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Picture of 3 individuals at the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life Hosting the annual Greek Gala Celebrating Community

Office of Sorority & Fraternity Life Hosts Annual Greek Gala Celebrating Community

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The Office of Sorority & Fraternity Life (OSFL) hosted the annual Greek Gala on October 11, 2024, and brought together students, faculty, and community members to celebrate the community fostered by current student leaders, advisors, campus partners, and alumni.

The event celebrated distinguished inductees into the Sorority and Fraternity Life Alumni Hall of Fame, which acknowledges alumni who have made impactful contributions to their organizations, the University of Tennessee, or their professional fields. Nominations are submitted by active members and alumni who can attest to a member’s achievements.

    • Pug Fuller, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
    • Jim Herbert, Farmhouse
    • Judi Herbert, Sigma Kappa
    • Richard A. “Dick” Koella, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
    • Rick Kuhlman, Pi Kappa Alpha
    • John Tickle, Phi Sigma Kappa

“I am thrilled to welcome the past and present members of our community to this annual celebration of lifelong membership, milestones, and a commitment to what it truly means to be a Volunteer” shared John Keith, director of the Office of Sorority & Fraternity Life. “Along with guests, friends, and family, we gathered to celebrate the essence of community: giving back, supporting one another, and building upon the foundation left for us.”

Additionally, council presidents shared organization highlights. The Multicultural Greek Council celebrated 11 years with notable accomplishments, including record-setting event attendance and a new dedicated coordinator that started in summer 2024.

The Panhellenic Council celebrated significant achievements this year, including raising over $20,000 for Circle of Sisterhood at the Annual Sisterhood Showcase and sending 13 women to Senegal to lay the foundation for a school. Additionally, over 1,500 new members joined during primary recruitment, and Kappa Delta and Zeta Tau Alpha were recognized as Chapters of the Year at the Fraternal Excellence Awards.

The Interfraternity Council achieved the largest recruitment in Tennessee’s history, with over 1,100 interested students and more than 700 new members. The council also hosted a Greek Networking Event for students, established a second needs-based scholarship, and welcomed the re-establishment of Delta Tau Delta and the chartering of Delta Upsilon.

The National Pan-Hellenic Council hosted the Misconceptions and Stereotypes forum to encourage open discussions about joining Divine Nine organizations and expanded its outreach with The Kickback event featuring karaoke and games. Additionally, the council organized a drive for children in need, collecting 300 items, and launched a voter registration drive that impacted over 100 students through various chapter events.

In September 2022, the office celebrated 150 years since its inception at UT. Since the first fraternity was chartered on campus in 1872, the university has hosted nearly 100 different local and national chapters of sororities and fraternities. Currently, there are 48 active chapters on our campus. More than 8,933 students, approximately 30% of the undergraduate population, are members of Greek-letter organizations and represent four governing councils: Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Panhellenic Council.