The University of Mississippi is welcoming its newest sorority, Alpha Phi, to campus this fall with a house to come in fall 2017.

“We are extremely excited to be welcomed into the Ole Miss community,” said Emily Nickels, educational leadership consultant. Nickels said she is excited about recruiting the founding members and they already have received a good bit of interest from new students on campus. She added other sororities, fraternities, faculty and staff have all shown interest in having a new addition to Greek life at Ole Miss.

Nickels said Alpha Phi is anticipating a good turnout for its first rush this fall and goals are to have anywhere from 275 up to 350 members to keep up with campus averages.

The future home for Alpha Phi is still in the design phase, but the sorority has already purchased a lot across from Pi Beta Phi. The construction of the house is set to be complete within two years, but it should break ground in the immediate future.

Nickels said after rush Ole Miss will be Alpha Phi’s 168th chapter in the nation. In 2017, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia also will have charters to continue Alpha Phi’s SEC expansion.

Until Alphi Phi joined campus the newest sorority was Alpha Delta Pi, which chartered in 2013. Its sorority house was just constructed and students are now living in it. The Alpha Phi house will be built near it.

Nickels, a recent graduate of Ball State University, said she is excited to be part of the initial startup on campus because of her experience being an Alpha Phi.

“Every woman I have met through Alpha Phi has been supportive, inspiring and outstanding in every way,” she said.