Pi Beta Phi sorority chapter to launch at Georgia College
By Amanda Respess
P i Beta Phi is the newest national sorority to establish a chapter at Georgia College & State University. GCSU announced the new addition at the culmination of campus Greek Week celebrations on Sunday.
"Pi Beta Phi will create real opportunities for students, especially those pursuing teaching degrees, to conduct meaningful service, turning their passion into impact through career preparation,” said Associate Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Brandon Tucker. “We look forward to Pi Beta Phi collaborating with our existing Fraternity & Sorority Life organizations to provide more opportunities for students to get involved and form new connections."
GCSU will become the third university in the state to host a Pi Beta Phi chapter, joining Emory University and the University of Georgia. The sorority was founded in 1867 at Monmouth College, a private liberal arts institution in Illinois, and currently supports 129 active collegiate chapters nationwide.
Given Georgia College’s liberal arts mission, the university felt like a perfect fit for the sorority’s next chapter, according to Pi Beta Phi Grand President Jenn Plagman-Galvin.
“The spirit of learning, collaboration and community engagement that defines GCSU reflects so much of what we value as an organization — fostering an environment where members are challenged to think critically, engage deeply and apply their knowledge in service to others,” said Plagman-Galvin.
Pi Beta Phi will begin establishing its new chapter this fall as they work with Georgia College Panhellenic to find a chapter house and establish an advisory board. Pi Beta Phi will officially welcome new members November 2027.
The spirit of learning, collaboration and community engagement that defines GCSU reflects so much of what we value as an organization — fostering an environment where members are challenged to think critically, engage deeply and apply their knowledge in service to others.
“Inviting Pi Beta Phi to establish a new chapter at GCSU gives our students yet another opportunity to find meaningful connections in college,” said Dr. Emily Jarvis, assistant vice president for Student Health and Wellbeing at GCSU. “Our hope is that every student who wants a home in Greek Life can find an organization that matches their values. We know that sorority life can be the supportive network that carries students through the ups and downs of college.”
Pi Beta Phi’s philanthropic focus is childhood literacy. Following the organization’s visit to Milledgeville and initiation of a campus chapter, Pi Beta Phi donated 500 books to the Mary Vinson Memorial Library. Organizational leadership is also already looking for ways to partner with the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College.
Georgia College currently is home to eight National Panhellenic Conference sororities. The last time a new sorority was established at GCSU was when Alpha Gamma Delta was chartered in 2018.
More than 2,100 students currently participate in Greek life at Georgia College.
Header Images: Bid Day on front campus is the culmination of fall recruitment each August at GCSU. Photos by Anna Gay Leavitt.