Industry Update Provided by NPC

Colleges were closed in a rushed and chaotic fashion two months ago, disrupting students’ lives and costing tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue, according to a survey by the American Council on Education, a trade group. But opening up, though vital to the survival of some institutions, is proving much more intricate than shutting down, The New York Times reports.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that with infectious-disease experts forecasting recurring waves of COVID-19 contagion, many colleges are coalescing around a plan to send students home by Thanksgiving. The Universities of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina State, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, South Carolina, San Diego, and University of Texas at Austin, along with Creighton and North Carolina A&T State, are all planning to end their fall semesters early. 

The Chronicle of Higher Education also presented an opinion article regarding college/university presidents' public statements that campuses will reopen in the fall. The author says due to many factors "higher education will be one of the last industries to resume business as usual."

In a video distributed to incoming students, the president of Auburn University states the university will open classes this fall and mentions fraternity and sorority life activities resuming. Watch the video (<3 minutes).

Plan of Aspirations Webinar

Please join Fraternity President Mandy Wushinske and Chief Operating Officer Jenni Schmaltz tomorrow, June 3, at 1:00 p.m. EDT for an introduction to the new strategic plan. If you are not able to join us live, it will be recorded. Information to join the Zoom webinar is below. 

Topic: Kappa Alpha Theta Plan of Aspirations Introduction

Time: Jun 3, 2020 01:00 PM Indiana (East)

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84608274665?pwd=TzQ5cE16cXRHcGpqMTgxYWliaEdNZz09

Meeting ID: 846 0827 4665

Password: 954420

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• +19292056099,,84608274665#,,1#,954420# US (New York)

Dial by your location:

• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
• +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
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Meeting ID: 846 0827 4665

Password: 954420

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbpDXjD3Jq

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

We have received some questions about resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We invite you to look through the website shared on social media, racialequitytools.org. If you didn’t get a chance to view any of the DEI webinars we’ve posted, we have listed them again for convenient access to the links. If you are more of a reader, you can check out the book list on racialequitytools.org. This also links to a film list. Please send any questions directly to Melissa Shaub, director of education & leadership, or to inclusion@kappaalphatheta.org.

• Webinar 3: Chapters across the country engage in deferred or spring recruitment efforts. Most members discussed who they were looking forward to bringing into their sisterhood prior to the start. However, many Panhellenic communities fall short in discussing explicit and implicit bias. The research shows that all humans have unconscious biases. Our brains take shortcuts based upon our experiences and environments. These shortcuts are not all bad, but they can prevent us from allowing others to bring their authentic selves to the table in recruiting and hosting potential new members (PNMs). Join us as we discuss how we provide resources and ensure our recruitment specialists are prepared to tackle these conversations with members. Bring your questions as we engage in a dialogue about tools we can provide to our collegians and advisors/alumnae in this area.
• Creating Inclusive Spaces for LGBQAP+: The default narrative for many Panhellenic members is to assume their chapter sisters are heterosexual. Ignorance around sexual orientation and/or a conflation with gender identity occurs. Many individuals are confident in their identity as non-heterosexual prior stepping onto their campus. Others may not "come out" and own their authentic sexual identity until they get to college out of fear of reactions or the necessity of maintaining their home life. They may seek a sense of sisterhood to make their college feel "smaller" or build community and elect to go through Panhellenic sorority recruitment. How are we ensuring our members are equipped with inclusive language? What policy language is needed at the chapter and international organization level? What type of education would be helpful to prepare "big" sisters to support a sister who "comes out"? Why is it important not to "out" a sister? Join us as we discuss these questions and many more with our panelists
• Wait! That's Racist? But That's Not How I Meant It: Intent and impact are not the same. To some Panhellenic members, a "joke," a photo caption meant to be captivating, belting out the racist epithets in the lyrics to a song, and more do not seem harmful because that was not the intention. However, racism presents in many forms. There are overt and covert means by which racism manifests in chapters and behavior. Sometimes microaggressions and micro-oppressions create spaces where members of color struggle to fully feel included. Additionally, "White-passing" members may elect not to share full identity because they don't know how their sisters will react or feel they will be judged. On some campuses, the historical exclusionary practices of NPC member groups are being challenged with respect to how the culture of chapters are changing, especially when a racist incident occurs. How are we addressing the history of our organizations? In what ways are we educating our members to recognize racism? Are we equipping our members with the necessary skills to "call in" another member or human to address issues? What does it look like to foster inclusive spaces for our members of color? Join us as we discuss these questions and many more with our panelists.
• Working Toward Inclusive Sisterhoods Virtually: Colleges across North America moved to distance learning as stay-at-home orders were issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Decisions like these are testing the strength of our sisterhoods and the ways we engage members. Responses to COVID-19 have brought out the best in some and the worst in others. Incidents of bias and hate crimes targeting Asian Americans have increased across the country. These acts are layered on top of the challenges of coping with social distancing measures and the sense of loneliness that may be setting in for some. While all college seniors may be struggling with the loss of spring commencement ceremonies and other milestone celebrations, first-generation college students may be feeling that loss a bit more intensely. In what ways are we supporting our members who are struggling financially? What coaching and guidance are we providing for chapters and leaders during this time? How are we supporting those who may be struggling during this time? What does it look like to foster inclusive spaces in a virtual environment? We want to be responsive to the needs of members and maintain a value of inclusion during this time. This will be the first in a series of webinars examining these topics and more. Come join this interactive session and dialogue together!
• In May, the series was supposed to culminate in an in-person institute. Due to COVID-19, the in-person part was cancelled and instead was conducted online. It was three days of learning. You can find the links to view all content from the May institute here.

Grand Convention Flights

As previously published, all flights that were booked through Travel Leaders for Grand Convention are being cancelled by Travel Leaders. No further action is needed by you or the chapter delegates. You may continue to receive alerts from the airlines for a period; please disregard them.

Recent Theta Blogs

• Theta Opposes and Condemns Racism
• Theta Receives Two FCA Awards

Helpful Links

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