Perhaps you’ve seen posters. Maybe a post on social media. You’ve probably heard someone talk about them at some point. What are all of these unfamiliar Greek letters?
Outside of the IFC and NPC, Wofford has chartered a handful of fraternities – yes, they accept all genders – intended to further foster growth in students’ knowledge of a certain subject, as well as commend honor-level work in the respective subject. These do not include service organizations, such as Alpha Phi Omega.
Here is a breakdown of these academic honors fraternities, including what they’re for and a bit about what it means to be involved in them. And, yes, you can be involved in these fraternities in addition to your traditional, Greek Life organizations.
Alpha Epsilon Delta
Alpha Epsilon Delta is a health pre-professional fraternity. Members engage in activities and service work related to health professions, including Q&A panels with Wofford alumni. Students interested in applying must have completed the first semester of their sophomore year and have at least a 3.2 GPA in pre-health classes. The frat’s Instagram is @aedwofford.
Alpha Psi Omega
Alpha Psi Omega is a theatre honors fraternity. “Our events are always fun and typically involve some amount of performance. For example, last semester we organized a karaoke/open mic night,” said chapter treasurer Alex Malvern ’23. Invitation to the fraternity is based on involvement and work ethic in the theatre department. The frat’s Instagram is @wocoalphapsiomega.
Beta Beta Beta
Beta Beta Beta, or Tri-Beta, is a biology honors fraternity. Members may engage in activities such as career panels and volunteer work at medical clinics. The frat’s Instagram is @wofford_tribeta.
Delta Phi Alpha
Delta Phi Alpha is a German honors fraternity. Members enhance their study of the German language and culture, further than what they may receive in a typical German education. Students interested in applying must be at least in sophomore year and have completed two years of college-level German study, as well as a B+ average in college German courses and at least a B- attained in all college courses.
Mu Beta Psi
Mu Beta Psi is a music service fraternity. “Brothers in Kappa Chapter have raised funds to tune all the campus pianos, assisted the Wofford music department faculty with concerts and events, and are always striving to support music and musicians on campus and in the community,” said chapter president Laura Mitchell ’22 about the fraternity. The frat’s Instagram is @wocomubetapsi.
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa is a liberal arts honor fraternity. Members are elected, and considered upon completion of 100 credit hours with a 3.6 cumulative GPA. It is considered one of the nation’s most prestigious liberal arts honor societies.
Pi Delta Phi
Pi Delta Phi is a French honors fraternity. Members can expect increased study and knowledge in the people of France and France’s contributions to the world, as well as a deeper appreciation for French culture. The top 35% of students in the French department are invited to join.
Pi Sigma Alpha
Pi Sigma Alpha is a government honors fraternity. Members can expect involvement in political science-related extracurricular activities and networking opportunities within the department, as well as opportunities for forums on graduate school and employment questions. To join, students must have completed at least 15 government/international affairs credits and an average GPA in those courses of 3.0.
Sigma Delta Pi
Sigma Delta Pi is a Hispanic honors fraternity. The fraternity has organized events to educate on and promote Latinx cultures, such as volunteer work with Latinx-serving ARCH Ministries and planning a screening of the movie Selena, a movie about Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. The induction ceremony for the highest-achieving Spanish students is conducted entirely in Spanish.
Sigma Pi Sigma
Sigma Pi Sigma is a physics honors fraternity. The fraternity’s mission is to “exist to honor outstanding scholarship in physics, to encourage interest in physics among students at all levels, to promote an attitude of service, and to provide a fellowship of persons who have excelled in physics.”
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta is an English honors fraternity. “I joined because I wanted to connect with other people in the field of literature,” said member Thoreau Kilbourne ’22 when asked why he joined Sigma Tau Delta. To join, students must have at least a 2.5 GPA, 3.0 English GPA, and completion or enrollment in English 201-203 and 2 or more 300-level English courses. The frat’s Instagram is @wocosigmataudelta.
