# East Carolina University Greek life

East Carolina University is home to sixteen social fraternities, ten social sororities, five historically African-American fraternities, and four historically African-American sororities. Academic departments also acknowledge eighteen honor fraternities. The campus is also home to twelve service or Religious-themed fraternities/sororities.

## History

The pioneer fraternity on the East Carolina University campus was a local men's fraternity called Iota Tau Kappa, formed in the 1920s. It did not survive, however, and closed before the appearance on campus of the men's fraternity Phi Gamma Chi (local) in 1956, and the women's fraternity (~sorority) Pi Kappa (local) in 1959. These locals soon affiliated into Theta Chi in 1958 and Alpha Delta Pi in 1960, respectively, as the surviving pioneer chapters.
Since that time, at least 35 men's social fraternities, either traditional or multicultural, and 23 women's societies have emerged on campus. Counting only the social (academic) undergraduate groups, 22 men's fraternities and 14 women's groups are active today. Seventeen of the recognized chapters have independent housing.
Three professional societies are active on campus.$^{:II-54,55andV-94,95}$ The oldest of these existing today is Phi Sigma Pi's Tau chapter, which was established in 1936. Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia operates as a hybrid social and musical-oriented society, which also predates emergence of the existing general academic / social fraternities, it having emerged in 1955.
The campus likewise sponsors 18 honor societies, more loosely organized in terms of programming, and often tapping only juniors, seniors or graduates. Rather than a council of honor chapter representatives to provide a governing structure, these are affiliated with their academic departments, each with a managing advisor, as is the practice among honor society chapters.$^{:II-54,55andVI-81-83}$ The oldest of these is Pi Omega Pi, formed in 1944.
East Carolina hosts 12 affinity chapters, including religious-themed for Christians or for Muslims, along with Service chapters. The first of these to be established was Alpha Phi Omega in 1953.

## Social fraternities and sororities
### Interfraternity Council

These chapters are governed under the campus Interfraternity Council (IFC); nationally, many, but not all of these organizations are members of the NIC. The sixteen active and seven inactive/suspended social fraternities include:
* $^{Active}$Alpha Sigma Phi (ΑΣΦ) Founded on December 8, 1979 and rechartered on October 26, 2013
* $^{Active}$Alpha Tau Omega (ΑΤΩ) Founded on October 27, 2012
* $^{Active}$Beta Theta Pi (ΒΘΠ) Founded in 1982
* $^{Active}$Chi Phi (ΧΦ) Founded in 1999
* $^{Suspended}$Delta Chi (ΔΧ) Founded in November 1992 and closed in 2018)
* $^{Active}$Delta Sigma Phi (ΔΣΦ) Founded on April 23, 1971
* $^{Active}$Delta Tau Delta (ΔΤΔ) Founded in fall 2021
* $^{Active}$Kappa Alpha Order (ΚΑ) Founded on September 26, 1958
* $^{Active}$Kappa Sigma (ΚΣ) Founded on November 20, 1966; closed in 2014; and rechartered 2017
* $^{Active}$Lambda Chi Alpha (ΛΧΑ) Founded in 1959, closed in 2010, and rechartered 2020
* $^{Active}$Phi Gamma Delta (ΦΓΔ- FIJI) Founded on February 27, 2009
* $^{Suspended}$Phi Kappa Psi (ΦΚΨ) Founded on October 26, 1991 and closed in 2021
* $^{Suspended}$Phi Kappa Tau (ΦΚΤ) Founded in 1962 and closed in 2018
* $^{Suspended}$Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ) Founded on May 17, 1958 and closed in 2019)
* $^{Suspended}$Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ) Founded on February 6, 1963 and closed in 2019
* $^{Active}$Pi Lambda Phi (ΠΛΦ) Founded in 1972 and rechartered in 2018
* $^{Suspended}$Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ) Founded on November 9, 1996 and closed in 2018
* $^{Suspended}$Sigma Phi Epsilon (ΣΦΕ) Founded on April 4, 1964 and closed in 2017
* $^{Active}$Sigma Nu (ΣΝ) Founded on January 1, 1956 and rechartered in August 2017
* $^{Active}$Sigma Pi (ΣΠ) Founded on April 21, 1990 and rechartered in 2015
* $^{Active}$Sigma Tau Gamma (ΣΤΓ) Founded April 14, 1978 and rechartered November 11, 2011
* $^{Active}$Tau Kappa Epsilon (ΤΚΕ) Founded on May 6, 1968; closed in 2018; and rechartered in 2022
* $^{Active}$Theta Chi (ΘΧ) Founded on March 15, 1958 and rechartered on October 1, 1988

