Movement to increase Greek Life at VCU

Phi Kappa Psi is currently recruiting new members to begin a colony at VCU, and the national organization has sent three professional staff members to help facilitate the chapter’s creation.

Nick Reed, Phi Kappa Psi’s director of expansion, praised VCU’s efforts to create a stronger Greek culture in Richmond.

In the 2006-2007 school year, VCU’s Interfraternity Council created an expansion plan to admit one new Greek organization per year for 10 years. Phi Kappa Psi was the fourth fraternity chosen in the expansion plan, said Carolyn Whittier, the associate director of programs and educational services at the University Student Commons.

Once Phi Kappa Psi completes two years as a colony at VCU, it can apply to become a chartered chapter.

The recent hazing at VCU’s Kappa Sigma chapter made the national Phi Kappa Psi a little nervous, but Reed said he knows the national Kappa Sigma organization “did a great job” handling the situation. Some Phi Kappa Psi chapters in the past have had hazing occur, but those chapters were immediately shut down, Reed said.

Phi Kappa Psi currently has 100 active chapters and 71,000 living members. What sets Phi Kappa Psi apart from other fraternities is they emphasizes spreading ideals, and as never intended to be a secret society, Reed said.

Of Phi Kappa Psi’s 100 chapters, 85 of them are housed. According to Reed, it usually takes five to 10 years for a new chapter to be housed, but he also mentioned VCU’s plan to establish a Greek life dormitory.

Whittier said the goal of this proposed dorm is to provide “fair and equitable housing for all,” and all Greek chapters would have a presence in the dorm.

VCU 2020, the university’s expansion master plan, outlines a proposal to turn both VCU’s parking lots at the intersection of Grace and Shafer streets into student housing. The buildings are proposed to be four stories high, and one of these is mentioned as the possible location of the Greek dorm, according to the plan.

Regardless of VCU establishing a Greek dorm, Reed said he thinks the value of a VCU degree is only going to grow with time.

“I think in 30 years students are going to go, ‘How the hell did I get in there?’ ” Reed said. “I think this is the kind of school that’s on the up and up.”