Legacy Policies and FAQs

Sharing Pi Phi sisterhood with a sister, daughter or granddaughter is a special part of the membership experience. Recommending a legacy for membership is a fulfilling way for alumnae to express their Lifelong Commitment to Pi Phi. The legacy information below may be helpful for Pi Phis and Potential New Members (PNMs) preparing for primary recruitment.

If you have questions not addressed here, please email recruitment@pibetaphi.org.

Per Pi Phi’s Constitution and Statutes, a daughter, sister, or granddaughter of a current, initiated member shall be considered a legacy of the Fraternity. Chapters may add in their own bylaws to include step relationships and great granddaughters as legacies. Keep in mind that not all NPC groups have the same definition of a legacy; this definition is specific to Pi Phi.

Please note that following the legislative vote outcome of Convention 2021, Pi Phi chapters no longer provide special considerations to legacies in the recruitment process and no courtesy invitations are offered to legacies

A PNM may indicate her legacy status on her primary recruitment application through her university Panhellenic. There may be cases in which legacy status is not requested on Panhellenic recruitment applications. A PNM is welcome to share her legacy relationship with the chapter members she meets during recruitment.  

Complete the Recruitment Information Form (RIF) if you are an alumna; the Fraternity no longer administers the Legacy Introduction Form (LIF).

Chapter members and alumnae Advisors are not permitted to discuss why a PNM was released because membership selection is private chapter business, happens under Ritual and is strictly confidential among the current members of that chapter.

Please know chapters are educated on legacy policies before recruitment begins. As our organization gets older, the number of legacies increases each year and membership selection decisions become more difficult for our collegiate sisters. For example, a number of Pi Phi chapters have more legacies come through the recruitment process than the total number of women they can extend bids to. Our collegiate members are guided to make what they believe is the best decision for their chapter at the time and that decision is theirs to make.

The Fraternity has prioritized and elevated attention on diversity, equity and inclusion. Of increased focus for collegians and alumnae has been the special treatment of legacies during the recruitment process. The Fraternity supports equitable and inclusive membership selection practices which allow all Potential New Members to have an equal opportunity for membership based on their qualifications.

Chapters can choose from three legacy courtesy options for the 2020-2021 academic year: 

  1. Follow existing legacy procedures.  These chapters will invite all legacies to the first invitational round and if invited to Preference, legacies will be placed at the top of the bid list.

  2. Eliminate  the  top of the bid list courtesy  but keep the first-round  invitation  courtesy. These chapters will invite legacies to the first invitational round. 

  3. Eliminate  the  top of the bid list courtesy  and  the  first-round invitation courtesy. These chapters will consider legacies just as they consider any other PNM for membership. These chapters will meet the requirements of the Constitution and Statutes special consideration by identifying all legacies for members of the chapter prior to the start of recruitment. 

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