Fraternity Alpha Sigma Phi seeks to re-establish presence on Logan campus
Alpha Sigma Phi, a national fraternity founded in 1845, is attempting to re-establish a presence at Utah State University after its previous chapter became inactive in 2024.
The effort is being led by Lucas Hannan, a coordinator of expansion employed by Alpha Sigma Phi’s national headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. Hannan arrived in Logan at the start of the spring semester and has spent the past several weeks recruiting students and laying the groundwork for what he describes as a “re-founding” of the fraternity’s Theta Zeta chapter.
“I go out to new universities that don’t have an active chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi, and I build them from scratch,” Hannan said. “I’m the recruiter. I’m the builder. I’m the teacher. I get to help these guys as a mentor.”
Alpha Sigma Phi originally founded a chapter at Utah State in 2015. Hannan said the organization did not shut down due to disciplinary action or misconduct but rather because it struggled to sustain recruitment over time.
“There were no issues when it came to violations or anything like that,” Hannan said. “Recruiting is hard, and sometimes chapters struggle. It was a mutual decision between the chapter and headquarters that it wasn’t working and needed a fresh start.”
While the chapter has been inactive for a little over a year, alumni interest helped prompt the current effort to return. Hannan estimated there are approximately 125 alumni from the former chapter who expressed interest in seeing Alpha Sigma Phi return to campus.
He identified Utah State assistant professor and provost Nathan Laursen, a founding member of the original chapter, as a key supporter, along with Gregory Maita, a national staff member and another founding member at USU.
While Hannan is leading recruitment on campus, his role does not include managing the university approval process. That responsibility, he said, falls to other staff members at the fraternity’s national headquarters, such as the CEO and president.
“My role isn’t necessarily tailored to getting us approved by the university, but we do prefer to be affiliated with institutions because it provides structure and accountability,” Hannan said.
As of this semester, Alpha Sigma Phi is actively recruiting students at Utah State as part of a national expansion effort. The university has not publicly clarified the fraternity’s current recognition status within its Fraternity & Sorority Life system, though Hannan said the group “already had that approval” dating back to its founding on campus in 2015 and that returning was largely about “rekindling that relationship a bit” and confirming it still had approval to operate at the university.
Hannan has recruited 10 members in his first two weeks on campus and hopes to build a core group of 30-40 members before he leaves Logan on March 1. He is scheduled to remain on campus for 55 days before handing leadership responsibilities to another national staff member, who will continue training and oversight.
One of those early recruits is Jay Sam Fong, a Utah State student and North Logan native who was approached by Hannan during the first week of the semester. Fong said he had not previously been involved in Greek life but was drawn to the idea of helping build a new organization from the ground up.
“I wanted leadership opportunities, a brotherhood and a way to give back to the community,” Fong said. “This isn’t about replacing your family, your faith or your responsibilities as a student — it’s supposed to support all of those.”
Fong said being part of a re-founded chapter allows members to shape its culture intentionally, particularly in a community where fraternities can face skepticism.
“We want to focus on service and personal growth, not just partying,” he said.
Hannan acknowledged concerns about hazing, alcohol use and time commitment are common among prospective members, especially at a university with strong religious and cultural influences like Utah State. He said Alpha Sigma Phi has a zero-tolerance policy for hazing and aims to provide an alternative vision of fraternity life.
“People have heard the stories,” Hannan said. “Those concerns are valid. The only way to address them is by being intentional about what we’re building.”
Membership dues for the new chapter are set at $275 per semester, which is lower than the campus average. The dues help cover insurance, national programming and conference participation.
As the chapter grows, Alpha Sigma Phi’s national housing corporation may eventually help secure a fraternity house, though Hannan said that would come later and only after the chapter reaches stability.
Both Hannan and Fong said community engagement will be a priority moving forward. Fong hopes the fraternity will organize food drives and partner with local charities in Cache Valley, while Hannan pointed to Alpha Sigma Phi’s national philanthropic partnerships, which include organizations focused on mental health, sexual assault prevention, substance abuse recovery and veterans’ housing.
Hannan said the chapter’s development will move through three phases — expansion, initiation and development — with continued oversight from national staff and alumni advisers throughout the semester.
“By the end of this semester, the goal is to be fully operational,” Hannan said. “Recruiting, giving back to the community and living out our values.”
For now, Alpha Sigma Phi’s return to Utah State remains a work in progress, but Hannan and Fong believe the organization can establish itself by prioritizing leadership, service and accountability.
“There’s skepticism around fraternities,” Hannan said. “I understand that. The only way to change that is by doing it right.”