Manage Fraternities and Sororities Your Institution Does Not Recognize

College fraternities and sororities that are not recognized by your institution pose serious safety and liability risks. United Educators (UE) has received many claims involving these groups alleging issues such as hazing, assault, and rape.

Unsanctioned fraternities and sororities aren’t affiliated with a student group or recognized by the institution. Your college or university can be legally bound to manage these groups, especially if your employees are aware of them but do nothing to curtail or manage their activities. Sometimes, these groups are known “bad actors” that lost their recognition due to campus policy violations.

Take these actions to best manage the risks of unsanctioned fraternities and sororities.

Establish a Policy

Policies on unsanctioned fraternities and sororities should:

• State that unsanctioned fraternities and sororities exist.
• List unsanctioned groups your institution knows about, the date the list was created, and, where appropriate, the date your institution removed a group’s recognition.
• List fraternities and sororities your institution recognizes and the date the list was created.
• Warn of safety risks, such as sexual assaults, alcohol violations, or hazing, that unsanctioned groups pose.
• Discourage student participation. Clearly state your institution doesn’t sanction the group’s activities or provide support, oversight, or advisement.
• Identify consequences of participating in these groups, including disciplinary action for activities on campus, legal action from the national chapter — if one exists — for violating the organization’s policies, and personal liability for the injuries or claims arising out of the organization’s activities.
• Encourage students to report suspected unsanctioned fraternity and sorority activities, such as recruiting, and provide contact information for the person or department to receive such reports.

Publicize the Policy

Take these steps to ensure awareness about the policy:

• Post it on your website.
• Refer to it at relevant student training programs, such as first-year orientation.
• Train Fraternity and Sorority Life staff on the policy.
• Train campus safety officers and student affairs-related staff (such as student activities, risk management, residential) on the policy.
• Include the policy, with lists of recognized and unrecognized chapters, in handouts about campus fraternity and sorority opportunities.
• Encourage Fraternity and Sorority Life staff and recognized fraternities and sororities to disseminate the policy during recruitment.

Alert Your Campus About Organizations’ Negative Actions

Notify your campus when unsanctioned groups try to recruit or harm your students. Notifications should include:

• Description of offensive actions
• Potential safety and disciplinary harms posed by participating in unsanctioned fraternity and sorority activities
• Link to campus policy on unsanctioned fraternities and sororities

More From UE

Fraternities, Sororities, and Risk: Lessons From Claims

Additional Resources

University at Buffalo: Fraternity and Sorority Life

Johnson & Wales University Providence Campus: Fraternity and Sorority Life

Marist College: Fraternity & Sorority Life at Marist