Southeast prepares to add first sorority since 1994

For the first time since 1994, the Greek Life office and Panhellenic Council are undergoing the final stages of adding a sorority to Southeast Missouri State University.

Three sororities -- Delta Zeta, Alpha Omicron Pi and Alpha Phi -- will be on campus Tuesday through Thursday to present their cases for being the latest addition to Southeast.

The organizations will meet with the Greek Life staff; the Panhellenic Council; Debbie Below, dean of students and vice president for enrollment management and student success; and an expansion committee.

At 4 p.m. each day, there will be a campuswide presentation from one of the sororities in Glenn Auditorium.

Panhellenic president Claire Simonds said the council is looking for a sorority that meets Southeast's values and complements the Greek community.

"We have definitely been looking at their GPA requirements, values and philanthropies to get an idea of what type of women each sorority will recruit and how that will fit into our vision for the future of Greek Life here at SEMO," Simonds said.

Rising numbers within each Panhellenic chapter on campus are a main reason for the new chapter on campus. The average chapter size for sororities is 106 members, up from an average of 80 two years ago.

"I believe that smaller pledge classes and sororities in general have a better sense of sisterhood, especially on a campus of this size," Simonds said. "The numbers are just going to keep increasing, and I think adding a new sorority is a necessary step in helping to regulate these numbers. It also gives PNMs (potential new members) another option if they don't think their values align with the sororities currently on this campus."

In fall 2015, more than 100 girls were not placed with a chapter during formal recruitment. Panhellenic vice president of membership development Jill Schmitt said Panhellenic wants to cater not only to the women who were left unmatched, but to the inevitable rise in recruitment participants for the future.

"With students turning away from Mizzou and Illinois schools, SEMO enrollment has skyrocketed this year. This has Panhellenic planning for a record-breaking recruitment," Schmitt said. "We are planning for around 600 potential new members in the fall."

After the decision, representatives from the chosen sorority will come to campus to begin recruiting and take steps toward colonization. The new sorority will play an active role in the fall 2016 formal recruitment.