Residential Life

Greek Life & Houses

Greek Life has been a presence on the Brown Univeristy campus for over 175 years. Greek Life at Brown recognizes both nationally affiliated and locally-based organizations. There are both residential organizations and non-residential organizations. Undergraduate students at Brown that hold membership within a Greek organization are provided a well-rounded college experience that has a foundation in scholarship, service leadership, and personal development.

Learn About the Brown Greek Life Community

Greek organizations at Brown are a member of one of the following councils:

Divine Nine Council is the overarching council that Brown's six NPHC organizations are a part of. The Council meets every other Thursday from 12PM-1PM in Grad Center E and is open to all members of NPHC organizations. Council Advisor: Naby Exceus (naby_exceus@brown.edu)

Brown NPC is the overarching council that Brown's four PNX organizations are a part of. The Council meets every Tuesday from 12PM-1PM in Grad Center E and is open to all members of NPC organizations. Council Advisor: Sarah Ballman (sarah_ballman@brown.edu)

Independent Council is the overarching council that Brown's six Independent organizations are a part of. The Council meets every other Thursday from 12PM-1PM in Grad Center E and is open to all members of Independent organizations. Naby Exceus (naby_exceus@brown.edu)

 

Brown is a deferred recruitment campus, allowing students to connect first with the institution and focus on academic success. Students interested in joining one of our Greek Life organizations must:

  • Have completed at least one academic semester (defined as fall or spring term).
  • Be in good standing, both academic and conduct 
  • Must be enrolled at Brown prior to the start of the recruitment or intake process
    • Brown/RISD dual-enrolled students qualify as enrolled at Brown
    • NPHC organizations that have city or state charters can accept students from universities included in the charter. However, 51% of the organization has to be Brown-enrolled students
  • A student can not be a member of more than one Greek Organization

National Panhellenic Council (NPC)

Formal Recruitment takes place in early spring semester every year. The four NPC sororities at Brown do a centralized recruitment that allows students to learn about all four chapters at Brown and meet the women within those chapters over the course of a weekend. The Formal Recruitment Process is a mutual match process that allows Potential New Members (PNMs) and Sorority chapters to self-select one another. Learn more about Formal Recruitment. Occasionally there are opportunities for members to join outside of the Formal Recruitment weekend, through Continuous Open Bid (COB), however, COB is dictated by recruitment numbers and every organization is not guaranteed the ability to participate in COB every year.

 

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)

The recruitment process for NPHC is referred to as Intake. Each individual organization at Brown conducts its own Intake process during the spring semester every year. Occasionally organizations will also do an intake process during the fall semester for students with sophomore standing or higher. Those that are interested in participating in an NPHC organization's Intake process should reach out to the specific organization to learn more about the timeline and process or to the Divine Nine council advisor.

 

Local Fraternities and Gender-Inclusive Organizations

The Recruitment Process for the Brown locally-based Fraternities and Brown's Gender-Inclusive Organizations takes place in early Spring each year. During the recruitment dates, each organization will individually host a number of events to get to know potential new members (PNMs). At the conclusion of the recruitment period, each organization will extend bids to PNMs that they would like to offer to become members of their organization. Those that are interested in participating in the recruitment process should reach out to the specific organization to learn more about events and a specific timeline. Each organization can offer bids to no more than 30 PNMs during spring recruitment. 

  • Recruitment Info Sessions held by organizations: November 1 - December 7, 2023
  • Official Recruitment Events: January 23 - February 20, 2024
  • Deadline for Organizations to email Bids to PNMs: February 21, 2024 at 12PM
  • Deadline for PNMs to Accept/Decline a Bid: February 22, 2024 at 12PM

The safety and well-being of Brown students are our top priorities. Hazing is a violation of Rhode Island law, the Brown Code of Student Conduct, Brown Policy, and the policies of our individual Greek Life organizations. To learn more about Brown's Policy around Hazing and to report possible hazing activity please click HERE. 

