Educational & Leadership Programs

How do I get involved?

Membership in a fraternity or sorority opens the door for a variety of involvement on the URI campus. Here are a few examples of the ways URI Greeks learn about leadership and educational opportunities.

• CSV 302 – Peer Mentors. (3 credits) This course is designed to provide student mentors with the opportunity to learn, understand and apply the following: facilitation and engagement techniques, coaching techniques and confrontation skills, ethical decision making strategies, strategies for inclusive leadership, health and wellness competencies with and emphasis on college student risk issues. Apply to take CSV 302 (open to sophomores and higher)
• HDF 416 – Personal and Organizational Leadership. (3 credits) Topics include leadership theory and style, experiential learning, peer mentoring, critical thinking, quality improvement, and organizational development. (Lec. 3) Elective for leadership minors. Prerequisite: HDF 290 or 190 and permission of instructor.
• Greek 101 is a community-wide new member education program that all new members of URI fraternities and sororities attend. The program consists of a weekly series of workshops that address the following areas: team-building, mental health awareness, anti-hazing, substance abuse prevention, sexual assault prevention, scholarship, and leadership. Each workshop consists of a general presentation, followed by small group breakout sessions. During these sessions, trained peer mentors facilitate discussion among the new member about the presentation topic.
• Chapter Leadership positions are available in your organization from freshman-senior year. Contribute to your organization by running for a position, joining a committee or helping out at upcoming events. Some positions require more time commitment than others, so find what you feel most comfortable doing or challenge yourself by taking on a new opportunity 
• Student Involvement provides URI students with over 150 clubs & organizations to get involved in. Nearly 25% of Greek Students are involved at least 1 other organization outside of their chapter. Don’t see an organization that meets your needs? Start your own new organization!

Greek Week

What is Greek Week?

For over 75 years in the spring, URI Greek Life has hosted this longstanding tradition. Greek Week is defined by a series of athletic and entertainment events through which fraternities and sororities raise thousands of dollars each year for national and local charities.

Greek Week Schedule

Greek Week 2024 will be held April 7 – April 12. 

Sunday, April 7th: Opening Night & Chariot Race

Monday, April 8th- Thursday April 11th: Dollar Wars Table @ Memorial Union 

Monday. April 8th Fraternity Classic Hockey Tournament 

Tuesday, April 9^th Project Outreach Packing Event

Wednesday, April 10th Mr./Mrs. Greek Week

Thursday, April 11th Greek Sing

Friday, April 12th Lip Sync + Donation Reveal + Winners Presentation 

Support Greek Week 2024 here: https://urigreekweek.crowdchange.co/39000

Questions about Greek Week? Contact our Programming Officers 

Director of Programming IFC Jared Hewitt

Vice President of Programming Panhellenic Francesca Ordonez

Greek Week 2023 the URI Greek Community raised $192,000 for the YMCA and Habitat for Humanity.

Philanthropy Week

What is Philanthropy Week?

Philanthropy Week is an annual Greek Life tradition committed to raising funds that impact the local and global communities, supporting one of Greek Life’s Core Values – Service.

Philanthropy Week is an annual Greek Life tradition committed to raising funds that impact the local and global communities, supporting one of Greek Life’s Core Values – Service. Philanthropy Week combines a week of fun campus programming and competitive fundraising to bring the community together each November to support annually selected benefactor or multiple benefactors. Since 2016, Philanthropy Week also continues to fund the Greeks Give Back campaign to assist URI students, faculty or staff with emergency financial support. 
Fraternity & Sorority chapters are paired together during the week competing in various campus programming competitions to promote fundraising. Some of the past events include Ram’s Den Bingo, Powderpuff Football, Greeks Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, and most recently Alumni Bingo Night hosted by the Interfraternity Alumni Council. Pairings compete at these events to win points toward an overall competition, with event & fundraising recognition held during the final Philanthropy Week event.
While competing in fun programs and fundraising, chapters collect clothing, food, and toiletry items to donate to local shelters and food pantries including the Johnnycakes Center in Wakefield & Rhody Outpost. 
Here are the total amounts fundraised each year and the primary benefactors supported during Philanthropy Week. 
Fall 2022: $137,000 was raised to support the Jonnycake Center For Hope, Toys for Tots, and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). The winning pairing was Sigma Kappa and Theta Chi. The money went back into the local community and has kept relationships with each group benefactor. 
Fall 2021: $106,000 was raised for PeaceLove, Dare to Dream: Military Retreat, and The Matt Alsfeld Memorial Fund. A congratulations to the weeks winning pairing, Kappa Delta and Phi Kappa Psi. 
Fall 2020: This Phil Week looked a little different than the others. Every pairing was able to pick their own philanthropy to give back to. $38,371 was the total amount raised by the community. Charities that received portions of this total included, the Ronald McDonald House, Children’s Miracle Network, The Tomorrow Fund, the American Humane Society, PCAA, USO, Military Kids, Massai Joy Children’s Center, Crossroads Family Shelter, and the Red Cross. 
Fall 2019: $88,000 was raised to support the local and global community through the mission of Turning Rhody Blue into Rhody Green. This year’s program focused on how to impact locally & globally while promoting sustainability and environmental awareness. Proceeds will help to beautify and maintain the global ocean spaces through research with the URI Plastics & Microplastics Research Initiative to continually greening the space of Fraternity Circle through the Tsagarakis Collegiate Capitol Fund. 
Fall 2018: $74,224 raised for Circle of Sisterhood Foundation and Sojourner House RI. Through the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation, URI’s fundraising efforts completely funded the build of a school in Mali Africa! 
 
