The Penn State Interfraternity Council announced the addition of a Phi Sigma Phi chapter, which becomes the 47th chapter to come to Penn State. In coming to Happy Valley, the fraternity now boasts 11 active chapters nationwide. The IFC voted last night

“We are excited to welcome Phi Sigma Phi into the Interfraternity Council community,” IFC President Will Quaranta said in an email. “The Interfraternity Council embraces the large, diverse set of Penn State fraternities, and this will enable us to expand our community and offer even more students the privilege of joining a fraternity. Similarly, this will allow Phi Sigma Phi access to the many resources that the Interfraternity Council has to offer.”

One of Phi Sigma Phi’s current chapter’s is at Penn State Harrisburg, so students who transfer up to University Park from that campus will have the opportunity to reaffiliate with the fraternity, in addition to giving students the option of another fraternity to join at Main Campus.

The fraternity was initially founded in South Bend, Indiana in 1988, and materialized after former Phi Sigma Epsilon members decided not to partake in a merger with Phi Sigma Kappa back in 1985. Seven chapters initially rose in support of the new chapter, becoming known as the “Founding Seven.” Since its inception, the chapter has devoted itself to expanding across the country.

This is the first chapter Penn State IFC will add since December 2013 when Alpha Delta Phi became the 50th chapter at the time.

The recent addition marks an air of change for the Interfraternity Council, as two of its chapters — Kappa Delta Rho and Pi Kappa Phi — were suspended in the last year. Penn State’s Panhellenic Council has also seen its number of chapters rise in the last two years, with two new sororities opened since 2014.