Our NPC Sororities, Local Fraternities, and Gender-Inclusive organizations each have dedicated exclusive residential space within Brown residence halls to help build community within their organization

These spaces can include the following:

  • Greek Allotment of Bedrooms (clustered together)
    • Only active members within the Greek Organization may live within the allotment. If rooms within the allotment are not filled by members those rooms will be retracted and removed from the allotment. 
  • 1st Floor Lounge
  • Library
  • Kitchen
  • Basement Storage

In order to maintain eligibility for these spaces organizations must have the following number of members living within the organization's residence hall allotment (In-House Membership), failure to maintain in-house membership requirements could result in exclusive residential spaces being removed from the organization. 

In-House Membership Requirements:

  • 2024-2025 Academic Year: 20 in-house members
    • 5 of which need to be returning members
  • 2025-2026 Academic Year (and beyond): 25 in-house members
    • 10 of which need to be returning members

Note: NPHC organizations are non-residential and do not have in-house membership requirements. 

Greek Life Organizations

National Panhellenic Council (NPC) Sororities

These four sororities are residential organizations and a part of the Brown Panhellenic Council, which is based on democratic principles and is organized to enable cooperation among the four sororities. Brown Panhellenic members must respect the letter and spirit of all National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Unanimous Agreements and policies.

Alpha Chi Omega was the first sorority on campus in 1979. Since then the sisters of the Zeta Theta chapter of Alpha Chi Omega have dedicated themselves to philanthropy, academics, and most of all, sisterhood. We are a dedicated and diverse group of girls whose interests range from child psychology to biomedical engineering, classics, to East Asian studies. At the end of the day we are all unique Brown Students who have been fortunate enough to find sisterhood.

In the spring of 2018, Delta Gamma officially dropped anchor in Providence, Rhode Island. After a three-month installation process, Theta Delta was chartered and welcomed 55 new women into Delta Gamma's Sisterhood. Delta Gamma was founded in 1873 by three women who shared the values of friendship, education, social responsibility and character. With the motto "Do Good", Delta Gammas strive to make a difference through awareness, service and fundraising. DG has its own philanthropy, Service For Sight, dedicated to assisting the visually impaired.

The first Greek letter fraternity for women, Kappa Alpha Theta was founded initially in 1870 at DePauw University and at Brown University in 1897 as the Alpha Epsilon Chapter. Our four founders, Bettie Locke Hamilton, Alice Allen Brant, Bettie Tipton Lindsey, and Hannah Fitch Shaw, were quite the forward-thinking women when creating the first all-women fraternity. In choosing Theta, you are joining a close-knit sisterhood that values intellectual curiosity, leadership potential, commitment to service, and personal excellence. We bond through study sessions at the SciLi, big-little family dinners, supporting each other at athletic competitions, doing community service together, and watching Queer Eye with Queer Thetas—a program started by our queer sisters to educate other members about biases and inclusivity within the community—and going to spin classes together. To raise money for our philanthropy, we host two events every year to benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). Our chapter has been recognized nationally as a “Bronze Kite” for our achievements and at Brown for Diversity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year in 2019.

Kappa Delta was officially installed at Brown in the spring of 2013 and was the first KD chapter in Rhode Island! We take pride in having a community of diverse and accomplished women. Our various interests and accomplishments make each woman different, but we are also diverse in that our girls come from different parts of America---and of the world!  There are women who hail from England, Ghana, China, Germany, South Korea and Hong Kong. In the spirit of Kappa Delta’s philanthropic attitude, we raise money for Prevent Child Abuse America by throwing “Dunk and Dodge” (a fun dodgeball tournament and paint party mash-up) and look forward to continuing this tradition every spring. We also do activities with our local Girl Scouts troop to help instill confidence in young girls. To tighten our sisterhood bond, our women get together for activities such as movie night, pumpkin picking, and group yoga.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)

These six organizations, three fraternities and three sororities, are non-residential organizations that are members of the Brown National Pan-Hellenic Council. NPHC fosters cooperative actions of its members in dealing with matters of mutual concern.

