Sigma_Iota_Alpha

Sigma Iota Alpha

American Latina-oriented collegiate sorority

Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Incorporada (ΣΙΑ), known as SIA, is a Latina-oriented Greek letter intercollegiate sorority.^[1]^[2] It was founded in 1990 at SUNY Albany, Stony Brook University, SUNY New Paltz, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.^[3] The sorority increases awareness of Latina culture and participates in local, national, and international community service, educational, cultural, and social events.^[3] It is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, Inc. (NALFO).^[4]

Quick Facts Founded, Type ...

Sigma Iota Alpha
ΣΙΑ

Founded	September 29, 1990; 33 years ago (September 29, 1990) SUNY Albany, Stony Brook University, SUNY New Paltz, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Type	Cultural
Affiliation	NALFO
Emphasis	Latina culture
Scope	National
Motto	Semper Unum et Inseparabilis (Always One and Inseparable)
Colors	Red Gold Royal Blue White as background color Black as background color
Flower	Red Rose
Jewel	White Pearl
Mascot	Unicorn and Pegasus
Chapters	62 undergraduate chapters, 13 graduate chapters, and 18 colonies
Nickname	SIA, Lovely Latin Ladies
Headquarters	1732 1st Avenue #20267 New York, New York 10128 U.S.
Website	hermandad-sia.org

History

Sigma Iota Alpha was founded on September 29, 1990, by thirteen women from four colleges in New York: University at Albany, SUNY; SUNY New Paltz; Stony Brook University; and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.^[3] The founders include Dora Maria Abreu, Elizabeth Coats, Tina Colberg, Eulogia Diaz, Angelica Hernandez, Teresa Herrero, Norma Porras, Miriam Ramirez, Saida Rodriguez, Grecia Sanchez, Maria Trujillo, Clara Vasquez and Dulce Williams.^[3]

The mission of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. is "to formalize, cultivate, and foster bonds amongst each other as sisters and abide by respect, trust, communication, professionalism, and accountability."^[3] Alpha Iota Sigma's goals are to increase awareness of the diverse Latino cultures, to promote leadership amongst the sisters, and to serve as "models of excellence in education and achievement amongst women."^[3]

The sorority expanded and chartered chapters outside of New York state.^[3]

Sigma Iota Alpha logo

Symbols

The sorority's colors are gold, red and royal blue.^[3] Black and white are used as background colors.^[3] The mascots include the unicorn and the Pegasus.^[3] Its flower is the red rose and its gem is the white pearl.^[3] Its motto is Semper Unum et Inseparabilis or Always One and Inseparable.^[3]

Activities

SIA has supported several philanthropic initiatives since its establishment, promoting service on three levels: international, national, and local.^[3] Notable international organizations include Children International.^[3] National philanthropies include March of Dimes, the National MS Society, One Heartland, and Special Olympics.^[3]^[5]^[6] Its local efforts are called Out Sisters in Action and vary between chapters.^[3]

The Solidaridad, Inspiracion y Amistad Community Foundation, Inc. was created in 2004 and collaborates with the sorority to provide scholarships to Latinas and support for building communities.^[7]

The R.O.S.E. Mentorship Program is a national educational initiative operated by the graduate chapters.^[3]^[8] R.O.S.E. serves Latina women ages 14 to 18.^[8] It creates community leaders by encouraging service, scholarship and personal development.^[8]

Membership

Throughout the last 30+ years, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. has grown to include 62 undergraduate chapters, thirteen regional alumnae chapters, and seventeen colonies in the states of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, California, Kansas, Arkansas, and South Carolina. SIA was the first Latina sorority to be established in Massachusetts and Arkansas.

Chapters and colonies are composed of undergraduate, graduate, and professional women.

Notable members

Gloria Garayua, film and television actress

Chapters

Undergraduate chapters

Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are shown in italic.

More information Chapter, Symbol ...

