FAQ
You will be amazed at what you will get from your fraternity commitment. Joining a fraternity rounds out the collegiate experience. In a fraternity, you get a complete education. Fraternities offer lifelong friends, leadership opportunities, social and athletic activities, academic support, and networking opportunities. Check out www.fraternityinfo.com for more information.
Absolutely not. The formal recruitment period is your time to see what chapters of our national fraternities are recognized on this campus, and it gives the fraternities the time to show interested students what they’re all about. If you participate in this recruitment program, you are in no way to obligated to affiliate with any fraternity, even if you receive an offer of membership from that chapter. However, if you want to join a fraternity it is strongly recommended that you participate in the formal recruitment program.
New elected and appointed positions are held every fall. Contact your chapter president if you need more information.
Keep the lines of communication open and make sure that you ask what activities he is participating in. If he hesitates, or says he cannot tell you, probe a little further. Except for the ritual, he should be able to describe everything. Some signs to look for: missing classes, excessive tiredness, change in regular communication habits, exclusive focus on the fraternity, and radical appearance changes.
You should never be made to do anything that make you or others feel uncomfortable, causes you pain or anguish, or makes you question your person, emotional, or physical well-being.
IFC formal recruitment is the organized period of time when general fraternities on this campus recruit new members. Official formal IFC recruitment lasts for 12 days, the last two of which are closed recruitment, where potential new members attend only events they are specifically invited to. The day immediately following official recruitment is called bid extension day. This is the day when fraternities extend bids to individuals to join their organizations. This is followed by a 48 hours of silence in which students make their decisions. Afterwards is bid acceptance, which is where the students inform the fraternity they intend to affiliate with. This ends the official recruitment period for the fall.
There are no mandatory recruitment events. You may go to as many or as few as you want. All open events can be attended by anyone. Closed rush events are private and attended only by those students specifically invited.
It depends on the chapter. It is likely that you will want to live in the house to take advantage of the opportunities it presents. Living in the house may provide some of your best memories. You should make sure that the house has passed its safety inspections and is clean. Talk to the men who currently live in the house to gain more information about what it is like to live there. Make an unannounced stop during the week to get a sense of how the brothers live.
Hazing has no place in our fraternity community. You absolutely should not be hazed. You should never participate in any activity that makes you feel uncomfortable, or may make other uncomfortable. If you are ever in doubt, know that you can contact the office of Fraternity and Sorority Life or your fraternity headquarters for more information or clarification.
Each Fraternities dues structure is different. Cost will depend on the fraternity’s activity level and whether everything is included up front. Joining a fraternity will usually require a one-time fee. Additional costs will depend on whether or not the fraternity has a house. Insurance will also be a major expense. Do not forget regular dues. the dues and fees should not pay for alcohol.
Fraternity registration takes place on HokieSpa. Click on the Student Organizations link and follow the instructions. Students must be registered for recruitment to be eligible for membership.
Academics must be your first priority. The fraternity can offer support in time management, tutoring, study enhancement and incentives, and class assistance. It is up to you to make sure that you do well and that you ask your chapter about available academic resources.
You can find the dates for this years recruitment as well as the dates for other fraternity events in the Calender section of this website.