CSULA Greek System

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Cal State L.A. Greek Council President Jose L. Jimenez, Jr.

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Cal State L.A. Greek Advisor Megan Anderson

The representative governing body of the Cal State L.A. Greek system is the CSULA Greek Council. It is advised and regulated by the university through the Center for Student Development and Programs, a division of CSULA’s University-Student Union. This division is under the auspices of both the University-Student Union and the Department of Student of Affairs. The Greek system has recently been at battle against the administration over a stringent alcohol policy, baring alcohol from student organization sponsored events. The official Greek Advisor of the Cal State L.A. community is Meagan Anderson and her assistant is Elvia Veramontes. As of Fall 2005, the President of the Greek Council is Jose Luis Jimenez, Jr., of Sigma Nu Fraternity.

History

Cal State L.A.’s Greek System began with the establishment of the Alpha Theta Pi Sorority on November 15, 1948. It has grown into a vast social network of collegiate men and women composed of chapters that are local (existing solely within the realm of the CSULA campus community), statewide (existing within a collective network of two or more chapters within California), national (existing within a collective network of two or more chapters of different states within the nation), and international (existing within a collective network of two or more chapters of different countries within the world).

IFC Fraternities

Sigma Nu, Phi Sigma Kappa, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon are the nationally and internationally based social fraternities of the Cal State L.A. Greek System, otherwise known as the IFC Fraternities. At one time, along with the now dormant chapters of Zeta Beta Tau and Sigma Lambda Beta, these fraternities formed the CSULA Inter-Fraternity Council or IFC. This organization served as the governing body of the Cal State L.A. men’s fraternities until it’s dormancy in the Spring of 2003. IFC was a crucial contributor to the development and coordination of all-fraternity intramural athletics, formalized all-fraternity recruitment, an all-fraternity judicial review committee, “Greek Week”, and “Greek Formal”. Fraternity governance than transitioned to a co-ed governing body known as the CSULA Greek Council, an entity which is still in existence today. The parent organizations of Sigma Nu, Phi Sigma Kappa, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon are members of the North-American Interfraternity Conference or NIC. The NIC is not a governing or regulatory board, but rather a voluntary trade association; requiring the leadership of the organization to gather on a regular basis. This occurs annually at the NIC Congressional Reception and the NIC Annual Meeting.

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NPC Sororities

Delta Zeta and Alpha Sigma Tau are the sorority equivalencies of the IFC fraternities at the Cal State L.A. campus, otherwise known as NPC Sororities. Their parent organizations are members of the National Panhellenic Conference or NPC, a governing body for 26 women's national and international sororities. At one time a local chapter of the NPC served as the governing board of the Cal State L.A. sororities. This governing board was additionally composed of Alpha Theta Pi and Delta Phi Sigma, local sororities solely associated with Cal State L.A. Like the local IFC, the local NPC dissolved and integrated into the current Greek Council. For the sake of Greek history, it is important to note that in the mid 1980’s, CSULA’s local IFC and NPC, merged into one organization entitled the Inter Fraternity Sorority Council or IFSC. In the early 1990’s, the organization became divided, and reverted back to IFC and NPC.

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NALFO Fraternities & Sororities

Cal State L.A. is also host to four Latino Greek-lettered organizations. Lambda Theta Nu and Lambda Theta Alpha are amongst the sororities on this campus who are known as NALFO organizations, or those whose parent organizations are members of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations. NALFO is an umbrella council for Latino Greek-letter Organizations. The purpose of NALFO is to promote and foster positive interfraternal relations, communication, and development of all Latino Fraternal organizations through mutual respect, leadership, honesty, professionalism and education. Additionally, Cal State L.A. is also home to Beta Gamma Nu and Gamma Zeta Alpha, statewide Latino Greek-letter fraternities.

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NPHC Fraternities

Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma are the Black Greek-letter fraternities on the CSULA campus, also known as NPHC fraternities Their parent organizations are members of the National Pan Hellenic Council, Inc. or NPHC. The NPHC is currently composed of nine International Black Greek letter Sororities and Fraternities. It promotes interaction through forums, meetings and other mediums for the exchange of information and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions.

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Other Fraternities & Sororities

Additionally, Cal State L.A. is home to one statewide Asian Greek-letter sorority, Kappa Zeta Phi, and one statewide Armenian Greek-letter fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Omega.

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The Greek Council

The Greek Council is the governing body of CSULA Greeks. It was the brainchild of the CSULA Greek Community concieved at the 2001 CSULA Greek Retreat. It was established in the Fall of 2003 and became the sole Greek governing entity when the local IFC and NPC disolved. The first President of the Greek Council was Gina Cortez, of Lambda Theta Nu Sorrority, Inc. The Second President was Josie of Delta Zeta Sorority. The current President is Jose Luis Jimenez, Jr. of Sigma Nu Fraternity.

The Order of Omega

The CSULA Greek system also includes a Greek-based honor society, called the Order of Omega. The Order of Omega was founded in 1959 at Miami University to honor outstanding Greek leaders. The chapter at CSULA recognizes leadership excellence in the top 3% of CSULA Greeks. As of Fall 2005, the President of the Order of Omega, CSULA Chapter is Irene Rojas, of Alpha Theta Pi Sorority, Inc.

Greek Population

Excluding the Greek Council and Order of Omega, as of Fall 2005, the CSULA Campus is home to fifteen (15) “social” fraternal organizations, seven (8) fraternities and seven (7) sororities. Within that population there are three (3) IFC fraternities, two (2) NPHC fraternities, two (2) statewide Latino fraternities, one (1) Armenian fraternity, two (2) NPC sororities, two (2) NALFO sororities, two (2) local sororities, and one (1) statewide Asian sorority. The CSULA undergarduate membership is about one percent (1%) of the student population, and comprises about $40 of the campus leadership through the Associated Students, Inc.

CSULA Charity Bowl

On April 2, 2005, the Sigma Nu Fraternity sponsored an all-Greek philanthropic event entitled the CSULA Charity Bowl. In partnership with the College Charity Bowl Foundation, Sigma Nu, Alpha Epsiolon Omega, Beta Gamma Nu, Alpha Theta Pi, Alpha Sigma Tau, Delta Zeta, Delta Phi Sigma, and Lambda Theta Nu participated in a co-ed sorority softball tournament generating a total of $3,700 for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation and $400 to a Ricardo Rincon memorial fund. Ricardo Rincon was a Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity member who lost his life in a tragic automobile accident.

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