A Think College Brief on Policy, Research, & Practice - Issue No. 67 - Creating Pathways into Greek Life for Students with Intellectual Disability

Oct 15, 2026

A Think College Brief on Policy, Research, & Practice, Issue No. 67, examines how universities can create pathways for students with intellectual disability to access Greek Life. It outlines expected benefits of Greek participation and explains barriers and supports needed to make inclusion workable within existing recruitment and chapter structures. The brief presents author insights on staff collaboration, preparation of academic records, use of peer mentors, and partnership strategies that empower sorority and fraternity leaders to offer tailored guidance, building a more adaptive campus community.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Thoughts from the Authors

Getting Started

A Think College Brief on Policy, Research, & Practice INSIGHT ISSUE NO. 67 2025 Creating Pathways into Greek Life for Students with Intellectual Disability By Lindsay Bowles Krech, Jonathan Lidgus, Madeline Siener, and Erica Walters | Introduction
Greek Life is a historic part of the social landscape within higher education, with the first fraternity starting in 1776 and the first sorority starting in 1851. Joining a Greek organization can be a hallmark collegiate experience for many students, offering lifelong friendships and a multitude of professional connections. Potential benefits of joining a Greek organization are well known and can include personal and professional growth, increased college retention, and enhanced feelings of belonging to the campus and community (Burkhard & Timpf, 2021; Asel et al., 2015) .
In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on improving access to fraternities and sororities for students with disability (Sasso et al., 2024) . Many college campuses across the US are initiating postsecondary education programs for young adults with intellectual disability, and not surprisingly, many of these students are interested in joining Greek organizations. Students with intellectual disability should have access to Greek Life, using the same processes students without disability use to access these programs. This requires students and their supporters to embrace the dignity of risk. When students with intellectual disability are afforded the same potential opportunities, they may experience the same consequences as their peers without disability (Bumble et al., 2022) . | | --- | |
Thoughts from the Authors
Vanderbilt’s Greek Life staff played a crucial role in the process. They provided valuable guidance on how to gain access at both the university and inter/ national headquarters levels. We also consulted with colleagues from postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disability and Greek Life staff at other institutions that had already developed clearer pathways into Greek Life. This helped us understand the steps they took and the barriers they encountered before engaging with other collaborators.
Leveraging their relationships with chapter headquarters and their knowledge of the Greek Life system, our Greek Life staff led conversations with each chapter headquarters. Our team of program staff provided resources to support these discussions, and we found it beneficial to prepare academic records, including students’ semester grades and progress reports, to demonstrate their academic standing.
Additionally, our peer mentors offered valuable insights into the customs of sorority life. They also helped us connect with sorority chapters, identify potential support needs for recruitment, and collaborate with officers from each chapter to provide education and outreach across the Panhellenic Council.
—Lindsay Bowles Krech, Vanderbilt University
Sadie and Grace went Zeta at Vanderbilt University!

| INSIGHT: A Think College Brief on Policy, Research, & Practice • Issue No. 67 Thoughts from the Authors The path to including students with intellectual disability in Greek Life at the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) began with the determination of a single student. (See Lucy’s story on the next page.) During her interview process with the Succeed Program, she shared her goal of joining a sorority, emphasizing that this was an important part of her college journey. This conversation sparked a meaningful collaboration between the Office of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (OIPE) and the university’s Office of Student Involvement as they worked to support her dream. The OIPE team partnered closely with the Coordinator of Student Organizations and Fraternity & Sorority Life to break down the recruitment process, identifying potential challenges and exploring strategies to support students and their goals. When the student receiv

FAQs

Why does the brief focus on improving access to Greek Life for students with intellectual disability?

It emphasizes that students with intellectual disability should have access to Greek Life using the same processes as other students, which supports dignity of risk and can lead to comparable experiences and outcomes, including belonging and growth.

What role did university and Greek Life staff play in building pathways into Greek Life?

Greek Life staff provided guidance across university and chapter headquarters levels, consulted peers from relevant postsecondary programs, and led conversations with each chapter headquarters while preparing academic records to demonstrate standing.

How did collaboration between offices support the recruitment process in the featured story?

The Office of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education partnered with the university’s Office of Student Involvement, working with the Coordinator of Student Organizations and Fraternity & Sorority Life to break down recruitment steps, address challenges, and empower executive board peers to guide new members.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood