Sororities are values-based organizations focused on four main areas: leadership, scholarship, civic engagement, and brotherhood/sisterhood. Beginning in the 1700s, our organizations connect collegiate and alumni members with the college or university for a lifetime. Membership in a sorority can offer many opportunities for involvement, such as holding leadership roles, providing community service to the local area, achieving high scholastic standards, and developing close bonds through friendship and mutual obligation to fellow members. Additionally, sorority members have access to high-quality educational programs and social activities.
Membership in a sorority is a lifelong commitment. While the fraternal experience is often focused on the collegiate years, alumni members are essential to our organizations. Often alumni continue to stay involved through advising or volunteering for their chapters. Alumni can remain as active as they choose, but the sisterhood connections that a member makes during their college years last beyond just their undergraduate experience.
Hazing activities are illegal in the state of Oregon and violate the following policies:
- University of Oregon Student Code of Conduct
- Panhellenic Council Bylaws
- Inter/National Fraternity and Sorority Governing Documents
If a chapter and/or individual members violate the anti-hazing policies listed above, legal action can be taken against the chapter and its members. Hazing is not tolerated at the University of Oregon.
The Panhellenic Community has a two-year live-in expectation of its members. By joining a sorority in this community you are agreeing to live-in your chapter facility for up to two years.
There are several benefits that come from living in a sorority house. All of our housed chapters are required to have resident advisors, annual fire and health inspections, fire suppression systems (sprinklers), and must remain alcohol and substance free. Many chapters also provide several amenities, including wireless internet, library, private deck, formal living room, TV room, and family-style dining. Living in a sorority house provides members with the opportunity to learn important leadership and facility management skills. Members who live-in also tend to have higher GPAs than those who do not.
All sororities at the University of Oregon provide substance-free housing, meaning that alcohol and other illegal substances are not permitted on premises. Substance-free housing is an effort to remove the emphasis on alcohol in the everyday lives and activities of sorority members.
Chapter tours will be available during the formal recruitment process.
We encourage parents to become involved with their student’s fraternity or sorority experience. There are numerous ways parents can become involved, including attendance at Parents’ Weekends and award banquets.
