Parent Resources
Welcome to the Parent Information portion of the Case Greek Life website! We hope to provide you with all sorts of information about the fraternity or sorority that your son or daughter wants to join. In addition to providing answers to your questions, we hope to alleviate your worries and give you some important facts about the Case Greek community.
For information about your son or daughter's chapter, see the fraternity or sorority lists.
What is a Greek Organization?
A Greek organization is a group of individuals of similar interests bonded together by common goals and aspirations. These bonds are created through rituals in which all members participate. Rituals are based on common principles such as honor, friendship, truth and knowledge, to name a few. Each group works to instill these ideals in their members through their everyday activities. It is referred to as a Greek organization because the name consists of Greek letters. These letters serve as a reminder of the values of the group. Fraternity is a name applied to all Greek organizations, but specifically men's groups, while Sorority is the name applied only to women's Greek organizations. On the Case campus, 30% of all students are members of a Greek organization.
Office of Greek Life
Fraternities have long been a part of student life at Case. In 1841, the first chapter was chartered at Western Reserve College (WRC), making Case the fourteenth college in the country and second college in Ohio to establish a Greek system. Since then, Greek life has grown to be the most popular activity at Case, with eighteen fraternities. All fraternities must hold membership in the Interfraternity Congress which is the student run organization that governs the fraternity system.
The sorority system at Case started in 1883 at the Cleveland College for Women, a branch of WRC. Since that founding date, other chapters have been chartered bringing the number of sororities to six. The Panhellenic Council, the student run governing body for the sororities, was founded in 1981 and has grown to be the strongest women's organization on campus.
Your student has recently received information on the Greek system. "Going Greek" is a big step, not only for students, but for their parents as well. This pamphlet has been created to assist you through the recruitment process. It contains answers to the questions that parents frequently ask as their students consider joining a Greek organization. While at orientation attend the Dru Bagwell lecture or stop by the Greek Life Office, if you have questions or want more information about the Greek system.
The fraternal organizations of Case are independently run organizations that are formally recognized by the University. The Greek Life Office serves as the central coordination point for most programmatic and administrative functions. The Director of Greek Life is a full-time professional who oversees the operations and education of the Greek Community. The Assistant Director of Greek Life oversees housing and judicial affairs. The Coordinator for Greek Programs works with the Greek community to provide social and education opportunities. There are four graduate assistants (GLAs) that assist with the operation of the community and two undergraduate Greek Community Educational Consultants (GCECs) who focus on comprehensive scholarship programs. Feel free to contact us with any questions concerning fraternities and sororities.
How Much Does it Cost?
Since the inception of Greek Letter societies, groups have been self-sufficient. Each chapter and subsequent national office collect dues and membership fees from every member. Most groups have a one-time pledge and initiation fee, plus semester dues.
During recruitment, each student should ask about specific chapter fees. Fees vary from chapter to chapter and whether the member lives in the fraternity or sorority. Average pledge and initiation fees for men are $91 and $221 respectively; average semester dues are $300. For women, the average pledge and initiation fees are $82 and $166 respectively; average semester dues are $183. Average room charges are $2,655 for men's groups and $2,652 for women's groups per semester.
Housing arrangements for each fraternity and sorority at Case are determined by the financial and organizational responsibility of the chapter. Some chapters own their houses, and in other cases, residents live with groups in the residence halls. The actual living arrangements vary greatly in regard to how many members may reside in a house, and in each room.
Chapters with houses commonly run their own meal plan with a fraternity cook employed to prepare meals. In general, fraternal living is comparable to non-Greek living costs, and in many cases, is less expensive. Case recognizes Greek housing as official university housing and therefore financial aid is not affected.