active partner in the UIFI curriculum by sponsoring the Service component of the curriculum.
IMPACT is a campus based weekend program that brings fraternity and sorority community leaders together to identify a strategy for change and/or improvement to the local fraternal experience. IMPACT is an acronym for Influence, Motivation, Purpose, Action, Commitment, and Trust. These are the five ideals that the curriculum of the program emphasizes. The campus leaders work together during the course of the weekend to identify what needs to change in order to ensure a bright future for the entire community. The staff of the NIC leads these programs throughout the year.
The Jon Williamson Futures Quest brings together the newest members of the fraternity community. In order to participate, these men will have joined a fraternity in the previous year. The curriculum of Futures Quest is designed to allow the participants to begin their fraternal journey in a very positive way and builds an awareness of the vast scope of the opportunities that are available to each of them. During the experience, these men will identify a personal action plan for what he wants to accomplish during his years in college and beyond. The participants leave the program with a feeling of confidence and their self-esteem is affirmed. This in turn positively influences the fraternities as these men assume the leadership positions.
The most important aspect of the fraternal experience may be the need to invite new members to join a fraternity each year. As a result, the NIC offers a program to its members that teaches participants new skills in recruitment and focuses on the positive aspects of membership. The Recruitment Program is one of the most important programs offered by the NIC. Not only does it ensure that membership in fraternities will continue, it also teaches vital skills that each participant can use beyond the fraternal experience. The program makes the direct statement, "If you want to recruit me, then you better have a plan." The goal of the program is that every participant has a plan of action for their recruitment goals.
Programs are offered for alumni members of fraternities as well. Vital to the success of the undergraduate chapters, is the importance of having chapter advisors and alumni mentors. The Alumni Academy is an opportunity for alumni members of fraternities to identify ways to serve the fraternity as a chapter advisor, house corporation
member, and/or mentor. In addition, the alumni are re-educated about the purpose of fraternity in the lives of young men and the newer aspects of the fraternity experience in today's society. Finally, the academy forms a community from among the alumni boards that are on each campus. It brings together the alumni role models, getting them to solve campus issues while recognizing the effectiveness of teamwork.
The NIC is always seeking ways in which it may develop new initiatives to enhance the work of its member organizations. In 2000, the NIC received a $750,000 cooperative grant
from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
. This signaled the beginning of efforts to reach into the college community and have students determine the best course of action to take to deal with the number one issue on college campuses - alcohol
. The Alcohol Summit is designed to bring together a coalition of students to discuss alcohol issues and create lasting outcomes to address the effects of alcohol and high risk drinking behaviors.
In 2002, Kappa Sigma
, Phi Delta Theta
, and Phi Sigma Kappa
, withdrew their membership in the NIC due to disagreements with the strategic direction of the organization. Phi Sigma Kappa
rejoined the NIC in 2006.
, 1984
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
. However, the group’s executive and administrative powers are vested in an elected board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
consisting of nine volunteers from various NIC fraternities. Headquartered in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, the NIC also operates a small professional staff.
The NIC seeks to provide services including, “but not be limited to, promotion of cooperative action in dealing with fraternity matters of mutual concern, research in areas of fraternity operations and procedures, fact-finding and data gathering, and the dissemination of such data to the member fraternities.” However, it notes that “[c]onference action shall not in any way abrogate the right of its member fraternities to self-determination.”
As of June 2011, the NIC had seventy-five member organizations with 5,500 chapters located on over 800 campuses in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with approximately 350,000 undergraduate members.
Originally named the Interfraternity Conference, the name was changed to the National Interfraternity Conference in 1931. The current name, the North-American Interfraternity Conference, was adopted in 1999 to reflect the organization's affiliations at Canadian colleges and universities.
