PROFILE
By Glenda Graves | Portrait photo by Keith Branch
Parice Bowser
A Circle of Support: University of Arkansas Greek Life
It’s no secret the University of Arkansas is home to a vibrant and active Greek life community — one of the nation’s largest, in fact, with more than 9,200 Greek leaders. Aside from the social aspect of Greek life, the U of A’s sorority and fraternity members are active volunteers throughout Northwest Arkansas and are often the first to pitch in when local nonprofits need help. Working to support sororities and fraternities is something Parice Bowser, assistant vice chancellor for Greek life and associate dean of students, strives for each day.
Parice grew up in between the worlds of North Little Rock and Lonoke, Arkansas. Her family moved back and forth a lot, but she lived in Lonoke for most of her high school years and graduated from Lonoke High School in 1993. She didn’t know her biological father, but the man she called “Dad” came into her life when she was 3 years old, and he married her mom. When she was 5, getting ready to enter kindergarten, he took her to the courthouse and adopted her so that she would have the same last name as everyone else in her family.
She has special memories of her grandfather, who only had a fourth-grade education, teaching her to read. “I was his favorite, and it was very known,” she said, laughing. “He told everyone I was going to be the one to go to college and make something of myself. I was only in the first grade when he passed away, but I remember going to his bedside and him giving a blessing over me, and it just felt like I knew from then on that I would do as he said.”
Parice had determination from an early age, with her mother and grandmother playing integral roles in her life. And as she grew, community support would also inspire her to work hard to make her family proud.
“I was very ashamed of where I lived growing up,” Parice said as she thought back to her childhood. “We were very poor. There were so many cracks in the front door that you could see through it. We would hang blankets over it to stop the wind from coming in. But we would be happy for rain so that we could collect it and have water to flush the commode or wash the dishes. We would take milk jugs into the city to fill them up for drinking water. When I moved into my first college dorm at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, it was the first time I ever had running water.”
Even as she was feeling that shame, she said, “God told me to be proud and confident.”
This moment became a turning point in her life, perfectly positioning her to become the confident woman she is today.
Parice Bowser and University of Arkansas Greek life members at the Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values Central Conference in Indianapolis in 2020, where they received multiple national awards
It was the support of her local church that kept her going, especially helping her to prepare for college. “Union Valley Missionary Baptist Church threw me a party before I went to college,” she said. “They filled up a trunk with all the things I needed for my residence hall. However, when I left for college, I maybe had $10 in my pocket.”
Parice smiled and said, “Nobody told me I needed a large sum of money to make key purchases upon arrival.”
Within a few weeks of moving into her dorm and attending classes, an English professor pulled Parice aside after class and asked why she wasn’t turning in her work. It turned out she didn’t have the required books for the class. He instructed her to go to the bookstore — all things she was unfamiliar with because everything in high school was free and provided. When she realized how expensive the books were, she was devasted and felt like going home, but she remembered a man from her church telling her to call if she ever needed anything. She called and explained she needed money for her books. He sent the check, and she was able to continue with her classes.
Parice soon realized she also needed a way to get involved on campus. She spoke with someone in student government, and he asked her what she did in high school. Parice had been the school mascot. It turned out they were currently looking for one on campus, so Parice became an ASU mascot.
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​She also pledged Zeta Phi Beta sorority, becoming chapter president and the National Pan-Hellenic Council president, which oversees nine historically African American Greek letter organizations. Later, she was the first African American woman elected student body vice president and worked closely with many staff members at ASU, including her Greek advisor.
Left: Thomas and Parice Bowser with their daughter, Jessica
Right: Parice Bowser at the University of Arkansas Phi Mu house dedication in September 2018
“My dad was adamant that I had to have a job right after graduation because I would be going off his health insurance,” Parice said. “When I went to pick up my cap and gown and visited with my Greek advisor, he walked me over to the admissions office because he knew they were hiring.”
Because of the support she had in college, Parice walked across the stage on a Friday and started her new job in recruiting for ASU the following week
While in the position, Parice did a great job recruiting African American students and was asked to enroll in a master’s program for her next position. “I knew God was working for me again,” she said. “They paid for my master’s, and I received more money for the new position. I was over minority affairs and was advising for NPHC.”
But at the time, there were different people advising for Panhellenic, the governing body for 26 national women’s sororities, and the Interfraternity Council, which governs men’s fraternities.
Parice was asked to attend a Panhellenic conference on recruitment in 1999 in Atlanta, where she took three sorority women from ASU. The three women loved working with Parice and asked her to advise for Panhellenic. “It was those three girls that really started this career path for me,” she said.
She moved to the University of Memphis and became the Greek life coordinator there, advising all three Greek governing councils — IFC, NPHC and Panhellenic. She later received a call from Dr. Lonnie Williams, who talked her into applying for an opening at the University of Arkansas to work with NPHC and IFC. She took that job in 2004, moving to Northwest Arkansas.
In 2008, she became the director of Greek life, taking over the responsibility of all Greek councils, including adding a fourth council: the United Greek Council. She chartered both the first Latino fraternity and sorority in Arkansas.
“I thought I would be here for three or four years, but here I am going on my 20th year here,” Parice said. “I’m so invested and genuinely care and am concerned for every single student in this Greek community. I want them to have the best experience possible. The Greek system here at Arkansas has grown so much…It’s all just surreal to me that that this little country girl who knew nothing of college or sorority life is leading one of the largest Greek communities in the country.”
Parice had just moved to Fayetteville when she met her future husband, Thomas, while on a visit back to Little Rock for her birthday. It was a whirlwind romance, with them meeting in February 2004, getting engaged by March and married by June. They had a daughter named Jessica, who is now 11 years old and has been involved in all facets of her mom’s life in the Greek system. With meetings popping up on the weekends and evenings, Parice often has a little sidekick.
“This is not a 9-to-5 kind of job where you leave it all at work,” Parice said. “I’m not going to lie and say I have some sort of perfect work-life balance because I don’t. My family just knows that Thursday nights are not going to be nights where I get a lot of sleep since that is the night when most Greek organizations have their functions.”
In recent years, U of A Greek life has welcomed several new fraternities and sororities. This year, the community added Sigma Gamma Rho and Alpha Phi. Parice said she is thrilled to welcome them both to the U of A campus and is excited about their success. Right now, 60% of the freshman class at the U of A participates in Greek life. Panhellenic recruitment this year had 2,138 participants, and Parice doesn’t expect those numbers to decline anytime soon.
One of the most important parts of the job is ensuring that all the organizations on campus are adequately trained in risk management. “I want to ensure that our students are making wise choices,” she said. “We will not tolerate hazing or anything that could potentially hurt our students.”
In February, U of A Greek life was named “Community of the Year,” recognizing it as one of the best Greek life communities in the country for leadership excellence, philanthropy, community service and academic achievement.
Under Parice’s leadership, U of A Greek life’s growth has been exponential. “The growth is exhausting, but it’s rewarding at the same time,” Parice said. “We have created a community people want to come and be a part of — where people want to belong.”