Chapter	Symbol	Chartered/ Range	Institution	Location	Status	Reference
Alpha	Α	1990	University at Albany, SUNY	Albany, NY	Active	^[1]
Beta	Β	1992	Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, NY	Active	^[1]
Gamma	Γ	1992	State University of New York at New Paltz	New Paltz, NY	Active	^[1]
Delta	Δ	1992	Western Illinois University	Macomb, IL	Active	^[1]
Epsilon	Ε	1992	Adelphi University	Garden City, NY	Active	^[1]
Zeta	Ζ	1992	Hofstra University	Hempstead, NY	Active	^[1]
Eta	Η	1992	Pennsylvania State University	State College, PA	Active	^[1]
Theta	Θ	1993	State University of New York at Old Westbury	Old Westbury, NY	Active	^[1]
Iota	Ι	1993	Northeastern Illinois University	Chicago, IL	Active	^[1]^[9]
			Roosevelt University
			University of Illinois at Chicago
Kappa	Κ	1993	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy, NY	Active	^[1]
Lambda	Λ	1993	State University of New York at Oswego	Oswego, NY	Active	^[1]
Mu	Μ	1993	Temple University	Philadelphia, NY	Active	^[1]
Nu	Ν	1994	Union College	Schenectady, NY	Active	^[1]
Xi	Ξ	1996	LIU Post	Brookville, NY	Active	^[1]
Omicron	Ο	1996	Boston College	Boston, MA	Active	^[1]^[9]
			Boston University
			Suffolk University
Pi	Π	1996	Harvard University	Cambridge, MA	Active	^[1]
Pi	Π	1996	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge, MA	Active	^[1]
Rho	Ρ	1996–2018, 20xx ?	Syracuse University	Syracuse, NY	Active	^[1]^[10]^{[lower-alpha 1]}
Sigma	Σ	1996	Marist College	Poughkeepsie, NY	Active	^[1]
Tau	Τ	1996	Montclair State University	Jersey City, NJ; Montclair, NJ; South Orange, NJ	Active	^[1]^[9]
			Saint Peter's University	Jersey City, NJ; Montclair, NJ; South Orange, NJ	Active	^[1]^[9]
			Seton Hall University
Upsilon	Υ	1996	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Urbana, IL; Champaign, IL	Active	^[1]
Phi	Φ	1997	New York University	New York, NY	Active	^[1]
Chi	Χ	1997	University of Maryland, College Park	College Park, MD	Active	^[1]
Psi	Ψ	1997	Lewis University	Romeoville, IL	Active	^[1]
Omega	Ω	1997	Northern Illinois University	DeKalb, IL	Active	^[1]
Alpha Alpha (Prime)	ΑΑ	1998–2019	College of New Rochelle	New Rochelle, NY	Transferred	^[1]^[9]^{[lower-alpha 2]}
Alpha Alpha	ΑΑ	2019	Mercy College	Dobbs Ferry, NY	Active	^[9]
Alpha Beta	ΑΒ	1999	Columbia University	New York, NY	Active	^[1]
Alpha Gamma	ΑΓ	1999	Binghamton University	Binghamton, NY	Active	^[1]
Alpha Delta	ΑΔ	2000	Stockton University	Galloway, NJ	Active	^[1]
Alpha Epsilon	ΑΕ	2000	James Madison University	Harrisonburg, VA	Active	^[1]
Alpha Zeta	ΑΖ	2002	California State University, Dominguez Hills	Carson, CA	Active	^[1]
