Panhellenic Sororities

Joining a Panhellenic organization is one of the most important decisions that you will make during your undergraduate years. Being a member of a Panhellenic sorority is a lifetime commitment, and we are happy you have chosen to look further into this opportunity. Women can join one of the sororities on campus through Primary Recruitment or Continuous Open Bidding. The Panhellenic community takes pride in academic achievement, and many chapters look for women with a 3.0 cumulative GPA from high school or a 2.5 GPA from college to join.

Submit an Interest Form

Is sorority life for me?

Every campus and every chapter is different, but sororities participate in all kinds of things from intramural activities, to short theater productions, to musical performances and much more! On top of that, they host events to raise money for local charities and volunteer at a wide variety of local organizations. And if you get involved in the leadership roles, you'll basically be an officer on the board of a small corporation.

We're not saying that sorority life is right for everyone, everywhere. To see if it's a fit for you, try going through recruitment. You'll meet lots of new people -- and potential sorority sisters.

Visit thesororitylife.com. This is a great resource for women interested in the sorority experience and is sponsored by the National Panhellenic Conference.

Primary Recruitment

Held each fall during the first weeks of classes, Primary Recruitment is a mutual selection process by which sororities choose their new members, and potential members select the chapter that aligns with their values and will help them grow. The goal is to find the "best fit" between you and the chapter. Primary Recruitment will allow you to attend events with each sorority that will in turn provide you with information about their four pillars of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Sisterhood. It is also an opportunity to discuss financial obligations, time commitments, membership expectations, and benefits. You will also get to meet lots of new people!

If you are interested in joining a Panhellenic organization, we recommend that you participate in Primary Recruitment, as many chapters will reach their capacity during this process.

What is Primary Recruitment?

This is the most common way to join a Panhellenic organization. Held each fall during the first weeks of classes, Potential New Members will have the opportunity to get to know each Panhellenic organization at UNI. If you are interested in joining a sorority, we recommend that you participate in Sorority Primary Recruitment, as many chapters will reach their capacity during this process.

Recruitment is a series of events over five days, coordinated by the Panhellenic Council Recruitment Team, where the chapters get to know you, and you get to know the women of each chapter. Sorority Primary Recruitment is a mutual selection process that is filled with activities designed to offer prospective members the chance to learn about the Panhellenic sororities in a concentrated period of time. It is an opportunity for students to meet the sorority members, ask questions, and define financial obligations, time commitments, and membership requirements. Whether or not you decide to join a Panhellenic sorority, recruitment is a great way to meet people and get acquainted with life at UNI.

Primary Recruitment Schedule

Pre-Recruitment Events (Optional)

Meet & Greet Events
These events are an opportunity for you to learn more about what it means to be a member of a sorority and what the process looks like to join. You can meet the Recruitment Team, the Recruitment Guides and other students considering recruitment too!

Tote Bag Painting
Thursday, August 24 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, Campanile Lawn

Bowls of Love (Acai Bowls)
Wednesday, August 30 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm, Alpha Xi Delta House

Terrarium Making
Tuesday, September 5 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, Maucker Union Hemisphere Lounge

Guided Meditation
Wednesday, September 6 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm, Maucker Union Ballrooms

Brunch and Bouquets
Sunday, September 10 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, Maucker Union Ballrooms

Recruitment Group Activities
Recruitment Groups are randomly assigned small groups of women who have registered for recruitment. Once classes begin, you can expect to get to know women going through recruitment within your group! Your Recruitment Guide will coordinate activities with your Recruitment Group prior to the start of recruitment.

Primary Recruitment Events (Required)

*In order to fully maximize your options, you must plan to attend all of these events. You will be provided with a schedule for each round, and your Recruitment Guide will be in contact with you about more exact start times for each round. The Recruitment Team must be contacted prior to scheduled events if you are not participating or if your schedule needs to be adjusted. Failure to do so may result in your dismissal from the Primary Recruitment Process

Monday, September 11
Potential New Member Orientation & Group Meeting
5 p.m. at Maucker Union Ballroom A

This meeting will be an overview of the recruitment process and schedule as well as allow you to meet with your Recruitment Guide and Recruitment Group as well as get to know other potential new members and ask any final questions before recruitment.

Wednesday, September 13
Round 1A - Meet the Chapters (Group A): 4 p.m. at Maucker Union Ballrooms & Chapter locations

Meet the Chapters Rounds are the first opportunity to personally interact with the members of the Panhellenic sororities. You will visit all six of the sororities on one of the two days and have the ability to converse with current members and focus on topics such as your high school involvement, summer activities, and what you want to get out of a sorority and your UNI experience.
Please plan on being available between 4 to 10 p.m. on either Wednesday or Thursday. You will attend all six events, which last 30 minutes each. There will be 15 minutes allotted for a break between each event and there will be a 45-minute break for dinner at 5:15 p.m.
What to wear: Sorority Life shirt and nice bottoms (skirt, dress, jeans).

