All of Duke’s eight Panhellenic Council organizations will start a new Durham Panhellenic Council effective Wednesday, Dec. 1.
“We have been in conversations with the NPC, our member organizations and students and are disappointed to hear of their departure, but remain committed to our fraternity and sorority community at Duke,” wrote Emily Dye, director of student leadership at the University Center Activities & Events, in an email to The Chronicle.
Dye wrote that NPC is expected to make an announcement about the disaffiliation later today.
Nine fraternities disaffiliated in the spring to form the Durham Interfraternity Council, citing disappointment with Duke’s decision to suspend selective housing and move the rush process from first-year spring to sophomore fall. Only four fraternities elected to retain affiliation with the University in the Duke Interfraternity Council.
Duke’s chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma cited similar reasons in their decision to disaffiliate, per an email to members, The Chronicle reported Monday. Additionally, Duke’s Omicron chapter of Alpha Delta Pi closed in October, and Zeta Tau Alpha is no longer listed on the Student Affairs website as being recognized as a member of Duke Panhel.
Duke still recognizes fraternities and sororities in the Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council—historically Black fraternities and sororities—and Duke IFC.
Disaffiliated organizations no longer have access to room reservations, organization-specific trainings—such as sorority-specific gender-based violence trainings, for example—space on campus, staff support and organizational advising, use of university name or image, university funds, among other resources, per a Student Leadership FAQ obtained by The Chronicle. Students will not get in trouble with the University for joining disaffiliated organizations.
The eight sororities that will compose Durham Panhel are Alpha Phi; Chi Omega; Delta Delta Delta; Delta Gamma; Gamma Phi Beta; Kappa Alpha Theta; Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi.
The Chronicle reached out to sorority presidents for comment about why they chose to disaffiliate and how voting worked among each chapter. None immediately responded. Additionally, Dye did not immediately respond to a follow-up email about why the chapters disaffiliated.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Nadia Bey contributed reporting.
Editor's note: This article's headline has been updated to reflect that all eight of Duke's NPC sororities disaffiliated, not including National Pan-Hellenic Council, which consists of historically Black sororities and fraternities, or Multicultural Greek Council sororities. The Chronicle regrets the error.
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Leah Boyd is a Pratt senior and a social chair of The Chronicle's 118th volume. She was previously editor-in-chief for Volume 117.