The University of Miami is opening its doors to a new sorority this semester, Pi Beta Phi. The University’s chapter of Pi Beta Phi is currently in the recruitment process, ready to welcome women into sisterhood.
Leadership development consultant for Pi Beta Phi Dorothy Ruoff said she hopes to differentiate Pi Beta Phi from other sororities on campus by acting on their mission statement.
“It is to promote friendship, develop women of intellectual integrity, cultivate leadership potential and enrich lives through community service,” Ruoff said.
Ruoff joined Montana State’s Pi Beta Phi chapter as an undergrad. She graduated and started working with the Pi Beta Phi headquarters to support chapters across the country as well as in Canada.
Ruoff, alongside Sarah Moore and Christiana Holladay, who are also leadership development consultants and reside in Miami, are helping support the Miami chapter as it recruits their chartering member class.
“We are in week three, and our major formal recruitment events will be happening this Friday through Sunday,” Ruoff said.
Pi Beta Phi is in the process of conducting personal one-on-one sessions where potential members can learn more about the process and attend either virtually or in person. It is the chapter’s last week for one-on-one sessions, as they will stop once the chapter commences with their open house event.
The new sorority’s open house event will be on Zoom this Friday, Feb. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. Invitational rounds for preference will be this Saturday, Feb. 6, and bid day will be the following day on Feb. 7.
“Right now, it’s looking like it’s going to be a virtual event, but we’re hoping that we can do some sort of in-person gathering to get women to meet each other,” said Ruoff. “We’re hoping that throughout the semester we’ll be able to do in-person sisterhoods once a week as well as getting connected through different philanthropic efforts.”
Pi Beta Phi said it also hopes to set itself apart with their philanthropic efforts. “Read Lead Achieve” is Pi Beta Phi’s philanthropic motto.
“Our vision is also pretty succinct in the sense that we really want to be recognized as a premier organization for promoting lifelong enrichment and contributing to a betterment of society,” Ruoff said.
“We are dedicated to literacy, specifically children’s literacy as one in four children grow up functionally illiterate,” she continued.
With its efforts to promote literacy within the chapter and to the local community, Pi Beta Phi hopes to help the Miami-Dade community.
“I graduated college and never had to think about my own literacy,” Ruoff said.
Ruoff said Pi Beta Phi hopes to give its members experience in various leadership roles.
“The support I gained from my sisters as I took on pretty much any endeavor was something that I value, and I would not be where I am now without it,” said Ruoff.
“I gained friends all across the country and gained an incredible support system and a network that will continue to support me throughout the rest of my life in both the personal and professional realm,” she continued.
Pi Beta Phi has started over 130 chapters since starting their first chapter at Monmouth College in 1867.
“UM has amazing students; they have students that push themselves in the classroom and in the community they work to be involved in extracurriculars,” said Ruoff.
“We hope that women see us as an opportunity to create something that not only is new and different and exciting but also seamlessly fits within the community that continues to promote our basic values,” Ruoff said.
Ruoff stresses the importance of balancing academic and sorority life.
“Learning how to organize your time effectively to be a great student and to be a great friend takes a lot of work; that is a learned skill,” Ruoff said.
“I think learning those skills in the classroom and to be a successful student may take time, so it’s okay to join later. You can still build those friendships at any point during your college career,” she continued.
The chapter has a meeting once a week, and that is the only required time commitment.
“The time commitment is not nearly as scary as a lot of people might think it is,” Ruoff said.
Ruoff joined her alum club after graduating and was greeted with excitement and support in her young professional development.
“[My alum club] provided me with an opportunity to chat with them and ask what it is like to be a professional, how do I advocate for myself in a job, who can you connect me to that will give me a chance to get my foot in the door,” stated Ruoff.
If interested, Pi Beta Phi is active on instagram @umiamipiphi. Sarah Moore and Christiana Holladay are the consultants at the U for this chapter and are eager to answer any questions about Pi Beta Phi, their recruitment process and more.