U of A ending rental agreements with on-campus fraternities, sororities

The University of Alberta is ending its rental agreements with fraternities and sororities, including some organizations that have been on campus for decades. 

Alpha Gamma Delta, a fraternity at the University of Alberta, has rented their house for 29 years, using the space as a home for five members and as a community hub.

But in late April, Alpha Gamma Delta and six other Greek life organizations were told that the university would be terminating their rental agreements with no chance of renewal.   

In a statement given to CBC News, the U of A said that "maintaining these older homes to a standard that meets the modern needs of today's students is not sustainable, given increasing costs and inflationary pressures."

The university said 27 students would be affected by the decision. For most organizations, their final lease will end on August 31, 2026, the U of A said. 

Quinn Tilling, president of Alpha Gamma Delta, told Edmonton AM that the school's reasoning was "frustrating."

"I lived in our house for the last semester of this previous year and I could count on one hand the number of times we had to request maintenance support from the university. I'm interested to see where the drain is coming from." 

Tilling said that finding alternative housing has been difficult because the fraternity needs a physical space for members to meet. 

"We need a place where our members can go and feel as though they have a home away from home," Tilling said. "So, if we can't secure a property, it will negatively impact our organization and dozens of women and non-binary folks." 

As an alternative to the houses the fraternities and sororities are currently renting, the university has suggested group accommodations within the university's residence system. However, Tilling said these options are not currently viable.

"All of our different organizations have separate houses, and so to lump us all into a residence hall feels sort of dismissive," she said.

"I think it would be a challenge for us to distinguish our organizations from one another and to maintain a unique group identity that make our community so special."

Future of houses unclear 

Logan West, the vice-president student life at the University of Alberta Students' Union, said that the affected organizations were not consulted prior to the announcement of the decision. 

West said that responses from the groups have been varied. While some are in a better position because of their alumni networks, others have decided to shut down their chapters entirely or terminate their leases early. 

Both Tilling and West said that it's unclear what will happen to the houses once the fraternities and sororities move out.

The university said in its statement that "no decisions have yet been made about the future of the houses."

Some fraternities and sororities are being forced to pack their bags at the U of A

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The University of Alberta has notified seven Greek life organizations that their property leases won't be renewed. They have until August of next year to find alternative housing.

West said that the removal of these spaces will have a negative impact on the larger university community because of the role Greek organizations play on campus. 

"Greek life provides students with a really unique experience as it allocates an exclusive third space to them in a time where these spaces continue to diminish for young people." 

West said the organizations have been a part of campus life for years. 

"I think a lot of these houses have a history. If you've ever been in some of these houses, you can see all the alumni faces on the walls," West said.  

"It is definitely unfortunate, I would say. The groups have expressed that history is and that emotional attachment to those spaces is one of the hardest parts of dealing with this situation."

Thaddeus Ma is the president of the interfraternal council and a general member of Pi Kappa Alpha. He told CBC News that the news blindsided his fraternity. 

"It was quite shocking, being that it was just an email dropped in our lap," Ma said. "There was no signs or anything like that to prepare us for this."

Ma said that the news has brought the Greek organizations on campus closer together, even those not directly impacted. 

"Right now, it's a very stressful time for everyone because this affects operations, not just for seven of us, but the community as a whole," Ma said. "We all play our own part in the community and we do support each other.

"I think we will get out of this. We will get out of this whole situation, but it will be a very stressful time for us."