March 28, 2024

A new sorority will be introduced to Wittenberg’s campus for the 2016 spring semester, according to Carol Nickoson, Wittenberg director of Sorority and Fraternity Life.
The three sororities in consideration are Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Zeta and Kappa Kappa Gamma.
One of these sororities will begin recruiting a few days after the Bid Day for Panhellenic recruitment on Jan. 24.
The new sorority’s recruitment process will involve a series of events, such as informational sessions, open houses and Q-and-A sessions, as well as some form of a philanthropy day, a sisterhood day, a preference night and, finally, a bid day.
“For the most part, the effect [of a new sorority on campus] should be positive, seeing as so many women want to go Greek, and that the chapters on campus want to give as many potential women a home and sisterhood they will never forget,” said senior Emma Brems, vice president recruitment of the Panhellenic Council.
The decision to “open for extension” – or bring a new sorority to campus – was made because the existing Wittenberg sororities have been doing well in terms of stable membership and growing numbers, according to Nickoson.
Additionally, the past two to three years of the sorority recruitment process has shown an increase of women not placed into a house due to a limited amount of spaces available, Brems said.
“With the number of women interested in going Greek increasing, and the chapters reaching capacity in their houses and their numbers increasing every year, the need of a new sorority is vital in order to successfully strengthen and grow the Greek community as a whole,” Brems said.
The process began after sorority recruitment of the 2015 spring semester, and involved notifying the National Panhellenic Conference, providing information in an extension bulletin to all sororities not already at Wittenberg, and supplying application materials for those sororities interested.
Three different sororities applied and, because all had good application materials, Wittenberg decided to invite all three sororities back to campus, according to Nickoson.
The potential sororities will then send representatives back to Wittenberg, and each potential sorority will give a presentation in which they will discuss plans and field questions.
Kappa Kappa Gamma will hold its presentation on Oct. 7 in Shouvlin 105; Alpha Xi Delta will hold its presentation on Oct. 8 in Shouvlin 105; Delta Zeta will hold its presentation on Oct. 15 in Bailey Auditorium.
All presentations are open to the public.
After the presentations, an extension committee will review all feedback from anyone who interacted with the potential sororities’ representatives and will then make a recommendation to the Panhellenic Council on which sorority to invite back. Existing Wittenberg sorority chapters will then vote.
“My hope is that, through the process, a sorority will come to campus that fits with the values of Panhellenic,” Brems said.
Nickoson said that further criteria for a “good fit” include support of a chapters’ advisers and alumni in an area, sufficient leadership and training programs, philanthropic focus and potential housing plans.

25 thoughts on “New Sorority to Come to Campus

  1. To whom do we address our comments?
    Alpha Xi Delta provided me an outlook into the world into which I would enter. I needed to have a sense of self esteem, moral values, confidence and integrity. Sisterhood was understood. I have all of those and more.
    Kathy Landis Phifer Class of 1974 Proud to be a Wittenberg alum, proud to be an Alpha Ci!

  2. So happy Witt is opening for extension!!! AND, hoping that Alpha Xi Delta will be selected! I graduated in 1976 and have fond memories of being an Alpha Xi.

  3. I would relive my 4,college years in a heart beat! The reasons are because of the kind of university Wittenberg was and still is and being a proud member and former president of Alpha Xi Delta! I was also Vice President on Wittenberg’s Panhellinic Council. Witt and Alpha Xi prepared me for life!

  4. As a Delta Zeta at Wittenberg in the mid to late 80s, I loved my time there and my DZ sisters, and am hoping that DZ will be invited back to Witt. As a current Witt parent of a freshman son, I am on campus more that I have been for years, and really miss Delta Zeta’s presence at Witt. I truly hope that DZ will be invited back, and a new group of Delta Zetas will be able to enjoy DZ as much as my sisters and I did. Delta Zeta truly is a great organization that has a rich proud history at Wittenberg.

  5. I am a Wittenberg Delta Zeta Class of 1990. I remain active in the alumnae chapter in my new hometown of Memphis, TN, but have been saddened that my home at Witt – the DZ house – has not been full of the friendship, scholarship, philanthropy and sisterhood that I enjoyed during my years there. Those years at the DZ house at Wittenberg were fundamental in shaping my college experience. I am so glad that the house is still there and still owned by DZ, and am very hopeful that DZ will be invited back and the house can be fixed up for a new class of DZ sisters at Wittenberg!

  6. I’m looking forward to the Delta Zeta presentation and eager to assist with the other alumnae in recruitment and oversight in the Beta Chi Chapter. In my time at Wittenberg, DZ fostered a superior academic atmosphere, promoted volunteerism, and created life-long friendships. Delta Zeta will make an excellent addition to college life at Wittenberg.
    Tricia Sprankle, DZ, Witt Class of ’92

  7. Wittenberg’s Delta Zeta chapter helped this shy only child from Virginia find her voice and Witt home (1987-1991). I loved the leadership opportunities and sisterhood this wonderful chapter gave me, which I continued with Delta Zeta as an alumna. This helped prepare me for the world after college, my career (currently senior leader at a large financial company), and find friends for life! Hoping that Witt will select Delta Zeta and give other collegiate women the great opportunities I experienced!

