Alpha Chi Omega, Mississippi State University’s youngest Panhellenic chapter, is officially set to start construction on its house, effective immediately.

The announcement, made April 3 during a chapter meeting, confirmed that construction will begin within 30 to 60 days on a new house located on Sorority Row between the Pi Beta Phi and Alpha Delta Pi houses. The chapter plans to move in by fall 2026 according to Brooke Collier, AXO’s chapter president.

Collier shared how excited the chapter was to hear those plans.

“It almost didn’t feel real at first,” Collier said, “but once we heard the words ‘effective immediately,’ we all just started jumping and screaming.”

Alpha Chi Omega established its MSU chapter in the fall of 2021 after national organizations submitted proposals to join the campus. Jackie Mullen, the assistant vice president for student affairs, previously served as the university’s Panhellenic advisor during the selection process. She said the university saw a need to expand Panhellenic offerings and began the process of searching for a national organization willing to put roots down on campus.

“Once AXO was selected, it was always the plan for them to have a house,” Mullen said. “But when the pandemic hit, construction costs soared, and that delayed everything.”

For two years, the chapter operated without a central space. They held meetings in campus classrooms and painted banners at their chapter advisor’s home. According to Collier, there were specific challenges that came with not having a central meeting space.

“We had to use funds to rent spaces for events, which definitely limited us,” she said.

AXO began leasing an off-campus facility in January 2024, where members now gather for meals, banner painting and practice for events like Derby Days. However, some challenges remain, including the impact on recruitment.

“We faced a lot of girls saying, ‘I love y’all, but you don’t have a house,'” Collier said. “That, plus only offering three meals a week while other chapters offer 10 — it hurts us.”

During recruitment, AXO partners with Sigma Chi fraternity to use their house, a relationship Collier said has been supportive and generous. Still, the chapter is excited to have its own space soon — one that reflects its identity and offers a convenient meeting space on campus.

According to Mullen, the house will be more than 21,000 square feet and include 55 beds, a house director suite, a large chapter room that doubles as a dining facility and dedicated study spaces. A backyard area is also planned for outdoor gatherings.

Collier said she is especially looking forward to the study rooms — a feature that is close to her heart as she previously served as the chapter’s vice president of intellectual recruitment.

“I’m really passionate about academics, and I just envision a beautiful, quiet space where we can actually focus,” Collier said. “It’s something we’ve had at [our off-campus location], but it’s just not the same.”

Collier said the chapter is forming a new committee to determine housing priorities, particularly for seniors who have gone years without a chapter house.

“I want the girls I joined with to have the opportunity to live there their senior year,” she said. “We’ve waited so long, and they deserve that.”

According to Amy Jo Gabel, the senior director of housing for Alpha Chi Omega’s National Housing Corporation, MSU’s newest chapter house will be built, owned and managed by the national corporation.

Collier said the chapter was initially told to expect a house sooner, but the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic kept changing plans.

“Now that [the housing plan] is real, it kind of gave us our mojo back,” Collier said. “We’re already a close-knit chapter, and this just takes it to the next level.”

Mullen echoed that sentiment.

“They’ve done a great job already building a sisterhood without a house,” she said. “This is just the cherry on top.”

Collier said she hopes to involve alumnae in the groundbreaking process and ensure that members who did not get the chance to live in the house will experience it.

“This is something we’ve dreamed about for a long time,” Collier said. “And we’re just so proud of how far we’ve come.”