Alpha Eta	ΑΗ	2004	Baylor University	Waco, TX	Active	^[1]
Alpha Theta	ΑΘ	2004	St. John's University	New York, NY	Active	^[1]
Alpha Iota	ΑΙ	2004	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	New Brunswick, NJ	Active	^[1]
Alpha Kappa	ΑΚ	2004	Michigan State University	East Lansing, MI	Active	^[1]
Alpha Lambda	ΑΛ	2005	University of New Haven	West Haven, CT	Active	^[1]
Alpha Mu	ΑΜ	2008	University of Massachusetts Dartmouth	Dartmouth, MA	Active	^[1]
Alpha Nu	ΑΝ	2008	Pace University	New York, NY	Active	^[1]
Alpha Xi	ΑΞ	2010	Florida State University	Tallahassee, FL	Active	^[1]
Alpha Omicron	ΑΟ	2010	Virginia Tech	Blacksburg, VA	Active	^[1]
Alpha Pi	ΑΠ	2010	University of Texas at San Antonio	San Antonio, TX	Active	^[1]
Alpha Rho	ΑΡ	2010	Rutgers University-Newark	Newark, NJ	Active	^[1]
Alpha Sigma	ΑΣ	2010	Florida Gulf Coast University	Fort Myers, FL	Active	^[1]
Alpha Tau	ΑΤ	2011	Georgia Southern University	Statesboro, GA	Active	^[1]
Alpha Upsilon	ΑΥ	2011	Texas State University	San Marcos, TX	Active	^[1]^{[lower-alpha 3]}
Alpha Phi	ΑΦ	2011	Utica College	Utica, NY	Active	^[1]
Alpha Chi	ΑΧ	2011	University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	Active	^[1]^{[lower-alpha 4]}
Alpha Psi	ΑΨ	2011	University of Massachusetts Amherst	Amherst, MA	Active	^[1]
Alpha Omega	ΑΩ	-	Reserved for deceased sisters	-	Memorial	^[9]
Beta Alpha	ΒΑ	2010	Georgia Southern University-Armstrong Campus	Savannah, GA	Active	^[1]
Beta Beta	ΒΒ	2011	University of Arkansas	Fayetteville, AR	Active	^[1]
Beta Gamma	ΒΓ	2012	Stephen F. Austin State University	Nacogdoches, TX	Active	^[1]
Beta Delta	ΒΔ	2013–2017, 20xx ?–2019, 2021-Present	College of William & Mary	Williamsburg, VA	Active	^[1]^[11]^[12]^[13]^{[lower-alpha 5]}^{[lower-alpha 6]}
Beta Epsilon	ΒΕ	2015	City College of New York	New York, NY	Active	^[9]
			John Jay College of Criminal Justice
			Lehman College
			New York Institute of Technology
			Mercy College
Beta Zeta	ΒΖ	2014	Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, MD	Active	^[1]
Beta Eta	ΒΗ	2014	Clemson University	Clemson, SC	Active	^[1]
Beta Theta	ΒΘ	2016	Brooklyn College	Brooklyn, NY	Active	^[1]
Beta Iota	ΒΙ	2016	LIU Brooklyn	Brooklyn, NY	Active	^[1]
Beta Kappa	ΒΚ	2016	University of Central Arkansas	Conway, AR	Active	^[1]
Beta Lambda	ΒΛ	2018	Texas A&M University	College Station, TX	Active	^[1]
Beta Mu	ΒΜ	2020	Towson University	Towson, MD	Active	^[1]
Beta Nu	ΒΝ	2014	Southern Connecticut State	New Haven, CT	Active	^[1]
Beta Xi	ΒΞ	April 28, 2021	Arkansas State University	Jonesboro, AR	Active	^[1]^[14]

