Story by Ashley Traylor, Contributing writer

Murray State announced that the Greek Life program is expanding in Fall 2016. Delta Zeta will be Murray State’s newest sorority, increasing the total number of sororities from six to seven.

Murray State began the extension exploratory process in 2011. Two years later, they received presentations from five sororities. Murray State chose three sororities to add to their Greek Life program, including Kappa Delta, which was re-established in 2013, Delta Zeta and Phi Mu.

“The extension (invitation) and expansion (colonization) process for a campus is both long and extensive,” Evan Ditty, coordinator of Greek Life and student leadership programs, said.

The Panhellenic Council must vote to open extension. If the vote is approved, then an exploratory and extension committee is formed. The purpose of this committee is to decide whether the university is ready for extension based on recruitment numbers, retention and university enrollment.

The National Panhellenic Conference must approve the university for extension. Once approved, all organizations without a chapter on campus are informed the university is open for extension.

Interested chapters inform the National Panhellenic Conference, the exploratory and extension committee approve the organizations and the organizations will give presentations.

The exploratory and extension committee will decide which organization will benefit the community the most. Once they decide on the organization expanding to the college campus, the committee creates an expansion schedule.

A university must meet several requirements before it is approved to expand Greek Life programs. The statistics include: women participating in recruitment, retention of chapters, university enrollment and the number of women who participated in recruitment but did not receive a bid from a chapter.

The highest number a chapter’s membership can reach is 140. Murray State is a small institution, so “by bringing in new organizations, it helps bring that number down over the course of time so that it is more reasonable,” Ditty said.

Professional staff and leadership consultants from Delta Zeta’s headquarters will be heading Delta Zeta’s recruitment in the fall.

Murray State does not have a minimum number of girls for Delta Zeta membership. Delta Zeta will make these goals, but they are unknown at this time.

Alfa Lloyd, Mary Collins, Anna Keen, Julia Bishop, Mabelle Minton and Anne Simmons founded Delta Zeta on Oct. 24, 1902 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

There are 165 collegiate chapters in the United States and Canada all working together to raise money for Delta Zeta’s national philanthropy, speech and hearing.

Throughout the spring semester at Murray State, representatives from Delta Zeta’s headquarters will be on campus to meet with different officers and student groups.

Any questions regarding Delta Zeta should be directed to Evan Ditty, coordinator of Greek Life and student leadership programs.

Correction: This article previously stated that the addition of Delta Zeta will be the sixth sorority on campus. That is incorrect. It will be the seventh. The News regrets the error.