The Washington State University (WSU) Panhellenic Council was founded in the early 1900s after the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) was formed in 1902.  The Council is comprised of a Panhellenic delegate from each recognized sorority on campus, the Panhellenic executive officers and advisors from the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life. Each prospective member of the executive council is asked to run for a position on the council near the end of the fall semester. Their applications, speeches, and question and answer sessions are evaluated by up to eight sorority chapter delegates and the current Panhellenic Executive Council.

Once elected, each Panhellenic delegate and Panhellenic executive officer are in office for one calendar year. Together, the delegates and the officers make decisions that affect each sorority on the WSU campus. Each delegate is considered the representative from their chapter and is the only woman from her chapter who is allowed to vote on Panhellenic matters. The delegates discuss and vote on Panhellenic matters, including WSU Panhellenic bylaw or constitution changes.

The WSU Panhellenic vision is as follows: “We, the Panhellenic Executive Council at Washington State University, exist to be initiators of positive change. We believe in cultivating women and organizations with a values-congruent lifestyle, holding our peers and council members accountable and empowering our constituents through opportunity and genuine involvement. As we are a community of Greek leaders, we represent each Greek woman at Washington State University with the hope of improving her college experience.”

The WSU Panhellenic mission is to:

1. Build a framework for the personal growth of its members by encouraging a commitment to social development, self-discovery, personal responsibility and respect for others.
2. Foster a sense of community within each chapter, the community and the extended Washington State University community.
3. Utilize innovative ideas to bring positive change and progression to our community, while focusing on the council’s strongest ideas, done to the best of our ability.
4. Provide a self-governing structure that both anticipates and responds to changing cultural and contemporary needs.
5. Strive to make the Greek community a source of pride for the WSU and Pullman community: an entity that is respected and accepted.
6. Demonstrate a strong service ethic through ongoing support of the local community.

Early histories of women's fraternities contain accounts of "rushing and pledging agreements" or "compacts" among fraternities on various campuses, and also many stories of cooperation and mutual assistance. However, no actual Panhellenic organization existed and no uniform practices were observed. By 1902, it was obvious that some standards were needed, so Alpha Phi invited Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega to a conference in Chicago on May 24. Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega were unable to attend. The remaining seven groups met and the session resulted in the organization of the first interfraternity association and the first intergroup organization on college campuses. (National Interfraternity Conference for men's fraternities was organized in 1909, now called the North-American Interfraternity Conference).

This meeting, and the next few, resulted in several mutual agreements, especially regarding pledging. Up to this time, no guidelines had been set, and women could be pledged to groups before enrolling in college and, indeed, even belong to more than one group.

After much work on the part of NPC and Association of Education Sororities (AES), on Nov. 12, 1947, the six AES sororities were unanimously accepted as associate members of NPC. At the same time, five other sororities were also admitted. In Dec. of 1951, the six sororities became full members of NPC. Since that time, three have merged with other NPC member groups leaving Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Sigma Tau and Sigma Sigma Sigma as the remaining former-AES members.

The fact that NPC is a "Conference" is significant to the NPC philosophy because the organization is a conference, not a congress. It enacts no legislation except for the conduct of its own meetings. Other than the basic unanimous agreements, which all groups have voted to observe, NPC confines itself to recommendations and advice, and acts as a court of final appeal in any College Panhellenic difficulty. One of its greatest services is providing area advisors for College Panhellenics and Alumnae Panhellenics.

The National Panhellenic Conference vision (adopted at the Biennial Session, 10/05) is as follows: “The National Panhellenic Conference will be the premier advocacy and support organization for its members, member groups, college and alumnae Panhellenics and a proponent of women’s fraternity membership.”

The mission of the National Panhellenic Conference (adopted at the Biennial Session, 10/05): “The National Panhellenic Conference exists to promote the values of and to serve as an advocate for its member groups in collaboration with those members, campuses

The President of the Panhellenic Council is responsible as the overseer of all Panhellenic operations. She presides at all Panhellenic Association meetings and all sorority membership president meetings. She also advises all sorority membership presidents and acts as a liaison between the sorority members and WSU administration. She is primarily responsible to the executive council to see that all duties are carried out efficiently and effectively. She is the official spokesperson for Panhellenic in all matters.