Notes

In September 2018, Sigma Iota Alpha was suspended from the Syracuse campus for violations of the Student Code of Conduct.
Established at the College of New Rochelle which was absorbed by Mercy College in 2019.
Chapter founded in 2010 as a colony.
Chapter founded in 2008 as a colony.
Chapter founded in 2012 as a colony.
The William & Mary chapter temporarily lost recognition from the university in 2017 for hazing. The national sorority closed the chapter in 2019 although this decision was later reversed.

Colonies

More information Colony, Established ...

Colony	Established	Institution	Location	Status	Reference
Colony	2003	New York Institute of Technology (Long Island Campus)	Old Westbury, NY	Active	^[1]^[9]
Colony	2005	University at Buffalo; Buffalo State College	Buffalo, NY	Active	^[1]^[9]
Colony	2007	Central Connecticut State University	New Britain, CT	Active	^[1]
Colony	2010	Bentley University	Waltham, MA	Active	^[1]
Colony	2012	University of South Carolina	Columbia, SC	Active	^[1]^[9]
Colony	2012	University of Hartford	West Hartford, CT	Active	^[9]
Colony	2013	University of Kansas	Lawrence, KS	Active	^[1]^[9]
Colony	2013	Clarion University of Pennsylvania	Clarion, PA	Active	^[9]
Colony	2014	American International College	Springfield, MA	Active	^[9]
Colony	2014	California State University, Northridge	Los Angeles, CA	Active	^[9]
Colony	2016	Augusta University	Augusta, GA	Active	^[9]
Colony	2017	State University of New York at Plattsburgh	Plattsburgh, NY	Active	^[9]
Colony	2018	State University of New York College at Cortland	Cortland, NY	Active	^[9]
Colony	2022	Albion College	Albion, MI	Active	^[9]
Colony	2022	McDaniel College	Westminster, MD	Active	^[9]
Colony		University of Southern California	Los Angeles, CA	Active	^[1]
Colony	2024	Arkansas Tech University	Russellville, AR	Active	^[1]

Regional alumnae chapters

More information Chapter, Symbol ...

Chapter	Symbol	Established	Location	Status	Reference
Gamma Alpha	ΓΑ	2003	Washington, D.C.	Active	^[9]
Gamma Beta	ΓΒ	2005	Chicago	Active	^[9]
Gamma Gamma	ΓΓ	2007	New York/New Jersey Metropolitan	Active	^[9]
Gamma Delta	ΓΔ	2007	North/Central Florida	Active	^[9]
Gamma Epsilon	ΓΕ	2007	Long Island/Queens	Active	^[9]
Gamma Zeta	ΓΖ	2008	New England	Active	^[9]
Gamma Eta	ΓΗ	2008	New York Capital/Upstate	Active	^[9]
Gamma Theta	ΓΘ	2009	Bronx/Westchester	Active	^[9]
Gamma Iota	ΓΙ	2009	Greater Los Angeles	Active	^[9]
Gamma Kappa	ΓΚ	2013	Georgia/South	Active	^[9]
Gamma Lambda	ΓΛ	2013	South/Central Texas	Active	^[9]
Gamma Mu	ΓΜ	2016	Arkansas	Active	^[9]
Gamma Nu	ΓΝ	2019	Miami/South Florida	Active	^[9]

References

[1]
Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (December 3, 2022) Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities. Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed January 2, 2023
[2]
"Hispanic, Latino students connect through Greek life". www.cbsnews.com. October 17, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
[3]
"About SIA". Sigma Iota Alpha. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
[4]
"Member Organizations – National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations". nalfo.org. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
[5]
Ramirez, Cynthia (November 21, 2022). "Photos: SIA Fundraises for One Heartland with Fruit Cups and Hot Cocoa". The Albion Pleiad. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
[6]
Muscari, Elizabeth (December 16, 2020). "U of A Greek Life Shows Strength During Pandemic". University of Arkansas News. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
[7]
"Foundation". Sigma Iota Alpha. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
[8]
"ROSE Mentorship Program". Sigma Iota Alpha. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
[9]
"Chapters". Sigma Iota Alpha. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
[10]
Leffert, Catherine (2018-09-10). "4 SU Greek organizations sanctioned". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
[11]
Chiglinsky, Katherine (2013-04-16). "Serviced-based Latina sorority Sigma Iota Alpha establishes colony at the College". Flat Hat News. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
[12]
Smith, Sarah (2017-12-05). "SIA chapter suspended after reports of hazing: Members will lose recognition on campus, ability to facilitate events until at least fall 2018". Flat Hat News. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
[13]
White, Aidan (2019-10-01). "College announces closure of campus sorority, fraternity". Flat Hat News. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
[14]
Morris, Stan (September 28, 2021). "New Latin-Based Sorority Joins in with Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration". Retrieved 2023-01-02.

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Sigma_Iota_Alpha, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.