Member
The NIC membership requirements are detailed in the By-Laws of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. Each member fraternity must be national or international in scope, as opposed to local, which is defined to mean having five chapters of ten men each, having three chapters which have been part of the fraternity for at least five years, and have a constitution that calls for national conventions with interim authority vested in a smaller governing body. Further, each fraternity must be exclusive of other NIC members and, therefore, in competition with them for the purposes of recruitment. All members' chapters must exist at four or two-year degree granting colleges. The members agree to share "best practices, statistics and information that will benefit member organizations."Also, the members agree to uphold universal fraternal ideals, to hold their individual chapters and colonies to their general vision statements, honor NIC resolutions, abide by the NIC Constitution and By-Laws, attend all meetings of the House of Delegates, and pay membership dues.
Each member fraternity must share a wealth of statistical information with the NIC including the number of new members, new member retention, the number of new initiates, total number of initiates, annual retention rate, the number of new chapters and their size, the number of closed chapters and the reason for closure, the total number of active chapters, number of members who are "campus leaders", number of hours of community service completed, and amount of money raised for charitable causes. This information is aggregated, and the raw data is destroyed.
The NIC requires its members to support open expansion on their campuses. It requires that its members are insured and have risk management programs. It imposes a grade requirement on new members and initiated members. It denies members from having women's auxiliary groups. It requires alcohol free recruitment and new member programs, and new member programs are capped at twelve weeks and encouraged to be shorter. Finally, each member must have provisions for the emergency temporary suspension of any of its chapters.
NIC members are required to "communicate its values through its ritual at least annually or as prescribed by its policies."
Campus
The NIC also places requirements on its host campuses. It requires that campuses share statistical data with the NIC and individual chapters of NIC members. It requires that for credit leadership courses be available each semester for all new members. It requires open expansion and open recruitment, meaning that any local Interfraternity Council (IFC) will not prohibit any NIC organization from joining it and that the school, itself, will not prevent any NIC member from recruiting on campus. The NIC expects the campus to encourage faculty, through incentives, to become chapter advisors. It expects each campus to provide impartial judicial processes, with the right to appeal any decision. The NIC also expects campuses to provide financial management, property, and accounts collection support to chapters. It requires that programs designed to prevent problem behaviors not be limited to Greek-letter organizationsFraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Finally, it demands work to reestablish a five-day long academic week.
Mission
The NIC serves to advocate the needs of its member fraternities through enrichment of the fraternity experience; advancement and growth of the fraternity community; and enhancement of the educational mission of the host institutions. The NIC is also committed to enhancing the benefits of fraternity membership. Each of the 75 member organizations has adopted basic expectations of their members and agreed to the following Nine Basic Expectations.- I will know and understand the ideals expressed in my fraternity ritual and will strive to incorporate them in my daily life.
- I will strive for academic achievement and practice academic integrity.
- I will respect the dignity of all persons; therefore I will not physically, mentally, psychologically or sexually abuse or harm any human being.
- I will protect the health and safety of all human beings.
- I will respect my property and the property of others; therefore, I will neither abuse nor tolerate the abuse of property.
- I will meet my financial obligations in a timely manner.
- I will neither use nor support the use of illegal drugs; I will neither misuse nor support the misuse of alcoholAlcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. - I acknowledge that a clean and attractive environment is essential to both physical and mental health; therefore, I will do all in my power to see that the chapter property is properly cleaned and maintained.
- I will challenge all my fraternity members to abide by these fraternal expectations and will confront those who violate them.
NIC meetings
The NIC is not a governing or regulatory board. It is a voluntary trade associationTrade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
; therefore, it is important that the leadership of the organization gather on a regular basis. This occurs annually at the NIC Congressional Reception and the NIC Annual Meeting.
At the congressional reception, the leadership of the NIC, National Panhellenic Conference
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
(NPC), National Pan-Hellenic Council
National Pan-Hellenic Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine"...
(NPHC), and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
The National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations is an umbrella council for 19 Latino Greek Letter Organizations established in 1998...
(NALFO) sponsor a series of meetings and receptions to advance an agenda that is positive toward fraternal organizations. Legislative priorities are determined with current emphasis on the College Fire Prevention Act which authorizes federal funding to upgrade fire safety in college dormitories and fraternity/sorority housing. It is estimated that there is $3.7 billion worth of fraternity housing, most of which is currently not fitted with fire prevention devices such as sprinklers. Other legislative priorities include Freedom of Association
Freedom of association
Freedom of association is the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests....
, Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, student privacy, and single sex exemptions under Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
.
During its 2011 annual meeting, NIC increased its membership to 75 with the addition of Delta Epsilon Psi
Delta Epsilon Psi
Delta Epsilon Psi is a South Asian interest service fraternity. Delta Epsilon Psi was founded at the University of Texas, Austin in 1998 by 18 men that came together sensing the urgency of a unified South Asian voice at their university...
, a South Asian fraternity founded in 1998, which as of that date had 26 chapters and colonies throughout the country. With it, there are four South Asian fraternities members of NIC, increasing the number of cultural-based fraternities to sixteen.
Public relations efforts
The North-American Interfraternity Conference has conducted research which suggests that to most effectively improve its public perception, high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
juniors and seniors should be the primary focus of its public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
campaign. Specifically, the NIC would like to convince these students that their values align with those of the fraternity system before they enter the college environment.
Additionally, the North-American Interfraternity Conference believes that fraternity involvement supports the retention and success of college students, and, therefore, that strong partnerships between the fraternity and university community will have a positive effect on both communities. Moreover, they believe that support from the university community is essential to the success on the NIC's public relations initiatives.
Educational programming
Five permanent staff members create learning opportunities for all undergraduate men through a variety of programs, most notably the IFC Academy, Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI), IMPACT, Futures Quest, Recruitment Program, Alumni Academy, and the Alcohol Summit. The purpose of the NIC is to promote service, scholarship, the opportunity for self-development, and brotherhood.The IFC Academy is a one‐day, 14‐hour program, focusing participants on their role in developing high‐performing IFCs - specifically the role of the IFC in serving the needs of its member fraternities, and the role the NIC Standards play in supporting high performance. The program provides IFCs with benchmarks to measure your successes on campus, tools to assess how IFCs should be responding to the needs of its member chapters, and a renewed enthusiasm for advocating for the needs of the fraternity community on its campus.
The Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI) is a five day co-educational program that brings fraternity and sorority leaders together and teaches leadership skills, creates awareness of important issues, and calls on each graduate of the program to lead a change initiative within his/her fraternity/sorority community. The program, begun in 1990, has over 4600 graduates since its inception. In addition, over 120 fraternity/sorority advisors, staff, and volunteers participate each year as facilitators during the program. These facilitators support the work of the NIC staff by leading small group discussions that personalize the experience throughout the institute. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has become an active partner in the UIFI curriculum by sponsoring the Service component of the curriculum.
IMPACT is a campus based weekend program that brings fraternity and sorority community leaders together to identify a strategy for change and/or improvement to the local fraternal experience. IMPACT is an acronym for Influence, Motivation, Purpose, Action, Commitment, and Trust. These are the five ideals that the curriculum of the program emphasizes. The campus leaders work together during the course of the weekend to identify what needs to change in order to ensure a bright future for the entire community. The staff of the NIC leads these programs throughout the year.
The Jon Williamson Futures Quest brings together the newest members of the fraternity community. In order to participate, these men will have joined a fraternity in the previous year. The curriculum of Futures Quest is designed to allow the participants to begin their fraternal journey in a very positive way and builds an awareness of the vast scope of the opportunities that are available to each of them. During the experience, these men will identify a personal action plan for what he wants to accomplish during his years in college and beyond. The participants leave the program with a feeling of confidence and their self-esteem is affirmed. This in turn positively influences the fraternities as these men assume the leadership positions.
The most important aspect of the fraternal experience may be the need to invite new members to join a fraternity each year. As a result, the NIC offers a program to its members that teaches participants new skills in recruitment and focuses on the positive aspects of membership. The Recruitment Program is one of the most important programs offered by the NIC. Not only does it ensure that membership in fraternities will continue, it also teaches vital skills that each participant can use beyond the fraternal experience. The program makes the direct statement, "If you want to recruit me, then you better have a plan." The goal of the program is that every participant has a plan of action for their recruitment goals.
