Four new fraternities and one sorority are one step closer to joining NIU’s Greek Row.

The Greek Life Standards Board is recommending approval for the organizations to join NIU, said Chris Juhl, activities advisor for Greek Activities.

The national fraternities selected to join NIU’s Greek Row are Sigma Nu, Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Phi and Chi Sigma Tau. The sorority joining will be Kappa Phi Lambda, a multi-cultured, Asian-interest sorority.

Initially, eight groups applied for recommendation to join NIU, but the GLSB denied recommendation for Alpha Sigma Omega, Phi Rho Eta and Delta Sigma Phi.

Juhl explained the main reason was that eight groups were too many to bring to campus at once. The groups came and made their presentations for expansion and we chose five, Juhl said.

The GLSB gave the groups’ recommendations to the Interfraternity Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. The official approval lies in their hands. The IFC and the NPHC have until Feb. 6 to make their entrance official. Juhl stressed that this process is only a formality, and it is only a matter of time before the groups enter campus.

“They could be here by the fall, but that would be the earliest,” Juhl said.

However, Juhl predicted there will be groups that may not be so welcoming to four new fraternities and one sorority on campus.

“Some of the other fraternities, they don’t want the competition,” Juhl said. “They look at it like they need men filling beds or we’re not paying our bills.”

Having five new groups may take away from the pool of men that might rush their houses, Juhl said.

Crystal Hoppe, president of the College Panhellenic Council, said it is natural for other houses to be competitive.

“Everybody wants to be the best,” Hoppe said. “To be top in service hours, philanthropy … If you have more groups on campus, someone will obviously be against it.”

Hoppe mentioned that the expansion could be positive for NIU.

“It could get more people involved,” Hoppe said.

As far as housing, the groups may live at a number of houses open in the area.

“There are landlords who are looking for tenants right now,” Juhl said.

However, the fraternities and the sorority don’t need a house on Greek Row to officially be recognized by NIU.

Three of the fraternities slotted to join will be returning groups to NIU.

“Sigma Nu had internal issues and shut down in the mid-’90s,” Juhl said.

Pi Kappa Phi left in the ’60s.

“They were only here about five to 15 years,” Juhl said.

Currently, 7 percent of NIU’s student population is Greek, which is 1,200 students. There are 575 women in sororities and 625 men in fraternities.

The national average for Greeks who make up a university’s student body is about 12 percent.