The University supports Greek Life raising funds for Greek housing on campus in the future according to administrators.According to Eugene Dial, vice president for student affairs, the University has encouraged the building of fraternity housing. “The University would welcome fraternity housing.”
“There’s been conversation about Greek housing,” Rina Clarke, student life coordinator and Greek life adviser, said. It is the responsibility of the individual Greek chapters to pay for their Greek housing. “Chapters must secure funding,” she said.
“There is no set amount of money that each chapter needs,” Clarke said. “We are looking for the chapters to get us (the University) a housing plan along with the cost of construction.”
Greek chapters use different methods in order to raise the funds needed. “Some Greek chapters have a fundraising plan as well as incorporating fees into their dues,” Clarke said. “Many have also had alumni donations as well as alumni who will be taking out loans.”
After the Greek chapters obtain the funding for their housing, they enter into negotiations with the alumni chapter on the design, Clarke said. “Once ready to build, the University makes sure they have the funding and sound architectural designs.”
“Many (chapters) do not have the money on hand and are waiting until they can put their housing plan together before raising the capital,” Clarke said. The money is placed in a bank account until ready to be used toward housing.
Greek chapters must receive approval from the University because they cannot build off-campus. “Thibodaux has a law that does not allow fraternities to build on city limits,” Clarke said. The University, however, is on state property and therefore not subject to that law.
Currently, only one fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order, has met with the University and submitted a written plan, Clarke said.
The University has set aside land for construction of fraternity and sorority housing in the future. “For fraternities, the area was designated by the University between the Married Housing Apartments and soccer field,” Dial said. “For the sororities, the University has designated the area between Babington Hall and the Married Housing Apartments.”
Once approved by the University, it would take about nine months to one year of construction time for the Greek housing to be built, Dial said.
Greek members believe that Greek housing would have a positive impact on the campus. “In my opinion, the Greek system holds a strong position on campus,” Randy Dow, mass communication senior from Chalmette and Tau Kappa Epsilon member, said. “I think the University should support Greeks in having their own private lodging. You see Greeks everywhere running different organizations.”
Dow said that the University is slow to move on Greek housing. “Same hold up as always,” he said, “because they wouldn’t have houses for other fraternities or sororities.”
Some Greek organizations would not mind having housing if the University was able to provide them with a place of their own to hold their meetings. “I think it would be nice to give fraternities and sororities a place to meet without having to book a room,” Jade Campbell, English senior from Thibodaux and Delta Sigma Theta president, said. “Our chapter is small and wouldn’t have monetary capability to fund housing. We would only want one (Greek room) to conduct meetings.
