Sororities are an integral part to the University of Miami. There are a total of six National Panhellenic sororities on campus with a total membership of almost 600 women.
The Panhellenic Association governs the sororities on campus. The Panhellenic Association is made up of members of all the sororities, and it has executive officers elected every year. It does programming frequently with the Interfraternity Council. The Panhellenic Association also has a variety of coordinator positions filled by more women. These coordinators focus on aspects of Greek life like academics, women’s health issues, philanthropy and many more.
This year the University of Miami Panhellenic Association traveled to Atlanta for its annual SEPC. (Southeastern Panhellenic Conference) Every year SEPC award five awards to all the Panhellenic Associations in the southern United States. These awards range from outstanding programming to outstanding risk management. UM Panhellenic received two of the awards.
The Panhellenic community has a different recruitment policy than the fraternities. The women have a structured, formal recruitment process. Each woman interested in recruitment must register with the Panhellenic Association. After a woman registers, she is assigned a Rho Gamma, or “recruitment guide.” Rho Gammas are women from sororities who give up their time and disaffiliate with their own sororities to guide interested women through recruitment. They introduce interested women to all the sorority members, so each can make her own best choice.
Sororities are great organizations because of the support and guidance provided. Joining a sorority is joining an organization for a lifetime and gaining a new family. A home away from home is a great asset for college students. Remember, rushing will not obligate any woman to join a sorority, it just simply provides an opportunity for women to make friends.