Fall 2017: $71,000 was raised for South County Habitat for Humanity. In the past 7 years, Greek Life raised over $670,000 for South County Habitat for Humanity.  Chapters were also paired together collected clothing, food, and toiletry items to donate to local shelters and food pantries.

Alumni

Greek Affairs is fortunate to be supported by the Infraternity Alumni Council (IAC) that helps to engage alumni graduates from member organizations to continue their involvement past their collegiate years. Members of the IAC represent House Corporation Officers, Chapter Advisory Board Members or Members of their respective local chapter Alumni/Alumnae Association. The IAC meets quarterly to discuss current campus events and discuss developmental opportunities to ensure positive campus impact of Greek Life at URI

IAC Purpose
“To establish a common ground for the open discussion and action taking on all issues and subjects of vital importance to URI and the fraternity and sorority system; to work collectively to promote the Greek community at The University of Rhode Island.”

Officers
President – Jordan Albernaz, Sigma Phi Epsilon 
Vice President – Bob Marshall, Phi Gamma Delta
Treasurer – Phil Genereux, Sigma Chi 
Secretary – Tami Ackerman, Sigma Delta Tau
Member at Large – Amintha Cinotti, Sigma Kappa
Please outreach to an officer if you are interested in getting involved with the IAC 

Upcoming Alumni Events:
Check back for more information regarding Homecoming Weekend this Fall. October 13-15, 2023. Details to come.

Upcoming IAC Meeting:
Our Next Meeting is August 23, 2023 on campus & via Zoom. Email Jordan Albernaz for more information

Award Winners of the Greek Alumni Award of Distinction:

Alums in the URI News
URI Greek Life presents 2014 Greek Alumni Award of Distinction to Newport resident: Congratulations to Amintha Cinotti!  

Scholarship

Think Big, We Do

Greek Life provides it’s members with academic resources to support & celebrate them while in school and prepare for life after college.

Scholarship Reports

The Greek community members continuously make Dean’s List year after year. We are proud of the scholastic achievements of our Greek members as they continue to improve academically. 

Order of Omega

Scholarship is one of the Core Values of Greek Life at URI.  Order of Omega supports this initiative serving as the Greek Honor Society.  Students may apply during their junior or senior year, must have a minimum of a 3.3 cumulative GPA, be in good standing with their chapter, and show active involvement with the URI community and their organization.   URI is home to the Eta Gamma chapter, established April 14th, 1986.

2023- 2024 Order of Omega Officers:

President: Grace Lavallee (Zeta Tau Alpha)- uri.orderofomega@gmail.com

Vice President: Kaila D’Elia (Kappa Delta)

Secretary: Jack Watson (Phi Kappa Psi)

Questions? Email uri.orderofomega@gmail.com for more information or follow URI Order of Omega on Instgram at @orderofomegauri

Community Engagement

Supporting those Around Us

Representing 22% of the URI campus, we have a large platform to work with our local community, developing positive working relationships with the communities of South Kingstown, Narragansett & South County. Here are just a few examples of community programs Greek Life has hosted over the last few years. 

• Rhody’s Not So Spooky Halloween Party welcomes local families to Fraternity Circle for a safe, daytime Trick or Treat around our chapter houses in the month of October. Fraternities & Sororities partnered together to host Halloween activities at their chapter facilities, and families enjoyed an extra day in Halloween Costumes with their little ones. IFC & Panhellenic Council officers coordinated & marketed the event to the local community, and even got to collaborate on group Halloween Costumes.
• Seas the Day a re-imagined Day at the Beach for Incoming Freshman to relax before the start of their first day of college. Greek Life sponsored safe transportation for First Year students to experience Narragansett Town Beach the day before Fall classes start, and get to interact with Greek Members while enjoying a day at one of the best beaches in New England. We would like to thank the Town of Narragansett in supporting this event and welcoming so many students into South County for a fun day at the beach. We are also thankful to mother nature for providing the perfect weather for Seas the Day 2019! 
• Fraternity Circle Holiday Lighting hosts an annual holiday lighting spectacular around Fraternity Circle to welcome local community members for a walking tour and celebrate the holiday season. Chapter houses opened their doors for fun indoor activities like cookie decorating or holiday music dance parties. 

Inclusion & Understanding Task Force

Greek Life meets monthly with our Inclusion & Understanding Task Force as part of our Greek Advisory Committee to discuss progress and new initiatives related to Inclusion.

This committee is currently bringing the Diversity Dialogues program to all Fraternity & Sorority Chapters since Fall 2020. Chapter members are trained as facilitators with the Diversity Dialogues Program to help deliver education to their members. Diversity Dialogues is a program housed out of Community, Equity & Diversity

If you are interested in joining the Inclusion Task Force, please email Alison Burke

Health & Wellness

Your Wellbeing is our Priority

                            

Make your personal health & wellness a priority; your chapter, the Greek community & URI has numerous ways to help you.

Make Time for Play – there are lots of ways to stay active and relieve stress through numerous programs offered by Campus Recreation to support physical health & wellness. 

Mental Health is just as important as physical health. Learn more about ways to support your mental health as a member of the Greek community & college student. Through our core values of Leadership, we expect our chapters to keep up with good social, academic & financial matters to keep their members safe & healthy. Our Chapter Status pages covers the current standing of our Fraternities & Sororities.

Its OKAY to Ask for Help. Our Resources page has numerous links to support you during your time at URI and addressing any concerns you might have about yourself,  you roommate, a classmate, a friend or someone in your Greek organization.