Starting this fall, two colors will be added to the UVM Greek community: gold and purple.

Delta Tau Delta is the newest organization recognized by Greek Life; it will be the ninth active fraternity on campus, and has never before been a fraternity at the University.

Founded in 1858 at Bethany College in West Virginia, Delta Tau Delta’s founding principles are Truth, Courage, Faith and Power, according to its Web site.

Delta Tau Delta is a “values-based fraternity” with its motto being, “Committed to Lives of Excellence,” according to its recruitment packet.

It has over 150, 000 members and is present at 116 campuses across the country, Jameson Root, a chapter leadership consultant said.

In order to become a recognized fraternity at UVM, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) must vote based on whether or not the addition of a chapter will be beneficial to both parties, Greek Advisor Kim Monteaux said.

“In fall 2006 Delta Tau Delta started a relationship with the University along with many other fraternities,” she said.

After working together for two years, the IFC decided to make Delta Tau Delta a “colony” over three other fraternities looking to join the Greek community at UVM, Monteaux said.

“It’s like a match-making process,” she said, “we’re looking for the best fit.”

“We, in the Greek world, break up students as always joiners, sometimes joiners and never joiners, always joiners being those who will show up no matter what day it is … no matter what college they go to … they want to go Greek,” Monteaux said.

Also, in fall 2006, a recruitment specialist surveyed the campus population and revealed that the numbers don’t reflect that the Greek community is recruiting all of the “always joiners”, Monteaux said.

“It’s important to add new fraternities to the Greek community because it offers more options for students that may not have found their home away from home,” she said. Delta Tau Delta’s Director of Growth Nicholas Goldsberry agreed. “A new fraternity at Vermont gives undergraduates the opportunity to create a new organization on campus and to leave their legacy.”

Other fraternities are also welcoming to the newest addition to the Greek family. “It’s good we’re finally accepting more fraternities on campus,” Pi Kappa Alpha President Josh Smith said.

“We look forward to the competition Delta Tau Delta will bring to Greek life,” he said.

“[Delta Tau Delta] will expand the overall percentage of students involved in Greek life at UVM … thus strengthening and expanding the greater Greek community at UVM,” Phi Delta Theta President Rick Valenta said.

Root will be on campus for a month to represent the fraternity and its ideals during the expansion and recruitment process.

Starting on Sept. 22, he, along with fellow consultants Ken Herman and Justin Poche, will have a tent set up outside the Davis Center to begin the recruitment process.

They will conduct an interview process for those male students who wish to fulfill leadership positions, such as president and vice president, of the organization, Root said.

There will not be a house designated for Delta Tau Delta just yet, though, he said. “We want to focus on internal operations first to make sure the colony is in good standing.”

There will be a ceremony on Oct. 17 to officially establish the colony and signify the end of the recruitment period, Root said.

The ceremony will be open to the whole campus, which is very unique in the 173 years Greek Life has been present at UVM; usually these gatherings are closed for non-Greek members, Monteaux said.