VCU Greek Organizations Receive National Honors

By Tom Gresham

Each of the four governing councils in Virginia Commonwealth University’s fraternity and sorority system were recognized with national awards at the recent Mid-American Greek Council Association (MGCA) meeting in St. Louis.

The VCU National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), the governing body for the nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities at the university, garnered particular acclaim at the association meeting, which was held Feb. 12 through Feb. 15. The NPHC received the MGCA Overall Outstanding NPHC Council Award for 2008 and picked up awards for distinction in each of six possible areas – Council Management and Public Relations, Community Service, Academic Achievement, Leadership and Educational Development, Membership Intake and Self-Governance and Judicial Affairs.

Other VCU honors included:

• The College Panhellenic Council, the governing council for the seven National Panhellenic Council sororities at VCU, awards of distinction for Council Management, Leadership and Educational Development and Self-Governance and Judicial Affairs.

• The Multicultural Greek Council, the governing council for the seven culturally based fraternities and sororities at VCU, awards of distinction for Council Management and Public Relations and Self-Governance and Judicial Affairs.

• The Interfraternity Council, the governing council for the 10 men’s fraternities at VCU, an award of distinction for Council Management.
  

In addition, the College Panhellenic Council was selected for the Best Practices Program for its educational session, “You can’t choose when you put on or take off your letters: You’re always a sorority woman.”

VCU’s four governing councils represent the 33 active fraternity and sorority chapters at the university. MGCA annually hosts a national awards program for fraternity and sorority governing councils. This was the second year VCU councils applied for the awards, competing against other universities with a comparable number of fraternities and sororities.

For more information on the VCU fraternity and sorority community, visit www.usca.vcu.edu/greeklife or contact the Office for Fraternity and Sorority Life at (804) 828-4685.