  8. So happy to hear that there is a chance DZ could return to Witt. I had not originally planned to rush when I came to Witt but decided it would be a good way to meet people even if I ended up not joining. For me DZ stood out it was a place I felt comfortable. I am so glad I joined. I made so many friends and memories there! I still have DZ sisters I am close with.

  9. I vote for Delta Zeta! Still love and cherish the friends I made and it was by far the most inclusive sorority on campus at the time. Bring back Delta Z!

  10. Panhellenic Council – What wonderful news to expand sorority opportunities at Wittenberg! Being part of Delta Zeta sorority was the single most significant contribution to my personal development during college outside of the classroom and outstanding professors. Delta Zeta had always held to high level of academic standards, provided comradery (& life long friendships), inclusive & diverse, developed interpersonal skills that are still core to my life successes today! Please consider the long history of Delta Zeta on campus, the support of alumni near and far, availability of housing and philanthropic focus to select Delta Zeta to return this year to Witt!

  11. I am so excited to hear you will be expanding the Greek life at Wittenberg! Delta Zeta was a huge part of my Wittenberg experience. It was my home away from home. It provided me with lifelong friends as well as giving me lifelong skills. Vote in Delta Zeta!!

  12. Would so love to see our beautiful Delta Zeta sorority back up and active on Wittenberg’s campus! Really, all three sororities were fantastic and it’s a terrible shame they were ever removed. I know DZ’s from around the country will be most hopeful for a return to campus.

  13. I found my place at Wittenberg in Delta Zeta, circa 1984-1988…My friendships grew and blossomed and my self-esteem along with them! The leadership roles and philanthropic opportunities of living a sorority life are incredibly rewarding; not only did I create life-long friendships, I was involved with a family of sisters—my sisters, and this nourished my soul on a whole new level.
    As life sometimes offers surprising lessons, I never expected to experience a personal tragedy—but, in 1986, I did. My Delta Zeta sisters stood by me. They drove for hours to be with me during this time, and, in the aftermath, supported me while I tried to pick up the pieces of my life. Without this loving, understanding and patient support, I do not know where I would be today.
    The Delta Zeta Sorority holds to high standards of academic performance and personal growth for the women involved. Delta Zeta nurtures diversity, academic strength as well as community involvement. These expectations, traditions and friendships positively impact the young women’s lives far beyond their college days. The support of the DZ alumnae chapters is unprecedented, and I believe that the re-introduction of the Delta Zeta Sorority at Wittenberg University would be a benefit to the campus community as well as to the community as a whole.

  14. This is exciting news for greek life on the Wittenberg campus. I pledged Delta Zeta in 1983 and can express with confidence that my experiences as a DZ were formative. I was blessed with love and support from my sisters that could not be replicated in a dorm or apartment. I want to echo my sisters and tell you that our sisterhood remains strong even though our house is empty today. I look forward to returning to my college home and seeing my sisters again and meeting the pledge class of 2016. My daughter plans to attend Witt in 2019. I am overwhelmed at the possibility that she could pledge Delta Zeta and live in our house. My best wishes to all involved in this process. I’m looking forward to hearing the decision of the committee and supporting the Delta Zetas when they return to Wittenberg.

  15. Being a Delta Zeta at Wittenberg University changed my life for the better. When I joined, I met inspiring people that showed me kindness, generosity and the true potential that I possessed. I gained invaluable mentorship, learned the value of philanthropy and the importance of life long commitments. Delta Zeta helped me to grow not only as an individual but also helped to shape me into the woman I was meant to be, a woman who not only my family could be proud of, but who I could be proud of, too. I look back on my college days with fond memories due to the fact that I decided to rush Delta Zeta. No other sorority at Wittenberg would have given me the same opportunities, the same experiences, or the same kind of love that I received from my chosen home, Delta Zeta. I confidently say that Delta Zeta provides a lifelong sisterhood that supports its members every step of their journey through life.

  16. The Beta Chi Chapter of Delta Zeta contributed a lot to Witt when I was there in the late 1970’s. We won honorable mention in scholarship at the nation-wide Delta Zeta Awards Ceremony, which means we boosted Witt’s GPA also. The Beta Chi alumni from that time have gone on to become honored teachers and business leaders, representing Wittenberg and Drlta Zeta honorably. Also, our old house is available for a song!

  17. My pledge class helped reinvigorate the Beta Chi chapter in 1979 when it was in trouble. It’s heartwarming to read the above responses and know that the bond of sisterhood we shared as Delta Zetas has been paid forward multiple times. We urge Panhellenic to bring Delta Zeta back to Witt, but if not us then please bring back Alpha Xi. We all want a place to return home to at Homecoming -Witt just isn’t the same without it.

