By Amy Fredette
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The fastest growing fraternity, according to the Fraternity Executive Association and the National Fraternity Council, is planning to re-establish a UA chapter during the next three weeks.
So far, Pi Kappa Phi has recruited 25 potential members, and plans to accrue a total of 40 to 50 men, said Michael Loy, director of expansion.
Loy and Evan Erickson, a leadership consultant, have been on campus for about a week and plan to stay until Oct. 10.
"We are looking for guys who want to create the tradition and set the standards," Loy said. "We are offering a clean slate."
Founded in 1904 in Charleston, S.C., Pi Kappa Phi was invited by the Interfraternity Council to re-establish a chapter at the University of Arizona.
Interfraternity Council President Michael Margolin, said he is very happy about the addition of Pi Kappa Phi, which will become the 25th member of the university's IFC.
"(The IFC) reviewed about 10 fraternities to decide which ones we wanted," Margolin said. "We decided on two, (Pi Kappa Phi and Phi Kappa Tau) because they both have outstanding leadership skills."
Margolin said the university prefers to invite one fraternity each year to prevent competition. He added that Phi Kappa Tau might accept the invitation for next year.
Phi Kappa Phi was on campus from 1951 to 1963, but left because membership had dwindled.
"We left largely because we did not have competitive housing back then," Loy said. Loy added that the fraternity was doing well during the 50s.
Because the fraternity is "new" to campus, housing will not be readily available. Loy said he understands that Greek housing is important at this campus.
"We don't want to establish a group and have them wither and die on the vine," Loy said. "Once the group is established and solidified, we will help them find housing."
A leadership consultant will arrive on campus this November and will return about two to three times each semester to ensure that the fraternity is succeeding.
The first annual election will be held at the end of the semester, but officials will be selected before Loy and Erickson leave Tucson.
Loy said that Pi Kappa Phi wants to create a "quality" organization at the UA.
Future members of the fraternity must have a grade point average of 2.5 in order to be considered, Loy said. Members must also be involved with other campus organizations.
"We don't want to have people who are fixated solely on the fraternity," Loy said. "We find that these are not the most beneficial members."
Said Erickson, "I'm really excited about the opportunity to be here and to promote the ideas and values that fraternities were originally founded upon."