Education and Leadership

A Parent's Guide to Pi Kappa Phi and Greek Life 

As a parent, it's a good idea for you to learn about fraternities so you can help your son make the best decision about whether or not he should be part of Greek life at his college. Pi Kappa Phi is unique among today’s fraternities as we were founded as being a unique “non-fraternity” and focusing on “Redefining Fraternity as a Lifelong Brotherhood of Leaders.” Our members are leaders on campus, serving as student body presidents, student senators, IFC presidents and leaders of other campus organizations.  Our alumni include a large number of governors, senators, congressmen, military leaders, athletes and CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies. 

Academics  

Academics should be your son's number one focus while in college. That's why we require a minimum 2.5 GPA in order to be initiated and remain a member in good standing. Each chapter has an adult alumnus serving as their Chapter Advisor and other adult advisors who assist the chapter with financial management, scholarship, alumni relations and other areas.  Furthermore, we offer a number of educational programs, such as tutoring and study sessions, which can assist the entire chapter in excelling academically. We are the only fraternity to offer a stipend to a local faculty member to serve as the Academic Coach for a chapter and assist the members in developing sound study habits and time management skills.  We also offer a number of scholarships, both on the local and national level and semester recognition (Order of The Lamp) to members earning a minimum 3.0 GPA.  Since obtaining a degree is the main reason for attending college, make sure your student realizes that he must keep up his grades if he wants to participate in a Greek organization. 

Activities 

Pi Kappa Phi offers the opportunity to participate in many activities. The kind of activities your son may participate in will vary depending on which chapter he joins. Possible activities may include: 

• Fundraising for Push America – our own national philanthropy 
• Tutoring students 
• Conducting environmental and neighborhood cleanups 
• Participating in student government 
• Volunteering or making a “friendship visit” to a local group home or shelter 
• Participating in intramural athletics 
• Attending social mixers or group attendance at campus sporting events  

If your son decides to go Greek, you should stress how important it is to balance social activities and academics. If his grades start to slip, he may want to cut back on the activities in which he is involved. Keep in mind that while fraternity life is great for some students, it's not for everyone. You should discuss with your son what he would like to do and then support his decision.  

Membership in Pi Kappa Phi is a lifelong commitment. It can and has been very rewarding for thousands of men throughout our 100+ year history.  Your son will learn leadership skills and experience a bond that cannot be obtained in the classroom alone.  He will make lifelong friendships and have a permanent connection with more than 80,000 living alumni brothers around the world.   

We invite you to explore our website to better understand why Pi Kappa Phi is unique among men’s fraternities.  We also invite you to visit our National Headquarters and Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina.   

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