Greek Villiage Planning (first steps...)

The spring break has been a great time for a variety of reasons, however, one of my personal favorites is the first steps in our new housing master planning process has begun. We are considering partnering with Brailsford and Dunlavey for a study of the housing at Southeast, with a focus towards possible new Greek Housing. While nothing is certain, and there are countless and difficult challenges to this idea, I am pleased we are taking a serious look at this idea. 

I know there will be a rush to start talking about how each house will look, the size of chapter rooms, or how the assignment of each chapter to any new housing will be decided. I do understand the desire to move into these details; however, there are two fundamental questions we, both the University and each organization, must first address. These questions include the past and projected future size and growth of the student body and each organization. I have been part of the Southeast Greek system, both as an undergraduate and as an alumnus, and over this time I have seen multiple Greek organizations leave the Southeast campus (Phi Sigma Kappa, Phi Delta Theta, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi) while at the same time watching some organizations join or return to the Southeast Greek system (Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Gamma Phi Beta, Iota Phi Theta). In addition to these changes to our Greek system, I have also seen cases where nearly every chapter in the Greek Area has witnessed their membership fluctuate such that they lost or were unable to fill their house. If we are to move forward with our planning process we must confront these kinds of issues so we can develop a Greek Housing area that allows both the University and individual chapters to respond to these kinds of changes. 

We will all have to surrender our individual Greek letters as we begin this process so we can work towards a Greek housing plan that builds the entire Greek system. Once we have this framework in place, we can then put back on our letters and begin the work to establish the specifics for chapter houses that best meet the needs of individual chapter’s and the University. I have had the opportunity to work with alumni from almost every chapter at Southeast and over this time I have enjoyed working with some of the very best Greek alumni our Greek system has produced. I look forward to our future conversations because I believe there are many of us, myself included, who are interested in working to improve our Greek system.