Thursday, September 14
Round 1B - Meet the Chapters (Group B): 5 p.m. at Maucker Union Ballrooms & Chapter locations

Meet the Chapters Rounds are the first opportunity to personally interact with the members of the Panhellenic sororities. You will visit all six of the sororities on one of the two days and have the ability to converse with current members and focus on topics such as your high school involvement, summer activities, and what you want to get out of a sorority and your UNI experience.
Please plan on being available between 5 to 11 p.m. on either Wednesday or Thursday. You will attend all six events, which last 30 minutes each. There will be 15 minutes allotted for a break between each event and there will be a 45-minute break for dinner at 6:15 p.m.
What to wear: Sorority Life shirt and nice bottoms (skirt, dress, jeans).

Friday, September 15
Round 2 - Philanthropy & Service: 3:30 p.m. at Maucker Union Ballrooms & Chapter locations

You will receive a schedule inviting you to up to four events for the day. During this round, you will learn more about how the sororities give back to the community. Chapters will give brief presentations about the philanthropic organization they support, the events they plan to raise money and awareness, and the service projects they complete.
Please plan on being available between 3:30 to 11:10 p.m. You may attend up to four events, which last 40 minutes each. There will be 30 minutes allotted for a break between each event. Your schedule will depend on which chapters you will be visiting for the Philanthropy & Service Round.
What to wear: Nice top with jeans or a skirt, romper or sundress

Saturday, September 16
Round 3 - Preference: 2 p.m. at Maucker Union Ballrooms & Chapter locations

You will receive a schedule inviting you to one or two events for the day. During this round, you will talk more in-depth with members about their sorority experience and why their chapter is important to them. You will take part in a special ceremony that is unique to each chapter. Some women may be emotional during this round as they share the bonds of sisterhood they have formed with women in their chapter.
Please plan on being available between 2 to 11:30 p.m. You may attend one or two events, which last 45 minutes each. There will be 30 minutes allotted for a break between each event. Your schedule will depend on which chapters you will be visiting for the Preference Round.
What to wear: Nice blouse with dress pants, skirt, dress or pantsuit. We encourage you to dress nicer this day since you will be participating in the chapter's preference ceremony

Sunday, September 17
Bid Day: 10:30 a.m. at Maucker Union

After opening their bids in an outdoor space on campus, new members will then be escorted to meet their chapter at a designated space on campus. New members will then go to afternoon events with their new sorority, including lunch, snacks, and activities. In the later evening, chapters may require participation in new member and all-chapter meetings. Following the end of these events, new members will return to their place of residence for the night. Please plan on being available between 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most likely, you may also take part in your first chapter meeting this same evening, which typically starts around 6 to 7 p.m.
What to wear: Casual, Jeans/shorts/skirt and a t-shirt. *You will be given a Bid Day shirt so you may want to wear a tank top underneath.

Registration Information

Registration closes at 11:59pm on September 10, 2023. If you are not sure about committing to registering for Primary Recruitment, or if you would simply like to learn more about Sorority Life, please fill out this Interest Form and we will contact you to help answer your questions.

Additionally, if Primary Recruitment has passed and you are interested in learning more or joining a chapter, please also utilize the Interest Form or visit the Continuous Open Bidding webpage.

Registration Fee:

The Registration Fee for 2023 Primary Recruitment is $25. Recruitment applications will not be complete until the fee is received. The registration fee covers your app technology, Recruitment shirt, goodie bag and a processing fee.

Refunds

If you decide to cancel your registration, refunds will be granted. Partial refunds will be given prior to Friday, September 1, 2023, with no refunds given after this date. To receive a refund, contact sororitylife@uni.edu.

Recruitment Tips to Remember

Recruitment is a busy time! Please remember to take time for yourself during this process.
It might be easy to get the five chapters confused, so jot down some notes on the pages provided in your Recruitment Guide Book to help organize your thoughts.
Your Recruitment Guide is ALWAYS here for you and wants to make sure you have the best experience possible. She welcomes any questions and concerns you may have about the recruitment process and being Greek. Feel free to talk to her at any time if you need (or want) her advice.
Approach recruitment with a positive attitude! Each chapter wants to get to know you as much as you want to get to know them. Just remember to be yourself!
Keep an open mind when you are visiting the chapters. This will give you the opportunity to look objectively at each chapter and what it has to offer.
Make the decision that is right for you! It is easy to listen to friends, relatives, or other recruitment guests; however, their opinion is just that, an opinion. Recruitment is a time for you to explore each chapter and make the decision as to which chapter fits YOU best. Choose the sorority that you feel most comfortable with, one that can meet your needs, and one to which you could most actively contribute.
Have FUN and take this time to meet new people!

