With the announcement that the Sigma Nu fraternity and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority will move into a house together next year, the growth of Greek life on campus is back in the news. The new location for SigNu, a previously established campus fraternity, and Theta, a new sorority, reminds us that Greek life now is more prominent on campus than ever. 123 more women went through the formal sorority recruitment process this year than in 2012, and a record high 216 women received bids.
Growth in Greek life should not be taken lightly, as necessities for space and campus engagement will only increase from here. While awarding housing for these two organizations will help solidify their campus presence and support their members, the Tufts administration, in cooperation with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, should nail down a concrete blueprint for the future of Greek life at Tufts. Doing so is critically important if each Greek organization wants its own space at Tufts that will allow its culture to grow and flourish.
The increase in fraternity and sorority life on campus boasts a laundry list of benefits for the campus at large; including increased philanthropic work and the creation of supportive social communities for students. The importance of a physical space on campus for Greek organizations cannot be understated - space provides the opportunity for organic community building and, on a basic level, enables friendships to form in the living rooms and kitchens of Greek houses. Future Greek organizations will also require this physical extension of their campus presence, including multiple multicultural Greek organizations associated with Boston that remain without a physical space. The concerns of students must be met with thoughtful and careful consideration of the future role of Greek life at Tufts.
We applaud the work of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and their dedication to provide Tufts' Greek organizations physical homes on campus, but encourage all parties to think in the long term and contemplate the dangers of unchecked growth without preparation and adequate resources. Ultimately, the future role of Greek life will be decided by Jumbos that choose to join. If the trend continues, we'll need more space for these organizations to prosper.
