Unrecognized Organizations FAQ

Recognized fraternities/sororities work closely with Fraternity & Sorority Affairs. They are held accountable to University policies and are able to participate in Greek Life and University sponsored programs.

Unrecognized organizations are those that are not associated with the University.  They do not receive support from Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. They are not permitted to use campus facilities, and their recruitment processes and new member activities are not monitored.  Students are prohibited from organizing or affiliating with unrecognized fraternities and sororities.  Individual students who are determined to be in violation of this policy may be placed on a University disciplinary status up to and including suspension or expulsion.

More information on Syracuse University's Policy for Recognition of Fraternal Organizations can be found on the Unrecognized Organizations Page.

An underground group or unrecognized fraternity or sorority is an organization that has lost or been denied University registration or recognition as a consequence of violating the Student Conduct Code and/or other University policy. Unrecognized fraternities and sororities are not held to the University or governing council standards that govern their behavior. They operate without the oversight, training, and education provided by staff in Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. 

Providing assistance to or in any way perpetuating the misconduct of an underground group or non-recognized organization is a violation of the Student Conduct Code and may lead to expulsion from the University.  Participating in activities or events sponsored by an underground group or non-recognized chapter may expose students to serious risk of potential harm and removal from the university.

We strongly discourage students from joining these organizations.  A list of organizations that are not currently allowed to operate at the university can be found on the Chapter Status page. 

While some formerly recognized chapters have continued to operate without University endorsement, oversight, or approval, these unrecognized chapters do not operate with the same diligence to promote student growth and development; provide proactive and preventative measures to foster wellness and safety; nor abide by University guidelines with regard to recruitment, new member education, academic support, and other areas that are vital to the successful management of a chapter. Additionally, unrecognized chapters operate willingly and against institutional policy and therefore lack resources and support provided to other student organizations.

Unrecognized chapters are also not permitted to use Syracuse University's name or image, reserve University spaces, secure University group housing, or represent themselves as an official part of the University community. Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, along with our governing student bodies, and Syracuse University neither support nor condone the activities of these unrecognized or suspended organizations, or any other groups representing themselves as a social fraternity or sorority.

Organizations listed as “not operating” on our chapter status page are temporarily or permanently unrecognized by the University, and thus not allowed to recruit or host activities. Organizations that are on “chapter status” have violated policies and are not able to host activities and/or recruit.

Any chapter not listed on our homepage yet operating on our campus is unrecognized by Syracuse University and does not align itself with our policies, guidelines, and values. A list of organizations that are either on chapter status or not currently allowed to operate at the University can be found on the Chapter Status Page.