The University of Arkansas is home to one of the nation’s largest Greek communities. Throughout its time on campus, UA Greek Life has continued to serve as one of the campus’s major hubs for diverse philanthropic and scholastic programming.
Director of Greek Life Parice Bowser is proud of her Greeks. “We have always been a resilient community with a passion for bettering our members and Fayetteville,” she stated.
Normally, a fall semester for the Greek community is jam-packed with activities. From annual recruitment weeks to National Hazing Prevention Week to the sexual assault awareness program It’s On Us Week to countless philanthropy projects, Greek Life always accomplishes a lot throughout the season.
Last fall certainly tested that resilience. As the pandemic continued, Greeks were challenged to create safe yet influential programming opportunities. Bowser said she felt confident the Greeks would rise to the occasion.
To prepare, Greek Life staff spent the summer working with chapters to plan this a safe yet vibrant fraternity and sorority life experience. They developed small in-person and virtual events with emphases education and philanthropy.
“Our staff knew there would be challenges, so our main goal was to develop safe and impactful opportunities that could have a positive impact on our campus and community,” Assistant Director Zachary Littrell added.
UA Greek Life did exactly that.
Throughout the fall, UA Greek Life broke multiple records in membership, programming, and fundraising.
At the beginning of the semester, Greek Life welcomed an unprecedented number of 2,144 new members from all four councils. These numbers have only continued to grow, making the community over 7,400 members strong.
Additionally, they hosted a whopping total of 1,000 events, including signature programs in safe virtual capacities. This included annual events such as the risk management program “Keeping It Real,” that attracted nearly 1,694 new member participants from all four councils.
Councils also hosted specific events for their members to enjoy. The National Pan-Hellenic Council launched a Mental Health forum to aid members in navigating pandemic and school stress. Near Halloween, in order to discuss cultural appropriation, United Greek Council held their annual Culture Not a Costume program with a variety of speakers from campus offices. In preparation for the November election, the Panhellenic Council led an Instagram campaign featuring voter registration resources to educate members. Finally, the Interfraternity Council & Panhellenic Council presented an implicit bias programming series for their members.
Perhaps one of the community’s biggest challenges, however, was finding safe and creative ways to maintain an important Greek tradition: service.
“Community service and philanthropy is such a big part of Greek Life. We go out into the community to make a difference and our organizations certainly have the influence to do that,” Khalil Buckmire, National Pan-Hellenic Council President, said.
Chapters and councils organized a variety of philanthropies and service opportunities. Panhellenic chapters hosted service events such as Delta Gamma’s braille workshop to write holiday cards for the visually impaired. From the National Pan-Hellenic Council, brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. collected can goods which supported Life Source International. From the United Greek Council, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. coordinated a raffle giveaway to assist their philanthropy, One Heartland. Finally, the Interfraternity Council’s Pi Kappa Alpha brotherhood partnered with Potter’s House to raise funds and offer help to local families.
Additionally, many chapters carefully planned in person sisterhood and brotherhood events which included drive in move nights, pumpkin carving, miniature golf, game night, initiation, etc. These events were designed to accommodate small groups and held in multiple shifts to allow more member participation.
“These events made a big difference,” said John Wilson, Interfraternity Council President. “The fact that we were able to achieve new feats in such a difficult semester just proves how influential our community is!”
Perhaps the biggest indication of the Greeks’ successful semester is that, during the fall semester, chapters raised a total of $70,000 collectively for various causes. This included fighting homelessness, raising awareness for breast cancer, promoting child literacy efforts, and more.
Now, with the spring semester well underway, Greek Life has continued to make strides in their programming, recruitment, and philanthropic efforts.
To kick off the semester, Greek Life hosted their annual Greek Summit program. Albeit virtual, Assistant Director Zachary Littrell stated, “That didn’t stop us from continuing to bring in impactful speakers for the community.” Over 200 Greek leaders attended this event where they heard from an NWA local executive, Helena Gadison, and Alex Sheen of because I said I would. Attendees learned about brand authenticity, values congruence, character education, and the importance of following through on a promise.
Additionally, the Greeks hosted their annual Sexual Assault Prevention Program (SAPP) and partnered with the NWA Center for Sexual Assault. Chapter leaders participated in a thorough discussion on consent, rape culture, toxic masculinity, and more. “This event is extremely important to us as it trains members become more active bystanders and protect community members,” Bowser said.
As for their membership efforts, Greek Life recently wrapped up another successful men’s recruitment. The Interfraternity Council issued a total of 230 bids. “Our community just keeps growing,” Bowser added, “and this is another outstanding recruitment number for spring!”
Most recently, the community has been celebrating Black History Month by hosting several programs including a Black history educational program, discussion with the university’s Provost Dr. Robinson and esteemed author Lawrence Ross. ” Our Greek leaders have made it a year-long goal to educate their members on diversity and inclusivity. Black History Month offers a valuable time to learn, and our members will continue hosting workshops and programs about these topics,” Assistant Director Carissa Kelly stated.
With more exciting opportunities on the horizon, Bowser feels hopeful the Greeks will continue to impress the community as the semester endures. “It has definitely been a very busy and stressful school year, but our accomplishments just prove how resilient we are,” Bowser said.
UA Greek Life often uses the phrase “Four Councils, One Community” to describe their mission. Bowser saw this saying in motion throughout last semester. She explained, “It truly has been more important than ever that we came together as one community to provide programs and service that left a legacy. We have certainly had challenges, but we have made the most of it and persevered because that is just who we are as Razorbacks and Greeks!”
For more information on University of Arkansas Greek Life, visit https://uagreeks.uark.edu.