Brown's Divine 9 Council: @brownd9council or divinenine_council@brown.edu

NPHC Sororities

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® (AKA), an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 15, 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women.

An early chapter of AKA was established at Brown University in the 1920s, making it the first historically Black sorority to be chartered on Brown’s campus. The Iota Alpha Chapter was chartered at Brown on May 18, 1974, by 14 undergraduate Black women enrolled at Brown University. 

AKA creates a supportive and safe space for women to connect on campus and beyond, and is focused on doing work that is rooted in sisterhood to provide “service to all mankind.” The Iota Alpha Chapter proudly serves the Brown University campus and the Greater Providence community through its initiatives.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a public service organization dedicated to scholarship, service, sisterhood, and social action, with a primary focus on Black communities. On January 13, 1913, twenty-two dynamic Black undergraduate women founded the sorority at Howard University. In its first public act of service, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was the only African-American sorority to participate in the Suffrage March of 1913. Today, it is the largest African-American Greek-letter sorority, with over 350,000 women holding membership. 

The Illustrious Lambda Iota Chapter was chartered on March 30, 1974 at Brown University. Since its chartering, the Lambda Iota Chapter’s service initiatives have aimed to empower Black communities within Rhode Island. The chapter’s programs focus on Economic Development, Educational Development, International Awareness and Involvement, Physical and Mental Health, and Political Awareness and Involvement. 

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated is a distinguished sorority that stands firmly on the pillars of scholarship, service, sisterhood, and the embodiment of finer womanhood. Founded on January 16, 1920, on the campus of Howard University, the organization is committed to promoting academic excellence. The women within this organization continually aspire to achieve the highest educational standards, fostering a strong sense of unity among their sisterhood. Their dedication to humanitarian causes transcends borders as they engage in charitable works and philanthropic endeavors, addressing national and international issues. 

The Sigma Nu Chapter was chartered on March 12, 1988, on the campus of Johnson & Wales University and continuously makes contributions to the greater Providence community. Interested women from Johnson & Wales University, Brown University, and Rhode Island College can seek membership through this city-wide chapter.

  • Connect with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.:

NPHC Fraternities

Alpha Phi Alpha is an organization that aims to develop leaders and promote brotherhood and academic excellence while providing service and advocacy for our communities. Founded on December 4th, 1906 at Cornell University, it is the oldest black fraternity in the United States.

The Alpha Gamma chapter, seated in the city of Providence, was founded in February 1921. The chapter boasts a long history of brothers from schools including Brown University, Johnson and Wales University (JWU), and Rhode Island College (RIC). Along with being the 25th historic chapter of our esteemed organization, Alpha Gamma boasts an impressive list of contributions to Brown. For example, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers are attributed to founding the Inman Page Black Alumni Council and recognized for significant contributions to the now Brown Center for Students for Color (BCSC), and black student activism across the past decades

  • Connect with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.:
    • Email: alphas25thhouse@gmail.com 
    • Instagram: @alphas25thhouse
    • Universities in Charter: Brown University, Bridgewater State University, Bryant University, Community College Of Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales University, Providence College, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island School of Design, University Of Massachusetts At Dartmouth, and University of Rhode Island

Kappa Alpha Psi (ΚΑΨ) Fraternity, Inc. is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African-American membership. The fraternity has over 160,000 members with 721 undergraduate chapters. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. is a part of the Divine 9, a group of the only recognized historically black fraternities and sororities that are members of the national Pan-Hellenic council. Members are known to carry around canes representing dignity and class, which are often taped with the fraternities' colors of Krimson and Kreme.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Theta Epsilon Chapter, was chartered on June 27, 1947 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Throughout the decades, the chapter has consisted of young men from Brown University, Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Rhode Island College (RIC), and the University of Rhode Island (URI). These young men have gone on to become successful professionals and prominent members of their community.

