The Alpha Omicron Pi (AOPi) Fraternity will be the seventh National Panhellenic Conference organization for women to join the Greek community at Washington University, announced Ryan Jasen Henne, director of Greek Life. Colonization is slated for spring 2009.
“The Greek Life Office and the existing Greek community is excited and optimistic that this organization will bring a new population of women into the system,” Henne said. “It will allow them the chance to experience new leadership initiatives as well as learning and philanthropic opportunities their Greek affiliation can provide them.”
Alpha Omicron Pi will work with the Women’s Panhellenic Association and the Greek Life Office to identify a colonization timeline to ensure their successful transition to campus.
Representatives of the organization were on campus Dec. 1 to meet with student leaders and Greek Life staff. In the coming months, AOPi will train local alumnae as advisers and hire a resident consultant to work with the colony full time.
Currently, six nationally recognized sororities and 11 nationally recognized fraternities have chapters on the WUSTL campus. The fraternities have houses on “Fraternity Row” in the northwest corner of the Danforth Campus and the sororities have suites in the Women’s Building. The Greek system at WUSTL makes up approximately 27 percent of the undergraduate population.
AOPi was founded in 1897 at Barnard College of Columbia University.
Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women’s fraternity inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, developing leadership skills through service to the fraternity and the community and promoting friendship for a lifetime.