Joining Our Campus
Any organization seeking to establish membership at the University of San Diego must apply through the expansion/extension process as outlined in the FSL Expansion/Extension Policy.
At the end of each academic year, the Assistant Vice President for Student Life meets with Fraternity and Sorority Life leadership to determine a need for expansion as it applies to each council. All of the following factors are taken into account while considering expansion:
- general interest from current students
- campus trends for fraternities and sororities
- number of current fraternities and sororities
- University enrollment demographics and trends
- University mission and strategic plan
If the Expansion Committee decides that a council would benefit from an additional organization, inter/national organizations that have submitted a Letter of Intent within the last three years may be invited to continue in the expansion process.
Expansion Process Overview
Letter of Intent
Inter/national organizations interested in joining the University of San Diego fraternity and sorority community shall submit a written letter of intent from the inter/national staff member responsible for expansion. For more details on what to include in the letter, please reference the FSL Expansion/Extension Policy. Letters of intent are accepted on a rolling basis and will be kept on file for consideration for up to three years.
Expansion Proposal
If the Expansion Committee decides that a council would benefit from an additional organization, inter/national organizations that have submitted a Letter of Intent within the last three years may be invited to submit an expansion proposal. Additionally, all eligible organizations will receive notification.
Expansion Proposals include the Letter of Intent as well as information on values congruence and history; membership development; chapter development; alumnae/alumni and regional information; inter/national organization policies and procedures; inter/national support for expansion; and any other relevant information. For more details on what to include in the proposal, please reference the FSL Expansion/Extension Policy.
Campus Presentation
After an organization has submitted the requested Expansion Proposal, all proposals will be reviewed by the Expansion Committee. Select organizations may be invited to make formal presentations to University community stakeholders. This group will consist of administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life will contact the organization directly to schedule these presentations.
Committee Recommendation
The Expansion Committee will review all materials submitted, the content of their meeting(s), and presentation materials in order to make a formal recommendation to the Assistant Vice President of Student Life. The Assistant Vice President for Student Life will review the recommendation and if they support the recommendation, the terms of recognition will be determined in conjunction with the Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Recognition Process
Once an organization has received recognition through the Assistant Vice President for Student Life, inter/national organization will work with the Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life to determine a recruitment/intake and chartering group development timeline. The organization must follow all recognition process and new chapter requirements as outlined in the FSL Expansion/Extension Policy within one year of charter group status.
Questions regarding the expansion process can be directed to DJ Mahoney, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, djmahoney@sandiego.edu.
Important Notice
The University does not recognize interest groups not affiliated with an inter/national fraternity or sorority. In order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, the University of San Diego does not recognize any student initiated by an organization that is not an established chapter in our fraternity and sorority community (all currently recognized organizations are listed on our website). If an organization/individual fails to follow University policy, they may be subject to the Office of Ethical Development and Restorative Practices.
Note on Extension: The Panhellenic Council will follow all guidelines and regulations for extension as outlined in the National Panhellenic Conference’s Manual of Information.
Note on NPHC Membership: This policy does not intend to limit membership opportunities in NPHC
city-wide chapters. USD students may be eligible for membership in an NPHC city-wide chapter pending a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and/or recognition as a registered student organization at a local
University, including San Diego State University, University of California San Diego, and California State University San Marcos, with USD specifically named in the organization’s governing documents. The University encourages NPHC organizations to consider applying through the FSL expansion process once city-wide undergraduate membership and alumni engagement have reached a critical mass to establish and sustain a campus-based chapter.