Alumni & Parents

At first glance, the college experience can seem overwhelming. The fraternity and sorority community gives students the chance to have a support network away from home. The individual chapter will become like a family, and friendships will last a lifetime.

By choosing to become a member of a Greek lettered organization, your student will meet people who will grow to be close friends, people who will cheer your student on when he/she is successful and who will support him/her when the going gets tough.

Fraternities and sororities promote the development of close ties between members through living, studying, working and having fun together. Members also meet new people through community service projects, participating in campus events and chapter events.

Academic success is an important part of college life. One of the central purposes of fraternities and sororities is to promote academic excellence.

Each organization requires members to maintain a minimum grade point average in order to remain an active member of the chapter.

All chapters emphasize the value of academic success and will help their members achieve this success with scholarship programs, study halls, incentive programs and study buddies. Because the fraternity and sorority community puts so much emphasis on scholastics, it usually has a higher cumulative grade point average than the non-affiliated students, and has established the Order of Omega and Rho Lambda Honor Societies to recognize the outstanding members of our fraterntiy and sorority community.

Greek lettered organizations allow members the opportunity to expand and develop their leadership skills.

Members of the fraternity and sorority community are represented in most campus groups and participate in a variety of campus and community events. As a fraternity or sorority member, your student will have the opportunity to become involved in a variety of organizations outside of his or her chapter including:

• Interfraternity Council.
• National Pan-Hellenic Council.
• Panhellenic Association.

Every year, fraternity and sorority students give thousands of hours of service to the community. Members donate time to help with a number of campus and local service projects. Fraternity and sorority students also sponsor fundraising activities for charitable organizations.

Each fraternity and sorority chapter has its own national philanthropy, which it supports on an ongoing basis.

Chapters have special events to raise money for their particular projects. Some of the projects that chapters are involved with include raising money for the Medical University of South Carolina, women with breast cancer and victims of domestic violence.

With the job market becoming increasingly competitive, a college degree no longer guarantees a successful career. In today's job market, it is not only important what your student knows, but who your student knows.

When someone joins a fraternity or sorority, he/she not only becomes friends with the members of that chapter, but also begins building relationships with the families and friends of those members and alumni from all over the country.

By joining a fraternity or sorority, a person can tap into an entire network of people, from which could possibly come a future employer, a spouse or a lifelong friend.

Joining a fraternity or sorority does carry a financial commitment. Each chapter is self-supporting through dues paid by their members.

When students join a Greek lettered organization, they also agree to pay dues and fees while in school to maintain membership. Although chapters may make accommodations for special needs, students should discuss the financial obligations with their parent(s) before deciding to join.

The College of Charleston, as well as each national fraternity and sorority, has a zero-tolerance policy regarding hazing that is consistent with South Carolina state law.

Hazing includes any activity that subjects members to harassment, ridicule, intimidation, physical exhaustion, abuse or mental distress.

Hazing is contrary to the purposes of the fraternity and sorority community at the College of Charleston. Hazing is not tolerated. If you feel that you or someone you know is participating in inappropriate activities as a result of membership in a fraternity or sorority, you should submit the Hazing Report Form.

Advisors to undergraduate fraternities and sororities may wear the following hats:

• Counselor
• Rule enforcer
• Teacher
• Cheerleader
• Parent/sibling figure
• Friend
• Resource/expert
• Director
• And so on…

While these individuals wear many of those hats (sometimes simultaneously), being an advisor can be a very challenging, but rewarding experience. Interactions between advisors and students allow them to share in their experiences and resources. It is evident that those Greek lettered organizations that have an involved and dedicated group of advisors succeed far beyond those chapters that are working without the advisory support.

The College of Charleston requires each Greek chapter to have at least one chapter advisor and one on-campus advisor. It is expected that the advisors take an active role in the organization. The relationship and specific role will be determined by the organization and the advisor, however, it is expected that the advisors guide, direct, advise and support the chapter and its leadership throughout their progress.

