Sigma Chi Returning to Rhode Island

Sigma Chi Fraternity to Re-Establish Chapter at URI

As reported by Justin Oswald of the University of Rhode Island's The Good 5 Cent Cigar:

The Sigma Chi fraternity is coming back to the University of Rhode Island after a nine-year hiatus, with aspirations to recruit leaders and role models.

"We're trying to change what it means to be a fraternity and focus on leadership and development," John Dicks, associate director of Expansion for Sigma Chi, said. "I'm here for a month. My job is to identify as many good guys as we can." Commenting on Sigma Chi's progress at URI, Dicks said, "We have nine guys I feel pretty comfortable with, and that's only after a week, so we're doing pretty well."

Within the first week of March, the first pledge class will start an eight-week "pledgeship" that all Sigma Chi members must go through. After the completion of this, the members will be moved to "colony member status," Dicks said.

Following Sigma Chi's recognition of the group's colony status, Dicks said, "it will take 12 to 14 months before the colony gets its charter." This is because the accreditation process requires forms and wants to ensure that the chapter is following the correct steps in becoming a fraternity.

There are currently 217 undergraduate chapters of Sigma Chi nationally.