The Interfraternity Council is adding its 16th Greek organization this month.
At the end of formal recruitment, officials will establish a chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi as part of a series of fraternity installations over the next three years. Beau Grzanich, the expansion coordinator for Alpha Sigma Phi’s national organization, said he wanted to establish a chapter on campus because GW is well-known, can support another fraternity and is situated around a large network of alumni.
“There’s the population that obviously wants Greek life, there’s a great alumni support network being in D.C.,” he said. “There’s definitely room for more growth in the community.”
Four additional fraternities, including Pi Kappa Phi and Phi Gamma Delta, will join IFC between 2019 and 2022, according to the organization’s website. Tau Kappa Epsilon also returned to campus last January after being shut down in 2015 after a member was arrested for possessing marijuana.
Grzanich said he worked with Ethan Stubbs, the assistant director of fraternity and sorority life and an adviser to the IFC, over the past semester to obtain credentials. The organization cannot recruit members formally because it does not yet have members or a cabinet, but Grzanich will speak with interested men and offer bids on a rolling basis in February, he said.
Grzanich said he plans to promote the chapter on social media and informally talk with student organizations that indicate interest. He said he anticipates doling out about 50 offers to install GW’s first chapter.
After the new members are selected, Grzanich said he will facilitate activities to connect new members, like attending a baseball game or setting up a meet-and-greet with alumni or members of American University’s chapter. Grzanich will stay on campus for about five weeks before another Alpha Sigma Phi board member arrives after spring break to oversee the chapter’s cabinet election, he said.
“The goal of the group is to first develop that brotherhood aspect, so focus on events where we can develop bonds with one another,” he said.
He said the chapter could eventually purchase a townhouse, but the organization typically waits about three years before pursuing on-campus housing to ensure chapter members know one another and understand how to operate the chapter.
Stubbs, the IFC adviser who helped Grzanich establish the new chapter, did not return multiple requests for comment.
David Eron, the organization’s coordinator of undergraduate engagement, said he will visit campus in March to guide the chapter through officer elections. New members can also opt to hold a position on one of the chapter’s four committees, like the member retention and philanthropy committees, he said.
“My role is to support, along with providing training and resources, the guys starting Alpha Sigma Phi and to help them achieve their goals as the newest chapter at George Washington,” Eron said in an email.
IFC President Jared Levinson said the addition of Alpha Sigma Phi will allow the council to “promote our presence” on campus and grow the IFC community. He said the new chapter also expands the number of options for prospective fraternity members “to find their right fit.”
He added that increasing the number of men involved in Greek life helps the IFC community hold one another accountable for combating negative stereotypes about fraternities.
“We must set the standard and perceptions on our own merit and actions. The growth just raises that bar for us,” Levinson said in an email.
