Nonsectarian

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Nonsectarian institutions are secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group. [1] [2]

Contents

Academic sphere

Examples of North American universities that identify themselves as being nonsectarian include Adelphi University, Berea College, Boston University, Bradley University, Brandeis University, Columbia College in Missouri, Concordia University in Montréal, Canada, Cornell University, Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Denison University, Duke University, Elon University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Franklin & Marshall College, George Washington University, Hawaii Pacific University, Hillsdale College, Hofstra University, Howard University, Ithaca College, Long Island University, National University, New York University, Northwestern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Pratt Institute, Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, Reed College in Oregon, Whitman College in Washington, Rice University, the University of Richmond, Syracuse University, Tulane University, the University of Chicago, the University of Denver, the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University, the Washington University in St. Louis, and Woodbury University in California.

Private primary and secondary schools in the United States that self-identify as being nonsectarian include Allendale Columbia School in Rochester, New York, Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School in New York, Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania (the oldest nonsectarian school in the United States) [3] [ citation needed ], Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri.

Pi Lambda Phi (ΠΛΦ or Pi Lam) is a college social fraternity founded by Frederick Manfred Werner, Louis Samter Levy, and Henry Mark Fisher at Yale University in 1895. It was founded as the first nonsectarian fraternity, "a fraternity in which all men were brothers, no matter what their religion; a fraternity in which ability, open-mindedness, farsightedness, and a progressive, forward-looking attitude would be recognized as the basic attributes." [4] It currently boasts 35 chapters and four colonies in the United States and one chapter in Canada. The fraternity founded the Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity Educational Foundation [5]

The first nonsectarian sorority was Phi Sigma Sigma. Phi Sigma Sigma (ΦΣΣ), colloquially known as "Phi Sig", was the first collegiate nonsectarian sorority to welcome women of all faiths and backgrounds. Founded by ten women on November 26, 1913, at Hunter College in New York, Phi Sigma Sigma is now an international sorority with 60,000 initiated members, 115 collegiate chapters, and more than 100 alumnae chapters, clubs, and associations across the United States and Canada.

Delta Phi Epsilon sorority, founded in 1917, was the first nonsectarian social sorority founded at a professional school. [6]

An 1956 amendment to the Constitution of Virginia allowed for tuition grants to be paid by the state to nonsectarian private schools. [7]

Blaine amendments to thirty-eight state constitutions forbid direct government aid to educational institutions with a religious affiliation. The typical wording, "religious sects or denominations," is most often used to challenge support to Catholic parochial schools (38% of private school attendance); Protestant schools with an undifferentiated "Christian" often get a pass. [8] These schools often claim both "nonsectarian" and "Christian" in their promotional materials. The United States Department of Education differentiates Christian from Conservative Christian in its analyses. [9]

Non-academic institutions

Organizations that are explicitly nonsectarian include the Apex Clubs of Australia, those participating in the Ethical Culture Movement, the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, and the Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia. In Northern Ireland, nonsectarian refers to groups identifying themselves as neither Republican or Unionist, such as the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Green Party Northern Ireland, People Before Profit or the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Interfraternity Conference</span> Trade association of collegiate mens fraternities

The North American Interfraternity Conference is an association of intercollegiate men's social fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began at a meeting at the University Club of New York on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates in which each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate. However, the group's executive and administrative powers are vested in an elected board of directors consisting of nine volunteers from various NIC fraternities. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the NIC has a small professional staff.

Dartmouth College is host to many fraternities and sororities, and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. In the fall of 2022, 35 percent of male students belong to a fraternity and 36 percent of students belong to a sorority. Greek organizations at Dartmouth provide both social and residential opportunities for students and are the only single-sex residential option on campus. Greek organizations at Dartmouth do not provide dining options, as regular meal service has been banned in Greek houses since 1909.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pi Lambda Phi</span> International collegiate fraternity

Pi Lambda Phi (ΠΛΦ), commonly known as Pi Lam, is a social fraternity with 145 chapters. The fraternity was founded in 1895 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Pi Lambda Phi is headlined by prestigious chapters at Temple University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Virginia. Pi Lambda Phi is continuously expanding to schools across the country, such as Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, Pennsylvania State University, Florida State University and East Carolina University. Recent planned expansions include West Virginia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

While the traditional social fraternity is a well-established mainstay across the United States at institutions of higher learning, alternatives – in the form of social fraternities that require doctrinal and behavioral conformity to the Christian faith – developed in the early 20th century. They continue to grow in size and popularity.

