Industry Update Provided by NPC

NBC News reported no charges were filed in the death of Cornell University first-year student Antonio Tsialas after a year-long investigation. The investigation found the student was last seen attending a Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity recruiting party in which first-year students were allegedly being hazed with drinking games. The university said the fraternity will never be eligible for universal recognition again.

The Associated Press and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal from Louisiana State University (LSU) to be immune from a lawsuit over fraternity hazing. The lawsuit was filed by parents of Maxwell Gruver, a student pledging Phi Delta Theta who died of alcohol poisoning. The lawsuit claims the university discriminates against sororities more strictly when it comes to policing hazing incidents than fraternities.

As reported in Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle of Higher Education (and other outlets), the National Student Clearinghouse released new data about college enrollment in fall 2020. Their data suggests a steep decline (nearly 22%) in the number of students in the high school class of 2020 that opted to enroll in college this fall. Students from low-income and marginalized backgrounds were particularly impacted—raising fears of deepening enrollment gaps.

Grand Council Action

At its meeting Friday, Dec. 11, Grand Council considered officer re-appointments; considered dissolution resolutions for chapters joining the Fraternity Housing Corporation (FHC); and reviewed the consolidated financial statements, independent auditor’s report, and tax returns for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020.

Workforce Opportunities

• Margaret Burke, college district director (CDD) in College District I, is resigning from her position and will remain in office until she transitions her successor. If you are interested in the CDD role, or you know of someone who would be a good fit, please submit/encourage them to submit the Workforce Volunteer Interest Indicator in Theta Portal under Forms. Questions about the role and responsibilities can be forwarded to incoming College Committee Chairman Mandy Womack or Director of Collegiate Services Katharine Murphy. The CDD roles in College Districts IV, VII and XI remain open. 
• The risk prevention committee is looking for a risk prevention specialist to work with College District II. If you or someone you know has a special interest/skill in supporting college chapters with risk prevention, please email riskchair@kappaalphatheta.org. 

Holiday Closing

The Fraternity, Theta Foundation, and Fraternity Housing Corporation (FHC) offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 21, through Friday, Jan. 1. Our offices will reopen Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. The next issue of The Update will be Tuesday, Jan. 5.

2021 Theta Foundation Scholarship Application Coming Soon!

Theta Foundation is committed to helping Thetas achieve their dreams and make a positive difference in the world through our scholarship program. The 2021 Scholarship Application will be posted on Theta’s website on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. If you have any questions about the scholarship program, please contact Theta Foundation Programs Manager Mary Kate Smith.

Theta Foundation Chapter & Individual Grants

The deadline for Q3 Theta Foundation Chapter & Individual Grant applications is Jan. 13, 2021. Learn more on Theta’s Apply for Scholarships & Grants page. Please direct any questions to Theta Foundation Programs Manager Mary Kate Smith.

Prepare for National Mentoring Month with ThetaConnect

January is National Mentoring Month, which recognizes and celebrates mentoring in all its forms, and raises awareness of the invaluable and rewarding contribution that mentoring makes. Kappa Alpha Theta’s members-only mentoring app, ThetaConnect, launched in July and we already have more than 3,500 members registered with 64% willing to mentor! (If you haven’t joined yet, please do so today.) Stay tuned for more information next month about what you can do to promote ThetaConnect and encourage others to join to find (or become) mentors for other Thetas.

Advisor & College Officer Training

We are excited to have several training opportunities for our advisors and college officers. This is the first round of trainings and we will continue to provide updates throughout the year as more training and development opportunities are announced.

Gallup Strengths: We will host seven sessions for select college officers and seven sessions for advisors this January. We will host more training later in 2021. This program is made possible by a grant from Theta Foundation.

Online Training Modules: We have online modules for many officer and advisor positions available now through the Chapter Portal (click on the Training tab and then select Officer Resources and/or Advisor Resources from the drop-down menu).

Courageous Dialogue Workshop: Chief executive officers (CEOs), chief diversity, equity, & inclusion officers (CDEIOs), and chief operating officers (COOs) will have the opportunity to sign up for this workshop, which is provided by LeaderShape. These three officers will receive messages on how to sign up in January and the workshop will take place in February (we will offer five different session dates in order to accommodate everyone). Read more about this program. (Please note that DEI advisors will have the opportunity to attend the version of this program designed for professionals this winter/spring.) This program is made possible by a Theta Foundation grant.

Question, Persuade, Respond Training: We have the opportunity to train at least six members from each chapter for this program. We will coordinate with the COO which members from each chapter will receive the training. (Perhaps members on the MDC is a great start!) Here is information about the training program. This program is made possible by a Theta Foundation grant.

Inclusive Leadership: We are working on a virtual session that will be available to all officers. Officers will be able to engage in learning about challenging assumptions and creating strategies to incorporate change to make their student experience more inclusive and equitable. This program is made possible by a Theta Foundation grant. 

Officer Training Schedule (Live Sessions): Officers will receive emails about their specific session and content.

• CEO: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST
• Administration: Wednesday, Feb. 10, and Thursday, Feb. 11, both 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. EST 
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Thursday, Jan. 7, and Tuesday, Jan. 12, both 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST
• Facility Management: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST
• Finance: Wednesday, Jan. 27, and Thursday, Jan. 28, both 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST
• Member Development & Sisterhood: Tuesday, Jan. 19, and Wednesday, Jan. 20, both 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. EST
• Member Orientation: Wednesday, Jan. 13, 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. EST
• Panhellenic: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST
• Philanthropy: Tuesday, Feb. 2, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST
• Recruitment (deferred): Wednesday, Feb. 24, and Thursday, Feb. 25, both 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST
• Recruitment (fall): Wednesday, Feb. 3, and Thursday, Feb. 4, both 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST
• Risk Prevention & Events: Monday, Jan. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 27, both 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. EST
• Ritual: Monday, Jan. 11, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST
• Scholarship: Wednesday, Jan. 20, and Thursday, Jan. 21, both 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST

New Advisor Onboarding: We are hosting our quarterly onboarding program this winter. This program is conducted entirely online. Participants receive an email every other week or so with content to review at their own pace. Content includes Theta 101; advising best practices; giving & receiving feedback; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and change management. The winter program will run January to March. The sign-up deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021.

Theta Blog

December 2020 Heritage News: A Sesquicentennial Year Wrap-Up

Helpful Links

• Upcoming Important Dates and Visits
• Workforce Contact Information
• New Volunteers
• Previous Updates
• Coronavirus Update
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion 
• ThetaConnect