This semester, the women of the Panhellenic Council at the University of Kentucky voted to expand.  After choosing to add a new chapter, three chapters came in to meet with an expansion committee made up of a representative from each chapter already on UK's campus, as well as Julie Meader who served as the committee chair and Madison Deskins, Panhellenic president.  After meeting with these three national organizations, the expansion committee elected to bring Alpha Phi to our campus this fall, and to bring Phi Mu in Fall of 2011. 

We are very excited for Alpha Phi to join our Panhellenic community this fall! 

On January 31, 2009, over 150 collegiate members of Panhellenic organizations on UK's campus got together to participate in a National Panhellenic Conference sponsored event entitled "Something of Value."  This day long program helped the young women look at some of the problems we have on campus and in our chapters and think of innovative ways to deal with them.  After this program, which was facilitated by a team of traveling NPC representatives representing each panhellenic organization on UK's campus as well as the Panhellenic Executive Committee here at UK, groups of officers from each sorority came up with ways to deal with issues facing our Greek community.  These ideas were put into a plan of action which will be used to better UK's Greek community! 

To view the University of Kentucky's Action Plan click here. 

Executive Members from IFC, NPHC and NPC came together on February 9th to get to know one another better and learn how to work together to improve the Greek system as a whole.

    The University of Kentucky's Panhellenic Council received two national awards at the National Panhellenic Conference in Chicago, Illinois last month. The council was one of 650 college Panhellenic Councils nationwide to be recognized, and only one of two to win two awards.

            The Panhellenic Council is the governing body for the twelve sororities on campus. It consists of delegates that represent over 2,000 members, making it the largest student organization on UK's campus.

            The first award was in the area of risk management. To achieve excellence in this area such actions have been taken that include many programs for students. A risk management session for all executive officers of Fraternities and Sororities is held every fall and spring. An anti-hazing forum is held every fall for all new potential members and current officers. This year’s forum was led by guest speaker David Westol, former Executive Director of Theta Chi Fraternity. Also, a Safety Awareness Program is held for all potential new members during the week of Sorority Recruitment. Fire safety inspections are also held throughout the semester. Chapters are required by the Council to register any social events where alcohol is present to ensure that all policies and standards are upheld. Programming in the area of sexual abuse and harassment and women's health issues were recognized as being outstanding as well.

            The second award was in the area of Philanthropy. The Panhellenic Council sorority members have raised over $159,000 and worked 43,800 service hours during the past two years. They have done this through programs such as Relay for Life, Adopt-A- Street, Kentucky Blood Center, Manchester Center, Juvenile Diabetes, Race for the Cure,

and The Schriner's Hospital Prom. Their recruitment process also includes a school supplies drive for schools in the Lexington area, as well as a school they support in Jamaica.

            Susan West, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs for the University of Kentucky, states that she is very proud of UK's Panhellenic.   "This council has won more National Panhellenic Conference Awards than any other university which definitively puts them in the "Top Twenty" of Greek systems nationwide."