Greek Row is aiming to increase diversity on its street during the next few years.
Jay Wilgus, dean of students, said everyone deserves to have a home at the U, and the same applies for Greek Row.
“It’s what gives them a connection,” he said.
The U is undertaking a 10-month planning process to bring more minority support and representation to the fraternities and sororities, Wilgus said. Having a place to call home might also help increase the U’s enrollment of black and American Indian students, which, for either group, has rarely grown to more than 300 students, according to U statistics.
To improve those numbers, Wilgus jointly hosted a weekend of diversity events with Colorado State University to showcase the U. Wilgus said he hopes the out-of-towners, most of whom belong to fraternities or sororities, will come to the U for their graduate
studies and bring their involvement in Greek Row with them.
The weekend kicked off Friday with an informational session about minority fraternities and sororities. The U has a traditionally black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, which is not exclusively black.
The session also included the U’s 37th Annual Traditional Social Powwow, as well as Black Affair, a dance party for black students hosted by the Black Student Union at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Bryan Hotchkins, a graduate student in educational leadership and policy, said he’s hopeful for a future where Greek Row has more diversity. But he said it would take at least five years for black students to start their own fraternity chapter, considering the consistently low enrollment numbers.
“We have to recruit more, we have to increase our pool with events like these,” Hotchkins said.
Lennie MahlerAssistant Dean of Students and Greek Council Advisor Jay Wilgus spoke to students in a conference about Greeks and diversity Friday in the East Union Ballroom. Fraternities and sororities are working on a 10-month planning process to encourage more ethnic students to join.