The Alpha Beta chapter of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority will no longer be recognized at Penn after its national organization announced the chapter’s closure last month.
The organization announced the chapter’s closing — effective immediately — in a Dec. 18, 2025 press release. The Alpha Beta chapter will not accept new members or participate in Penn’s spring sorority recruitment process, which begins on Jan. 14.
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, a University Life spokesperson wrote that ZTA’s national organization made the decision to close the Alpha Beta chapter and later informed the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
“All members of ZTA chapter at Penn have been granted alumnae member status by the national chapter organization,” the spokesperson wrote. “Students currently residing in the chapter house will be allowed to remain living there for the spring semester.”
The spokesperson added that no direct communication regarding the chapter’s closure will be sent to Penn students participating in sorority rush this upcoming semester. However, OFSL will continue to distribute its “standard general information” materials to prepare potential new members for recruitment.
In the statement published to its website, the national organization explained that the decision followed “extensive support, resources, and guidance" from leadership and staff — which did not result in increased participation or the Alpha Beta chapter’s “long-term stability.”
“Despite the efforts of support from the Fraternity, it is apparent the chapter will be unable to meet these expectations,” the statement read.
The Alpha Beta chapter was originally founded in 1918 and first closed in 1954 due to the declining number of members. In 2011, Penn’s Panhellenic Council selected the Alpha Beta chapter to rejoin campus and worked with the ZTA national organization to reactivate it.
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In its announcement, ZTA described the Alpha Beta Chapter as “a treasured part of [its] history,” emphasizing that members will remain involved with the organization “as a reminder that Zeta Is Forever.”
According to the University Life spokesperson, any further updates regarding the status of the sorority will be communicated directly to students in the Alpha Beta chapter from ZTA’s national headquarters.
“OFSL will continue to support all students, affiliated and unaffiliated, at the University,” the spokesperson concluded.
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Senior reporter Christine Oh leads coverage of student life and can be reached at oh@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies English and philosophy. Follow her on X @ChristineOh_.
