5 Reasons the Fraternity/Sorority Experience is Still Relevant

As a middle-aged mom of three, I am probably not the first person you think of when you think of a sorority woman. However, my sorority experience – both during and after college – is a fundamental part of my identity. My sorority experience has shaped who I am as a woman, a wife, a mother – and it has helped to define the values by which I live my life.

I recently had the honor of serving as a facilitator for the Newark, NJ Regional Leadership Conference for Sigma Kappa Sorority. Collegiate officers from 21 chapters came together for leadership skill building, risk management training, and goal setting in the northeast. Similar conferences take place all over the country for this organization and many others.

In addition to Sigma Kappa alumnae serving as facilitators, men and women from other Greek organizations and/or universities volunteered their time to give back to these undergraduate officers. These men and women come together because they, and I, believe that the Fraternity/Sorority experience is still relevant. I can’t speak for them all, but I do want to discuss five reasons the fraternity/sorority experience is still relevant.

1. Risk Management

Let’s get right down to business and talk about stereotypes about the Greek community – parties, drinking, and hazing. It’s true that risk management concerns have been a problem in various communities – the Greek community, athletic associations, the military, and even in the workplace. In fact, 47% of college students have been hazed before they enter college and 3 in 5 college students are subject to hazing, regardless or whether or not they are affiliated with a Greek-letter organization. And this behavior doesn’t always stop after graduation. According to the WBI 2017 U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 61% of Americans are aware of abusive conduct in the workplace.

Whether students experience hazing or not, Greek-affiliated members and new members are educated, insured and trained on handling risk management issues. The North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) requires member organizations to have alcohol-free new member programs as well as risk management programs to address alcohol use, fire safety, hazing, and sexual assault and abuse. Similarly, the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) offers its 26 member organizations education about risk-based behaviors. In other words, men and women in Greek organizations are offered risk management proactive and reactive education that can help prepare them not only for battling these risks in the collegiate experience, but as they are exposed to risky behaviors later in life.

2. Diversity and Inclusion

For many men and women going away to college for the first time, meeting friends from different ethnic groups, races, or sexual orientations may be a new experience. The process of primary recruitment allows potential new members to meet multiple organizations made up of members who are like them – but also many who are not.

Cornell University’s Greek Tri-Council developed a diversity and inclusion plan to address accountability, education, impact and change surrounding attitudes about diversity in the Greek community. The University of Michigan holds a Diversity and Inclusion Week with activities and workshops geared toward promoting inclusion on campus. During my recent regional leadership conference experience, one chapter I mentored listed diversity as one of their chapter’s strengths. I wholeheartedly agree.

As a public speaker and a former expatriate, I have had the pleasure of working with individuals from all over the world. My first fall in France, I was able to connect with sorority sisters in the Netherlands. I have learned to sign ritual for hearing impaired and deaf sisters. And I have called members of multiple races and nationalities my “sister.” Diversity and inclusion can only serve to make any group stronger, and the Greek experience is one way I learned this lesson.

3. Service and Philanthropy

For members of Greek-letter organizations, it comes as no surprise that service and philanthropy are included in this list. I recently read this article about the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi in Miami who participate in Fraternity Friday at area schools. “The Ability Experience” is a service project geared toward enriching the lives of those with disabilities. Sigma Kappa Sorority has contributed more than $1 million to the Alzheimer’s Association through member and non-member donations.

The fraternity/sorority experience may be full of pageants, dance competitions, and Greek Week events – but many of these events are held with service and philanthropy in mind. The NIC reports that fraternity undergraduates served more than 3.8 million service hours during the 2013-2014 academic year and raised $20.3 million for philanthropic causes in the same time frame. For many undergraduate students, their experience with service in their fraternity or sorority may be the catalyst for a life-long spirit of service.

4. Event Planning and Goal Setting

Whether it’s one of the aforementioned philanthropy events, a regional conference or just a theme dance, event planning is critical for fraternity and sorority members. Members work on committees to set goals, budget and plan logistics for each event. Contracts are reviewed by legal teams and negotiated for more favorable terms. Payments are made for common transportation or catering services. Founders’ Day celebrations are organized and donations are solicited for galas or silent auctions. The soft and hard skills gained through event planning and execution prepare members for real-life application beyond college.

5. Networking and leadership

It may come as a surprise, but I am a Greek woman, and I am an introverted leader. Primary recruitment was not my favorite part of the fraternity/sorority experience, but it was an invaluable lesson in networking and social skills that has served me well. More than 85% of student leaders on campuses across the nation are involved in the Greek community, and of the nation’s 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by Greek men. The first female senator and the first female astronaut were both Greek. Fraternity men and sorority women gain leadership experience and learn to network with other community leaders through their Greek life experience. They are then better equipped to tackle other leadership opportunities.

Beyond my collegiate experience, I serve as a national volunteer for my organization. I give monthly to my organization’s Foundation, and donate my time and talent to the local advisory board as well as to regional and national conferences. My experience has truly reflected the “not four years, but for life” mentality. Thanks to my sorority experience, I pride myself in my organization’s values of personal growth, friendship, service and loyalty.

I mentioned before that I am a mom of three – two boys and a girl. I am hopeful that my children will have the same positive experience with Greek life that I have had, and that I can somehow be a role model as many Greek men and women were to me before I accepted a bid to become a sorority woman.

Additional thoughts: If you are a fraternity/sorority alumnus/alumna and you are not currently involved with your organization, I invite you to reach out and become involved. Learn more about values-based recruitment and programming at the resources below.

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