Member Development Committee (MDC) Change

In December 2019, 13 college chapters participated in an MDC pilot program with the aim of increasing informal peer accountability. This program provided college chapters with the option to address member concerns through a one-on-one meeting, as opposed to in front of the full MDC. 

The program was wildly successful, with participating college chapters reporting an increase in overall meeting effectiveness and a more positive perspective of MDC within…

Industry Update Provided by NPC

COVID-19 has pushed the bulk of recruitment online, NPR reports, forcing fraternity/sorority life to reconsider its pitch to students now that social activities are less of an option. Gentry McCreary, a consultant for Greek-letter organizations, says that several schools are reporting “record-breaking numbers of students” signing up for recruitment as sororities pivot strategies to focus on meaningful experiences beyond partying. If Greek organizations,…

Industry Update Provided by NPC

The New York Timesdetailed the latest in known coronavirus clusters within sorority and fraternity life nationwide, while also including comment from National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) CEO Dani Weatherford regarding recruitment and overall demand for the sorority experience. Last Monday, NPC, an umbrella organization covering 26 sororities with 400,000 undergraduate members, recommended that all sororities move to a fully virtual recruitment this fall. The Ti…

Industry Update Provided by NPC

U.S. News & World Report, VICE and Reuters each offered coverage detailing the impact of COVID-19 on fraternity/sorority life nationally, with VICE and U.S. News & World Report citing comments from interviews with Dani Weatherford, National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) CEO. Throughout coverage, social aspects of fraternity/sorority life—including parties—are identified as risk factors to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Reporters often point to…

Industry Update Provided by NPC

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on the Abolish Greek Life movement, citing activity on at least a dozen campuses. The piece includes comments from students who say that fraternity/sorority life is “a system of exclusive groups that were historically limited to the white and wealthy” and isn’t compatible with their newfound resolve to dismantle oppressive institutions. National fraternity and sorority leaders say the activists are calling attention to…

Government Relations Update

The Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee (FSPAC) continues to defend and enhance the Greek Life experience. Although we were not able to convene in Washington this past April, we have continued our efforts to meet and support Congressional candidates.

Theta and individuals have been involved since 2005 advocating for these initiatives. Thanks to generous personal contributions, Theta is represented on the FSPAC board by Laurie Connor (also a member of…

Industry Update Provided by NPC

In recent weeks, COVID-19 cases have exploded among people in their 20s and 30s. Public health officials say that’s partly because of so-called ‘superspreader’ events, including gatherings of college students in off-campus houses, fraternity facilities, and bars. Confronted with social media posts showing crowds of students dancing and drinking together in defiance of local orders, colleges and universities have been forced to zero in on what’s happening just…

Industry Update Provided by NPC

Recent coronavirus outbreaks have been linked to fraternities at universities in Washington, California, and Mississippi, and experts say it is an example of what’s to come as many colleges reopen for in-person classes beginning in August. TIME reports that while colleges can enforce certain safety changes on campus—adding dividers between library desks, limiting the number of students assigned to each dorm room, requiring masks in classrooms, only serving…

Industry Update Provided by NPC

Reuters, The Hill and The Washington Post report that Harvard University is rescinding its controversial policy that penalized students who were members of fraternities, sororities, and other single-gender clubs. First imposed on the grounds that the clubs were discriminatory, Harvard officials said they were dropping it because the policy itself, announced in 2016, could be seen as legally discriminatory. Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said that the change…