While most of the traditional women's fraternities or sororities were founded decades before the start of the 20th century, the first ever specifically Christian-themed Greek Letter Organization formed was the Kappa Phi Club, founded in Kansas in 1916. Kappa Phi was a women's sisterhood that developed out of a bible study and remains one of the largest nationally present Christian women's collegiate clubs today. Later organizations added more defined social programming along with a Christian emphasis, bridging the gap between non-secular traditional sororities and church-sponsored bible study groups, campus ministries and sect-based clubs and study groups.

The expansion of Greek letter organizations into Canada was an important stage of the North American fraternity movement, beginning in 1879 with the establishment of a chapter of Zeta Psi at the University of Toronto. In 1883, the same fraternity established a chapter at McGill University. Other early foundations were Kappa Alpha Society at Toronto in 1892 and at McGill in 1899, and Alpha Delta Phi at Toronto in 1893 and at McGill in 1897. The first sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, was established in Toronto in 1887. In 1902, the first international chapter of Phi Delta Theta was established at McGill University as the Quebec Alpha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington & Jefferson College fraternities and sororities</span>

Washington & Jefferson College is host to 8 Greek organizations and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. With 43% of women and 40% of men of the student body participating in "greek life," fraternities and sororities play a significant role in student life at W&J. The Princeton Review named Washington & Jefferson College 12th on their 2010 list of "Major Frat and Sorority Scene" in the United States. As of 2024, the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life recognized 4 fraternities, Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, and Phi Kappa Psi, and 4 sororities, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi. The fraternities are governed by a local Interfraternal Council and the sororities are governed by a local Panhellenic Council, while the Greek Judiciary manages broad policy violations at the chapter-level. All Greek organizations occupy College-owned houses on Chestnut Street on campus. All members of fraternities and sororities must pay the $100 "Greek Membership Fee," a levy designed to fund leadership seminars and other educational events for Greeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Virginia fraternities and sororities</span> American Greek life system

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigma Lambda Pi</span> Defunct American collegiate Jewish fraternity

Sigma Lambda Pi (ΣΛΠ) was an officially non-sectarian and historically Jewish fraternity founded in 1915 at New York University. It stopped operations in 1932 as chapters either closed, became locals or merged with Phi Epsilon Pi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National APIDA Panhellenic Association</span> Greek letter umbrella organization

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References

  1. ↑ "Nonsectarian - Definition of nonsectarian by Merriam-Webster". merriam-webster.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  2. ↑ "Nonsectarian - definition of nonsectarian by The Free Dictionary". TheFreeDictionary.com. Archived from the original on 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  3. ↑ "History & Traditions of Germantown Academy - Pennsylvania". www.germantownacademy.net. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  4. ↑ The Founders' Period Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine History of the Fraternity
  5. ↑ Foundation [ permanent dead link ] Pi Lambda Phi Educational Foundation, Inc.
  6. ↑ "The Founding of DPhiE". Delta Phi Epsilon. Archived from the original on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Dinan, John (March 24, 2014). The Virginia State Constitution. Oxford University Press. p. 210. ISBN   9780199355730 . Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  8. ↑ Philip Hamburger (20 June 2017). "Prejudice and the Blaine Amendments". First Things . Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  9. ↑ "Private School Enrollment". National Center for Education Statistics. March 2017. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018. Affiliated religious schools belong to associations of schools with a specific religious orientation other than Catholic or conservative Christian. Unaffiliated religious schools have a religious orientation or purpose but are not considered Catholic, conservative Christian, or affiliated religious. Nonsectarian schools do not have a religious orientation or purpose.
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