Programs are offered for alumni members of fraternities as well. Vital to the success of the undergraduate chapters, is the importance of having chapter advisors and alumni mentors. The Alumni Academy is an opportunity for alumni members of fraternities to identify ways to serve the fraternity as a chapter advisor, house corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
member, and/or mentor. In addition, the alumni are re-educated about the purpose of fraternity in the lives of young men and the newer aspects of the fraternity experience in today's society. Finally, the academy forms a community from among the alumni boards that are on each campus. It brings together the alumni role models, getting them to solve campus issues while recognizing the effectiveness of teamwork.
The NIC is always seeking ways in which it may develop new initiatives to enhance the work of its member organizations. In 2000, the NIC received a $750,000 cooperative grant
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
. This signaled the beginning of efforts to reach into the college community and have students determine the best course of action to take to deal with the number one issue on college campuses - alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. The Alcohol Summit is designed to bring together a coalition of students to discuss alcohol issues and create lasting outcomes to address the effects of alcohol and high risk drinking behaviors.
Members
- Largest average chapter size: Pi Kappa AlphaPi Kappa AlphaPi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
- 68 - Most undergraduate members: Sigma ChiSigma ChiSigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
- 15,500 - Most initiates: Sigma Alpha EpsilonSigma Alpha EpsilonSigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
- 300,000+ and Sigma ChiSigma ChiSigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
- 300,000+
- Most active collegiate chapters: Tau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
- 278 - Most collegiate charters granted: Tau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
- 470
| Fraternity | Founding Date | Active Collegiate Groups | Collegiate Charters Granted | Collegiate Members | Total Initiates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia Acacia Fraternity Acacia Fraternity is a Greek social fraternity originally based out of Masonic tradition. At its founding in 1904, membership was originally restricted to those who had taken the Masonic obligations, and the organization was built on those ideals and principles. Within one year, four other Masonic... |
1904 | 40 | 94 | 48,500 | |
| Alpha Chi Rho Alpha Chi Rho Alpha Chi Rho is a men's collegiate fraternity founded on June 4, 1895 at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut by the Reverend Paul Ziegler, his son Carl Ziegler, and Carl's friends William Rouse, Herbert T. Sherriff and William A.D. Eardeley. It is a charter member of the North-American... |
1895 | 41 | 93 | 30,500 | |
| Alpha Delta Gamma Alpha Delta Gamma Alpha Delta Gamma National Fraternity is an American Greek-letter social fraternity and one of 74 members of the North-American Interfraternity Conference... |
1924 | 11 | 27 | ||
| Alpha Delta Phi Alpha Delta Phi Alpha Delta Phi is a Greek-letter social college fraternity and the fourth-oldest continuous Greek-letter fraternity in the United States and Canada. Alpha Delta Phi was founded on October 29, 1832 by Samuel Eells at Hamilton College and includes former U.S. Presidents, Chief Justices of the U.S.... |
1832 | 30 | 51 | 1100 | |
| Alpha Epsilon Pi Alpha Epsilon Pi Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates... |
1913 | 123 | 238 | 9,500 | 82,000 |
| Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Gamma Rho is a social-professional fraternity in the United States, with 75 university chapters including chapter in Mindanao State University, Philippines... |
1904 | 72 | 65,000 | ||
| Alpha Gamma Sigma Alpha Gamma Sigma (fraternity) Alpha Gamma Sigma is a national social and professional agricultural fraternity that exists on eight campuses. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference... |
1923 | 8 | 4350 | ||
| Alpha Kappa Lambda Alpha Kappa Lambda Alpha Kappa Lambda is an American collegiate social fraternity for men founded at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914... |
1914 | 30 | 79 | ||
| Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ... |
1906 | 414 | 175,000 | ||
