The University will bring three fraternities and sororities to campus in coming years.
In fall 2014, the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council voted to open their doors for expansion. The councils voted to advertise their plans for expansion and began to accept applications from organizations interested in starting a new chapter, known as “colonizing.”
Both councils created their own committees, comprised of alumni and students, to evaluate the applying organizations. Both councils invited three organizations to present themselves to the committee and Greek Life on
campus.
In spring 2015, six organizations presented on campus; fraternities Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta and Alpha Tau Omega and sororities Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Chi Omega and Gamma Phi Beta.
The committees made their final recommendations to their respective councils in April 2015, and the final decisions were announced shortly thereafter.
The Panhellenic Council chose to accept Alpha Delta Pi as the sole new sorority to join LSU in fall 2016. Panhellenic Director Alli Beth Blanchard said the reasoning behind the committee’s decision was “determining the best fit and who could be most successful at LSU.”
“The extension committee saw their attention to detail, superior level of commitment in both personnel and resources, and the high expectations they have for their future members,” Blanchard said.
Alpha Delta Pi, one of the first sororities created, left LSU in the ’80s because of low enrollment.
“They really want to come back to LSU. A lot of alumni are in the area and eager to get involved,” Blanchard said.
The Interfraternity Council will welcome Beta Theta Pi in fall 2015 and Alpha Tau Omega in spring 2017. Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Greek Life Angela Guillory said the reasoning behind separating the fraternities’ entrance to LSU “is so that they can be successful.
“It’s very difficult. It confuses students if you have more than one group trying to start their organization, and they’re all competing for the same people. So it sets everybody else up for success, including the students.”
Sigma Alpha Epsilon also will be returning in fall 2015 after a two year recession of University registration because of behavior that violated the University’s hazing policy.
“They became an unregistered organization until 2015 and were eligible to come back January 2015,” Guillory said.