Expansion Policy

Drury University is a safe, education-oriented and community-minded campus that maintains an academic and social environment conducive to intellectual and personal development of students and promotes the safety and welfare of all members of the campus community. Drury University prohibits the abuse of Greek chapter expansion, colonization and student involvement by its students, employees and citizens. Drury University will cooperate with authorities in the enforcement of all applicable laws.

Greek chapter expansion involves inviting inter/national or local fraternities and sororities to establish chapters on campus and is encouraged when a need exists and is recommended by Interfraternity Council or Panhellenic Council.

The abuse of Greek chapter expansion, colonization and student involvement by Drury students, university employees or Drury citizens, including Inter/national or local fraternity and sorority headquarters or members, is prohibited on university-owned or -controlled property, in conjunction with university-sponsored or -supervised activities, or at any activity or event that an observer would associate with Drury students, university employees or Drury citizens, including Inter/national or local fraternity and sorority headquarters or members.

DRURY STUDENT INVOLVEMENT GUIDELINES
Inter/national fraternity and sorority headquarters or members may not solicit, recruit, or initiate Drury University students without the express consent of the Greek Life Expansion Committee.

In order to ensure the safety and well being of our students, Drury University does not permit university students to be initiated or join any Greek organization that is not established and recognized by the Student Involvement Office and Student Affairs Committee.  Failure to follow this basic rule will result in a moratorium on the group’s eligibility to expand for a minimum period of two years.

GREEK LIFE EXPANSION COMMITTEE
This council recommendation must be made in combination with the Greek Life Expansion Committee that consists of:

  • Director of Greek Life (Chair)
  • Vice President for Student Affairs (ex-officio)
  • Vice President of Alumni & Development
  • Dean of University Admissions, day-school
  • Interfraternity Council President
  • Panhellenic Council President
  • Student co-chair for Student Affairs Committee
  • Faculty co-chair for Student Affairs Committee

EXPANSION REQUEST PROCESS
The Expansion Request Process provides an overview of the necessary steps and expected timeline for colonizing of Greek organizations at Drury University.

OCTOBER: IFC and Panhellenic Council will meet each year and decide which councils, if any, will be open for expansion during the academic year.  IFC and Panhellenic Council will use this criterion in their decision for expansion consideration:

  • Interest as shown through the number of prospective members. Number should meet or exceed current campus average for fraternities or sororities.
  • Campus membership trends for fraternities and sororities
  • University enrollment trends
  • Number of new fraternity and sorority chapters on campus
  • Chapter has previously existed on campus

Once IFC and Panhellenic council have made the decision in favor of expansion, inter/national organizations that are not currently represented at Drury University will be notified to submit a written prospectus, which must include the specific information listed in the Greek Expansion Required Information Section and provided in the format outlined in that section.  The Student Activities Office will accept packets at this time from these groups.

FEBRUARY 15th: All packets by petitioning organizations must be submitted and complete in the required format. Incomplete packets will not be considered.

MARCH: The Greek Life Expansion Committee meets to review submitted packets, and select organizations for presentation to the committee present.

APRIL: Selected groups will present to the Greek Life Expansion Committee.

MAY 1st: The Greek Life Expansion Committee has a final meeting and decides which organizations to bring to campus. The committee reserves the right to decline consideration of a group for any reason, and the decision is final.

MAY: Once expansion is approved, the group is authorized to begin the process of official recognition as a Student Organization at Drury University by participating in the Student Involvement Office recognition procedures.

GREEK EXPANSION REQUIRED INFORMATION
After IFC and Panhellenic Council have made the decision in favor of expansion, inter/national organizations that are not currently represented at Drury University will be notified to submit a written prospectus that must include the information listed in this section:

  • History & Alumni Information
  • Inter/national headquarters values, policies and publications
  • Chapter Development
  • Member Development
  • Information on Inter/national strength
  • Additional Information

All required information in the required form, plus any additional information should be sent to:

Drury University
c/o Student Activities Office
900 N. Benton
Springfield, MO 65802

HISTORY & ALUMNI INFORMATION

  • Total number of alumni in the greater Springfield area
  • Statement of interest and support of the alumni in establishing a chapter
  • A list of specific alumni who are interested in working with the chapter in an advisory capacity
  • Nearest alumni club/organization/graduate chapter
  • If a group is returning to campus, describe the following:
    • Reasons why the chapter became inactive on campus, and when
    • How the issue(s) involved have been addressed
    • How the group has cleared any debts or circumstances still incomplete from when previously on campus (if applicable)

INTER/NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS VALUES, POLICIES AND PUBLICATIONS

  • A description of the organizational values and founding principles
  • A summary of the organizational structure at the chapter and inter/national levels
  • Constitution (inter/national and local if applicable)
  • Minimal expectations of colony for existence and chartering
  • Alcohol and substance abuse policy and program
  • Academic standards policies and programs
  • Inter/national magazine/publications

CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT
Please provide the following for three specific time periods: during colonization, for the first two years after chartering, and in five to ten years:

  • Membership goals (numbers, GPA)
  • Community interaction and service projects
  • Campus involvement
  • Programming initiatives (educational/cultural)
  • Chapter & alumni board finances
  • Fundraising efforts
  • Impact on Greek and Drury communities
  • Comparable Housing opportunities available to students of this chapter

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

  • Hazing policy
  • Membership discrimination policy
  • Membership education policy and program, including New Member education programs
  • Recruitment/Membership intake policy and program
  • Leadership development and officer transition programs

INFORMATION ON INTER/NATIONAL STRENGTH

  • Total number of chapters nationwide and distribution area
  • Total number of chapters and colonies in Missouri and bordering states
  • Total number of initiated members
  • Total number of colonizations during the past five years
    • Where chartered
    • Number chartered
    • Number not chartered
  • Total number of colonizations anticipated in the next calendar year and where
  • The number of chapters closed and/or suspended during the last three academic years, including:
    • Where suspended
    • Why suspended
    • When suspended
  • Average size of chapters on campuses similar to Drury University

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • A copy of the organization’s insurance certificate (minimum $1,000,000 coverage)
  • Letter of intent from the inter/national Headquarters Expansion Chairperson
  • A list of all interested students (if applicable*) including Name, Drury ID, Class Status and GPA

STATEMENT ON INTEREST GROUPS
If a national organization is eligible for expansion (no previous restrictions from policy breaches and governing council open for expansion) it may hold two general meetings in order to build interest on campus, as well as see which students may want to be a part of their organization if they expand to Drury University.  During these meetings it is important to remember these requirements:

  • A designated national officer, not an interested student, must coordinate all meetings of this nature on campus.
  • It must be clearly stated at the meeting that there is no guarantee that the organization will be approved to expand on campus.
  • This designated group of interested students is prohibited to act as an organization affiliated with the national fraternity or sorority and will not be recognized as a student organization at Drury University or engage in any activities restricted to recognized fraternities/sororities.
  • Until the group is officially approved through the Greek Expansion Guidelines, there are to be no officers of the group, or events held in the group’s name.
  • Any initiation or new member education of members of the group interests violates the expansion policy and subjects the national organization to a minimum of two years of ineligibility to expand at Drury University.