Kappa Delta sorority will soon become the newest member of George Mason University’s Panhellenic community.
The sorority was selected by the Panhellenic Council following recommendations from an extension committee made up of one member from each of the seven active Panhellenic organizations on campus.
Kirstin Barry, director of extension and consultants for Kappa Delta, said her organization was drawn to George Mason’s dedication to academic excellence and fostering global citizenship in its students.
“The Mason student is driven, academic and involved, and that’s exactly what Kappa Delta looks for in a founding member,” Barry said.
Established in 1897, Kappa Delta has more than 250,000 active members and focuses on building confidence and inspiring women to action.
According to Phil McDaniel, associate director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, recent growth trends at Mason showed that the Panhellenic community needed to explore the idea of inviting a new sorority to campus. McDaniel said rising chapter sizes in the past five years, jumping from 90 to more than 130 members per group, have become difficult to manage in both chapter relations and finding space on campus to hold recruitment events.
“Our women expressed that they were concerned that the sizes were just going to continue to grow, and didn’t want the organizations to be that large,” McDaniel said.
An extension committee was created and, out of 13 applicants, three, including Kappa Delta, were invited to Mason to present information about their groups.
Government and politics major Hannah Carse, Zeta Tau Alpha’s representative on the extension committee, said the organization’s dedication to scholarship, large alumni presence in Northern Virginia and proactivity in reaching out to the local Girl Scout Council, one of their national philanthropies, made Kappa Delta most appealing to her.
“They’re already showing initiative that they want to work with the community as well, which will give a great face to the Mason Greek community,” Carse said.
Barry said the next steps in the process will involve both herself and a Kappa Delta leadership development consultant visiting campus in the spring to learn more about the community and lay the groundwork for recruitment in the fall.