The University of Texas Interfraternity Council is stepping up its recruitment effort big time this year, with the release of a 44-page color guide containing detailed information on each of its 24 member fraternities, along with information about the IFC and rush process.

Interfraternity Council President Edwin Qian said the UT IFC was inspired to create the guide after seeing similar initiatives at the other universities with strong Greek cultures. He said it’s hard for some students to know how UT rush works, especially if they’re coming from another state, and the guide seemed like an effective way to communicate with them, along with a way to create a sort of IFC yearbook.

“We wanted to create another platform for them to get to know the fraternities here,” Qian said. 

Qian said the university has put out campus-wide Greek life guides in the past and the IFC has put out tiny booklets, but never anything like this. The guide features a full-page spread on each IFC fraternity, with president and recruitment chair contact information for each, along with GPA and dues requirements for most fraternities. It also provides a listing of how IFC fraternities stack up in GPA ranking and a West Campus map showing where each fraternity house is.

The guide takes a full two pages to address the act of hazing and the IFC’s intolerance of it, along with its opposition to the serving of alcohol to those underage.  Qian said the decision to address those issues was made because questions about them to the IFC are so common.  

“We get these questions, especially from parents,” Qian said. “The book is also for families and friends who care about the Greek life community at UT. We get a lot of questions about hazing, alcohol policy and rush schedules, so the book answers almost all the questions that we get on a daily basis.” 

Qian said the IFC has been distributing the guide digitally and will be printing copies to distribute to incoming freshman and transfer students.  

Zane Bushnell, recruitment chair for Phi Kappa Tau, an IFC fraternity, said he likes the guide because it allows students to focus on the fraternities that most suit them. 

“It gives every fraternity some exposure and I guess gives incoming freshman ideas about the fraternities without having to go to every single one, so they can already focus on fraternities that are suited to their interests,” Bushnell said.  

Bushnell said he sees a big benefit from the guide in communicating with parents.  

“It gives all the basic information for every fraternity and so [parents] are not just hearing it from their kid,” Bushnell said. “They’re actually seeing it on paper, that these are legitimate organizations.” 

Qian said the response to the guide has been very positive.  

“We have received many good comments from faculty, students and rush captains,” Qian said.  

Qian said the guide was paid for mainly by dues from IFC fraternities, though some advertising in the guide helped to offset costs. He said he hopes to continue the tradition annually, growing the portion of the guide paid for by advertisements to eventually cover all costs associated with it.

Contact David at DavidMaly1@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @DavidMaly1.