Barbara Ennis ADD I will be away from her Theta desk October 21 - November 7. Please contact Liz Drake in her absence 

Thanks

Kappa Alpha Theta Lorie Land posted in The Update The Update | October 9, 2018 News from the Industry George Mason University has garnered further attention regarding a student with Down Syndrome not receiving a bid from any chapters on campus. Inside Higher Ed reported that the George Mason Panhellenic Council said in a statement, “As a council that promotes inclusivity, we recognize that people have been harmed by the decision of our members and we are committed to engaging all communities in dialogue on the issues to do better in the future.” Michigan Live mentioned the National Panhellenic Conference’s efforts in conjunction with Rich Braham and the North-American Interfraternity Conference to “… focus on pursuing and strengthening state hazing laws,” in a story about the University of Michigan’s efforts to reform Greek life after an extended history of problematic behavior within the community. The Daily of the University of Washington also referenced the new coalition regarding changes to alcohol and hazing policies on their campus. Greek life has received significant attention in the past week in light of the confirmation hearings on Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Fraternities are being criticized for what critics believe is a culture of toxic masculinity. There is a growing consensus that the “boys will be boys” behavior must be addressed at a younger age both at home in at school to change the culture around consent and gender roles. The New York Times noted, “Today, what was once accepted as ‘boys will be boys’ behavior is condemned even by national fraternity organizations, which realize their reputations and perhaps long-term survival are on the line.” The Washington Post also stressed that more must be done at a younger age to educate students on this matter. VICE reported on a new book said to shed light on the secrets of fraternity life. The book consists of photos taken at a fraternity of the University of California, Berkeley. These photos depict numerous disturbing and illicit activities that occurred at the fraternity and recognize the role of fraternities as part of a larger group of cultural elites. It sheds light on the fact that numerous high-ranking officials, including former presidents and Supreme Court justices, were part of this culture.  House Education and Workforce Committee Laurie Connor, director of government relations, reports that on Sept. 25, the House Education and Workforce Committee heard testimony regarding the sanctions imposed by Harvard on single-sex organizations. Two helpful documents from that testimony are linked: Harvard Prof Letter to Committee and FGRC Comments. In our continuing advocacy efforts, these documents are important and illustrate our need to persist in educating our members and the public. Please feel free to share these documents with others. Volunteer Survey is Live The annual volunteer survey is now live. If you’ve already completed the survey, thank you! We use the results and feedback to adjust our volunteer management practices, such as volunteer recruitment, training, and recognition. The survey deadline is Monday, Oct. 15. Please contact Assistant Director of Alumnae Engagement Laura Stelsel with any questions. Undergraduate Survey Report – Year Two Some of you may recall as a part of our Plan of Aspirations we embarked on a plan to begin to assess our membership experience. Our 2017 data was reported here. Now, with two years of data to sort through, we wanted to provide you an update and some additional highlights. Sisterhood in Theta Improving – From 2017 to 2018, Theta saw significant improvement in three of the four altruistic schema of sisterhood: Theta members measured higher this year on Sisterhood Based on Accountability, Sisterhood Based on Common Purpose, and Sisterhood Based on Support and Encouragement.  Theta Leading the Way on Sexual Assault – Relative to three other inter/national sororities, Kappa Alpha Theta members have the healthiest attitudes related to sexual assault, with the lowest scores on victim-blaming, minimization, and social pressure. In addition, these scores all trended in a positive direction over the last year.  Theta Members Satisfied with their Experience – Theta members are satisfied with their experience. Measures of overall satisfaction and net promoter score show Theta members near the top in terms of their satisfaction with the membership experience.  Biggest Drops in Sisterhood Occur Between Sophomore and Junior Year – While we know that sisterhood measures tend to decline over time, Theta members experience their largest drop between sophomore and junior year.  ELI has a Significant Impact on Participants – Repeated measures analysis revealed that Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) participants saw significant gains in Social Justice Attitudes relative to Theta members who did not attend ELI. In addition, participants saw gains on Organizational Identification (the degree to which the organization is a major part of a person’s social identity) and decreases in Social Status Importance (the extent to which an individual places value on the social status they receive from membership in the organization) relative to non-participants. Because of this data and other assessment measures such as volunteer and ELC reports, we are working on the following items. Experience for Juniors and Seniors – As noted, we see drops in sisterhood after sophomore/2nd year. We are reviewing programming and opportunities to engage members in official, yet short-term capacities. Healthy Confrontation – While improved, Theta measures lower in Sisterhood Based on Accountability. Research has shown that chapters with strong accountability excel at informal, peer-to-peer confrontation to resolve chapter issues, as opposed to an over-reliance on chapter standards boards. We will add to and improve our curriculum in this area. We continue to review data on a regular basis with new questions about programs and experiences. We will continue to provide updates as we understand more about the Theta experience. If you have questions or thoughts, please email Melissa Shaub, director of education & leadership. Upcoming Programs If you are curious about upcoming Theta-hosted programming for chapters, please check the Theta Igloo Calendar (Upcoming Important Dates and Visits link at the bottom of each issue of The Update). We update that space regularly with events like advisory board training and Alcohol Skills Training Program presentations.  To Write Love on Her Arms Program We will be postponing our mental health program, MOVE, presented by To Write Love on Her Arms, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles this Saturday, Oct. 13. We will provide a new date once it has been decided.  Theta Foundation Chapter & Individual Grants The deadline for Q2 Theta Foundation Chapter & Individual Grant applications is Wednesday, Oct. 17. Learn more on Theta’s website, and direct any questions to Foundation Programs Manager Mary Kate Kronzer. Workforce Contact Update Please join College Committee Chairman Laura Locke in congratulating Katie Schmitz, college district director in College District V (CDD V), on the birth of William Walter “Walt” Schmitz. Katie will be on maternity leave for the rest of the semester. Thanks to Yianna Kappas (CDD II) and Sarah Polito (CDD  XV) for filling in during her leave. For questions regarding Delta Omicron/Alabama, Gamma Delta/Georgia, Theta Nu/Georgia Tech, and Delta Zeta/Emory, contact Yianna. For questions regarding Delta Kappa/LSU, Alpha Phi/Tulane, and Gamma Omega/Auburn, contact Sarah. For questions regarding Epsilon Zeta/Mississippi, contact Katharine Murphy, director of collegiate services. Social Media Snapshot World Mental Health Day Wednesday, Oct. 10, is World Mental Health Day. Theta will be bringing back our #ThetaLoveIsLouder campaign. Post photos to social media using that hashtag to show that Theta love is louder than mental health challenges. Theta will also be promoting many mental health resources to encourage members to reach out for help if needed.  Day of Service We are just a couple weeks away from Day of Service! While the official date is Oct. 19, many Thetas find time to serve all throughout the month of October. Please post photos of your event to social media using #ThetaService, and if you know of an event that might make for a good Instagram takeover, please email Digital Media Manager Lauren Palmer. Once your service event has taken place, don’t forget to enter the Day of Service Photo Contest! Upload your high-resolution photos to our Dropbox account using this link.  Recent Theta Blogs Stepping Into the Life of Hannah Fitch Shaw  October 2018 Archives News Helpful Links Upcoming Important Dates and Visits Workforce Contact Information New Volunteers Previous Updates View Post You can reply to this email to add a comment to this post. You received this because you are subscribed to instant notifications. Manage Subscriptions