While partying does exist inside of the community, it is ultimately up to the member to decide how they are going to involve themselves. Your child will never be forced to choose academics over partying because the number one reason they are here is for their education, and that should not be interfered with while they are in a fraternity.

Yes! Your son should never be pressured into drinking or partying, and members of the fraternity will understand that. Your son can learn more about the cultures of houses through his recruitment process, and that is where he can learn about the values of each fraternity. Members of the chapters have academics as their top priority, and if he is ever pressured, he should feel confident talking to chapter leadership if that is occurring. Additionally, many of our chapters are ‘dry’, which means that alcohol is not permitted anywhere on chapter property.

Each chapter is responsible for creating their own risk management policy that they follow, and it usually consists of the chapter president and the risk manager within each chapter. Every member within the chapter also holds responsibility for the other members of the chapter.

With the right time management, the fraternity experience can make members in a chapter excel far more than they would have not being in the chapter. Each chapter has a designated officer committed to providing resources for time management and classes and will make sure your son is performing to the best of his academic ability.

Every chapter has their own minimum requirements for membership eligibility based on GPA. If a member falls below the minimum requirement, they are typically placed on a probation, and will be required to raise their GPA the following quarter to maintain membership within the fraternity.

If a member is struggling academically, the other members of the chapter will work to make sure that their academics improve above all else. This usually involves meeting with the member in question to figure out what currently is not working, and to make a plan to improve their academic standing.

The cost of living varies by fraternity but generally ranges from $3,000-$4,000 per quarter, which covers membership dues and room and board. Payments can be made annually, quarterly, or monthly. Payments are made directly to the fraternity, and payment plans are arranged through the fraternity.

The undergraduate members are responsible for the day-to-day upkeep and maintenance of the facility, with the support of their house corporation (a local alumni group, or an extension of their national headquarters). Each fraternity elects an undergraduate member to serve as House Manager. This person is typically in charge of coordinating house chores, and works with the house corporation board to address any necessary repairs. Many fraternities also utilize a professional custodial service.

Meal plans differ for each fraternity, but in general, most fraternities provide 3 meals per day Monday through Friday with no coordinated meal service on weekends. For most fraternities, breakfast Monday through Friday is continental style, and may contain a variety of cereals, bagels, toast, fruit, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal, pastries, etc. Some fraternities do provide a hot breakfast service. Fraternity chefs can accommodate any sort of dietary restriction, it just needs to be communicated to the house manager. On weekends, the pantries and refrigerator are stocked with microwavable or easy make items, but many members also like to eat out on the weekend.

Sleeping porches vary from one fraternity to the next, but are generally large rooms with bunk beds, setup to accommodate anywhere from 10 to 30 people. Fraternities with sleeping porches generally use these rooms to house their new member class. Some sleeping porches are setup with closets, dressers, and desks, so men do a lot of their “living” in that space, while other fraternities have “day rooms” for closets, dressers, and desks, so the sleeping porch is just for sleeping. Not every fraternity has a sleeping porch, others may house all members in more traditional setup (singles, doubles, triples, quads).

Please note: due to COVID19 safety measures, fraternities have adjusted their sleeping arrangements to limit only 2 people per room, in alignment with the Governor’s orders.

New members who join through Summer recruitment generally move into the fraternity between Labor Day weekend and the start of the Fall quarter. Some fraternities have specific move-in dates, while others are more flexible. Men who join during the academic year would arrange their move-in with the fraternity based on the terms of their current living situation, and the fraternity’s availability.

In the cases that Hazing does occur, swift action is taken by the OFSL (Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life) and CSSC (Community Standards and Student Conduct) to investigate the claims. Additionally, the national organization of the chapter involved is also contacted and usually places the chapter on interim suspension while also investigating. If you need to report Hazing to the University of Washington, please look at the link attached for CSSC: https://www.washington.edu/cssc/report-it/

Warning signs can include but are not limited to: Sudden change in his behavior or attitude after joining a fraternity, wanting to leave his fraternity without any real explanation, sudden decrease in communication with friends and family, physical or psychological exhaustion, unexplained weight loss, injuries, or illness, sudden changes in sleeping or eating habits, withdrawal from normal activities, expressing feelings of sadness or worthlessness, an increase in secrecy or unwillingness to share details.

