Parents

Welcome to the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison! We hope this information will answer the questions parents may have. Feel free to contact our executive board with any questions or concerns you may have at the contact page

Complete Anti-Hazing Policy

Zeta Beta Tau proudly rejects all forms of hazing, one of the major differences between us and other fraternities on campus.

Zeta Beta Tau does not have a formal pledge process - everyone is considered a 'brother' immediately upon joining, and freshmen brothers are equal with their older brothers.

A Manageable Commitment

There is no time wasted on hazing, pledging, or serving older brothers. Another benefit of no hazing.

Meetings are reduced to one half-hour a week, held at a time that's most convenient for students.

At the same time, most members will find themselves wanting to be more involved in the fraternity and for them, the sky is the limit for leadership opportunities.

Life happens - we understand when things come up, and there is no issue with missing a particular event or meeting. We also stress "school first," as academics are on the top of the food chain for any college student.

Our House Environment

Brothers are highly encouraged to live in our chapter house after freshman year; almost all follow this path sophomore year, and many choose to live-in again during their junior year.

Our house lies right on Langdon Street, one of the most popular locations in Madison. We are not far from any UW classroom and building, closer, in fact, than other fraternities. We are also a block away from State Street, the center of Madison's entertainment, along with a number of very affordable restaurants.

Contrary to the "Animal House" stereotype of fraternity houses, our house is a calm environment for students. In fact, most brothers find their time at the house more relaxing and productive than in the dorms.

Our brothers work to keep the house in excellent condition. Most of our parties are held at other locations, so the house does not see any abuse. People say our house is nicer than other fraternities or off-campus houses.

Arranging to live at Zeta Beta Tau is much simpler than searching individually for housing. The fraternity covers everything so you don't have to go through the search alone the second month of freshman year. Zeta Beta Tau works to construct a lease which works for every brother. Our lease is competitively priced and includes many amenities not included in the leases offered by area houses and apartments.

Our Academic Program

Our fraternity believes that academic achievement is the most important part of college. Zeta Beta Tau consistently earns one of the top five fraternity GPAs. In spring 2006 our brothers achieved the highest fraternity GPA on campus with 3.35.

Our brothers major in a wide variety of subjects, including Latin American studies, history, political science, international studies, education, business, economics, journalism, English, rhetoric, and atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

Zeta Beta Tau has an extensive academic program which pulls all brothers together for mutual success. Brothers with similar interests and majors collaborate and often choose to plan schedules together. Brothers often study at the libraries in groups and work together on assignments. Brothers help each other to perfect every paper and excel on every exam.

Our academic advisor, acting as an in-house peer mentor, assists students with the overwhelming process of class selection and registration and is available to discuss anything academic, from exam preparation to improving study habits. In addition, our brothers compile their opinions and advice on what courses to take in our chapter course list.

The National Feeling

College is all about branching out. With such a geographically diverse fraternity, people make connections with people from all over the country.

Our national group provides for exciting sports rivalries and stimulating political discussions.

Involvement in Campus and Greek Activities

Zeta Beta Tau encourages its brothers to get involved in the UW-Madison Greek community to the fullest extent.

We participate in the proud traditions of Homecoming and Greek Week and have frequently won Greek system-wide competitions, including Greek Week in 2002 and Homecoming in 2006.

Our brothers also take advantage of unique system opportunities by joining national Greek honor societies and serving on campus Greek advisory boards.

Our brothers are involved in, and have led, student organizations, such as the campus radio station, student newspapers, advocacy groups, interscholastic and intramural sports teams and political boards.

Thank you for visiting the Zeta Beta Tau - Alpha Kappa webpage. Please feel free to contact our exective board with any further questions about our fraternity.