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October 6, 2020
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The Update | October 6, 2020
Industry Update Provided by NPC
In a piece published early last week, Vox.com offered the latest coverage in the evolution of the Abolish Greek Life (AGL) movement, focusing on recent efforts to disband individual chapters, the various financial interests tied to the presence of fraternity/sorority life on a college campus and the impact of COVID-19 on the movement. Reporting reviews the feasibility of abolishing fraternities and sororities amid declarations from activists that Greek life is “beyond the capacity for reform.” However, the piece also cites students who argue that internal solutions are possible. In a statement offered to Vox.com, National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) CEO Dani Weatherford argued that the sorority community “must reckon with the legacy and manifestations of systemic racism and other forms of bias that impact the sorority experience,” while also emphasizing reform and engagement as the more effective path forward for those seeking change.
PIX 11 offers coverage and reflection on the life Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, including comments from Bonnie Wunsch, executive director of Alpha Epsilon Phi. PIX 11 noted that Ginsburg was a member of the organization’s chapter at Cornell University. "We stand for leadership and empowerment and development of women in all areas," said Wunsch. "And what RBG stood for is exactly the values that all sororities, not just AEPhi, are founded upon."
Chapter Charter Votes
As you read in The Update last week, two chapters were planning to hold a vote to surrender their chapters in response to the Abolish Greek Life movement. Tau/Northwestern held its vote on Wednesday, Sept. 30, and Alpha Epsilon/Brown held its vote on Monday, Oct. 5. Neither vote was unanimous and therefore neither passed, so both chapters remain. However, we are processing voluntary resignation for members voting in favor of surrendering their charter, so each group will have significant membership loss. A team of staff and volunteers will begin working with the remaining members to develop an action plan to move forward and rebuild the chapters. Contact Chief Operating Officer Jenni Schmaltz if you have any questions.
Theta Social Media Workgroup
Digital Media Manager Lauren Palmer has created a new workgroup of volunteers to offer feedback and support for Theta’s social media initiatives. The group currently consists of Lauren; Savannah Simms, Upsilon, Minnesota; Alexandra Larsen, Delta Kappa/LSU; and Marketing Project Manager Laura Heinekamp. Savannah and Alexandra are social media professionals who will offer their insight on Theta’s social media content and strategy, particularly as we work to communicate Theta’s value to potential new members.
We are looking for a few more members to the workgroup! If you know a Theta who has expertise in social media and might be interested in joining the group, please encourage them to contact Lauren. The group meets once a month and requires approximately five hours per month of time.
ThetaConnect Quarterly Update
Thanks to everyone who has joined ThetaConnect to help mentor younger members, join and manage groups, post jobs, start discussions in the feed, and more. If you haven’t signed up yet, we invite you to do so today! We are seeking 100% participation from our workforce members, so don’t miss out on the exciting things happening since the July launch:
- Nearly 3200 registered members (25% collegians, 75% alumnae - 80% of whom are willing to help as a mentor or provide career advice)
- 22 interest groups, including new affinity groups (such as the Black/African American Thetas group) and a Theta Circles group for alumnae circle contacts
- A Group Admin Guide (in Resources > ThetaConnect Information) containing tips for group admins to successfully manage their groups
- A “What Is ThetaConnect” info-sheet (in Resources > ThetaConnect Information) for alumnae groups to use to help communicate the benefits of the platform
- Day of Service resources (in Resources > Day of Service) as well as a photo album to upload your Day of Service photos (in Photos > Day of Service 2020)
- New job postings in the Job Board
Please email Website Content Manager Lisa Thibault with any questions regarding ThetaConnect.
Workforce Updates
- We are pleased to announce that Grand Council has appointed Tracy Cosgrove, Tau/Northwestern, as college chapter budget committee chairman.
- Congratulations to Director of Government Relations Laurie Connor for her re-election to the Fraternity Sorority Political Action Committee (FSPAC) Executive Committee.
Workforce Training
There is still time to sign up for our workforce training for October. We are talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion TONIGHT (Oct. 6) at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Our November meeting is cancelled due to Election Day in the US. We will pick back up with our discussions in December (link coming soon) to discuss Theta’s Plan of Aspirations (Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 8:30 p.m. EST).
Advisor Training
Our new advisor onboarding program is designed for new advisors to learn at their own pace. All content is delivered electronically, with participants receiving an email about every two weeks with resources about a specific topic. Advisors can review that content as they have time. The program started this week and will cover Theta Portal, Theta policy/procedure, best practices for advising college students, and change management.
Educational Leadership Consultant (ELC) Program
The ELC Program will be reinstated for the 2021-2022 academic year. The job description and application are posted online. The deadline to submit applications and references is Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. PST. If you have any questions, please email Assistant Director of Collegiate Services Madison Cannon.
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