The University of Alberta is a public institution that was formed in 1908 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. [1] At the university, fraternities are governed by a local Interfraternity Council and the sororities are governed by the National Panhellenic Council. [2] [3] All existing chapters formed after 1929 when a twenty-year ban of fraternities and sororities was lifted. [1]
In 1909, Henry Marshall Tory, the first president of the university, ordered all secret societies to disband, including the local secret societies Upsilon Upsilon and Pi Sigma Phi. [4] The push to remove the ban begun in 1927, when students formed a committee called the Athenian Club to lobby for fraternities. [4] That same year, several men had formed the Rocky Mountain Goat Club, which was only sanctioned due to its lack of any secret rituals or a written constitution. [4]
The University of Alberta's ban on fraternities and sororities ended in 1929, following the departure of President Tory. [4] Members of the Rocky Mountain Goat Club formed one of the university's newest fraternities, Delta Nu (later merged into Phi Kappa Pi). [4]
Phi Delta Theta was the first chapter of a national or international fraternity on campus, officially recognized and chartered on September 12, 1930. [2] [5] Also, in 1930, the Athenian Club became a chapter of Zeta Psi. [1] The first national sorority chapter was Delta Gamma, established in May 9, 1931 from the local sorority Phi Gamma. [1] [6] All fraternities and sororities at the university occupy houses. [1]
Delta Kappa Epsilon was the third international fraternity on campus, officially recognized and chartered on December 30, 1932 as the Delta Phi Chapter, with members originating from a local fraternity called Phi Alpha formed in 1929. [7]
As of 2025, the University of Alberta made the decision to end its rental agreement with on campus organizations. Organizations were given notice of this decision in April 2025, and for most organizations, their final lease will end on August 31, 2026. Organizations with on campus housing that were impacted by this decision include Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity, Alpha Psi Sorority, Delta Chi Fraternity, KORE Women’s Fraternity, Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, and Zeta Psi Fraternity. [8] The University of Alberta stated that "maintaining these older homes to a standard that meets the modern needs of today's students is not sustainable, given increasing costs and inflationary pressures." [9]
Following are the fraternity chapters at the University of Alberta. [1]
| Organization | Symbols | Chapter name | Charter date and range | Organization's scope | Status | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Chi | ΔΧ | Alberta | April 5, 1997 | North America | Active | [12] |
| Delta Kappa Epsilon | ΔΚΕ | Delta Phi | December 30, 1932 | North America | Active | [7] [13] [14] [15] [a] [b] |
| Delta Sigma Phi | ΔΣΦ | Epsilon Alpha | 1965–1971 | North America | Inactive | [16] [c] |
| Delta Upsilon | ΔΥ | Alberta | January 19, 1935 | North America | Active | [17] [18] [d] |
| Farmhouse | FH | Alberta | April 20, 1974 | North America | Active | [19] [e] |
| Kappa Alpha Society | ΚΑ | Alberta Alpha | November 5, 1988–2011 | North America | Inactive | [20] |
| Kappa Sigma | ΚΣ | Epsilon-Alpha | May 1, 1939 – 2024 | North America | Inactive | [21] |
| Lambda Chi Alpha | ΛΧΑ | Epsilon-Rho | 1945 | North America | Active | [f] |
| Phi Delta Theta | ΦΔΘ | Alberta Alpha | September 12, 1930 | North America | Active | [5] [g] |
| Phi Gamma Delta | ΦΓΔ and FIJI | Epsilon Alpha | October 24, 1970 | North America | Active | [22] |
| Pi Kappa Alpha | ΠΚΑ | Lambda Epsilon | November 11, 2001 | North America | Active | [23] |
| Pi Kappa Pi | ΦΚΠ | Delta Mu | 1930–1975, 19xx ?– 1995 | National | Inactive | [4] [h] |
| Sigma Alpha Mu | ΣΑΜ | Mu Beta | March 30, 1941 – 1972 | North America | Inactive | [24] [i] |
| Theta Chi | ΘΧ | Zeta Gamma | February 20, 1965 | North America | Active | [25] [26] |
| Zeta Psi | ΖΨ | Mu Theta | 1930 | International | Inactive | [j] [27] |
Following are the sorority chapters at the University of Alberta. [1] [28]
| Organization | Symbols | Chapter name | Charter date and range | Organization's scope | Status | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Gamma Delta | ΑΓΔ | Delta Kappa | February 29, 1964 – 1977; 1996 | North America | Active | |
| Alpha Psi | ΑΨ | 2004 | Local | Active | [29] [a] | |
| Ceres | Beta | February 15, 1986 – 19xx ?; March 2007–2023 | North America | Inactive | [b] | |
| Delta Delta Delta | ΔΔΔ | Canada Gamma | February 6, 1932 – January 1, 1959 | North America | Inacitve | [30] [c] |
| Delta Gamma | ΔΓ | Beta Beta | May 9, 1931 | North America | Active | [6] [d] |
| Kappa Alpha Theta | ΚΑΘ | Beta Chi | September 26, 1931 | North America | Active | [31] [e] |
| Kore | 2023 | Local | Active | [f] | ||
| Pi Beta Phi | ΠΒΦ | Alberta Alpha | September 22, 1931 | North America | Active | [32] [33] [g] |
Fraternity and sorority chapters are also recognized as student groups and are governed by one of two councils: the Interfraternity Council and the National Panhellenic Council.