Welcome parents, families and supporters to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Pacific. This page will offer an overview of Fraternity and Sorority Life and answer frequently asked questions by parents and families of Pacific students. Information on how to contact us is at the bottom of this page. 


Benefits of joining a Greek organization

Greek organizations offer a multitude of benefits for the students who are involved from general member to president. Each chapter has opportunities for leadership, personal and professional development, community service and philanthropy involvement, academic success and networking. Statistically, students involved in Greek organizations have higher rates of campus and community involvement, grade point averages (GPAs), sensesof belonging and retention and graduation rates than students who are not affiliated.  

Finances

Each individual organization has its own financial breakdown. As of AY23-24, professional organizations range from $150-$200+ per month or semester, whereas social organizations range from $400-$12,000+ per semester, excluding Greek housing fees (if applicable). The first semester of involvement tends to be more expensive since the student needs to pay for their new member dues, pin or badge, certificate, council dues (if applicable) and (inter)national fees. This money is then reinvested back into the student through educational workshops, chapter events and activities, conferences and leadership opportunities exclusive to a specific group or members of the Fraternity and Sorority Life community. Many organizations offer payment plans or specific scholarships for the students.  

Conduct

Pacific has a no hazing tolerance policy per Tiger Lore (Student Code of Conduct Handbook) and the Office of Student Conduct. All students have access to this policy and are reminded of this by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at the time they accept their membership into a Greek-lettered organization. Students have the right to report any policy violations to Pacific administration. There is a Parents and Family Resources Page that answers additional questions and concerns.  

Life After Graduation

Many students report their fraternity or sorority involvement prepared them for life after college. Students build character through shared responsibility and accountability measures. They learn transferrable skills like collaboration, interacting with a variety of stakeholders, time management, inter-personal communication and so much more.

Students who list their Greek affiliation on their resumes are three times more likely to get an internship during college and twice as likely to get a job after graduation. Many Greek-lettered organizations offer scholarships for graduate education and disaster relief support to their undergraduate and alumnus members, simply for having an affiliation with that chapter. 

Students also cultivate lifelong friendships and relationships, as many Pacific and Greek affiliated alumni attest to during events including wedding parties, alumni weekend, celebrations and more. Students overwhelmingly value the alumni connections within their Greek organization, especially as they have reach to members in their organization three to twenty years removed from them with shared career or personal endeavors.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Fraternity and Sorority Life or FSL is a vibrant community of around 300 students involved in at least one of the 24 recognized Greek-lettered organizations at Pacific. Our chapters include 11 social organizations and 13 professional organizations. More information about each individual chapter can be found on this page.  

Social fraternities and sororities are general interest organizations focused on leadership, service, friendship and networking opportunities. Our multicultural Greek organizations also include a cultural component to their membership. Professional fraternities and sororities offer additional benefits of being tied to a specific major, program, school/college or career path.  

YES! Many of our students join social and professional organizations and manage their time to do both. Students should consider their availability before joining multiple organizations in one semester.  

Individual organization requirements will vary, but many of our students report an average of 1 to 10 hours per week dedicated to the participation of their Greek involvement. This will also vary if you are a new member or hold a leadership position in the chapter. Most organizations host their events during the evenings and on weekends to be conscious of students’ class schedules.  

The safety and wellbeing of our students is our number one priority at University of the Pacific. Each organization is required to register all events with the Student Leadership and Involvement Center. Each event must be approved prior to its anticipated date. If there will be alcohol present, students must go through a muti-step authentication process for their event. Every Greek organization is required to have insurance from their (inter)national organization in addition to a minimum of one on-campus and one off-campus advisor who must also approve their events. Fraternity and Sorority Life students frequently attend training on reporting procedures, bystander intervention, safety and risk management guidelines, mental health resources and hazing prevention workshops.  

We live by a “Students First” motto. Academic achievement is a pillar of being a fraternity or sorority member, regardless of the chapter. Each chapter has a minimum GPA requirement to join and maintain membership in their organization at or above Pacific’s 2.0 requirement. Each organization has a detailed academic performance plan reviewed by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life annually. Many chapters have designated student leadership positions around academic success and check-in with members each semester. Many of the organizations host study hours or tutoring sessions based on specific majors or classes. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life does not allow for fraternal activities to occur during the week of finals.  

Ask questions! The fraternity and sorority process requires mutual selection, which means that both the student and the organization select their involvement with one another. Talk to the students who are a part of these organizations, look at their individual pages on Pacific’s website, Google their international headquarters and find them on Instagram. Students (and parents!) should be researching these organizations before joining to determine if their values align with the individual characters of the Greek organizations. Most of our organizations host ‘get to know us’ or info nights prior to the start of their recruitment seasons. 

Many of our organizations host recruitment at the top of each semester, with a select few only accepting new members once a year. Typically, organizations will host a series of events where interested students are welcome to attend and interact with current members. Following the student’s shown interest, the organization will ask a selected number of potential new members to join them for an event by invitation only. (This is usually a dinner or a private ceremony.) Following the event, the student and organization mutual decide whether the two stakeholders would be a good fit for one another based on select criteria (which can include, but is not limited to, grades, campus involvement, leadership positions held, resumes, etc.). Once both parties agree, the individual chapter will officially extend an invitation of membership, also known as a bid. The student will then have a specific amount of time (usually no less than 24 hours) to determine if they would like to accept their bid and officially join the organization as a new member.  

 

Many organizations host reunions during Homecoming Weekend or parents’ days throughout the academic year where families are invited to engage in activities (i.e. brunch, fundraisers, open ceremonies) alongside their students, even if they were not involved in Greek Life themselves.  

We would be happy to help! Please email GreekLife@pacific.edu and someone from our office will get back to you shortly.