Sorority & Fraternity Life
The Cornell Sorority & Fraternity community dates to the first months of University operation during the autumn of 1868. Cornell's co-founder and first president, Andrew Dickson White, was a strong promoter of fraternal organizations as a means of teaching self-governance to students. Today, we strive to continue that ethos.
Our office provides support and resources to the self-governed Cornell sorority and fraternity community. Sororities and fraternities are values-based social organizations, providing members with a community of peers, and personal growth opportunities through leadership development and service projects. Many of the organizations also offer a small residential living experience.
Currently, one-third of the undergraduate student body (approximately 3,000+ students) belongs to one of the over 50 recognized fraternities or sororities that make up the sorority and fraternity community. Individually these organizations present members with unique personal development opportunities. Collectively, the sorority and fraternity community provides thousands of students the platform from which they contribute to the local, regional and global communities.
