The Fraternity is pleased to announce a successful expansion project at the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. The new colony of 42 members was inducted into the Fraternity as new members during an on-campus ceremony September 23. Performing the ceremony were men from the Iota Xi Chapter at Florida Institute of Technology.
The arrival of Delta Tau Delta to the College of Charleston marks the culmination of more than five years of effort. The Fraternity originally presented to the College of Charleston in 2010 but was not selected. Fraternity officials again presented in April and this time was selected for expansion. Delta Tau Delta became the 10th fraternity at the college.
A team of three Central Office staff members consisting of Mark Lipnickey (Vanderbilt 2016), Jack Mattern (Albion 2016) and Anthony Sansone (Iowa 2016) arrived on campus in early September. They began marketing the Fraternity, soliciting referrals and interviewing potential new members. The expansion team collected more than 600 referrals from the campus community, interviewed nearly 110 people and ultimately extended 44 bids – 42 of whom become the founding father class of the College of Charleston Crescent Colony.
“Starting a new organization on a campus where we battled the social pressures of what a Fraternity means is hard and difficult work. Regardless, the men we were able to recruit into the College of Charleston Crescent Colony showed us there are men on campus who desire something different. Meeting those men every day motivated us to put every piece of effort we had into the work we were doing,” said Sansone.
Fraternity staff also recruited a volunteer advisory team to assist the new Delt new members as they pursue a charter. Leading the team is veteran Fraternity volunteer Raj Patel (Central Florida 1999). Patel served as the chapter advisor for his home chapter at UCF from 2003-2008. Additional volunteers are still needed, so anyone living in the area with interest should contact Bentley Anderson at
The colony is already poised to become a leader on campus boasting a 3.34 cumulative grade point average. Members of the colony are involved in efforts to bring awareness to hazing and sexual assault prevention and bystander behavior. The future in Charleston indeed looks bright.
“The men of the College of Charleston Crescent Colony are driven to enact positive change within the College of Charleston and the Charleston community. I am anxious to see the work that will come out of the organization and level of which it sets the new standard for what it means to be a Fraternity man on campus,” said Sansone.
Located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, the College of Charleston is a nationally recognized public liberal arts and sciences university. Founded in 1770, the College is among the nation’s top universities for quality education, student life, and affordability. It's beautiful and historic campus, combined with contemporary facilities and cutting-edge programs, attracts students from across the U.S. and around the world.
More than 10,000 undergraduates and approximately 1,000 graduate students at the College enjoy a small-college feel blended with the advantages and diversity of a mid-sized, urban university. They work closely with a committed faculty, made up of more than 500 distinguished teacher-scholars. And the city of Charleston – world-renowned for its history, architecture, culture and coastal environment – serves as a living and learning laboratory for experiences in business, science, technology, teaching, the humanities, languages and the arts.
Delta Tau Delta has 138 chapters and colonies in 39 states and the District of Columbia with a membership of more than 10,000 undergraduates and more than 120,000 living members.
Delta Tau Delta is a values-based fraternity founded in 1858. Its mission, “Committed to Lives of Excellence,” is what the Fraternity seeks to represent at its host institutions. Delta Tau Delta strives to develop its members’ leadership skills, seeks superior academic achievement, promotes community service efforts and helps its members launch successful careers.