Fraternal Organizations, commonly referred to as Greek Chapters, at Dartmouth are led by five councils, all of which obtain new members through a variety of recruitment/intake events at different points throughout the year. Learn more below.
Many students will participate in the recruitment/intake process on campus this year. The relationships developed within fraternal organizations can be a meaningful and rewarding experience both during college and after. The decision to join should be made thoughtfully and with an individual's values in mind in order to make a choice that suits your hopes and aspirations.
Within our community, there are many different chapters and organizations:
Joining a Greek chapter, you will start in a recruitment or informational stage. You will then make a commitment to an organization and participate in an orientation or intake process. Most organizations only allow for a student to be initiated into one organization only. This process or new member education can last no longer than six weeks and will serve as a way of familiarizing the newest members with the history, activities, governing structures and values of the organization.
Joining a society on campus may look differently from a Greek chapter due to the more or less selective requirements based on the organization. A senior society will only be open to juniors and seniors, while all other organizations within Greek Life and Student Societies (GLASS) require a student to hold a sophomore standing.
All organizations within GLASS have a mutual selection process where membership is determined by the willingness and desire of a student expressing interest to join and that organization having the willingness and desire to extend an invitation to join to that student.
The Office of GLASS staff review the content, activities and curriculum of every new member program for each recognized organization. Each student participating in the recruitment process must complete a program educating them on the Dartmouth hazing policy and services available to them as new members, as well as a Sexual Violence Prevention program, facilitated by staff from the Student Wellness Center.
Dartmouth values student leadership and learning and chooses to support organizations that promote individual growth within the overall context of the educational mission by granting College recognition. We are focused on the well-being of all members participating in the Greek Life and Student Societies community and provide support and assistance in maintaining a safe environment. Scholarship, leadership, service/philanthropy, brotherhood/sisterhood, inclusiveness and accountability are expectations of the fraternity and sorority experience at Dartmouth.
The College and the Office of GLASS support its recognized organizations by offering programmatic and administrative assistance, physical plant and housing support, financial training and auditing, leadership and academic development, as well as individual organization advising on a local and inter/national level.
Our community is composed of Greek Chapters and Stdent Societies that are all Registered Student Organizations through the Office of GLASS, recognized and active within their inter/national organizations or a local entity, and have followed the GLASS and respective council recognition/expansion policies. Dartmouth College strongly discourages student participation in suspended and derecognized organizations. Derecognized organizations are not connected or affiliated with Dartmouth in any way and as such, are not bound by the College's policies and regulations, including policies relating to safety in organization housing and activities. Derecognition is defined in the Dartmouth College Student Handbook as revocation of recognition. We direct you to the Office of Greek Life Handbook (pdf) for a description of the privileges that recognized organizations enjoy. Suspended organizations, while still active, are under a form of accountbility through GLASS and/or Student Conduct and Accountability; while members may remain active in these organizations, new members are not permitted to join while on a suspended status. We strongly advise all students and parents to consider this if students are recruited by or invited to attend events planned by any of these suspended or derecognized organizations. Inactive organizations are former chapters that are no longer active on campus, but are in good standing with the College; they are eligible to return and gain recognition following the new/returning GLASS expansion process. For a full report of conduct history on all student organizations at Dartmouth, visit the Office of Community Standards and Accountability's Community Reports site.
For the health and safety of the general community, we do not support or encourage the existence of membership in unrecognized/suspended/inactive organizations.