As the fall semester begins at The University of Alabama, the Inter-Fraternity Council and Panhellenic Association have welcomed new growth to the greek system by means of construction and the intake of new groups on campus.

Since 2002, the greek community has seen continued expansion, Kat Gillan, director of Greek Affairs, said.

“The community hopes to continue that trend, adding new chapters and councils to best fit the needs of our students,” Gillan said in an emailed statement.

Currently, there are a number of construction projects taking place on the campus. The cluster of new houses going up along University Boulevard and Paul W. Bryant Drive stem from a need for larger houses to accommodate student growth and to remain compliant with current safety and fire regulations.

Cathy Andreen, director of media relations, provided renderings of the new sorority houses. They show multi-storied buildings with the red brick and white roofing synonymous with the architecture of the campus.

IFC groups undergoing construction include Delta Chi, Pi Kappa Phi and Theta Chi. All three of these projects are expected to be completed and open in various parts of 2014 or early 2015.

The Sorority Row Expansion Plan is divided into three different phases. Phase one consists of the Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega projects, with construction of these projects either already underway or beginning soon with a estimated completion date of fall 2014.

The second phase will include the Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Phi Mu projects, which currently remain under planning and will begin upon the completion of phase one. Phase two, Gillan said, has a preliminary expected completion date of fall 2015.

No details of phase three have been released, but the segment will be dependent upon completion of the previous two.

While most of the greek houses on campus are owned and operated by local housing corporations, the University maintains a handful of small group houses that allow for smaller organizations to live together without purchasing a house, Gillan said.

For newer greek organizations, the University has secured a master lease with an apartment community near campus to help provide communal living as part of the fraternal experience. This model will allow for groups to be able to live in blocks of apartments specifically allotted for their organizations. Any group that is interested should contact housing and residential communities to learn more about this opportunity.