You know that feeling when you arrive to campus and you are looking for something to add to your college life. You are looking for the leadership or social experience and you are not sure where to start to find it. For Ball State students who are members of fraternities or sororities, the feeling goes something like this...
Involvement + Success
Fraternity and sorority members at Ball State are some of the most visible students on campus. They roll up their sleeves and build upon their leadership infrastructure working side by side with other students, faculty, and community partners through many activities and student organizations.
Greek members coordinate their own organizations similar to running a local business which may include coordinating their own executive boards, appointing chairpersons, or serving on committees composed from their chapter. Members also attend regional or national leadership development conferences to enhance their skills for when they enter the workforce.
The Office of Student Life staff and the Greek governing councils will encourage you to take intellectual and creative risks. And if building your leadership skills and challenging yourself is your thing, check out the Office of Student Life’s Leadership Minor, where you can enroll in Greek leadership classes and establish your resume foundation in leadership seminar-style classes.
Friendship + Opportunity
On a campus with thousands of students, it can be important to find a network of friends and allies to provide the support needed to be successful. When you are looking for that friendship, a fraternity or sorority can provide the opportunity.
The result of becoming a member is that you obtain a bond and a friendship that last a lifetime. A fundamental principle of every fraternity and sorority chapter at Ball State is that you share a friendship, often referred to as brotherhood and sisterhood. Friends in fraternities and sororities share the good times and bad times with you. During difficult times, members can provide beneficial support when facing the challenges of college life.
Academics + Standards
Academic achievement is a core value of the Ball State University fraternity and sorority community. If you decide to become a member, your fraternity or sorority will encourage you to strive for scholarly excellence. Fraternities and sororities support your academic success by providing incentive programs, study partners, mentors, workshops, study hours and inter/national recognition. Each fraternity and sorority maintains internal academic standards that all members are expected to achieve. Many organizations offer scholarships and recognition awards for academic excellence. As a result of these efforts, many chapters have a grade point average (GPA) above the all men’s and all women’s GPA.
Inviting + Possibilities
Offering a break from the demands of the classroom is one of the benefits of the Greek community.
Throughout the year fraternities and sororities will participate in many events such as Homecoming, Greek Week, and Greek night at Cardinal football and basketball games. Fraternities and sororities also host many events including cookouts, poker nights, Grey’s Anatomy nights, service events, intramurals, mixers, and spring formals.
Fraternities and sororities also host events and activities that give time or money to support a socially beneficial cause with no benefit to back to the fraternities or sororities, called philanthropies. These events are open to the entire campus community, and you, to attend. You can find the events by taking a left from your residence hall and walk down Riverside Avenue or find the chapters on the Intramural field or LaFollette Field. Many days of the week at least one fraternity or sorority has something happening. These events not only allow you to spend time with Greek community members, but also give you the opportunity to socialize with other students who may not be Greek.
Network + Advancement
You may be wondering how being a member of a fraternity or sorority will help you after you graduate. When you graduate and move to a new town or city and are starting all over, you will have the opportunity to find alumni chapters who will allow you to continue or create new bonds of friendship.
Maybe you have just graduated or are just looking for a summer job. In today's economy and job market, it's going to take more than looking at want ads and job postings. The fraternity or sorority you become a member of can help you with networking and is one of the best ways to do just that. Using the resources of fraternity or sorority members such as alumni, you may find that job you're looking for—that head start in life, all because you joined a fraternity or sorority. Joining a fraternity or sorority can be an investment in your future!
If you’re not quite sure if Greek life at Ball State is for you, contact us for more information. Or better yet, check out how to join or view our map.