Introducing Phi Mu and Beta Theta Pi to Boise State’s Greek Life Community

Student wearing a Beta Theta Pi branded hat.
Photo courtesy Beta Theta Pi

Boise State University’s Greek life will be seeing two new additions this fall. Phi Mu is joining the chapter community as a new sorority this year, and Beta Theta Pi will be joining as a new fraternity, just in time for rush season. 

Boise State’s fall 2021 Panhellenic Recruitment was over Labor Day weekend, from Sept. 3 through Sept. 6, but both Phi Mu and Beta Theta Pi are making exceptions for those who are looking for new opportunities to get involved. 

Instead of starting their recruitment process with the rest of the chapters, Phi Mu’s recruitment process will follow a week after, beginning Sept. 13 and ending on Sept. 24. Likewise, Beta Theta Pi’s recruitment process will begin on Sept. 13 and go until Oct. 10. 

Assistant Director of Extension and Enrichment for Phi Mu, Coley Nelson, is in charge of finding new universities for the Phi Mu chapter to become involved with. 

“We want students to feel connected to each other within the chapter, but also to have that translate into an experience that complements their Boise State experience,” Nelson said. “We understand students are students first […] so we don’t expect members to make it their only experience at Boise State, but something that complements what’s already happening.”

According to Nelson, this will be the organization’s first collegiate chapter in the state of Idaho. 

Phi Mu prides itself on its values. 

“Love, honor and truth are our guiding values as an organization and they show up a lot in our programming,” Nelson said. 

Similar to the chapter additions, Nick Poling is also new to campus, working as the Fraternity and Sorority Life Coordinator in the Student Involvement and Leadership Center (SILC). Poling has taken on the role of supporting both Phi Mu and Beta Theta Pi through this introductory journey. He has also worked to get them acclimated to the preexisting chapters on campus. 

Adding new chapters to campus will not only create new leadership positions for students but will also break up the Greek life population that currently exists on campus. Poling emphasized this vision to expand in a positive way and hopes that both Phi Mu and Beta Theta Pi will satisfy this need.

Student wearing a Beta Theta Pi branded hat.
[Photo of a student wearing a Beta Theta Pi branded hat]
Photo courtesy Beta Theta Pi

“The need for expanding chapters becomes apparent anytime a community keeps growing because chapter sizes can get unmanageable,” Poling said. 

Beta Theta Pi was expected to join Boise State last year, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this addition was pushed back to fall 2021. 

Colony Development Coordinator, Patrick Osner, has been working with the new fraternity to prepare for bid day in the fall. 

“Our mission is developing men of principle for a principled life,” Osner said. “We always pride ourselves on tying everything back to following our principles and leaving that in our day-to-day.” 

Osner is in charge of recruiting the founding father class for Beta Theta Pi and will be teaching these individuals the basics of the fraternity.

“This is another opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share the same values,” Osner said. “Starting a new fraternity is a lot different than joining one that is up and running. They are building that bridge, not only for themselves, but they are setting up the path for future students and future [members].”

Nick Poling sees the bigger picture of what each fraternity and sorority contributes to the Boise State community. Aside from separating the herd of newcomers, these two chapters will serve as an outlet for leaders, new friendships and new opportunities. 

“The chapters all have these unique, great attributes here,” Poling said. “They’re all different, and that is part of what makes a community, a community.”

Phi Mu has partnered with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for their philanthropy. Beta Theta Pi’s philanthropy has yet to be determined. 
To learn more about the recruitment dates and the individual chapters, visit Boise State’s Student Involvement Page.

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