| Alpha Phi Delta Alpha Phi Delta Alpha Phi Delta , commonly referred to as APD, is a Greek social fraternity that evolved from an exclusive Italian society at Syracuse University in 1914. There were seven founding members who strove to create a brotherhood that would last long after their college days... |
1914 | 98 | |||
| Alpha Sigma Phi Alpha Sigma Phi Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity is a social fraternity with 71 active chapters and 9 colonies. Founded at Yale in 1845, it is the 10th oldest fraternity in the United States.... |
1845 | 82 | 158 | 2,900 | 42,000 |
| Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009... |
1865 | 132 | 250 | 6,500 | 181,000 |
| Beta Chi Theta Beta Chi Theta Beta Chi Theta is a national South Asian interest social fraternity established in 1999 at the University of California, Los Angeles . On June 2, 1999, Beta Chi Theta was formally acknowledged by the university and granted membership into the UCLA Inter-Fraternity Council... |
1999 | 23 | 1000 | ||
| Beta Sigma Psi Beta Sigma Psi Beta Sigma Psi National Lutheran Fraternity is a pan Lutheran fraternity and is the second oldest Christian fraternal organization in the United States of America. Founded at the University of Illinois in 1925, ΒΣΨ has more than 7,500 initiated members. With 10 chapters and colonies in 7 states,... |
1925 | 10 | 25 | ||
| Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada... |
1839 | 133 | 5,911 | 183,769 | |
| Chi Phi Chi Phi The Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton... |
1824 | 58 | 113 | 60,000 | |
| Chi Psi Chi Psi Chi Psi Fraternity is a fraternity and secret society consisting of 29 active chapters at American colleges and universities. It was founded on Thursday May 20, 1841, by 10 students at Union College with the idea of emphasizing the fraternal and social principles of a brotherhood... |
1841 | 31 | |||
| Delta Chi Delta Chi Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men... |
1890 | 137 | 100,000 | ||
| Delta Epsilon Psi Delta Epsilon Psi Delta Epsilon Psi is a South Asian interest service fraternity. Delta Epsilon Psi was founded at the University of Texas, Austin in 1998 by 18 men that came together sensing the urgency of a unified South Asian voice at their university... |
1998 | 26 | |||
| Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who had not been invited to join the two existing societies... |
1844 | 52 | |||
| Delta Phi Delta Phi Delta Phi is a fraternity founded in 1827 at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Founded as part of the Union Triad, along with the Kappa Alpha Society and Sigma Phi Society, Delta Phi was the third and last member of the Triad... |
1827 | 15 | |||
| Delta Psi | 1847 | 10 | |||
| Delta Sigma Phi Delta Sigma Phi Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
1899 | 119 | 4,500 | 110,000 | |
| Delta Tau Delta Delta Tau Delta Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service... |
1858 | 129 | 6,031 | 150,590 | |
| Delta Upsilon Delta Upsilon Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest international, all-male, college Greek-letter organization, and is the oldest non-secret fraternity in North America... |
1834 | 84 | 151 | 110,000 | |
| FarmHouse FarmHouse FarmHouse Fraternity International, Inc. is an all-male international social fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a nationally recognized fraternity in 1921. FarmHouse is one of only three fraternities not to adopt Greek letters... |
1905 | 33 | 42 | ||
| Iota Phi Theta Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity is a nationally incorporated, predominantly African-American collegiate fraternity. It was founded on September 19, 1963 at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. At present, it consists of over 70,000 members... |
1963 | 270 | 30,000 | ||
| Kappa Alpha Order Kappa Alpha Order Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions... |
1865 | 128 | 5,000 | 150,000 | |
| Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin... |
1911 | 350 | 150,000 | ||
| Kappa Alpha Society Kappa Alpha Society The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad... |
1825 | 8 | 14 | ||
| Kappa Delta Phi Kappa Delta Phi Kappa Delta Phi is a college general men's fraternity that was founded on April 14, 1900 at the Bridgewater Normal School, now known as Bridgewater State University... |
1900 | 14 | 31 | ||
| Kappa Delta Rho Kappa Delta Rho Kappa Delta Rho is an American college social fraternity, with 77 chapters spread out over the United States, primarily in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions... |
1905 | 36 | 75 | ||
| Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a... |
1909 | 218 | 300 | 10,000 | 270,000 |
| Lambda Phi Epsilon Lambda Phi Epsilon Lambda Phi Epsilon is an internationally-recognized fraternity in the United States and Canada. With a total of 53 chapters, it is the largest Asian-interest fraternity in North America... |
1981 | 33 | 48 | ||
| Lambda Sigma Upsilon Lambda Sigma Upsilon Lambda Sigma Upsilon is a Latino oriented Greek letter intercollegiate fraternity founded on April 5, 1979 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.... |
1979 | 58 | 500 | 6,000+ | |
| Lambda Theta Phi Lambda Theta Phi Lambda Theta Phi is a non-profit social fraternity in the United States. It was founded on December 1, 1975 at Kean College in Union, New Jersey. It emphasizes Latin unity and the celebration of the Latin culture. In 1992 Lambda Theta Phi was accepted into the North-American Interfraternity... |
1975 | 93 | |||
| Nu Alpha Kappa Nu Alpha Kappa Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity , is a Latino-based Greek letter intercollegiate fraternity which encompasses all values and cultures.... |
1988 | 21 | 21 | ||
| Omega Delta Phi Omega Delta Phi Omega Delta Phi , also known as O D Phi, is an intercollegiate fraternity that was founded on November 25, 1987 by seven students attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Its seven founders known as the "Men of Vision" to fraternity members wanted to create an organization to help... |
1987 | 50 | |||
| Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I... |
1914 | ||||
| Phi Gamma Delta Phi Gamma Delta The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA... |
1848 | 114 | 6,500 | 162,000 | |
| Phi Iota Alpha Phi Iota Alpha Phi Iota Alpha , established December 26, 1931, is the oldest Latino fraternity still in existence, and works to motivate people, develop leaders, and create innovative ways to unite the Latino community. The organization has roots that stem back to the late 19th century to the first Latino... |
1931 | 52 | 71 | ||
| Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been... |
1852 | 104 | 158 | 4,700 | 112,796 |
| Phi Kappa Sigma Phi Kappa Sigma Phi Kappa Sigma is an international all-male college social fraternity. Its members are known as "Phi Kaps", "Skulls" and sometimes "Skullhouse", the latter two because of the skull and crossbones on the Fraternity's badge and coat of arms. Phi Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie... |
1850 | 48 | 120 | ||
| Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906... |
1906 | 77 | 146 | 3,500 | 90,000+ |
| Phi Kappa Theta Phi Kappa Theta Phi Kappa Theta is a national social fraternity with over 50 chapters and colonies at universities across the United States. "Phi Kaps", as they are commonly referred to colloquially, are known for diversity among their brothers and a dedication to service.-History:Phi Kappa Theta was established... |
1959 | 49 | |||
| Phi Lambda Chi Phi Lambda Chi Phi Lambda Chi ' is a North-American Interfraternity Conference member fraternity founded in 1925.-History:The Lamb Society was organized in 1920 as an organization for high school boys... |
1920 | 9 | 17 | ||
| Phi Mu Delta Phi Mu Delta Phi Mu Delta is a small, national fraternity founded on March 1, 1918 at the Universities of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The fraternity is focused on the three ideals of democracy, service, and brotherhood.-Founders' Creed:... |
1918 | 11 | 38 | 300 | 18,000 |
| Phi Sigma Kappa Phi Sigma Kappa -Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The... |
1873 | 79 | 2,500 | 115,000 | |
| Phi Sigma Phi Phi Sigma Phi Phi Sigma Phi is a US national fraternity founded on July 30, 1988. There are now 11 chapters of Phi Sigma Phi nationwide. The current National President is Shawn Head.-History:... |
1988 | 9 | |||
| Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:... |
1868 | 220 | 14,000 | 240,000 | |
| Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina... |
1904 | 142 | 211 | 7,767 | 107,763 |
| Pi Lambda Phi Pi Lambda Phi Pi Lambda Phi International Fraternity Inc. is a college social fraternity with 35 active chapters and four colonies in the United States and Canada.... |
1895 | 38 | 120 | ||
| Psi Upsilon Psi Upsilon Psi Upsilon is the fifth oldest college fraternity in the United States, founded at Union College in 1833. It has chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America. For most of its history, Psi Upsilon, like most social fraternities, limited its membership to men only... |
1833 | 23 | 45 | ||
| Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South... |
1856 | 224 | 301 | 11,825 | 300,000+ |
| Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has... |
1909 | 69 | |||
| Sigma Beta Rho | 1996 | 41 | |||
| Sigma Chi Sigma Chi Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon... |
1855 | 239 | 15,500 | 300,000+ | |
| Sigma Lambda Beta Sigma Lambda Beta Sigma Lambda Beta is the largest Latino-based social fraternity established on cultural understanding and wisdom. Founded on April 4, 1986 at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, the organization is committed to create and expand multicultural leadership, promote academic excellence, advance... |
1986 | 111 | 600 | 6,000 | |
| Sigma Nu Sigma Nu Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia... |
1869 | 184 | 278 | 9,500 | 225,000 |
| Sigma Phi Delta Sigma Phi Delta ΣΦΔ is an international social fraternity of engineers. Billing itself as "The Premier International Fraternity of Engineers", the organization is the only fraternity of its kind that draws its membership exclusively from male engineering students at ABET-accredited colleges and universities, as... |
1924 | 13 | 29 | 8,500 | |
| Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,... |
1901 | 234 | 15,191 | 289,000 | |
| Sigma Phi Society | 1827 | 9 | |||
| Sigma Pi Sigma Pi Sigma Pi is an international college secret and social fraternity founded in 1897 at Vincennes University. Sigma Pi International fraternity currently has 127 chapters and 4 colonies in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee... |
1897 | 136 | 222 | 90,000 | |
| Sigma Tau Gamma Sigma Tau Gamma Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity also named "Sig Tau" or "the Knights" is a U.S. all-male college secret-social fraternity founded on June 28, 1920 at University of Central Missouri... |
1920 | 67 | 136 | 50,000 | |
| Tau Delta Phi Tau Delta Phi Tau Delta Phi is a national social fraternity founded on June 22, 1910 in New York City. Its members are known as Tau Delts. Since its inception, dozens of chapters have been founded and thousands of men initiated into its membership... |
1910 | 6 | 63 | ||
| Tau Epsilon Phi Tau Epsilon Phi Tau Epsilon Phi is an American fraternity with 14 active chapters, chiefly located at universities and colleges on the East Coast of the United States... |
1910 | 30 | 46 | ||
| Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent... |
1899 | 278 | 470 | 10,810 | 255,000 |
| Tau Phi Sigma Tau Phi Sigma Tau Phi Sigma, ΤΦΣ, is a multicultural college fraternity, founded on November 11, 1992 at the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign... |
1992 | 7 | 8 | ||
| Theta Chi Theta Chi Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta... |
1856 | 138 | 216 | 6,896 | 166,231 |
| Theta Delta Chi Theta Delta Chi Theta Delta Chi is a social fraternity that was founded in 1847 at Union College. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are Theta Delt, Thete, TDX, and TDC. Theta Delta Chi brothers refer to their local organization as Charges rather... |
1847 | 29 | 66 | 46,000 | |
| Theta Xi Theta Xi Theta Xi was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York on 29 April 1864. Theta Xi Fraternity was originally founded as an engineering fraternity, the first professional fraternity... |
1864 | 53 | 114 | 60,000 | |
| Triangle Triangle Fraternity Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences... |
1907 | 32 | 45 | ||
| Zeta Beta Tau Zeta Beta Tau Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was... |
1898 | 71 | 110,000 | ||
| Zeta Psi Zeta Psi The Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America was founded June 1, 1847 as a social college fraternity. The organization now comprises about fifty active chapters and twenty-five inactive chapters, encompassing roughly fifty thousand brothers, and is a founding member of the North-American... |
1847 | 43 | 87 | 20,000 |
In 2002, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
, and Phi Sigma Kappa
Phi Sigma Kappa
-Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The...
, withdrew their membership in the NIC due to disagreements with the strategic direction of the organization. Phi Sigma Kappa
Phi Sigma Kappa
-Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The...
rejoined the NIC in 2006.
Further reading
A Diamond Jubilee History of The National Interfraternity Conference: 75 Glorious Years by Jack L. AnsonJack L. Anson
Jack Lee Anson was an important leader in the American college interfraternity movement, and was known as "Mr...
, 1984