As part of Cal Poly’s eight-year expansion plan for greek life, four new fraternities will come to campus. The first one to come on campus is Pi Kappa Phi. The fraternity came to Cal Poly in Fall 2016, but just participated in their first rush this past week.
Pi Kappa Phi is the first fraternity to join campus of the four because its goals align most closely to those of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) — namely, philanthropy.
“Our theme is exceptional leaders and uncommon opportunities,” Pi Kappa Phi President Daniel Benham said. “So the vibe, really you could say of Pi Kappa Phi, is that we’re servant leaders.”
In Spring 2016, Lead Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life Kathryn O’Hagan expressed how impressed she was with Pi Kappa Phi’s involvement in philanthropy.
“I’m excited for IFC to be expanding,” Interim Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life Payton Gates said. “Pi Kappa Phi has a lot of national support and so far they’ve got a great group of chapter members.”
Pi Kappa Phi is the only national fraternity with its own 501(C3) non-profit organization called “The Ability Experience.” The non-profit is dedicated to spreading awareness about people with disabilities. It was recognized as being one of the only fraternities to raise more than $15 million for one organization, according to the website.
Philanthropy in greek life is not unique to just Pi Kappa Phi, but is common across all Cal Poly chapters. A recent announcement of the university found that greek life on campus raised more than $500,000 last year.
Top fundraisers included Chi Omega ($45,000), Sigma Kappa ($37,000) and Alpha Omicron Pi ($20,000).
Materials engineering sophomore Benham said he’s looking forward to representing not only his fraternity, but greek life in general.
“Knowing the reputation that we have among Cal Poly students and the community with media portrayals have of us, we’re now in a position to influence that reputation,” Benham said. “It’s extremely valuable to me and it’s something our guys are excited about.”
The following fraternities will be introduced next as part of the plan to introduce eight new fraternities: Alpha Sigma Phi in Fall 2018, Phi Gamma Delta in Fall 2020 and Phi Delta Theta in Fall 2022.