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National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Plaza

Students standing next to the Plaza pillars.jpg

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Plaza is an informal community gathering space located next to “the Hump” near UC San Diego’s original Student Center.

The first of its kind in the University of California system, the NPHC Plaza is a student-conceived space that honors history and fosters unity, collaboration, and cultural appreciation of the contributions made by the NPHC – admirably known as the “Divine 9” historically Black fraternities and sororities.

Donate to the NPHC Chapter Fund at UC San Diego
students in an NPHC organization

NPHC Orgs at UC San Diego

The primary purpose of the NPHC is camaraderie, academic excellence, and service to the community. NPHC fraternities and sororities host a variety of social, service and cultural programs throughout the year aimed at educating members of the community.

Learn more at nphc.ucsd.edu

Development Timeline

Spring 2021: Ideation

Students affiliated with the Black Resource Center and NPHC proposed the idea of an NPHC Plaza on campus. The idea quickly gained support from campus leadership. Sorority and Fraternity Life researched NPHC Plazas on campuses across the country.

Summer - Winter 2021: Site Selection and Feasibility Study

A committee of NPHC students and administrators and staff in the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office (VC-EDI), Black Resource Center (BRC), Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Office (VCSA), Student Life and Center for Student Involvement, worked with Campus Planning to review 5 possible sites on campus. The committee ultimately selected “the Hump,” behind the original Student Center for its central location, accessibility, and flexibility. Sotelo Landscape Architects completed a feasibility study to confirm the viability of the proposed site.

Winter 2021 - Fall 2022: Design

Landscape architect Angelina Sotelo worked closely with student leaders in NPHC on multiple iterations of the plaza design to bring the students’ vision to life.

Fall 2022: Approval

Project received final approval by the university and Sotelo Landscape Architects was hired to complete the NPHC Plaza on campus.

Fall 2023: Completion

NPHC Plaza Unveiling and Celebration - Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the greater San Diego community gathered in October 2023 to celebrate the grand unveiling of the brand new plaza.

History of the NPHC

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) was founded on May 10, 1930 at Howard University in Washington, DC. The chartering organizations were:

  • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.,
  • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,
  • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.,
  • Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and
  • Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
In 1931, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., joined the council, followed by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in 1937.

The NPHC was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois in 1937.

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. joined the NPHC as its ninth affiliate member in 1997.

You can learn more about the NPHC and its significance to the Black community in higher education at the NPHC website.