  • Connect with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.:
    • Email: 
    • Social Media: 
    • Universities in Charter:

Independent Gender Inclusive Organizations

These two organizations are residential organizations that are inclusive of all genders.

The Alpha Delta Phi Society is a diverse, gender-inclusive community of friends that encourage each other's passions and have lots of fun along the way. Whether you find us hanging out in the Lounge, playing video games in the TV Room, or baking in the kitchen, you can expect excellent company, meaningful conversations, and boundless shenanigans. We celebrate our society's rich history and traditions, but most importantly, we develop lifelong friendships.

Zeta Delta Xi is a co-ed fraternity that brings together many different individuals from disparate backgrounds. We are thinkers, doers, models, engineers, writers, artists, scientists, linguists, musicians, and most of all really fun people to be around. Some of us are guilty of watching way too much television (whether it be Game of Thrones or Keeping Up With The Kardashians). Whether studying in the lounge, or cooking dinner in our fully stocked kitchen, our brothers take pride in the rewarding experiences that Zete has to offer. In breaking away from our all-male national 37 years ago, we made sure that this amazing community could be experienced by people regardless of gender, and we have evolved into a fraternity of friendship, community, and good dance moves.

Independent Fraternities

These four organizations are residential fraternities that are locally based at Brown.

Beta Omega Chi dedicates itself to service. Service is one of the two focal points of the mission of the fraternity, the other being the establishment of an undying brotherhood. Our commitment to Service has been and will continue to be at the heart of our organization. Though dedicating time and raising money the members of Beta Chi Omega have served the community both inside and outside of Brown. 

Delta Phi at Brown has a great tradition to uphold that stretches back nearly 200 years. We believe firmly that the college fraternity is an intimate, personal experience best shared amongst the closest of friends. DPhi also has a deserved reputation for being an extremely close-knit, socially-oriented house, whose diversity is reflected in the collection of successful athletes, scholars, and leaders in the Brown community that are our members. We are active in a variety of community service pursuits, most recently including a mentoring program at a Providence inner-city high school. But the most important thing Delta Phi offers are friendships that will last a lifetime. Semper Ubique!

  • Connect with Delta Phi:
    • Location: Diman House
    • Email: 
    • Social Media: 

DTau’s membership reflects the diverse backgrounds from which we hail. We pride ourselves on our laid-back attitudes and our laissez-faire self-governance and the equality with which we treat one another stands testament to our ability to overstep the traditional social boundaries of fraternities.

The brothers of Theta Alpha share one common bond: we all like to have a good time. From the west coast to the east coast, the brothers add diverse backgrounds to the already established melting pot community of Brown. While many brothers currently study economics or the business tract of COE, we have brothers concentrating in the History of Art and Architecture, History, English, Engineering, and Neuroscience. Some Thetians are involved in Brown athletics, and others enjoy the numerous intramurals that are offered. The doors in Theta Alpha are always open.

Derecognized Greek Organizations

The following organizations are not recognized by Brown University or any Greek Council on campus.

  • Phi Kappa Psi, RI Alpha Chapter - established at Brown in 1902, derecognized in 2015
  • Sigma Chi, Beta Nu chapter - established at Brown in 1872, derecognized in 2019

Participation in Derecognized Student Groups. It is a violation of University policy for students to knowingly affiliate with groups, teams, or organizations that have had their University recognition suspended or permanently revoked by the University for disciplinary reasons. The definition of affiliation includes joining, rushing, pledging or being involved in any activity that would normally be associated with being a member of such an organization. This applies to organizations that were created by members of a derecognized organization in an attempt to continue its presence on campus.

This prohibited conduct does not apply to unrecognized student groups who have never had University recognition or who are currently not recognized by the University because of non-disciplinary disbandment. However, known members of unrecognized student groups may be held accountable for any prohibited conduct by these groups.