Industry Update Provided by NPC

Indiana University was a major news focus last week after it announced the university is encouraging the nearly 2,600 students living in fraternity/sorority housing to move or re-evaluate living arrangements, pointing to mitigation testing positivity rates in some houses being above 50%. Diverse Issues in Higher Education reports that the positivity rate in fraternity/sorority housing is 8.1%, compared to the residence hall rate of 1.6%. According to Reuters, Indiana University lacks the authority to manage fraternity/sorority housing, but the university hopes “Greek organizations and landlords would work with students to help them make new arrangements.” NBC News, The Hill, and local media outlets like WISH-TV also covered the announcement.

VICE published an article reporting MJ Insurance-Sorority Division, a major insurance provider for sororities, released a “membership agreement addendum” template for its clients for their members to sign related to “the risks inherent in living in a communal environment.” Journalists Katie Way, who has written other articles for Vice about sorority life during the pandemic, and Rachel Miller requested for readers to contact them if they have signed this type of form, so further developments with this story are likely.

The New York Times reports the University of South Carolina announced that 15 students had been placed under interim suspension and six Greek chapters had been charged with student conduct violations stemming from parties, which officials said violated emergency orders in Columbia. Administrators did not release the names of the students or which fraternities or sororities had been reprimanded. In similar coverage, the University of New Hampshire received media attention from Business Insider and CNN after a party was linked to 11 positive coronavirus cases.

Yahoo Life reported on the shift to virtual recruitment, saying the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) has also worked to support taking chapter meetings and social gatherings online in order to help sororities “continue to flourish in a virtual setting." NPC CEO Dani Weatherford was interviewed, saying, “They had virtual education, and programming, particularly in the spring, when so many of our young women were experiencing some sort of isolation that could lead to some mental health concerns, family members may be contracting the virus, losing their jobs ... ” The article also said that some campuses are seeing record-breaking recruitment registration numbers, with Weatherford saying, “Whenever the classes open back up again, what a feeling that will be to finally meet people in person .... they'll want to be close to one another. And when they're able to do that, I think that sorority will mean even more to them.”

NPR reports that experts in public health and social behavior are critical of common COVID-19 safety measures from universities—especially punitive efforts. An epidemiologist says that universities need to make clear to students what they're trying to avoid—big indoor gatherings without masks in someone's basement. Previous public health research shows that blaming and shaming doesn't help. A member of an unidentified fraternity at the University of Michigan was quoted in the interview, saying, “It's kind of just, like, everyone versus Greek life right now.”

Jezebel published an article focusing on the sorority and fraternity life response to COVID-19. The article includes reports of members not following quarantine orders and attending parties as well as mentioning the University of Maryland incorrectly ordering the Sigma Kappa house to quarantine based on a faulty COVID-19 test.

Fraternities and sororities were identified by CNBC as being major contributors to COVID-19 outbreaks at schools across the country, citing parties and close living quarters as major factors. At the University of Tennessee, the chancellor said, “We are having a significant issue with a small number of students, and we have disturbing information stemming, frankly, from the fraternities in particular,” in an online address to students and staff. In a similar tone, WBUR interviewed Judson Horras, president and CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), about fraternity/sorority life’s role in the spread of COVID-19.

Workforce Opportunities

Time is running out to apply for three workforce openings. Each job title is linked to its job description. Go to the Volunteer web page to apply.

• Alumnae district director (apply by Friday, Sept. 18)
• Recruitment committee chairman (apply by Friday, Sept. 18)
• Director of diversity, equity, & inclusion (apply by Wednesday, Sept. 23)

College Officer Training

We’re sending a BIG thank you to all who helped put together college officer training for this fall. Because of you, we were able to connect members to our COVID-19 contingency resources and facilitated brainstorming as our members started the new academic year navigating a virtual member experience.

Monthly Programming

Alumnae chapter officers will finish the September change management program tonight. Thanks to all who have attended. Thank you to Laura Stelsel, assistant director of alumnae engagement, for facilitating this month. We will have links next week for our October program which will be about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Leadership Cohort Programs

Our cohort programs begin next month! These programs meet monthly online and run October through April each year. Melissa Shaub, director of education and leadership, and Laura Stelsel are hosting the Young Alumnae Leadership Program for recent graduates who are also serving as advisors. This program covers StrengthsQuest, DEI, coaching, mental health, giving/receiving feedback, and change management. Assistant Director of Collegiate Services Madison Cannon will facilitate our program for juniors/3^rd year students. This program will use the Emotionally Intelligent Leadership curriculum. Thank you to Theta Foundation for making these programs possible. We anticipate serving 100 members with these two programs!

Recent Theta Blog

September 2020 Theta Spotlight: Jeanie Nelson

Helpful Links

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