Harvard students interested in joining a fraternity or sorority — while avoiding administrative censure — have at least two options.
They could enroll in Alpha Phi Alpha, a Greek organization for African-American men; or Alpha Kappa Alpha, a sorority for African-American women.
Both are “cultural interest” fraternities and sororities – groups designed to bring together students with common heritage and backgrounds. Alpha Phi Alpha accepts members from Harvard, MIT, and Tufts; Alpha Kappa Alpha admits students attending Harvard, MIT, and Wellesley.
Greek cultural groups are not subject to College sanctions because their membership spans multiple schools, according to Harvard spokesman Aaron M. Goldman. One of the organizations held an event on the Harvard campus as recently as April 2018.
THE punishments – which took effect with the Class of 2021 – prohibits members of final clubs and Greek organizations from serving in student group leadership positions, varsity sports team captaincy, and from receiving College approval for certain scholarships prestigious.
Although cultural fraternities and sororities are exempt from sanctions, their single-sex status means they cannot receive official recognition from the University, wrote Associate Dean for Student Engagement Alexander R. Miller in a emailed statement provided by Goldman.
“Harvard College is committed to ensuring an inclusive student social life on our campus,” Miller wrote. “While we understand the cultural importance of these groups, our policy clearly states that we do not recognize single-sex social organizations or fraternities and sororities, and therefore, they are not recognized by Harvard College.”
Although Greek cultural organizations are in part social groups, some of their events do not fit the popular conception of parties typically held by fraternities or sororities. Members attend church together, attend mental health talks, organize clothing drives and participate in slam poetry nights.
Alpha Kappa Alpha and Alpha Phi Alpha count several Harvard students among their members, according to the groups’ websites and Facebook pages. The two organizations have hosted several events on Harvard’s campus in recent years, according to public Facebook posts.
On March 30, Alpha Kappa Alpha hosted an event called “Smart Money Workshop” in the Great TV Room of Mather House. On April 7, Alpha Phi Alpha hosted an “A-List Networking Mixer” in the senior common room of Winthrop House.
When asked about these groups’ use of Harvard-owned spaces, Miller wrote that “use of College-owned meeting and event spaces by unrecognized groups, including single-sex fraternities and sororities, does not is not permitted.
Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Although cultural fraternities do not appear to have changed their policies in response to Harvard’s sanctions, many other Greek finals organizations and clubs have vowed to become co-ed to avoid sanctions.
Fifteen social groups, including two of the College’s former fraternities and the four ex-sororities, committed to becoming gender neutral and received recognition from the College – which exempts groups from sanctions – on September 7.
In the years since former university President Drew G. Faust introduced the sanctions in May 2016, Harvard’s Alpha Epsilon Pi and Kappa Sigma chapters became the co-ed Aleph and KS, respectively. And the former sororities Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Alpha Phi became the gender-neutral groups Kali Praxi, Theta Zeta Xi, Fleur and Ivy.
These changes left Harvard with only three fraternities and no exclusively female social groups. A handful of the remaining single-sex final clubs and Greek organizations take part the fight for the national capital and lobby Congress to jeopardize the College’s sanctions.
Correction: September 25, 2018
A previous version of this article referred to a sorority called “Kappa Kappa Alpha,” which does not exist. The article was intended to reference Harvard’s Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority chapter, which recently became the gender-neutral group Fleur. The story has been updated.
—Editor Caroline S. Engelmayer can be reached at caroline.engelmayer@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @cengelmayer13.