### Panhellenic Council

These chapters are governed under the campus Panhellenic Association (PC); nationally, these organizations are members of the NPC. The eleven social sororities at East Carolina University include:
* Alpha Delta Pi (ΑΔΠ) Founded on February 5, 1960
* Alpha Gamma Delta (ΑΓΔ) Founded on September 23, 2017
* Alpha Phi (ΑΦ) Founded on February 6, 1960; closed in 2018; and recharteried in the fall of 2022
* Alpha Omicron Pi (ΑΟΠ) Founded on February 6, 1960
* Alpha Xi Delta (ΑΞΔ) Founded in 1960
* Chi Omega (ΧΩ) Founded in 1960
* Delta Zeta (ΔΖ) Founded in 1960
* Kappa Delta (ΚΔ) Founded on February 6, 1960 and recolonized in 2001
* Phi Mu (ΦΜ) Founded in 2013
* Sigma Sigma Sigma (ΣΣΣ) Founded in 1960
* Zeta Tau Alpha (ΖΤΑ) Founded on March 27, 1987

## Historically African-American Greek life
### National Pan-Hellenic Council

While all national fraternities (and sororities) welcome members of all ethnicities, some emerged as historically African-American, or Latino, or Asian. At their option, the following groups caucus as a bloc; some coordinate nationally as part of the Divine nine, or other categories. Nevertheless, all chapters cooperate on campus with the other Greek-letter organizations on subjects of mutual interest.

### Historically African-American fraternities

These chapters are coordinated under the campus NPHC; nationally, these organizations are members of the NPHC. The five historically African-American fraternities at East Carolina University include:
* Alpha Phi Alpha (ΑΦΑ) Eta Nu chapter; founded on April 3, 1971
* Phi Beta Sigma (ΦΒΣ) Xi Nu chapter; founded on January 29, 1983
* Kappa Alpha Psi (ΚΑΨ) Eta Psi chapter; founded on February 23, 1975
* Omega Psi Phi (ΩΨΦ) Upsilon Zeta chapter
* Iota Phi Theta (ΙΦΘ) Epsilon Pi chapter; founded on June 30, 2004

### Historically African-American sororities

These chapters are coordinated under the campus NPHC; nationally, these organizations are members of the NPHC. The four historically African-American sororities at East Carolina University include:
* Alpha Kappa Alpha (ΑΚΑ) Theta Alpha chapter
* Delta Sigma Theta (ΔΣΘ) Kappa Sigma chapter; founded on November 10, 1973
* Sigma Gamma Rho (ΣΓΡ) Eta Mu chapter
* Zeta Phi Beta (ΖΦΒ) Lambda Mu chapter; founded on June 4, 1983

## Multicultural fraternities and sororities

Seven organizations are governed under the campus Multicultural Greek Council (MGC); nationally, these organizations may be members of the NMGC. The seven MGS organizations at East Carolina include:
* Sigma Omicron Epsilon (ΣΟΕ)
* Epsilon Chi Nu (ΕΧΝ)
* Iota Nu Delta (ΙΝΔ)
* Lambda Theta Alpha (ΛΘΑ)
* Delta Phi Omega (ΔΦΩ)
* Lambda Theta Phi (ΛΘΦ)
* Sigma Sigma Rho (ΣΣΡ)

