IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT UNRECOGNIZED GROUPS

     Every student and parent should consider the decision of joining a fraternity and finding which organization is best for you or your son.

    Please understand there is some important information you should be aware of. This website and the Inter-Fraternity Council are operated by students. As a result, we take to heart what we post on this website and mean truly everything you are about to read. We bring to you this information and can attest to the experience of close friends and classmates who have faced what we are about to tell you.

    The Inter-Fraternity Council is the student-run governing body of 14 nationally chartered and 2 nationally colonizing non-hazing  fraternities which have dedicated themselves to the principles of bettering the young men who join our organizations. Unfortunately, there are some out there that claim to be legitimate fraternities, which is far from the truth.

    Specifically, we are referring to the following organizations which have not adopted the anti-hazing policies of the Inter-Fraternity Council and The George Washington University. These organizations are:

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (or SAE)
Sigma Alpha Mu (or SAMMY)
Alpha Pi Epsilon (or "Apes,")

    For your own well being, we discourage you from attending their events and from affiliating with their organizations. The George Washington University does not advise nor control the actions of these groups. These non-recognized fraternities have a high number of hazing incidents throughout the pledging process and annual "Initiation Week" (sometimes referred to as "Hell Week").

    Many students have reported being threatened by fraternity members for wanting to leave the pledging process or for wanting to report the actions of other members to the University Administration. The University Police Department has also documented situations involving physical altercations with other students, as well as various noise complaints at campus locations. Many times the National Organizations of these non-recognized groups choose not to acknowledge the University's concerns or to take action against their chapters.

   These organizations may claim they can, or that they will soon become a member, but these organizations are currently not recognized and are not slated at any upcoming time to become recognized by the Inter-Fraternity Council or the University. As a result, these non-recognized groups do not enjoy the privileges offered within the Greek community at The George Washington University.

  They are unable to use any University space; they cannot participate in Greek athletics and competitions; they are not part of Greek Week; they receive no financial support from the University; they lack alumni networking and relations; they do not offer future involvement after college; they are not covered with the necessary insurance coverage; they cannot have mixers with Sororities or function in coordination with any other Greek letter organization; and they can never have an official Fraternity house as defined by the District of Columbia Housing Code.

   The George Washington University has strict guidelines and high expectations of their Greek organizations including but not limited to: Academic integrity, GPA, philanthropy and strict non-hazing policies. These expectations are geared to strive for betterment and excellence within the GW community. The pride that members of real fraternities at GW have is one of being an integral part of what makes our campus something we can all be proud of. These un-recognized organizations directly undermine our code of ethics and principles, putting in jeopardy the future of Greek Life on this campus.