UPDATED: Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019 at 2:06 p.m.

Greek life is a large part of student life at Syracuse University, as about one-third of students are part of professional, social or multicultural organizations.

Most of SU’s peer institutions also have large fraternity and sorority presences on their campuses.

Here’s how Greek life compares across SU’s peer institutions:

Participation

Most of SU’s peer institutions have Greek life populations between 20 and 45 percent of the undergraduate student population.

Roughly 30 percent of SU’s population participates in Greek life across more than 50 registered Greek organizations.

Of SU’s 15 peer institutions, Southern Methodist University, Tulane University and Vanderbilt University have the highest percentages of undergraduate population in Greek life, at 43 percent, 41 percent and 39 percent, respectively.

Three peer institutions with the smallest percentage of Greek life enrollment are the University of Dayton, Northeastern University and Georgetown University. These colleges have approximately 21 percent, 13 percent and 10 percent of their respective student populations in Greek life chapters.

About 32 percent of Lehigh University’s student population is in Greek life. Similarly, about one-third of Cornell University’s undergraduate population participates in the school’s 60-plus Greek organizations. The University of Rochester and Northwestern University saw 21 percent and 28 percent participation from its student body, respectively.

Fraternity and sorority population information can’t be found for Marquette University.

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Of all 15 of SU’s peer institutions, only two don’t have social Greek organizations on campus: Boston College and the University of Notre Dame.

Notre Dame’s housing system has been likened to an alternative to Greek life. Approximately 80 percent of sophomores, juniors and seniors live in the 30 residences halls at Notre Dame, according to Notre Dame’s website, and each has a distinct identity — including mascots, nickname, color schemes and favorite charities. Residence halls act as hubs of social activity.

Georgetown University has social Greek organizations, but the university doesn’t grant them recognized status. This means fraternities and sororities at Georgetown don’t have access to benefits recognized student organizations do.

Georgetown administration discouraged students from joining social Greek organizations, as their values are inconsistent with the school’s Jesuit values, according to Georgetown’s student newspaper, The Hoya. About 10 percent of students participate in the school’s 13 Greek chapters, though, per Georgetown’s student association.

Inactive or unrecognized organizations

Syracuse has one of the highest numbers of sanctioned Greek organization compared to its peers. SU suspended three organizations, banned one organization from operating and expelled the Theta Tau fraternity in the 2017-18 academic year.

SU also currently has four organizations placed on probation.

Since 2014, nine of Lehigh University’s Greek chapters have lost recognition, according to Lehigh’s student affairs website. Of several chapters who were recently closed on Lehigh’s campus, six may still be operating underground, per the website.

In April 2018, the suspension of Pi Kappa Alpha marked the third Greek life suspension in five months related to alcohol-related incidents at Lehigh, The Morning Call reported.

Post-2014, two organizations are currently unrecognized at Tulane University, according to Tulane’s website. The university “…strongly discourages students from joining a fraternity that is not recognized,” Tulane’s website said, and unrecognized Greek organizations operate without any oversight or training by Tulane’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Programs.

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Two fraternities, Phi Gamma Delta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, currently hold “deferred suspension” statuses at SMU for “irresponsible conduct” and “hazing,” respectively. Two other chapters are suspended until at least 2021, per SMU’s website.

“Failure to adhere to the conditions of deferred suspension may result in the further enforcement of suspension,” SMU’s website states.

Cornell revoked its recognition of five Greek organizations in 2018, according to the university’s website.

Cornell’s president, Martha Pollack, issued a statement in May 2018 immediately banning hard alcohol from residential chapter houses and laying out a long-term plan to reform Greek life at the university. Those reforms include requiring leaders in residential Greek letter organizations to be juniors and seniors who live in a chapter house, as well as requiring a full-time, live-in adviser.

The Northwestern University chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, or SAE, lost its recognition in 2017, The Daily Northwestern reported.

Vanderbilt University sanctioned five Greek organizations since 2017: one chapter was suspended in spring 2017, three chapters ceased operations in spring 2017 and one chapter closed in spring 2018, according to university records.

Boston University has 21 fraternities and sororities listed under its student activities umbrella. There is no information available online regarding unrecognized organizations, the percentage of student life involved in Greek life or expulsion of chapters at BU.

The Daily Orange couldn’t find data on inactive, suspended or unrecognized chapters at Georgetown University, Northeastern University, the University of Dayton and the University of Rochester.

— Asst. News Editor Casey Darnell contributed reporting to this story.

The Daily Orange could not find the date of the revoked recognition of the following organizations at Syracuse University: Chi Sigma Upsilon, Nu Alpha Phi and Zeta Phi Beta. The D.O. also could not find the date of the revoked recognition of the following organizations at Tulane University: Delta Kappa Epsilon and Omega Psi Phi.

Published on January 21, 2019 at 11:38 pm

Contact Kennedy: krose100@syr.edu | @KennedyRose001