Tips for Parents
Students look to parents and family members for support during college, and their involvement in a fraternity or sorority is no exception to this.
General Tips
- If you or your student have a question about Greek Life, go to the source and ask the Greek Life Specialist or chapter leadership.
- Get involved! Many fraternities and sororities have activities throughout the school year such as during family weekend, homecoming, service projects, and philanthropies.
- Take advantage of the resources provided by Greek Life, as well as our campus partners. Our staff is always available to answer questions and help parents, families, and all students about Greek Life and Emory & Henry College, but we certainly don’t do it alone.
Recruitment & Going Greek
- Encourage your student to keep an open mind about Greek Life. Students may have different stereotypes about certain organizations or fraternities/sororities in general. However, each chapter was uniquely founded on Emory & Henry’s campus. It is important for your student to discover if a particular chapter is something they would like to be a part of.
- Students need your support throughout the process of recruitment and New Member Education. Be supportive and learn as much as you can about the community by asking questions of your student as they meet members in these organizations.
- Have a conversation about the financial obligations of fraternity & sorority life before your student joins an organization. Each organization should provide that information to potential members in advance so that you can consider the financial requirements in making a decision about which organization to join.
- Support your student in making their own decision about which organization to join. Legacy connections, the opinion of friends & family, and external reputation can be important factors to consider when students make a choice. However, the most important part is that the student feels a strong connection and fit with that organization, even if that is different from all of those other factors.
Questions to Ask
- What values does this organization promote?
- What is expected of chapter members?
- How will membership affect your academics?
- What does the fraternity/sorority do to contribute positively to members’ academic success?
- What leadership opportunities are available to students as both new members and active members?
- Does the chapter perform hands-on community service? If so, how often?
- What type of member is the chapter looking for?
- What is the time commitment?