PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University will push back Greek life rush for incoming students by one semester, a change the school says will help more students find their place on campus and stay enrolled.
Normally, fraternities and sororities recruit incoming students over the summer. The new Student Belonging and Success Initiative proposes deferring that rush period by a few weeks to a full semester.
WSU Provost Chris Riley-Tillman said that when he began his position in 2024, nearly 20 percent of students did not return after their first year. His office is now developing the initiative to help students connect with campus life sooner.
“If fraternities and sororities are going to be ideal for you, they will remain ideal for you,” Riley-Tillman said. “But for the percentages of students who engage in that activity and it’s not ideal for them, this allows them to have had other experiences.”
Delaying the Greek rush period is one example of the approach, but it’s drawing strong criticism from students already in the Greek system.
Thursday night, hundreds of students gathered outside the university president’s house to protest the new rule, chanting for the university to “let students rush”.
An executive member of a campus sorority, who asked not to be named, said student leaders were not consulted before the decision. She said she learned about the plan the same way much of campus did.
“We found out through the Seattle Times, along with the rest of campus, and they knew that this was coming and they didn’t ask our opinion or let anybody know,” she said.
She also warned about the financial impact on Greek chapters. “With us not having that funding, like a lot of these chapters, are going to struggle to keep their doors open,” she said.
The provost said the exact details of the initiative remain open to revision, but changes will take effect in the fall of 2027.
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