PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nearly 80 years after women at Swarthmore College voted to ban sororities because they were too exclusive, a group of female students will reinstate Greek life this spring after weathering months of polarizing debate on campus.

The future sisters of Kappa Alpha Theta pledge that members will be welcoming, diverse and dedicated to civic engagement and community service. The sorority will also provide valuable national networking opportunities, supporters say.

But some students at the liberal arts school near Philadelphia contend not much has changed since 1933. Sororities are still elite clubs, they say, and flout the college’s Quaker roots emphasizing inclusion.

“It’s just a really stupid system that shouldn’t exist,” senior Maya Marzouk said. “I think Swarthmore is better than that.”

The highly selective college with about 1,500 students prides itself on rigorous academics, open dialogue and a commitment to social justice. It was co-founded in 1864 by Lucretia Mott, a prominent abolitionist and activist for women’s rights.

Campus officials said they are simply facilitating the creation of a group that students want and that Title IX demands. The federal regulations require colleges to provide equal opportunities for men and women, and Swarthmore has two fraternities.

College senior Julia Melin said she helped to start Not Yet Sisters — the group that will become Kappa Alpha Theta — out of a sense that female students needed better mentoring and wider professional connections.