2023 Recruitment Team Contact Details

Email us at sororitylife@uni.edu

DM us on Instagram @unisororityrecruitment

Facebook: UNI Fraternity and Sorority Life

Instagram: @UNIFSL and @unisororityrecruitment

Continuous Open Bidding (COB)

‌This is an informal process that sororities use to take in new members after the conclusion of Primary Sorority Recruitment. When a sorority holds a recruitment event in either the fall and spring semester, they simply contact a potential new member on their own or you may contact the chapter currently recruiting. Chapters host a series of informal events in order to get to know you better, and this can look different in each chapter. Some chapters might go to dinner with a potential member or some chapters might host a 'craft night' and invite potential members to attend. The chapters participating in Continuous Open Bidding is different each semester.

Continuous Open Bidding (COB) Information

After Primary Recruitment, some chapters may still have openings. Likewise, some chapters may have openings during the spring semester due to members who have graduated or left campus. Chapters with openings may choose to continue to recruit through an informal process known as continuous open bidding (COB).

Next Steps

If you are interested in informal recruitment events, you can contact the chapters through the information below or reach out to sororitylife@uni.edu for more information. We encourage you to complete an interest form and follow chapter social media accounts to stay up to date with their informal recruitment events. All women are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Learn more about Continuous Open Bidding!

Alpha Xi Delta: Jordyn Baughman - baughmaj@uni.edu or @alphaxideltauni

Alpha Sigma Tau: Grace Touney - vpofgrowth.ast.alphapsi@gmail.com or @astatuni

Alpha Phi: Hailey Jackson - jackshaf@uni.edu or @unialphaphi

Gamma Phi Beta: Jenna Louch - gammapsi.mvp@gmail.com or @gammaphiuni

NOTE: Women who have gone through fall primary recruitment and who were offered a bid (membership invitation) are ineligible to participate in COB. They may not take part in any Panhellenic Council recruitment processes until one year after they were initially offered a bid. They may, however, take part in the intake process used by multicultural fraternities and sororities at UNI.

Chapters

Alpha Delta Pi ΑΔΠ

Nickname: ADPi
Colors: Azure & White
Philanthropy: Ronald McDonald House
Founding at UNI: 1967
Motto: We Live For Each Other
GPA Requirement: 3.00 High School, 2.70 College Facebook: ADPiEpsilonMu
TikTok: @UNIADPiEM
Instagram: @UNIADPiEM
www.alphadeltapi.org | Local Website
Recruitment Video
President: Contact

Alpha Phi ΑΦ

Nickname: APhi
Colors: Bordeaux & Silver
Philanthropy: Women's Heart Health and the Alpha Phi Foundation
Founding at UNI: 1970
Motto: Union hand in hand
GPA Requirement: 3.00 High School, 2.65 College Facebook: UNIAlphaPhi
TikTok: @AlphaPhi_UNI
Instagram: @UNIAlphaPhi
www.alphaphi.org | Local Website
Recruitment Video
President: Contact

Alpha Sigma Tau ΑΣΤ

Nickname: AST or Alpha Tau
Colors: Emerald Green & Gold
Philanthropy: Women’s Wellness Initiative
Founding at UNI: 1969 Re-established: 2016
Motto: Defining Excellence
GPA Requirement: 3.00 High school, 2.60 College Facebook: Alpha Sigma Tau at the University of Northern Iowa
Twitter: @ASTatUNI
Instagram: @ASTatUNI
www.alphasigmatau.org | Local Website
Recruitment Video
President: Contact

Alpha Xi Delta ΑΞΔ

Nickname: AXiD
Colors: Light Blue, Navy Blue & Gold
Philanthropy: Kindly Hearts Initiative
Founding at UNI: 1965
Motto: Realize Your Potential
GPA Requirement: 3.00 High School, 2.60 College Facebook: UNI.AlphaXiDelta
TikTok: @AlphaXiDeltaUNI
Instagram: @AlphaXiDeltaUNI
www.alphaxidelta.org | Local Website
Recruitment Video
President: Contact

Gamma Phi Beta ΓΦΒ

Nickname: Gamma Phi
Colors: Brown & Mode
Philanthropy: Building Strong Girls/Girls on the Run
Founding at UNI: 1968
Motto: True and Constant
GPA Requirement: 3.10 High School, 2.62 College Facebook: GammaPhiBetaUNI
TikTok: @GammaPhiUNI
Instagram: @GammaPhiUNI
www.gammaphibeta.org | Local Website
Recruitment Video
President: Contact

Panhellenic Council Executives

President: Laura Harms
VP of Administration: Vacant
Co-VPs of Recruitment: Meggan Barrow and Paige Summers
VP of Public Relations: Annie Nguyen
VP of Community Enrichment: Cassie Williams
Chapter Delegates: Nicole Bellis, Ciri Quirk, Heather Miller, Kendra Kasperbauer & Erin Murphy