Families

Sending a child to college can be a challenging and stressful time in a parent’s or family’s life. While at the University of Central Florida (UCF), your child will encounter many opportunities to become involved outside of their classroom experience. It is important that you, the parent or family, be educated about the enriching experience that your student will find by being involved in a fraternity or sorority at UCF.

Check out this video to learn more about the benefits of your student joining our community!

What is being involved in a fraternity or sorority all about?

You may have seen many interesting shows on television or read numerous articles in newspapers, but in reality those particular situations are extreme cases of fraternity and sorority life. What the media does not tell you as parents and families is that there are many life-long benefits to membership in fraternities and sororities. At a large university like UCF, membership in a fraternity or sorority offers a home-away-from home and makes the university setting a smaller, more friendly community. Additionally, national research has shown that involvement in fraternities and sororities increases students’ chances of graduating from college. As a life-long member of a fraternity or sorority, students are offered the opportunity to develop as leaders, serve the local community, and focus on academics, as well as their careers, by connecting with faculty, staff, other students, local alumni members, advisors, and other Greek organizations.

Students involved in Greek organizations have many opportunities to showcase their hidden talents as well. Whether it’s dancing, singing, stepping, intramural sports, planning major events, or engaging in social initiatives, students involved in fraternities and sororities have plenty opportunities to explore their extracurricular talents and develop leadership skills that will further enhance their collegiate experience.

Your Role

  • Students need support throughout the process of recruitment/intake and new member period. Be supportive and involved by learning as much as you can about Greek life by asking questions of your student as they meet members in fraternities and sororities.
  • Encourage your student to keep an open mind about each organization that they come into contact with. Fraternities and sororities are different on every campus. Let your student choose the group that they feel the most comfortable joining.
  • Talk to your student beforehand about the financial obligation. Determine who will pay for what and where the limits are.
  • Do not become overly involved in the sorority and fraternity recruitment/intake process; this is your student’s decision. There will be plenty of activities and events for you to attend or even help plan once your student joins one of our organizations.
  • Too often, parents do not allow their students to fight their own battles. It helps students mature and gain assertiveness when allowed to call various offices if they have questions or concerns about their decision to join a fraternity or sorority.
  • If you have questions to concerns about fraternity and sorority life at UCF, please contact the office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Hazing

  • Any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health and/or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into, or affiliation with, any organization operating under registration with the University.
  • Brutality of a physical nature such as whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements; forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug, or other substances; or other forced elements; or other forced activity which could adversely affect the physical health or safety of the individual.
  • Any activity which could subject the individual to mental stress such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced contact which could result in embarrassment, or any other activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual.
  • Any activity, as described above, upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with a University of Central Florida organization may be directly or indirectly conditioned, shall be presumed to be a forced activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such an activity notwithstanding.

Both chapters and individuals members sign off stating they understand these rules and regulations they will not partake in any form of hazing. If you or someone you know is aware of any violations against these regulations, please contact the Office of Student Conduct or Fraternity and Sorority Life staff immediately.

Vice President of Student Success and Well-Being’s statement on unaffiliated student organizations.

 

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