This year marks the largest Greek-life membership at Southeast Missouri State University, with students in fraternities and sororities accounting for 12.1 percent of Southeast's student body.

Total fall membership stands at 1,381. Last year, Greek students made up 11 percent of the student body, according to Southeast.

"Everyone is definitely excited," said DeAnte' Smith, director of Southeast's Greek Life, who has been at Southeast since 2013, when the university had 1,072 Greek students.

Sigma Sigma Sigma was Southeast's smallest sorority then, he said, and now is the largest, with about 127 members.

Southeast hosts 21 active chapters, 12 fraternities and nine sororities across three councils, which are referred to as the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), according to the university.

There were three NPHC fraternities and sororities at Southeast in 2013, and five now are active on campus. Smith said he hopes to add two chapters in the coming years.

Being part of a Greek chapter is like being part of a business, Smith said.

"It gives a lot of members leadership skills that they develop within their Greek chapters that they're going to utilize while they're on campus, as well as once they graduate and for the rest of their lives," he said.

Greek members do a lot of marketing for their chapters, Smith said. They also deal with time management, planning and internal issues.

"It's also a lot of networking," he said. "Becoming part of a Greek chapter is something that can give you lifelong skills, as well as a lot of networking on campus. And once you graduate, that can help you for the rest of your life."

The growth in membership also has a positive effect on the community, Smith said.

"With the growing Greek community, the more people that you have to go out and fundraise," he said. "So, our donations were up, definitely."

In spring 2015 during Greek Week, more than $20,000 was raised in one week to support various local and national philanthropic organizations, including United Way. The previous record was a little more than $16,000 in 2013.

During that same week, 899 units were collected during the blood drive, surpassing the previous record of 650 units.

Smith said he expects the Greek community to continue growing and is researching how to increase student engagement and alumni support.

Southeast's board of regents' recent decision to approve a $7.72 million contract for the first phase of a Greek Housing project also will affect Greek community growth and has created a buzz on campus, Smith said.

The housing development plan on the north end of campus, north of the Show Me Center, includes construction of four houses and an access drive off Alumni Drive.

The project schedule calls for two houses to be complete by fall 2016 and two by fall 2017.

Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu and Sigma Phi Epsilon have committed to leasing the houses, and the money paid to the university will go toward debt service.

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