Dear Southwestern Community,

My name is Marshal Crenshaw ’95, and I am honored to serve as Southwestern University’s new Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life. As a proud triple legacy of Kappa Sigma’s Iota Chapter, I bring a personal appreciation for the fraternity and sorority community that has enriched our campus for more than 140 years. Although I returned to a campus transformed in many visible ways, I found the heart of Southwestern unchanged: students with distinctive perspectives and diverse backgrounds discovering the connection, community, and camaraderie that make this university special.

This year, we are proud that Southwestern’s fraternity and sorority life experience was ranked No. 23 in the nation for student satisfaction by The Princeton Review.

That recognition invites an important question: What distinguishes the fraternity and sorority experience at Southwestern?

It is not simply our social events, although our students certainly know how to have fun.

Students join fraternities and sororities at Southwestern to form lasting friendships, find a sense of belonging, grow as leaders, and contribute to something larger than themselves.

That impact can be seen across our campus and far beyond it:

• Members collectively raise more than $40,000 each year for philanthropic causes.
• Members of fraternities and sororities are more likely to remain at and graduate from Southwestern.
• More than 9,000 alumni stand ready to offer connection, mentorship, and support for life after college.
• More than 38% of Southwestern students belong to a fraternity or sorority.
• Members are among the university’s most engaged students, serving in student government, supporting campus fundraising, and leading initiatives across campus.

For me, the most meaningful quality of fraternity and sorority life at Southwestern is its connection to the liberal arts. More than 30 years ago, while I was pledging Kappa Sigma, my father, Dr. Harry Crenshaw ’69, encouraged me to think about the shared ideals at the heart of both traditions: learning, fellowship, service, character, and the pursuit of a life with purpose.

Those ideals remain deeply relevant today. At their best, fraternities and sororities create communities in which students challenge one another to learn, lead with integrity, care for others, and put their education into action.

This alignment with Southwestern’s liberal arts and sciences mission makes our fraternity and sorority community distinctive. The same commitments that shape the university—intellectual curiosity, meaningful relationships, responsible leadership, and service—also guide our chapters and their members.

Whether you are a prospective student, a current student considering membership, an alumnus or alumna, or a family member learning more about Southwestern, I invite you to explore our fraternity and sorority community. Here, students can find belonging, develop lifelong friendships, strengthen their leadership, and make a lasting difference.

I look forward to welcoming you.

Sincerely,

Marshal Crenshaw ’95
Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life
crenshawm@southwestern.edu | 512.863.1665
Southwestern University