A new sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, is hitting campus this semester and there may be many questions regarding the process of this new sorority.
Last spring the National Panhellenic Council concluded that there was a need for another sorority on campus.
Many sororities sent representatives to compete for the desired extension, but in the end the University decided on Kappa Alpha Theta (KAT).
Educational Leadership Consultants for KAT Hilary Holmes and Lauren Lewis were sent to The University of Tampa to be the consultants for the UT chapter and will be staying here until May. Kappa Alpha Theta focuses on
scholarship, sisterhood, leadership, campus involvement, community service and social excellence.
There are currently 125 Theta chapters in the United States and Canada and the chapter at UT will be the 126th.
The chapter at UT will have an estimated 85 people and these women will be the sorority’s charter class.
As the charter class, they will have the rare opportunity of creating the foundation for the Kappa Alpha Theta chapter.
They will be able to hold leadership positions early on in their membership and help decide the direction of the chapter in the future.
Women interested in the process are not required to go through a formal recruitment procedure, but are encouraged to do so.
Starting next fall, the sorority will participate in the regular formal recruitment process.
The chapter will then have a normal new member period and the new members will be initiated with the chapter.
The recruitment process is different from the NPC formal recruitment process.
Kappa Alpha Theta will be a part of the open house round, but will then drop out of the formal recruitment process. Their recruitment process takes place from Sept. 13 – 26.
On Sept. 26 there will be a colonization kick-off event where Thetas from all over the country will be at UT to meet the women interested and help start the chapter here.
The sorority is expected to be installed by Nov. 7.
To learn more about UT’s new chapter, visit thinktheta.org. To learn more about Kappa Alpha Theta visit http://www.kappaalphatheta.org.
Hilary Holmes and Lauren Lewis can be reached at hholmes@kappaalphatheta.org and llewis@kappaalphatheta.org.
Shivani Kanji can be reached at shivi88@gmail.com.
Lauren Lewis is a boss. If for no other reason, join because she’s heading it.
The chapter is only allowed to take 60 members.