Panhellenic Council
The Panhellenic Council is the governing body of the 4 sororities on campus. The Panhellenic exists to promote the core values of friendship, leadership, service, knowledge, integrity, and community. They are committed to relationships built on trust though transparency, accountability, and mutual respect. The Panhellenic Council works to support organizations while advancing the sorority experience here at Penn State Behrend.
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Alpha Sigma Alpha
Nationally Founded: November 15, 1901
Locally Founded: October 24,1987
Motto: Aspire. Seek. Attain.
Philanthropies: S. June Smith Center, Special Olympics, Girls on the Run
Traditional Activities at Behrend: Date Auction, Blood Drive
Additional Information: Alpha Sigma Alpha is a National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) social and service sorority that exists to promote high ideals and standards for its members throughout their lives by emphasizing balance among the four aims of intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social development. Alpha Sigma Alpha provides structure and guidance through sisterhood, heritage, and opportunities.
Alpha Sigma Tau
Nationally Founded: November 4, 1899
Locally Founded: November 18, 1989
Motto: Active, Self-Reliant, Trustworthy.
Philanthropy: The Pine Mountain Settlement School
Traditional Activities at Behrend: Mr. & Miss Penn State Behrend Pageant
Additional Information: Alpha Sigma Tau is a National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sorority founded at Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University). AST is committed to developing scholars, leaders, and sisters. Our mission is to foster intellectual, cultural, ethical and social development of our members while building relationships that will transcend the college experience. The purpose of the Sorority is to promote the ethical, cultural, and social development of its members, specifically to develop the character of each member through a study of ethics so that she will show in all her relationships sincerity, honesty, love and understanding; to help each member enjoy the cultural advantages in life so that she will know how to select those things which are most worthwhile; and to develop in each member the social graces to the extent that she will be able to take her place in life with true dignity and poise.
Phi Sigma Rho
Nationally Founded: September 24, 1984
Locally Founded: February 28, 2016
Motto: Together we build the future.
Philanthropy: Phi Sigma Rho Foundation
Additional Information: Phi Sigma Rho is a social sorority for women in technical studies serving our sisters and the community by promoting: a) High standards of personal integrity, respect, and character, b) Lifelong bonds of sisterhood, and c) Academic and professional excellence with a social balance. Women who are majoring in engineering or hard sciences are eligible to join this organization.
Theta Phi Alpha
Nationally Founded: August 30, 1912
Locally Founded: December 3, 1994
Motto: Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.
Philanthropies: Glenmary Home Missioners and The House That Theta Phi Alpha Built
Traditional Activities at Behrend: Pie a Theta Phi and Sapphire Man
Additional Information: The mission of Theta Phi Alpha is to create close comradeship, to advance educational, social and philanthropic interests, and leadership training; to encourage spiritual development and adherence to the highest moral standards; and to promote lifelong bonds of friendship. Our values are justice, wisdom, loyalty, faith, truth, and honor. Theta Phi Alpha was originally founded to offer Catholic women the experience of sorority life, as other sororities did not include Catholic women. In 1968, all restrictive membership clauses were removed from Theta Phi Alpha’s National Constitution and Bylaws and Theta Phi Alpha opened up its membership to all women regardless of race, creed or religious belief. Theta Phi Alpha has adopted Saint Catherine of Siena as its patroness.
Position statement for groups who have lost recognition:
There is a clear and decisive line between the recognized organizations at Penn State Behrend, and those unaffiliated organizations who do not meet the standards of the institution or community. Recognized Groups constantly struggle with negative stereotypes, and unrecognized groups without the same level of accountability erode their ability to be successful. It is in the best interests of the students, our organizations, and Penn State Behrend to educate others on the differences between our recognized and unrecognized organizations. Currently, there is one organization that operates with no recognition or endorsement from Penn State Behrend:
- Sigma Kappa Nu (ΣKN) also known as “Skins”
This group is no longer a recognized student organization at Penn State Behrend. They have lost this recognition for failure to meet basic standards of the college and have no national affiliation. While a group may wear clothing with Greek letters, that may not mean they are a part of the community, or embody the values and standards of the recognized fraternity or sorority.