Greek Life

Having a strong support network, and friends to create lasting memories are core tenants of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Simpson College. Creating a welcoming and supportive environment within each organization and among our entire Fraternity and Sorority Life community that enhances the celebration of the Simpson Community is paramount to us.  By the time students graduate, they often describe their fellow members as being their family away from home.

Involvement in Fraternity and Sorority Life connects students to something larger than themselves with our longstanding traditions, rich history, and vast network of passionate alumni. Students will also give back to the community through volunteer work and supporting philanthropies within the community.

Fraternity and Sorority Life provides numerous opportunities for members to become influential leaders in the campus community and beyond. Whether it be an officer position within the chapters, being elected to a position on Panhellenic Council, the Inter-Fraternity Council or the Independent Council, or involvement with chapter nationals, members have opportunities to develop leadership skills, be mentored, and gain experiences that will be beneficial in their future endeavors.  Outside of Fraternity and Sorority Life, members participate in just about every aspect of campus life, including taking on leadership roles within student organizations, athletic teams and holding positions like Community Advisors, orientation leaders, religious life leaders, and the Student Government Association.

Fall 2025

• Panhellenic Council will host general events to help students get familiar with sorority life from August 25th through September 2nd.
• Each sorority will hold events more specific to their group from September 2nd through September 12th.
• Bids inviting students to join a group will be sent out on September 13th.
  • Students must be registered for recruitment by Noon on the 12th to be eligible to receive a bid.
  • Students must attend one event hosted by each sorority to be eligible to receive a bid group
• Registration link here, or scan the QR code below

Fall 2025

• Inter-Fraternity Council will host general events to help students get familiar with fraternity life from August 25th through September 2nd.
• Each fraternity will hold events more specific to their group from September 2nd through September 8th.
• Bids inviting students to join a group will be sent out on September 10th.
  • Students must be registered for recruitment by Noon on the 8th to be eligible to receive a bid.
  • Students must attend one event hosted by each fraternity to be eligible to receive a bid group
• Registration link here, or scan the QR code below

Late Fall 2025

• All chapters may choose to add additional new members by offering them a continuous open bid (COB).  Sororities have a limit to the number of COB bids that can be offered.  Fraternities do not have a limit.
• At the conclusion of the fall recruitment process anyone who did not participate/receive a bid but is still interested in joining a fraternity or sorority should contact the leadership for the chapter they are interested in joining.
• The COB period runs from the end of fall recruitment until the start of the each group’s new member education period.  This dates varies from chapter to chapter.  Once the new member education period starts, that chapter may not offer new bids until the start of the spring semester.

Spring 2026

• All chapters may choose to add additional new members by offering them a continuous open bid (COB).  Sororities have a limit to the number of COB bids that can be offered.  Fraternities do not have a limit.
• Spring semester recruitment is entire COB.  Groups may schedule informal recruitment events during this time.
• The COB period runs from the first day of the spring semester until the start of the each group’s new member education period.  This dates varies from chapter to chapter.  Once the new member education period starts, that chapter may not offer new bids again until the conclusion of the following fall recruitment period.

Joining a chapter is making an investment in your present and future.  For younger students, joining a chapter can help ease your transition to campus, as you’ll get to know folks from all class years and alumni much sooner than the general student population.  Students enjoy academic benefits of having folks to study, peers who’ve taken classes with faculty members previously, and support services provided by nationals.  Joining helps students get involved in their communities as you volunteer and raise awareness for local philanthropies.  Members also gain experiences working in a team structure and can take on leadership positions that will benefit their job search and career.  Depending on the chapter, the housing and meal plan costs could be lower than living in the traditional residence halls and eating in campus dining facilities.  Most importantly, members enjoy the benefits of connecting with peers and alumni.  In some cases, these are folks you wouldn’t normally have met right away but may become your life-long friend or mentor.  And, with most groups being national organizations, you’ll likely be able to build connections with members/alumni from other institutions, that may benefit you as you search for jobs and move to new areas of the country.

Each chapter and their national organization has their own set of values, traditions, philanthropies, alumni networks, etc.  While these are constants for the chapters, the personalities and involvement of the current members also helps shape the mood and energy of chapter each year.  And, as you get into your second, third or fourth year in the chapter, you’ll have the opportunity to recruit new members who will add their own piece into the group’s puzzle.

Potential new members are encouraged to explore websites and social media to learn more about each chapter.  Talk with your family members and friends who are in college/have students in college to see what their experiences are with fraternities and sororities.  Once you get to campus, just find time in general to get to know folks.  Sometimes it’s a friend of a friend that helps get you connected to a chapter and a lifetime of brotherhood/sisterhood.  Most importantly, get to know the current members of each chapter.  When you join, they are the people you’ll be living with and spending the most time with.  While you’ll also connect with advisors and alumni, the current members will have the biggest impact on your Simpson experience.  So, reach out to students you see wearing a chapter’s letters and ask what they’re about.  Stop by recruitment events, whether they be the all-Greek events or ones hosted by individual chapters.