The Vice President of Finance and Philanthropy is responsible for all Panhellenic expenditures and budgeting. She collects membership recruitment fees and other money owed to Panhellenic. She deposits all funds into Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU) accounts and abides by the rules and regulations governing that account.

The Vice President of Membership Recruitment is responsible for coordinating all aspects of sorority recruitment (Continuous Open Recruitment, and maintaining accurate chapter rosters). She presides at all sorority membership recruitment chair meetings and updates the membership recruitment rules and procedures when needed. In order to complete all membership recruitment responsibilities prior to fall formal membership recruitment, the vice president of membership recruitment must remain in Pullman during the summer.

The Vice President of Scholarship and Administration works in conjunction with the Interfraternity Council (IFC) secretary, the IFC president, and the Panhellenic president to coordinate the Greek leadership conference. The vice president of scholarship and administration is also the coordinator of sorority scholarship. She recognizes outstanding scholars each semester and may organize scholarship programs, workshops, etc., for the chapters, members and new members who request academic assistance. The vice president of scholarship and administration has the following duties on a continuous basis: keep a record of council voting, keep meeting minutes and create agendas for all meetings, as well as keep a current record of Panhellenic and chapter officer activities.

The Vice President of Policy and Procedure serves as a co-chair on the Greek Standards Board and keeps the other members of the executive council and individual sororities up to date on relevant conduct issues throughout the community. She works closely with the IFC co-chair of the Greek Standards Board on issues facing both fraternities and sororities.

The Vice President of Public Relations has four major responsibilities: creating and distributing the Panhellenic and IFC newsletter, GreakSpeak; meeting with and advising the public relations and alumnae chairs from each chapter; serving as a member of the College Hill Association (including the Adopt-A-Block service project), as well as publishing and editing newsletters. She is also responsible for coordinating sister sorority events.

The main function of the Vice President of New Member Services is to serve as facilitator of the membership recruitment counselors (Rho Gammas). This includes organizing an interview process from which to select the membership recruitment counselors and organizing spring workshops. She works closely with vice president of membership recruitment during formal membership recruitment and plans the annual initiation into Panhellenic for the week after formal membership recruitment. She is also advisor to the Junior Panhellenic Council.

The Vice President of Programming is responsible for all aspects of sorority programming. She is also responsible for the production of Panhellenic-sponsored recruitment publications that are sent to incoming students in the spring of each year. She is also responsible for planning and implementing any other types of recruitment initiatives.

To join a sorority, register for sorority formal recruitment and participate in the mutual selection process. Over 90 percent of the students who participate in formal recruitment join a chapter at the end of a week.

If you decide not to participate in formal recruitment, you can also join a sorority through Continuous Open Recruitment.

Sorority recruitment week is Aug. 13-18. Women will move into their residence halls or temporary housing placements Sunday, Aug. 12.

To sign up for formal recruitment, visit the Housing, Dining and Residence Life web site and click the "Apply or Update Housing" button, even if you are not planning to live in a Residence Hall.

For more information on sorority formal recruitment, contact Panhellenic's Vice President of Membership Recruitment, Courtney Ramsey at panrecruitment@wsu.edu.

Continuous Open Recruitment is an informal recruitment process that happens year-round. Current WSU students may participate in this process filling by out a registration form. The sororities who choose to participate in COR will call the interested women and invite them to attend recruitment events. The events typically consist of everyday activities and give the potential new members a chance to converse with the sorority members.

To participate in COR, contact Panhellenic's Vice President of Membership Recruitment, Courtney Ramsey, at panrecruitment@wsu.edu

 
The shield is a protective influence for our entire membership.
A lamp denotes leadership, scholarship and enlightenment.
The laurel wreath signifies victory, or achievement of ideals.
While the sword piercing the wreath indicates willingness to fight for ideals, symbolizing, too, penalty of obligation; also bravery, achievement and discipline.
The mantling surrounding the shield is the protecting cloak that education gives us, and a protective influence of organization.
Thus, there in the mantle is inscribed the name of the National Panhellenic Conference.
(Adopted at the 1957 Biennial Session)
Courtesy of the National Panhellenic Conference web site.

The WSU Panhellenic Council executive officers are located on the 3rd floor of the CUB on the WSU-Pullman campus in room 323.

If you have questions, you can call the Greek Council office at: (509) 335-5929.

Any additional questions can be e-mailed to the council through Panhellenic President Elizabeth Boss at panpresident@wsu.edu.