Delta Delta Delta has been selected as Eastern’s ninth sorority, emerging from three finalists handpicked from a search beginning last fall.

The selection was made April 23 after three finalists – Delta Delta Delta Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Xi Delta – visited campus more than two weeks ago. The Greek Life office first identified the need for a new sorority after various attendance and enrollment numbers revealed Eastern could support an additional Panhellenic Council chapter.

Eastern’s eight sororities have a total membership of around 720 students. Some 25 percent of the university’s more than 11,000 students join a fraternity or sorority here.

The decision to search for another sorority was validated, in part, because enrollment this fall is expected to increase again for the third consecutive year.

Recruitment for Tri-Delta members will begin in September, but the sorority will not initially have its own chapter house in the university’s Greek Court, a hurdle university officials previously said would not hinder recruitment efforts.

The likely housing alternative will put future Tri-Delta members on the same residence hall floor. The Tri-Delta sorority could adopt a house in Greek Court, but only if one of the current leasers decides not to renew their contract.

“We have no current plans to build a new Greek Court building,” wrote Greek Life Director Bob Dudolski in an e-mail.

Dudolski added that constructing a new Greek Court house, which would cost approximately $4 million to build, is unlikely to happen for some time.

Currently, the university has eight sororities, nine fraternities and five National Panhellenic chapters, or those fraternities and sororities known as historically black.

Eastern’s Tri-Delta sorority is the 136th active national chapter of an organization that was founded in the late 19th century at Boston University. Five universities and colleges have Tri-Delta chapters: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Millikin University; Illinois State University; Knox College; and Northwestern University.

Eastern’s chapter will be introduced in November.

A selection committee consisting of students, faculty and staff began searching for a new sorority last fall. Nine sororities sent informational packets expressing interest. The council then narrowed that number to three and set up on-campus interviews throughout this month.

The university does not have an interest in adding a fraternity at this time, the e-mail said. Two years ago, Phi Kappa Theta was brought to campus.