The chapter advisor is considered a liaison between the (inter)national organization’s headquarters and the college administration. This person needs to be committed and passionate about the organization, skilled in organizational and leadership development and proficient in their inter/national organization’s policies and their interpretation. It is through committed alumni/ae support that chapters achieve their greatest success.

The College’s expectations of a chapter advisor/advisory team include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Working with the chapter officers to integrate fraternity mission and goals as well as creating a connection with their inter/national organization through attendance at leadership conferences and utilizing available resources.
• Supervising the chapter’s affairs as they relate to the organization, the campus and the community. Maintain visibility in the residential community by regularly visiting the chapter, interacting with members and attending chapter programs and meetings.
• Meeting regularly (at least monthly) with the chapter leadership and being available to meet with members upon request. Ensuring an effective and timely officer transition occurs.
• Serving as a resource person for planning events and programs, resolving issues confronting the group and being involved in the education of new members.
• Educating the chapter about inter/national policies, state and local laws and the chapter code of conduct.
• Working with the scholarship officer to implement a comprehensive scholarship plan and a residential environment that supports academic success.
• Ensuring that individual behavior is addressed through a chapter standards board that empowers members to hold each other accountable for their actions consistent with the values of the organization and university.
• Being involved in any situations that involve allegations of sexual misconduct or other egregious behavior.
• Attending meetings of the chapter advisors when requested by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
• Working in partnership with administration staff, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and (inter)national headquarters to foster a positive fraternity experience for the undergraduate members.
• Assisting the chapter officers in developing a membership recruitment and retention plan.

The College of Charleston is committed to strengthening scholarship and faculty/staff and student relationships among fraternities and sororities. Nearly all colleges and universities require all student organizations (including fraternities and sororities) to have a faculty or staff advisor. For most campuses, this is interpreted as someone to sign forms and approvals. OCA’s must be active members of the College of Charleston’s employee community. Below is a general outline of the role of the On Campus advisor. This vital position works closely with chapters on their overall scholarship programs.

• The College of Charleston requires all registered student organizations to have an advisor.  This must be a full time member of the staff, faculty or administration and is responsible for the following:
• To provide assistance in creating and implementing an academic/scholarship success program for the organization
• To be available to meet with members of the organization which he or she advises at their regular group meetings or at a special meeting called for that purpose.
• To promote a closer relationship between and among students, faculty and staff. 
• To provide assistance to students in setting goals and planning activities for the organization.
• To assist students in developing co-curricular interests consistent with the mission of the College of Charleston.
• If the student organization maintains an on-campus account with the College, the advisor must be a signor on the account and must see every transaction that occurs on the account. Budget reports for the account will be sent upon request from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
• OCA’s are not expected to serve as the chapter advisor nor to serve on the alumni board (if they wish to serve in these positions that would be great but it is not expected).
• OCA’s are not on call nor are they responsible for the social aspects of the chapter.

For more information about becoming a Chapter or On Campus Advisor, please contact the Higdon Center at 843-953-6356.

We are always in need of alumni to serve as guest speakers at events like Greek Leadership Series programs, council retreats and other educational programs. There may be other ways you can give back as well. Let us know your interests! Our alumni are the single greatest resource for the College of Charleston’s Greek community. Thank you for your loyalty and support. We also encourage alumni looking to give back to the College as a whole to connect with the Alumni Association.

It is our hope that we will continue to provide exceptional programs for both our students and alumni, and to do so we would gladly accept any monetary donations from fraternity and sorority alumni. If you choose to contribute please use the College of Charleston Foundation Page and donate to the Greek Leadership Fund (All donations are tax-deductible.) 

• Tutorial
• Report Form
• Campus Map (Detailed)
• Campus Map (Illustrated)

• What Kind of Advisor Are You?
• The Situational Leadership Model
• Varsity Leadership Academy-Advisor Track

• Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors
• North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC)
• National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
• National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Headquarters
• FAST Reporting