Potential and New Members

Interested in Fraternity and Sorority Life?

Click here to submit an interest form to learn more about fraternities and sororities at Knox College.  You are encouraged to reach out to the Campus Life Office at campuslife@knox.edu or 309-341-7527 with any questions regarding Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL)!

The fraternity and sorority community operates around core values that encompass the unique values of each of our chapters, and upholding these values is important to the success of the community as well as the personal growth of FSL members!  These values include:

• Scholarship - the commitment to academic excellence, learning, and valuing one’s education.
• Respect and morality - responsible conduct, regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others, justice, showing compassion for others, and doing what is right and safe not just for the self but for those around them through navigating both personal and organizational values.
• Diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) - the intentional creation of spaces that are welcoming and comfortable to people of all identities (racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, gender, religious/spiritual, disability, etc.), including eliminating barriers within the organization, supporting equitable and inclusive opportunities both inside and outside the organization, and advocating for and intentionally seeking individuals of traditionally marginalized groups; DEI should be embedded in everything that occurs in a community so that members feel the ability to be their full, authentic selves.
• Leadership - being a positive role model to others, practicing leadership in ways that support personal, chapter, and community values and goals, skill building, and responsible engagement in the FSL and Knox communities.
• Community service and engagement - involvement in philanthropy/fundraising, intentionally serving others both on the Knox campus and in the Galesburg community, global citizenship, volunteerism, reaching out to organizations outside of the FSL community to co-host events, being an active member of the community, and fostering a sense of dedication to bettering the community.

Interested students are also encouraged to review the following information for more information about FSL at Knox College and what it means to be a part of our community:

• Knox College Fraternity and Sorority Relationship Statement
• FSL Chapter Agreement
• FSL Community Values
• College Panhellenic Association (CPA) Bylaws
• Panhellenic Code of Ethics
• Interfraternity Council Constitution and Bylaws

Membership

First year students are not eligible to join our fraternities and sororities until they have been a full-time student at Knox College for at least one full academic term. New transfer students who have completed at least one term at Knox are eligible to participate in recruitment. This allows students plenty of time to get to know the campus and focus on academics.  For this reason, our primary recruitment happens in the winter term.

Potential and New Member Forms

If you are extended a bid to join a fraternity or sorority, please complete the Grade Point Average Release Authorization Form.  New sorority members, please submit the Continuous Open Bidding Membership Acceptance Binding Agreement Form, which must also be viewed and signed by a current member of the sorority you are joining.

• Grade Point Average Release Authorization and Hazing Prevention Form
• Continuous Open Bidding Membership Acceptance Binding Agreement Form (sororities)

Formal Recruitment

Sororities

The Knox College Panhellenic Association and Panhellenic Council (CPA) hosts primary recruitment around week 3 in the winter term. Prior to primary recruitment, we invite you to attend our primary recruitment information meetings, which will be advertised during the fall and winter terms. Primary recruitment for Winter 2023 will take place from January 14th - January 21st, and interested students may register using the primary recruitment registration form.

Sorority recruitment is value-based and doesn’t require participants to do anything but be themselves while visiting houses and interacting with current members, and respecting each other’s space, time, and commitments to the community.

It is recommended to participants who are interested in recruitment and who aren’t familiar with our sororities yet (or never participated before) to register for primary recruitment instead of participating in informal recruitment in the fall and spring terms, called Continuous Open Bidding (COB).  Primary recruitment allows you to get a better understanding of the Panhellenic community, each organization, membership contingencies, and have more time with active members from each chapter!

For more information about the sororities and sorority recruitment, check out the recruitment rules and our informational booklet about sorority life, our chapters, and how primary recruitment works!  The Panhellenic Council uses the partially-structured method of recruitment, meaning it has a more flexible schedule to better fit the interested students' needs and time constraints.  Students will attend a potential new member (PNM) orientation, a Panhellenic Fair followed by Chapter House Tours, and then will have 5 days to attend one event from each of our four chapters.  After attending these events, you will indicate your preferences for joining a chapter, and if you match with a chapter you are intersted in you will be invited back to join them for "Preference Parties," after which you indicate your choice for which chapter you would like to join.  The whole process starts on a Saturday with orientation, Sunday for the Panhellenic Fair, Monday-Friday for chapter events and preference submisstion, Saturday morning for Preference Parties and Saturday evening for bid night. 

Fraternities

The Knox College Interfraternity Council (IFC) will host primary recruitment in the winter term, typically in week 3. During this week, each of our chapters will host 2 events in hopes of getting to know you better and share information about what it is like to be in the chapter, pay dues, and talk chapter values.  You will decide which chapters you prefer to join at the end of the week, and then find out if that chapter(s) also want you to join them!

Informal Recruitment

Fraternities and sororities will host informal recruitment events throughout the fall and spring terms. This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about the chapters.  New, first year students may not participate in any informal recruitment events in the Fall term.

Anti-Hazing Policy

Hazing: The college prohibits hazing, which is defined as any act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, or which destroys or removes public or private property, or which produces ridicule, embarrassment, harassment, intimidation or other similar result, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition of continued membership in, a group or organization. Examples include paddling, creating excessive fatigue, physical and psychological shock, public stunts, and morally degrading or humiliating games and activities. The express or implied consent of the victim will not be a defense of this violation, and apathy or acquiescence in the presence of hazing is also seen as a violation of this policy.

All campus organizations are not permitted to haze and may confer membership on new members in many different ways. They must not have any type of informal initiations that incorporate hazing, such as "Hell Week." All initiations must take place within the chapter houses and must not cause any kind of public nuisance or disturbance.

Nothing may be done to a new or active member that may involve the possibility of physical injury. Students must not be asked to violate their personal or moral beliefs as a condition of initiation. The initiation program must not in any way interfere with a student's academic work and may not do any harm to the student in any way.

Examples of Hazing

Participant endures ridicule, embarrassment, and must complete humiliating tasks in order to feel like a part of the group. Activities include but are not limited to:

• Assigning demerits
• Name calling
• Line-ups and drills/tests
• Expecting certain items to be in one's possession
• Doing extra house chores or expected to run errands for members, alumni, or others affiliated with the members

Participant endures frustration, confusion, stress, and physical discomfort in order to feel like part of the group. Activities include but are not limited to:
Verbal abuse

• Degrading, crude, or humiliating acts
• Sleep deprivation or expectations of extreme late night event attendance or other type of chapter participation at risk of losing a bid/membership
• Perform personal service to initiated members or those affiliated with members

Participant endures physical, emotional, and/or psychological harm in order to feel like part of the group. Activities include but are not limited to:

• Forced or coerced consumption of any food or substance, including but not limited to drugs and alcohol
• Beating, paddling, or other forms of assault
• Forced or coerced ingestion of vile substances or conditions
• Bondage/abductions/kidnaps

Contact one or all of the following resources to report hazing or seek more resources about hazing:

• Debbie Southern, Dean of Students, dsouther@knox.edu, 309-341-7225
• Nate Kemp, Director of Campus Safety, nkemp@knox.edu, 309-341-7255
• Campus Life Office, campuslife@knox.edu, 309-341-7527
• Campus Safety, 309-341-7979
• Knox College Incident Report Form
• Off campus resources: 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293), www.hazingprevention.org