The Update

Published

May 25, 2021

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Published

May 25, 2021

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Lorie Land

Industry Update Provided by NPC

This week

The Associated Press and Inside Higher Ed, among other outlets, are reporting that Bloomsburg University has terminated its fraternity and sorority life program and is severing ties with all national and local fraternal organizations affiliated with the university. The university action follows the death of a sorority member who died in an apparent accident, along with a series of conduct violations—including violations of the university’s anti-hazing policies.

LGBTQ Nation, a publication focused on stories and issues impacting the LGBTQ community, offered coverage of a Louisiana State University sorority woman who was removed as a member of her sorority following transphobic social media posts about U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who is a transgender woman. Outlets such as PinkNews also offered coverage.

Last week

CBS Sunday Morning aired a long-planned story highlighting the work of parents like Stephen and Rae Ann Gruver and Jim and Evelyn Piazza—both families that lost sons to hazing and are leading voices within the Anti-Hazing Coalition. The piece, created in collaboration with the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), emphasizes the work of the parents, including their engagement with students currently involved in fraternity and sorority life and their advocacy for stronger state and federal anti-hazing legislation.

According to ABC News and other outlets, the alleged hazing death of Adam Oakes, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, has prompted the university to move to permanently ban Delta Chi Fraternity from the campus. The Oakes family alleges that Adam’s death was the result of an alcohol-fueled hazing incident.

Headquarters Holiday Closing

The Fraternity, Theta Foundation, and Fraternity Housing Corporation (FHC) offices will be closed Friday, May 28 and Monday, May 31 in recognition of the (U.S.) Memorial Day holiday.

Workforce Updates and Opportunities

Ali Bennett, who serves both as alumnae district director (ADD) in Alumnae District XIII and recruitment and Panhellenic district director (RPDD) in College District XIII, will be on maternity leave from May 28 through August 31. Director of Alumnae Engagement Liz Drake will support alumnae chapters in Alumnae District XIII. Brittany Ela, RPDD in College District III, will cover Ali's recruitment work with College District XIII. Please contact Brittany Ela or Associate Director of Collegiate Services Brittany Booth if you need anything related to recruitment or Panhellenic matters for College District XIII.

Robyn Powell is resigning from her ADD role in Alumnae District XIV. She will continue in her role until a replacement has been found. If you are interested in this position, please complete the Workforce Volunteer Interest Indicator Form (Apply Now under Regional/International Volunteer) by May 31.

Staff Updates

Chief Information Officer (CIO) Rob Jacobs resigned from Theta for a different professional opportunity. Heather Darring, Theta Iota/Georgetown, who has served on Theta’s IT team for more than 13 years, is now CIO. Congratulations, Heather!

Advisor and Officer Training

Emerging Leaders Workshop

This virtual workshop for emerging leaders has similar content to our Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI). Participants can attend online and learn more about leadership with content specifically geared toward those who might be new to leadership education. We are hosting two sessions this summer; one was held in May and the next session is in June. A big thanks to Theta Foundation for sponsoring this program and our facilitators, Sydney Montgomery, Epsilon Nu/Princeton; Taylor Fugere-Cale, Omega/UC Berkeley; and Meg Pevarski, Epsilon Omicron/Randolph-Macon.

Officer Leadership Summit

Officer Leadership Summit is a virtual leadership experience geared directly to college officers. Without our in-person Leadership Academy and with the help of Theta Foundation, we can offer this experience virtually to any officer. The content is based on emotionally intelligent leadership and we discuss empathy, conflict management, and inclusive leadership. We have three sessions: one in March, one in May, and our final one in June. Thank you to facilitators Lisa Combs, Alpha Gamma/Ohio State; Melissa Rocco, Alpha Gamma/Ohio State; and Natalie Padron, Zeta Eta/Wofford.

Advisor Summit

We are hosting our first-ever virtual Advisor Summit in June. Invitations to register were emailed to every advisor. We will cover advising and coaching strategies and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Thank you to Theta Foundation for their support of this program.

Advisor Onboarding Program - Summer

We offer an advisor onboarding program quarterly. This program is conducted entirely online, and participants receive webinars, articles, and other materials every other week. This program has no required live virtual sessions in order to increase accessibility and allow participation regardless of scheduling needs. Our summer program will take place June 28 to Sept. 7.

Leadership Certificate Pilot Program

Education & Leadership graduate intern, Gigi Gaultier (Seattle University), has been hosting a pilot program for graduating Thetas. Participants are connected to a mentor and take part in leadership webinars each week. In connecting with their mentor, participants can reflect on their college experiences and strengths. The program culminates with developing a poster and elevator pitch about their leadership strengths. The pilot program concludes next week, and we will determine if and how this program could be implemented for senior members next year. A big thanks to our volunteer mentors for coaching our student participants!

Recruitment

All release figure methodology (RFM) reports from the 2020-2021 academic year are now posted in Igloo > Files > RFM Reports > 2020-2021.

Year-End and Expense Reports

The Fraternity’s 2020-2021 fiscal year ends June 30. Because some of your expenses may be for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, please note on your submitted expenses if they are for the 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 fiscal year.

2020-2021 expenses will be accepted until, but no later than, July 31. No exceptions to this deadline will be granted, as the Fraternity’s audit begins in August. Please submit your invoices in a timely manner. Also remember that, in accordance with the Fraternity’s travel policy, only expenses submitted within 90 days of expenditure will be reimbursed. If you have any questions, please contact your staff partner.

Virtual Thetas

Virtual Thetas is a new monthly online engagement program for Thetas by Thetas. Presentations are held via Zoom, with a range of compelling topics. All Thetas are invited to attend, both alumnae and collegians! For those who cannot attend, the presenter’s portion will be recorded.

The next Virtual Thetas event is Tuesday, June 15 at 6:00 p.m. PDT/9:00 p.m. EDT, featuring Carrie Hammer, Beta Xi/UCLA. Carrie is a fashion designer known for her campaign “Role Models Not Runway Models” and for starting the “Body Positive” movement in the fashion and advertising industry. Sign up in ThetaConnect.

The Update | May 25, 2021