WVU currently recognizes over a dozen social fraternities, eight of which have an on-campus house where some members opt to live.
Affiliated fraternity houses at WVU are occupied by Alpha Gamma Rho, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Tau, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Lambda Phi, Sigma Nu and Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Each fraternity house is owned either by the organization or a private housing corporation. The only house owned by the University is Sigma Nu at 617 Spruce St., according to director of Fraternal Values and Leadership Matthew Richardson.
The average lease price for members to live in a fraternity house is between $3,000 to $3,500 per year, according to Richardson. If a fraternity becomes suspended from WVU throughout the year, its lease is not affected, but the organization’s ability to host events is hindered.
All social events hosted by affiliated fraternities are registered with the University, according to Richardson. If the fraternity is not recognized at WVU, they have to seek approval from the city for social events.
Each house sees various occupancy ranges during events, according to Morgantown Fire Marshal Jason Quinn, who said occupancy is determined by square footage and exit capacity levels.
The maximum number of people permitted to be in a non-affiliated fraternity house at once is double the number of how many beds it has. Affiliated fraternities see more leniency with maximum occupancy numbers.
“For example, if it’s a recognized fraternity, there’s a separate coding system through the city which allows their occupancy to be a little higher. If they’re not recognized, then the house sort of reverts to a boarding house, where the occupancy can only be pretty much the bed spaces times two,” Richardson said. “So, if there’s 32 bed spaces in one of the houses, then 64 is going to be the top capacity that people can be in there at a time.”
The first fraternity on WVU’s campus, Phi Kappa Psi, was chartered on May 23, 1890, and is currently located at 780 Spruce St.
The chapter has around 100 members, with 40 living in the house, according to Kaysen Conver, senior finance major and Phi Kappa Psi president. Some amenities of the house include a volleyball court, a living area, an outdoor patio and a chapel, used for chapter meetings and the occasional wedding ceremony, according to Conver.
Conver described living in the house as “living in a mansion with all my best friends.”
“There’s not a lot of times when you’re able to do that,” he said. “I mean, there’s always something going on, and I love the constant activities.”
Pi Kappa Alpha is currently the largest fraternity on campus at 107 members, according to Richardson. Julian Boesch, senior supply chain management major and Pi Kappa Alpha president, said 36 of them currently live in-house.
The land was originally the site of the WVU observatory, but the house was built specifically for the fraternity in the late 1960s, according to Boesch. The fraternity received its charter for the house, located at 117 Belmar Ave., in the spring of 2023, and members began living there in the fall of 2024.
The house contains nine pods of “apartment-style rooms,” according to Boesch. He said four brothers live in each pod, containing four rooms and bathrooms and a shared common area with a kitchen, living room and washer and dryer.
The house also contains a chapter room, used as a gym, study space and party room. Boesch said the most popular area of the house is the outdoor space, which contains grills, a basketball court and a porch.
“The space that is loved amongst the brothers the most is the outside area. Not only do we have a large yard, but it’s right on top of the hill with a great view of campus and more,” Boesch said.
The presidential suite nicknamed “The Zoo” is Boesch’s favorite part of the house, as it serves as another living room for members.
More information about WVU’s fraternities can be found on the WVU Greek Life website.
