The social chapters of St. Joe’s Greek-letter organizations will be holding recruitment rounds at the beginning of the fall 2026 semester, from Sept. 11-13. Historically, recruitment for these organizations has taken place during the first weekend of the spring semester.
St. Joe’s is home to 7 social sororities: Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Sigma Tau, Delta Phi Epsilon, Phi Sigma Sigma and Sigma Sigma Sigma. St. Joe’s also has 3 social fraternities: Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Lambda Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Additionally, St. Joe’s has four culturally based sororities and fraternities: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc.
Fall recruitment will introduce the organizations to first-year students earlier, providing an opportunity for potential new members to get involved with Greek life sooner, said Beth Hagovsky, Ed.D., director of Student Leadership and Activities.
Hagovsky said some students may feel more comfortable being part of a larger organization as they begin their college experience.
“There’s a lot of students,” Hagovsky said. “If they had an opportunity to connect sooner with a group that could be a really good fit for them, they might have a better experience at St. Joe’s. That first year, that first semester, might be a better experience for them. They might feel more connected, more committed to the university.”
Another aim for this switch is to limit preconceived notions that incoming potential new members may form about Greek-letter organizations in their first semester. Hagovsky said for sororities in particular, there tends to be favoritism with the four larger chapters simply because of size, which leads to less of an interest in the three remaining, smaller chapters.
“They all are wonderful organizations that any woman could be happy in, but there are some biases that work against them and for the four other ones,” Hagovsky said. “So, we’re wondering if, by doing this in the fall, if the incoming class, in particular, would have less of an opportunity to create those biases and then come into the process with a very open mind, which is what you’re supposed to do anyway.”
Mackenzie Beals ’27, incoming president of the Panhellenic Council at St. Joe’s, which oversees all of the sorority chapters, said the rumor mill can be extensive when it comes to Greek life, and negative rumors can give first-years false biases and stereotypes of the organizations.
“A lot of freshmen first semester, they learn all these things about the chapters, and then they just bring that over into recruitment in the spring, and they don’t really have the full picture there,” Beales said. “They have false information from people or rumors that they believe are true.”
Anna Sebastianelli ’26, outgoing vice president of membership recruitment for the Panhellenic Council, emphasized the importance of first-years going into the process with an “open mind” and said the new schedule would encourage this mindset.
“We always say ‘Go into it with an open mind. Go into it with an open mind,’” Sebastianelli said. “But I really think this change, that’s the driving factor. I think that this is what is going to ensure that they really do come into this with an open mind.”
Another benefit of fall recruitment, Sebastianelli said, is better weather. Because of Philadelphia’s unpredictable winter weather, last-minute changes have been made to recruitment days and times. Greek organizations are hoping for a no-interruption recruitment weekend where the weather doesn’t add additional stress.
“I think that everyone’s excited to come back from summer and really welcome that sisterhood,” Sebastianelli said.
As spring recruitment comes to a close, Sebastianelli said there is a noticeable excitement in the Greek life community as these changes come to fruition.
“I think that this is a really good change, and I think we’re going to see really positive numbers from it and a really positive outcome,” Sebastianelli said. “So, I think we just have to do it. I think … if you want to see a change, then be the change.”
