Industry Update Provided by NPC

The Seattle Times reports the Washington state attorney general has filed a lawsuit accusing a chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi of “unlawfully charging” University of Washington students rent amid pandemic restrictions on occupancy—and in the aftermath of the chapter’s decision to close the chapter to residents. The suit also accuses Alpha Omicron Pi of illegally charging late fees, among other consequences for failure to meet stated financial obligations.

** NPC is in contact with the member organization involved and will keep the Conference updated should it appear that other attorneys general are considering similar actions against other organizations.**

Workforce Updates

Christine McDonald, recruitment committee chairman, is announcing the following updates to the committee. 

• Alyssa Franco is resigning her role as recruitment and Panhellenic district director (RPDD) in College District VI. Alyssa will continue to serve as a recruitment specialist.
• Marybeth Lilly has changed districts, and she is now RPDD in College District VI instead of College District VII. 
• Ansley Howze is now RPDD in College District VII and is resigning her recruitment specialist role.
• Jillian Mathias Kyde is resigning her role as recruitment specialist. Congratulations to Jillian on the new addition to her family!

Workforce Contact Update

Kara Larvin Hughes, alumnae district director (ADD) in Alumnae District III, is on maternity leave until April 1 to celebrate her new babies. Hope Dylan and Henry Solomon were born on Jan. 24. Congratulations, Kara! Direct any Alumnae District III questions to Director of Alumnae Engagement Liz Drake and Alumnae Committee Chairman Lara Bright until April.

Workforce Opportunity

The risk prevention committee is looking for a risk prevention specialist to work with College District IX. If you or someone you know has a special interest/skill in supporting college chapters with risk prevention, please email Risk Committee Chairman Natalie Padron.

ThetaConnect Quarterly Update

Our members-only networking app, ThetaConnect, is proving successful in enabling our members to network with each other. Over the last six months, we’ve seen Thetas mentor younger members, join and manage groups, post jobs, start discussions in the feed, register for events, and more. If you haven’t signed up yet, we invite you to do so today! 

Since the launch in July, here’s what’s happened in ThetaConnect:

• Nearly 3800 registered members (27% collegians, 73% alumnae - 80% of whom are willing to help as a mentor or provide career advice)
• 25 interest groups, including new affinity groups (such as the Black/African American Thetas, LGBTQ+ and Latina Thetas groups)
• 11 job postings in the Job Board
• 13 events shared in the Event Board
• During January’s National Mentoring Month, the member return rate increased to 54% (from 29% the months prior)
• Added a new Video Chat feature where members (and mentors/mentees) can virtually meet with each other from within the platform – no Zoom account needed!
• 40 mentoring relationships established (many more listed as “pending”)
• The number of platform interactions (private messaging, offering help, etc.) has more than doubled in the last three months, from 936 to nearly 2,200!

And, congratulations to:

• Valerie Holt, Eta Omega/Saint Louis, who is the 1,000^th college member to join our ThetaConnect community.
• Beta Delta/Arizona who has spread the word about ThetaConnect in its virtual chapter meetings and member chats. Thanks to CEO Ashley Michalski, Beta Delta has 111 members register - more than any other college chapter to date!
• Kappa Alpha Theta and Website Content Manager Lisa Thibault for receiving Graduway’s Impact Award for Impressive Virtual Transition in launching ThetaConnect with rich, relevant content and a strong growth strategy. The Graduway Impact Award recognizes the areas of Outstanding Network Growth & Engagement, Exemplary Digital Content, and Impressive Virtual Transition.

In the coming months, we are actively seeking members to serve as ThetaConnect Ambassadors. If you or anyone you know of is looking for a short-term opportunity with a minimal time commitment, please encourage them to contact us: thetaconnect@kappaalphatheta.org. 

National Panhellenic Conference Manual of Information Updates

NPC has published the latest version of the NPC Manual of Information, 25th edition, January 2021. It is available in Theta Portal > Documents > Manuals to all Thetas and in Theta Portal > Chapter Portal > HQDocs > Manuals to Thetas with Chapter Portal access. Highlights of the changes include the following:

• Some Unanimous Agreements and NPC policies have been changed as explained in this document (dated Oct. 15, 2020).
• A minor update has been made to the MRABA to acknowledge that the signer and NPC will have access to the signed agreement.
• The Marketing section of the College Panhellenic Recruitment section now reminds College Panhellenics to foster relationships with other fraternity/sorority councils to promote the entire sorority experience on the campus.
• Other minor changes have been made to update NPC member organization information or to reflect current policies or practices. 

The Bulletin

The January issue of The Bulletin has been posted in Theta Portal > Chapter Portal > HQDocs > The Bulletin. The Bulletin is intended for all college and alumnae chapter officers and advisors, and they were notified by email. Workforce members always have access to The Bulletin via Igloo > Files > The Bulletin. The Bulletin is Theta’s main communication source for college chapter officers and advisors and alumnae chapter officers. The Update is Theta’s main communication source for the workforce and should not be shared or forwarded to non-workforce members.

Theta Blogs

• January 2021 Heritage News: Networking, a Theta Tradition
• Make Mentoring Connections in ThetaConnect
• One “Yes” Can Change Your Life
• Give Online to the Friendship Fund
• A Founders Day Message from Our Fraternity President
• February 2021 Theta Spotlight: Lisa Thibault

Helpful Links

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