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Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life

Why/How To Join

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Why Should I Join?

Coming to college is a major life change that your student will experience. Joining a fraternity or sorority will help make the transition easier. The fraternity or sorority experience is multifaceted and offers numerous opportunities for your student. Developing life-long friendships with the members in their chapter and other chapters helps make the campus seem smaller. For many members, these chapters become a home away from home. In addition to the brotherhood and sisterhood that membership offers, every chapter is dedicated to enhancing the leadership skills and commitment to academics for its members.  In many ways, it is up to your student to determine the level of involvement they want to have in their organization and what kind of experience it will be for them.

 

Scholarships

There are many scholarships available for members of the Fraternity & Sorority Life community.

Learn More About Scholarships

 

Housing

Southern Miss is the home of  Sorority Village and Fraternity Row.  Approximately 18 of our 26 chapters have sorority and fraternity houses that are university-owned.

Learn More About Housing

 

Parents and Guardians

Going off to college can be a challenging and stressful time. While at The University of Southern Mississippi, students will encounter many opportunities to become involved outside of the classroom experience. Parents and guardians must be educated about the enriching experience students will find by being involved in a fraternity or sorority at Southern Miss.

Information for Parents/Guardians

 

Other Frequently Asked Questions

The life long friendships your student will make through their chapter can last long after they graduate. Affiliated students have national networks that can assist members in securing jobs, internships and other opportunities after they graduate. Joining a chapter in college is an investment in your student's future as they can reap the benefits for a lifetime. Wherever a member ends up after college, chances are they will be able to find other members of their chapter wherever they go next.

Students often find that managing their time is difficult when moving from a highly structured high school environment to the freedom of college. Fraternity and sorority membership can assist in that transition by offering academic opportunities that can include study partners, study hours, time management and study skill workshops. Your student can also access the network of chapter members who already know how to use campus resources like the library, tutoring services, computer labs, and academic advisors. Nothing, however, can take the place of a disciplined and focused student to ensure academic success in college. Our chapter often have higher cumulative GPAs than their unaffiliated peers.

The time commitment varies from chapter to chapter, but the first semester is often the most time intensive as the new member is going through their chapter's new member education program. The time spent in this program will give your student the opportunity to develop their leadership and time management skills, learn about the history and tradition of the organization, develop friendships with their new member class and allow them to become involved in other activities and organizations. After initiation into their chapter, time expectations will vary. Many chapters has weekly meetings and other events (philanthropy events, service events, socials, academic programs, etc.) throughout the year.
The cost of joining a fraternity and sorority varies by chapter. It is important that your student ask questions regarding the financial commitment of each organization. Students and advisory boards set the dues for each fraternal organization, while incorporating national fees and liability insurance. Dues for all chapters go to pay for operational expenses, philanthropic endeavors, intramural sports, insurance, academic incentives, social programs, and parent and alumni/ae functions. They also pay for leadership training, retreat costs, and sponsorship of members for national leadership conferences.

How Do I Join?

There are different membership processes for each of our councils. For more information about the recruitment and intake processes, check out our Recruitment and Intake Updates page.

Recruitment and Intake Updates

 

Still have questions?

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Contact Us

Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
R.C. Cook Union
118 College Drive #5008
Hattiesburg Campus

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Email
fslFREEMississippi

Phone
601.266.4823