| Letters: | Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΣΦΡ |
| Sigma Phi Rho | |
| Crest: | RHOShield.png |
| Birthplace: | Wagner College |
| Affiliation: | Independent |
| Status: | Active |
| Type: | Social |
| Emphasis: | African American |
| Scope: | National |
| Motto: | "Strong character and good moral judgment are the essence of dignity" |
| Colors: | Brown, White, and Gold |
| Symbol: | Ram |
| Nickname: | The Rho, Rhoman, Death RHO |
| Flower: | White and Gold Roses |
| Pillars: | Scholarship, Brotherhood, Leadership, Service, Empowerment |
| Publication: | The Scales |
| Chapters: | 21 active |
| Colonies: | 12 |
| Address: | 653-A Malcolm X Blvd. |
| City: | New York City |
| State: | New York |
| Zip Code: | 10037 |
| Country: | United States |
Sigma Phi Rho Fraternity, Inc. (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΣΦΡ) is an African American collegiate fraternity.[1] It was established at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York in 1978.
Sigma Phi Rho Fraternity, Inc. was started in 1978 and chartered by thirteen men from Wagner College in 1979.[2] The founding members of Sigma Phi Rho were:[3] The Beta chapter was added at the State University of New York at Brockport in 1980, followed by the Gamma chapter at the University of North Carolina Charlotte in 1981.[4]
The fraternity's national headquarters is located in New York City.
The motto of Sigma Phi Rho is "Strong character and good moral judgment are the essence of dignity". The fraternity's colors are brown, white, and gold. Its pillars are Scholarship, Brotherhood, Leadership, Service, and Empowerment.[5]
To become a member of Sigma Phi Rho Fraternity Inc. there is a fraternal educational training. Membership of Sigma Phi Rho is open to all sophomores attending an accredited four-year college or university. Academically, the candidates must have at least a 2.7 grade point average based on a 4.0 scale. All candidates must have a documented record of community service. All candidates must display strong character, good moral judgment, and leadership abilities.
There are four classes of membership of Sigma Phi Rho fraternity which are active, inactive, alumni, and honorary. An active member has the full privilege to participate in all fraternity activities. An inactive member has restricted participation in the chapter activities[6] An alumni member has finished college and is possibly pursuing an advanced degree. An honorary member has the rights and privileges of full membership. To become an honorary member a person has to have done something remarkable, whether it's through community service, academically or some other achievement.
Sigma Phi Rho is a non-hazing organization. Sigma Phi Rho Fraternity, Incorporated does not consent to, condone, or authorize any act of hazing, both mentally and physically, or violence towards potential candidates as a term or condition of membership[7]
Following is a partial list of Sigma Phi Rho chapters. Active chapters are in bold. Inactive chapters are in italics.
| Chapter | Charter date and range | Institution | Location | Status | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 1978 | Wagner College | Staten Island, New York City, New York | Active | ||
| Beta | October 25, 1980 | State University of New York at Brockport | Brockport, New York | Active | ||
| Gamma (First) | 1981–xxxx ? | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina | Inactive | ||
| Delta (First) (see Tau) | 1981–c. 1982 | Johnson C. Smith University | Charlotte, North Carolina | Inactive | ||
| Epsilon | 1981 | New York Metro Chapter | New York City, New York | Active | ||
| Zeta | 1981 | Montclair State University | Montclair, New Jersey | Active | ||
| Eta | 1981 | New Paltz, New York | Active | |||
| Theta | September 1, 1983 | Rochester, New York | Active | |||
| Delta (Second) | November 12, 1983 | State University of New York at Old Westbury | Old Westbury, New York | Active | ||
| Iota | July 25, 1985 | Staten Island, New York | Active | |||
| Kappa | July 25, 1985 | New York Institute of Technology | Long Island, New York | Active | ||
| Lambda | 1990 | University of California, Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, California | Active | ||
| Mu | 2002 | University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | Dartmouth, Massachusetts | Active | ||
| Nu | 2009 | Lehman College | Bronx, New York | Active | ||
| XI | April 24, 1989 | State University of New York at Albany | Albany, New York | Active | ||
| Omicron | 1988 | Ramapo College | Mahwah, New Jersey | Active | ||
| Pi | December 16, 1989 | State University of New York at Delhi | Delhi, New York | Active | ||
| Rho | Inactive ? | |||||
| Sigma | 1995 | Caldwell University | Caldwell, New Jersey | Active | ||
| Tau (see Delta First) | Johnson C. Smith University | Charlotte, North Carolina | Active | |||
| Upsilon | Buffalo State University | Buffalo, New York | Active | |||
| Phi | Inactive ? | |||||
| Chi | Inactive ? | |||||
| Psi | Inactive ? | |||||
| Omega | Inactive ? | |||||
| Alpha Alpha | Inactive ? | |||||
| Alpha Beta | Inactive ? | |||||
| Alpha Gamma | 2005 | San Jose State University | San Jose, California | Active | ||
| Alpha Delta | 20xx ? | California State University, Northridge | Los Angeles, California | Active | ||
| Gamma (Second) | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, North Carolina | Active | |||
| American International University | Colony | |||||
| Brooklyn College | New York City, New York | Colony | ||||
| Long Island University | Colony | |||||
| Marist College | Poughkeepsie, New York | Colony | ||||
| Medgar Evers College | New York City, New York | Colony | ||||
| Pace University | Colony | |||||
| South Carolina State University | Orangeburg, South Carolina | Colony | ||||
| Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven, Connecticut | Colony | ||||
| St. John's University | New York City, New York | Colony | ||||
| State University of New York at Morrisville | Morrisville, New York | Colony | ||||
| State University of New York at Oneonta | Oneonta, New York | Colony | ||||
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York | Colony |
The Rho Rhoses is the women's auxiliary group for Sigma Phi Rho. The Rho Rhoses was also founded at Wagner College on December 4, 1980.[8] To become a member of Rhoses, there are certain programs in place in order to become a fully blossom, including the Bud program. The Bud program starts the young women who are interested, as Seeds or Rose Buds. The purpose of the Rose Buds is to aid and assist brothers in the training process, in addition to serving their school and aid in its development and growth.
The Rhoman's Court is the official group for high school students interested Sigma Phi Rho.[9]
The Prophets are an interest group for college freshman. Since Sigma Phi Rho does not accept freshmen into the "Scales" Club, this group helps develop and mentor these young men. During the Prophet experience, Rho Brothers help freshman acclimate to college life and prepare for their possible fraternal journey—specifically focusing on developing scholarly habits, character, and good leadership qualities.