## Professional-Social fraternities and sororities
### Business fraternities

* Alpha Kappa Psi (ΑΚΨ) Business coed fraternity

### Education fraternities

* Phi Sigma Pi (ΦΣΠ) Education fraternity

### Music fraternities

* Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (ΦΜΑ) Founded 1959
* Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣΑΙ) All female social music fraternity, Beta Psi chapter chartered May 1, 1955

## Honor societies

Generally governed through academic departments and assigned advisors, these organizations typically tap members as upperclassmen. More information is available through ECU departments.
* Alpha Epsilon Delta (ΑΕΔ) National health professions honor society, inactive
* Alpha Kappa Delta (ΑΚΔ) International sociological honor society, chartered in 1966
* Alpha Phi Sigma (ΑΦΣ) Criminal justice honorary organization, Omega Alpha chapter
* Beta Alpha Psi (ΒΑΨ) Accounting fraternity, Iota Xi chapter
* Gamma Beta Phi (ΓΒΦ) Honor and service organization, inactive
* Epsilon Tau Pi (ΕΤΠ) Honorary Eagle Scout fraternity, Mu colony, inactive
* Kappa Omicron Nu (ΚΟΝ) National family and consumer sciences honor society, inactive
* Omicron Delta Kappa (ΟΔΚ) National leadership honor society, chartered March 18, 1990
* Order of Omega (Ω) Coed honor society that recognizes the top 3% of fraternity/sorority members by GPA, Kappa Lambda chapter, chartered on March 7, 1990
* Phi Alpha Theta (ΦΑΘ) History honor society, Lambda Eta chapter, chartered May 12, 1966
* Phi Eta Sigma (ΦΗΣ) Freshman honors fraternity
* Phi Sigma Pi (ΦΣΠ) Co-ed national honor fraternity, Tau chapter
* Pi Kappa Delta (ΠΚΔ) National forensic and communication arts honorary fraternity
* Pi Omega Pi (ΠΩΠ) National business education teacher honor society, Beta Kappa chapter, chartered in 1944
* Pi Sigma Alpha (ΠΣΑ) National political science honor society, inactive
* Psi Chi (ΨΧ) International honor society in psychology
* Sigma Gamma Epsilon (ΣΓΕ) National earth sciences honor society, Epsilon Phi chapter
* Sigma Tau Delta (ΣΤΔ) International English honor society, Omicron Theta chapter

## Religious fraternities and sororities

The following religious orienteted organizations are or were affilicated with the campus but are not governed through the university.
* Alpha Lambda Mu (ΑΛΜ) Muslim fraternity, inactive
* Chi Alpha Omega (ΧΑΩ) National Christian fraternity, founded in 1987 at ECU
* Sigma Alpha Omega (ΣΑΩ) Christian sorority, Iota chapter

## Service fraternities and sororities

The following service organizations are affiliated with the campus but are not governed through the university.
* Alpha Phi Omega (ΑΦΩ) Coed service fraternity, Kappa Upsilon chapter
* Beta Gamma Psi (ΒΓΨ) Coed service fraternity founded at ECU on April 2, 2005
* Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ΕΣΑ) Service sorority
* Gamma Chi Epsilon (ΓΧΕ) Service sorority
* Gamma Sigma Sigma (ΓΣΣ) Service sorority, inactive
* Kappa Kappa Psi (ΚΚΨ) Band service fraternity, Kappa Sigma chapter
* Sigma Gamma Rho (ΣΓΡ) Service sorority, founded December 3, 1977
* Theta Nu Xi (ΘΝΞ) International and ethnic minorities service sorority, Alpha Delta chapter, founded April 14, 2006
* Tau Beta Sigma (ΤΒΣ) Band service sorority, Iota Nu chapter