  18. I would love to see DZ come back to campus. For alumni , it’s just not the same when we return to campus. Like those who have posted before me, I made life long friends and without the sorority it would not have happened.

  19. Receiving a degree from Wittenberg helped shape my career but being a member of the Delta Zeta Sorority, Beta Chi Chapter at Wittenberg helped shape my life. What an outstanding organization of women who taught me so many life lessons beyond my classroom instruction for my career, my family and my commitment community service. As a Chapter Vice President Rush Chairman I knew the anticipation and excitement that preceded every young woman’s decision to join a sorority. I was able to see so many young women grow in character and leadership positions throughout their time at Wittenberg. The young women at Wittenberg today deserve to feel that same excitement and bond. With such strong national ties and a rich history of women making strides in so many fields, Delta Zeta is such a wonderful choice for Wittenberg to bring back to campus. The organization teaches young women and continues to support them throughout life. The bonds I made as a Delta Zeta a Wittenberg are strong as they were 35 years ago. Although we don’t see each other as regularly we keep up on Facebook and through emails, each “sister” is still there for the others as they travel through their post-Wittenberg Life. I am also a former Wittenberg Torch reporter who wrote a column “It’s Greek to Me” In the 1980s being “Greek” was a big part of the Wittenberg community. Today that community has changed but shaping the lives the of young men and women is Wittenberg’s commitment and what a wonderful enhancement to that commitment that a recolonization of Delta Zeta on campus a Wittenberg would be!

  20. My years at Wittenberg were a time of great growth, and being part of the loving sisterhood of Delta Zeta made it even more special. Things I learned in the sorority could not have been taught in a classroom. I learned how to run and participate in meetings. I learned about group decision-making and collaboration. I learned how to support my sisters and the value of being supported myself. Our chapter provided leadership opportunities and a level of acceptance that were extraordinary.
    I still live and work in the Springfield community and would love to be an active part of a re-colonized chapter of Delta Zeta at Wittenberg. All the comments on this page remind me of the power of sisterhood, and extremely proud to be a Delta Zeta.

    1. Joan, my Big Sis! I just found your comment and send a big hug to you! I concur wholeheartedly with everything you said in your comment. Those days at Wittenberg are special and significant indeed. xoxo Meredith

  21. Delta Zeta Sorority (Beta Chi) literally changed my life. I went from a freshman who was so shy I barely spoke to anyone, to holding several offices within the sorority, including chapter president. I learned to be a mediator, a leader, a public speaker, a caregiver, an organizer, and learned to hire and fire (the cook). The skills I learned have been applied many times in the past several decades, but the friendships and traditions are what I cherish. Being the mother of three daughters, I think fondly of the Delta Zeta traditions and ceremonies, and wish my own daughters will have similar experiences. Many people put down sororities as “buying a social life,” but that’s because they are ignorant to what sorority life is really like. I believe Delta Zeta’s morals and philanthropies would be a welcome addition back on Wittenberg’s campus.

  22. Happy to hear about a return of the Delta Zetas at Wittenberg! This was the best part of Wittenberg for me, developing life-long friends who kindly helped me grow up without rolling their eyes too much and picking up all sorts of skills for groups and leadership. If I can help, let me know. I can easily drive over from Indy!

  23. I am very happy that Wittenberg is going to allow another sorority to open a chapter on campus, and excited at the possibility of Delta Zeta being given that opportunity. I wish I could attend the presentation on The 15th, but I will be out of town at a national conference I am organizing and speaking at. It was my time at Wittenberg and especially my various leadership positions in Delta Zeta that provided me with the leadership skills tp put a program like this together. Those skills have served me well during my long career as an Assistant Attorney General. There is something about working with and leading people who are also your friends that is especially challenging and I think that is something that sorority life is especially good at teaching. I made so many wonderful and lifelong friendships during my time as a DZ on campus in the late 80s. I wouldn’t trade those memories for the world. The wonderful thing about being a Delta Zeta was not just the emphasis on scholarship, philanthropy and sisterhood, but the fact that many of my closest friends from Wittennberg were not fellow DZs. My sisters were always supportive of everyone having friends outside of the house, I love my sorority sisters with a special kind of affection I am not sure I can put into words and one of the things I have always admired most about them is how accepting and supportive they are, of each other and of others. I really hope that DZ gets the nod to recolonize at Wittenberg and If that happens, would be honored to serve on an alumni board or in any other way I can; but in truth, I am sure that any of these sororities will be a fine addition to campus.

  24. Wittenberg provided me with an outstanding education, but Delta Zeta gave me a family! Growing up as an only child, I never knew the meaning of sisterhood until I joined the Beta Chi chapter. I gained a group of lifelong friends, but also learned about philanthropy, service, and commitment. I urge you to give other young women the opportunity to grow as students, role models and community leaders, and bring Delta Zeta back to Wittenberg.

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