The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life is committed to providing students with a living and learning experience that facilitates growth in the areas of scholarship, personal and leadership development, campus and community involvement, and the clarification of values. The office and staff serve as liaisons between the collegiate chapters, parents, alumni, (Inter)National organizations, and Northwestern University. The goal is to provide educational programs, services, and resources towards holistic growth; and to support the ideals of fraternity by challenging members to live by their organization’s purpose.

Fraternity and Sorority Life Task Force Report
The Fraternity and Sorority Life Task Force, chaired by Mary Desler, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, met for 18 months to examine all aspects of Northwestern fraternity and sorority life. Click here to read the report.

Purpose of Fraternity and Sorority Life
Fraternities and sororities have been a part of Northwestern University for over 145 years. Traditionally, they have challenged students to achieve even greater heights intellectually, personally and socially. Over the years, the fraternity and sorority community at Northwestern has grown, creating a variety of options for fraternity/sorority life including single-sex, culturally based groups. The undergraduate members at Northwestern pride themselves on the individual personality and nature of each fraternity and sorority on campus. The fraternity and sorority community offers a rich and rewarding experience for their members. In addition, fraternities, and sororities have contributed substantially to campus life, community service, and the educational mission of the University.

The strength and attractiveness of fraternities and sororities lie in their ability to develop innovative approaches and to maintain effective programs that maximize the character of the chapters and the community within the overall framework of the University. Although each fraternity or sorority sponsors its own functions and possesses its own identity, all have many things in common. They all seek to foster an environment where one can:

• Develop bonds of brotherhood and/or sisterhood
• Develop leadership and interpersonal skills
• Form lifetime friendships
• Work together with others in an atmosphere of teamwork
• Perform community service projects
• Program social functions for the student community

The underlying purpose of the University is education: to nurture intellectual curiosity, to instruct in various disciplines, to encourage social and moral growth, and to provide an atmosphere conducive to the pursuit of these goals. It is the responsibility of fraternities and sororities to foster an atmosphere of learning, social responsibility, respect for human dignity, and to provide positive influence and constructive development for members and prospective members.

top