The UNK campus and community are constantly changing, and the same can be said for Greek life. Lower enrollment numbers, new housing and increased living costs are causing Fraternity and Sorority Life members to adjust, leaving the future unclear.
Housing
Fraternities and sororities were housed next to the College of Education and Discovery Hall starting in the early 1990s. These buildings were “pod” structured, where two fraternities and two sororities were in each building, and every chapter had its own space. The south pod had a small cafeteria that was open to any UNK student with a meal plan.
University Residence North and University Residence South were torn down in the fall of 2024. Fraternity members moved into Martin Hall in the spring of 2023, and sorority members moved into Armstrong Hall in the spring of 2024. Martin Hall was renovated to become housing for the five fraternities on campus, and Armstrong Hall was erected across from it for the four sororities.
The new housing works well for the sororities, but the fraternities struggle more with housing costs and recruitment issues.
“I believe that if Fraternity and Sorority Life, specifically fraternities, wants to turn housing into a recruitment asset, they need to move away from comparing the current housing to URN and URS,” said Sam Schroeder, student body president and member of Pi Kappa Alpha. “As long as leadership is more concerned with what is wrong with the housing than its benefits, recruitment efforts will suffer.”
Fraternities struggle with live-in requirements due to their lower chapter membership compared to sororities. This requirement means that each sorority member must live in Armstrong Hall or Martin Hall for a certain number of semesters, depending on the chapter’s rules.
This comparison to prior housing can be substantial to the cultures of chapters, as well as pushing changes onto members. Costs also play a role in many students’ decisions to join Greek life.
The cost of a double room in Martin Hall or Armstrong Hall is higher than it was in URN and URS, at $3,666 per semester. It is the same cost as living in a suite-style building such as Antelope Hall or Nester Hall. Single rooms in either Martin Hall or Armstrong Hall can cost upwards of $7,000 per semester, which can be difficult for members who may want their own space.
“Unfortunately, I do believe Greek life at UNK is on a downward trend, as IFC recruitment numbers have declined in the past years,” said Gabriel Yochum, president of Phi Delta Theta. “If we want to turn that around, we need to seriously reconsider our housing situation. If a chapter fails to meet that minimum, they risk losing access to their dorm space, including their designated section, chapter room and lounge.”
Macie Farber, a resident assistant in Armstrong Hall, said the culture has changed in the new buildings due to the individual spaces.
“The culture in both Martin and Armstrong halls is still very much in the process of being built,” Farber said. “Members hardly see each other due to the separate spaces unless they make more of an effort to than they had to in the Pods. It’s a work in progress, and while there’s a lot of potential, it’s been somewhat challenging to establish a strong culture due to the setup of both buildings.”
The recent buildings offer newer, cleaner spaces in each chapter, but they come with their own set of challenges.
“The layout and design of the new facilities don’t always lend themselves to the close-knit, communal atmosphere that many members are used to,” Farber said. “The more separated, divided common areas make it harder to foster those tight bonds and traditions when the physical space feels more segmented. Members of different chapters have a more difficult time seeing each other. Despite these challenges, there’s a lot of effort going into creating a vibrant and cohesive community in both halls.”
Recruitment Numbers
Recruitment numbers have changed in the sororities and fraternities on campus. Sororities hold a formal recruitment every fall, with scheduled rounds for each chapter. There, potential members hear about each chapter and decide where they fit in best. Then, in the spring, some sororities can also hold informal events for women to attend and decide on a chapter.
Fraternities, on the other hand, are continuously recruiting throughout the year, with emphasis on the beginning of spring and fall semesters. The fraternities hold informal events in their lounges or in off-campus locations to meet possible new members.
Total Fraternity and Sorority Life numbers have dropped from 656 to 462 in the past eight years, according to data from the Student Engagement office. In August 2022, the chapter with the most members had more than 80. Now, the chapter with the most members is 68. One reason for this could be that formal recruitment was moved from the week prior to school to the first month into school.
| Year | Number of FSL Students |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 462 |
| 2023 | 478 |
| 2022 | 533 |
| 2021 | 570 |
| 2020 | 572 |
| 2019 | 611 |
| 2018 | 668 |
| 2017 | 657 |
| 2016 | 656 |
Rayelee Smith, Panhellenic’s president and member of Gamma Phi Beta, said there could be a few different scenarios for why numbers may be dropping.
“The numbers have decreased for a few reasons,” Smith said. “The increased use of social media presenting sororities in a negative light or showing large school recruitment processes that may be intimidating for some PNMs (Potential New Members). Additionally, lack of support from campus leaders could correlate with negative imagery to students and parents.”
Smith also said that chapters have been “primarily flexible and positive about our challenges.”
Greek Life’s Future
Many students have seen a positive change in their college experience due to Greek life, including Mackenzie Welsh, a spring graduate member in Alpha Omicron Pi.
“I love being surrounded by my friends that have slowly turned into my Kearney family,” Welsh said. “While some alone time can definitely be good, there is no other time in my life when I will get the opportunity to live with 30 of my best friends in a house. The comfortability of living in a house that I love, surrounded by familiar faces, is the reason I have stayed at UNK for the last three and a half years.”
Some students have seen doors open for them, too. Many have received job and internship offers from their time in Greek life,
“I believe that Greek life is worth it,” Schroeder said. “For me, PIKE (Pi Kappa Alpha) has opened countless doors that have helped me meet great people, gain leadership experience, get involved in my community and take me on trips across the country. Similar opportunities are available to all Greeks, greatly contributing to one’s college experience and professional development.”
Each chapter has been committed to the culture in its own way. Some have even created new events to connect better.
“We’re taking it one semester at a time and really trying to grow an amazing place for some valuable men,” Yochum said. “Recently, our social chair has been coming up with new ideas, such as an all-fraternity mixer like an ultimate frisbee tournament. At the end of the day, we all joined Greek life for similar reasons, so we may as well connect with each other and make the most of it.”
Despite housing concerns and dropping numbers, many students’ outlooks remain positive regarding the future of Greek life at UNK.
“I believe that Greek life adds a great deal of legitimacy to our campus and makes our UNK more attractive to potential students,” Schroeder said. “I also believe that Greek life will be viable within the next 20 years for UNK, but this will require our FSL community to continue to adapt and evolve as an attractive college experience for students. At the same time, I believe that the administration must help FSL out. It will take investment from both parties to survive.”