Students can join a chapter at any time after moving onto campus.  Everyone is encouraged to participate in the fall recruitment process described above.  If you decide that joining a group is right for you after the fall recruitment period, please reach of to chapter leadership to discuss the continuous open bid process.

There is no cost to sign-up to participate in any recruitment process.  Should a student choose to accept a bid, there are costs associated with joining a fraternity or sorority.  Chapters are obligated to provide costs up front during the recruitment process, so please don’t hesitate to ask chapter leadership for a breakdown.

Costs vary from chapter to chapter.  Generally, students can expect to pay dues that cover payments to the national organization, payment to Interfraternity or Panhellenic Council for all-Greek activities, chapter events and brotherhood/sisterhood activities.  There may be other miscellaneous costs for insurance policies, chapter apparel and other activities.

In terms of housing costs, members who live in campus-owned houses are charged the same price as the first-year housing rate in the residence halls.  Privately-owned houses set their own housing fees.  Chapters with a private food plan may also have an different fee compared to chapters who utilize the college-provided dining program.  These differences in fees mean some chapters are less expensive and some chapters are more expensive than general housing and food plans on campus.

While the dues and fees are manageable expenses for many, chapters don’t want cost to be a reason someone isn’t able to join.  Please don’t hesitate to talk with group leadership about the variety of payment plans, exemptions, scholarships and grants that local chapters and national organizations may be able to offer.  Some students may also find the dues/fees associated with joining a chapter could have and impact on their financial aid package.  Students and families are encouraged to consult their Financial Assistance Coordinator about all possibilities before officially accepting a bid.

Joining a chapter is a commitment, but with proper planning and time management, it’s more than possible to be an active member of your group, be high-performing in the classroom and still be involved in other aspects of campus life.  Fraternity and sorority members have been successful student athletes, leads in music and theatre productions, presidents of student organizations, held jobs on and off campus, or have thrived with involvement in their chapter being their main thing.

There is a small time commitment involved with participating in fall recruitment as students attend events to get to know members of the different chapters and decide which is the right fit.  Chapters and the governing councils have worked hard to limit the number of required events and ensure they are held at times that limit conflicts with other campus events.  If you aren’t able to attend the fall recruitment events, please talk with group leaders about the potential for joining through the continuous open bid process.

Once students have accepted a bid, there will be a new member education period at some point before the end of that semester.  During this time new members learn about chapter values, histories and traditions.  The schedule for new member education varies from chapter to chapter.

During a normal week members should expect to have a weekly chapter meeting that will last up to a couple hours, usually on Sunday or Monday evening.  Outside of that it schedules will vary depending on when chapters decide to host brotherhood/sisterhood activities, host events with other groups, or volunteer for the chapter’s philanthropy.

No.  Everyone is encouraged to participate in fall recruitment to meet the members of the chapters and learn more about the benefits of Fraternity & Sorority Life.  You can go all the way through the process until you receive a bid before you have to decide if you want to join a chapter or not.  Even if you receive a bid, you can decline.  Sometimes the timing isn’t right, and students decide to join later in the year through the continuous open bid process. Sometimes students decide to wait and go through fall recruitment their sophomore, junior or senior year before joining.

If you do participate in recruitment and accept a bid, please know can discuss stepping away from the chapter at any time with the group leadership.  Some chapters offer exceptions for study aboard or other academic-related reasons.  If you decide to leave a chapter entirely, please note you’ll have to remain unaffiliated and can’t join another group until the following fall recruitment period.

Simpson has a long tradition of fraternity and sorority life on campus, and it’s nothing like what you may see portrayed in the movies.  Chapters on campus are less about creating produced social media posts and more focused on building connections, promoting academic success, giving back to the community and raising leaders for campus and beyond.

Hazing and other inappropriate behavior is not tolerated at Simpson.  All chapters and the governing councils have taken strong stances against hazing.  All students participate in a proactive anti-hazing training.  If such behavior does occur, the situation is referred to the appropriate campus offices for follow-up.  The individual(s) impacted are offered support and the induvial(s) who perpetuate the behavior are assigned outcomes that hold folks accountable for violating Simpson policy.

Students are always welcome to contact the Coordinator of Fraternity & Sorority Life or Director of Student Activities for any questions, concerns, and/or needs.  All campus-owned houses also have a student Community Advisor who lives in the building.  Privately-owned houses have a live-in adult advisor.  Chapters also have numerous alumni advisors and housing corporation members that students can connect with.