If your son reports that he is being hazed, first talk with him and console him. The degree of hazing can vary in each case and it is important to make sure your son is doing well psychologically. After this, try to gather as much information as possible. This can include but is not limited to screenshots, text messages, dates on when the instance or instances occurred, who was present, and how many other individuals were also potential victims. Next, you will want to reach out to either the national organization that your son is a part of or the University of Washington directly with the information that you have gathered. As previously mentioned, when reaching out to the University of Washington, you can either contact the OFSL or CSSC. At this point, someone from the University of Washington or national organization will reach out to you and explain the next steps. When hazing is reported to the University, the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life can support students by securing immediate temporary campus housing, and arranging a no-contact order through UWPD, if a student fears retaliation or retribution.

The first quarter in the chapter house will likely involve the largest time commitment while members are in the house because it consists of their pledging quarter and also the stressful transition into college. While the time commitment can range from chapter to chapter, it is very manageable and chapters will do their best to make sure that new members are not falling behind, mainly academically.

During the first quarter in the chapter, your son’s main focus regarding the chapter will involve new member education, which is curriculum required by the chapter’s headquarters. This usually involves the history of the fraternity and the chapter, policies locally and nationally, and general education on the fraternity.

Within each chapter, the opportunities for leadership are nearly endless. It can range from being responsible for running the social media account of the chapter to being the chapter president. The easiest way to get involved as a new member is talk to older members that have held positions and learn from their experiences.

Finding the right within a fraternity is very similar to finding the right University to attend. The process is unique and personal to each individual. This is why it is important to know the criteria you are looking for and use that to distinguish fraternities from each other. Criteria can include but is not limited to: academic support, athletic activity, social life, membership costs, philanthropy and community service, and opportunities for leadership and networking. Additionally, your son will know he has found the right fit when a fraternity can hit all of his criteria and he feels welcomed and excited about the fraternity has chosen.

As mentioned above, your son should be utilizing criteria to determine which fraternity is the best fit for him. However, your son should also be looking at how each fraternity treats him when he goes to events either in person or digitally. Additionally, he should try to meet as many of the members of the fraternity as possible, in order to accurately gauge the culture of the brotherhood. In regard to questions, he should be able to fully comprehend what his first quarter in the house will look like. This includes his weekly time commitment to fraternity related events, living arrangements, and how the house will help him academically. Furthermore, he should also ask questions pertaining to how the brothers will help him in the future in respect to alumni connections, job opportunities, leadership positions within the fraternity, and anything else that directly interests him.

Yes! Plenty of members that have joined fraternities nationally and at the University of Washington are shy and introverted. One of the great aspects about greek life is that it allows your son to establish a tight knit group of friends right off the bat. This is extremely helpful because the University of Washington can be a large and overwhelming place for students who begin their first quarter on campus. Additionally, it also allows your son to find people who are in his major or intended major and easily form study groups. Moreover, most fraternities at UW also provide mentorship in the form of a ‘big brother’. This is an older member within the fraternity who will make sure your son is adjusting to UW and the fraternity without feeling overwhelmed.

If your son joins a fraternity and then for whatever reason changes his mind, he can easily resign. If this is during the summer recruitment period, then he can easily go rush other houses. However, if this occurs during the fall then there may be costs associated with this in respect to a refund. These costs and policies will vary depending on the fraternity that he chose. Moreover, it is important to note that your son can always rush another house if he feels like he made the wrong decision initially or feels like another house is a better fit for him. Chapters at the University of Washington recruit men year round and men are not discriminated against based on if they have previously dropped another chapter.

You can help your son during the recruitment process by checking in on what fraternities he is interested in, asking clarifying questions in respect to housing information or other key factors about the fraternity, and encouraging him to use his best judgement as a young adult to make a decision he is comfortable with. While the involvement for each parent(s) will vary based on their relationship and parenting style, it is very important to make sure your son has all of the information he needs to make a decision he is comfortable with. Additionally, if you feel like something is off, don’t hesitate to reach out to someone from the OFSL or IFC. We are here to help and always love to answer questions pertaining to Greek Life!

Chapters don’t prevent parents from visiting fraternities during recruitment, however, this rarely occurs because the emphasis of the recruitment process is about your son. We encourage you to empower your son to reach out to the houses that he is interested in and for you to be supportive. If you are curious about how the house looks or want more information about the chapter, please look at the Fraternities page on our website, or reach out to someone in the OFSL/IFC.

Once your son joins a fraternity, you can become involved in a variety of ways. One of the first ways that you can become involved is by following his fraternity on social media. Most of our fraternities frequently post updates about what is going on in their chapters on Instagram or Facebook. Additionally, most chapters have a parents group. This allows you to meet and interact with other parents who are in your son’s chapter. Finally, there are usually lots of events that chapters host for parents. These events can include but are not limited to parents’ weekend, homecoming weekend, Dad’s day, and Mother’s Day.