AFA Perspectives Spring 2008

Using Case Study to Inform Practice | Managing a One Person Office | Challenges to Anti-Hazing Initiatives

in this issue:

Growing Diversity of Our Sorority and Fraternity CommunityExploring Native American fraternities and sororities, issues of social justice, improving relationships with African-American fraternities and sororities, and ending incidents of anti-Semitism

� Perspectives / Spring �008

After being installed as AFA President

in Cincinnati, I found myself standing in the room after the Business Meeting introducing my parents to the men of Kappa

Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Of course, my father was snapping photos left and right, as everyone assumed he was the hired photographer for the Annual Meeting. André Early, Director of Undergraduate and University Affairs for Kappa Alpha Psi, grabbed my arm and asked me to take a picture with their leadership. Fast forward to after the next day’s General Session led by Walter Kimbrough: a first-ever photo was being taken of all members of NPHC, NALFO, NAPA, NMGC, and other cultural and multicultural fraternities and sororities in attendance at the Annual Meeting. One of the members of Kappa Alpha Psi stood up before the picture was taken and yelled, “Jay, get in this picture!” I was being made part of history. What an amazing honor, I thought to myself.

I am not usually one to get nostalgic and emotional about these types of things (who am I kidding, I am totally an emotional person), but I realized my reaction was very typical for most of us. As fraternity and sorority professionals and all those committed to unifying the movement, we never really step back from behind the lens to truly see what is happening. It is not about being politically correct or being careful of what we say. It is just how it is in �008. If we just allowed interactions to happen, we would learn more from the experience than we ever thought.

At the Mid-American Greek Council Assoc-iation (MGCA) conference in Chicago this past February, MGCA and the National Black Greek Leadership Conference came together for joint programming. The amount of energy during those three days was incredible. I remember my students from Elon University being upset that they could not see over the crowd to watch the party hop and step competition on Friday night. The discussions among the students after that weekend made the trip worth it. They were commenting on the quality of sessions, and the in-depth conversations they had with students from different cul-tural backgrounds and fraternal affiliations. It was an educational epiphany for the students. It was learning unplugged.

As I look back at these moments, I notice that we need to be more intentional with student development. As professionals, it is our duty to set the stage for diversity education and learning to occur. I think we subconsciously feel the need to qualify or clarify the scene before we enter into discussions about diversity or cultural awareness. We get nervous about the old school “Crossing the Line” activities, and it shows when we plan our leadership retreats or register our students for UIFI. Are these old fears that are warranted? Are we still shell shocked from the black-face photos that appear online?

One of the best things I have learned is to do one thing every day that scares you. I learned this when I was eight years old, and I was with my father and younger sis-ter on a sailboat on a lake in Pennsylvania. It flipped over, and I nearly drowned. From that day forward, I was terrified get on a boat of any kind. My first week at college, I joined the crew team. Rowing in a shell, which is the narrowest and most agile boat, was nerve-racking that first week, but I got over my fear, and I enjoyed rowing on the crew team throughout my college years. I have taken that lesson through college, graduate school, and my 11 years as a fraternity and sorority professional. Is it okay to be a little uncomfortable if the end result is learning more about other cultures, organizations, and, more importantly, about yourself?

I attended NASPA in Boston in March and walked into the NPHC/NALFO reception with fellow AFA Executive Board members. I was one of the first to arrive, so I began introducing myself, making connections with people. Within minutes, the room began to fill, and I witnessed an interesting phenom-enon. I saw that I was standing with AFA Board members in a room filled with non-AFA folks. Did I just eventually gravitate to those I knew well over those I am less familiar with? Is that a natural inclination for people in this type of a situation?

As I look at the growth in size and diversity of the Association (close to 1,700 members!), I am excited to be initiating new relationships with the National Asian and Pacific Islander Panhellenic Association (NAPA) and the National Multicultural Greek Association (NMGC). For those of us who attended the Annual Meeting in Cincinnati, we learned a lot more about these organizations, thanks to Walter Kimbrough. In fact, the �008

Annual Meeting has the potential for many more members of these organizations to attend. So what are we going to do about the new face of AFA?

I challenge each AFA member to jump out of your comfort zone to meet new people. Serve as a mentor to a new member. Join a committee that may not be your expertise area. Participate in a Virtual Seminar (or buy one that has already launched) to learn more about culturally based organizations. Sit at a table of new faces and introduce yourself. Most importantly, share your experiences with your students.

We must not only strive to be culturally competent, but we need to encourage our stu-dents to do so as well. It is �008. The world is a different place, and we must realize the role of a fraternity and sorority professional is more than just planning a program or responding to a crisis. It is to immerse our students into meaningful conversations and difficult dialogues that push the limits of their comfort zones. Learning more about people that are different from you may actually prove how similar we all really are.

I hope this does not come across as a “Can’t we all just get along?” speech. The good news is that I believe our members understand the importance of relationships among each other. However, we cannot claim to be experts on all there is to know about fraternity or sorority. We are con-stantly learning every day. What makes us bad professionals is trying to educate our students in areas we do not know anything about. We have a lot to learn.

To my friends in Kappa Alpha Psi, thank you for the honor of posing with you (even though you all looked much better than me in those red striped ties). To the National Pan-Hellenic Council and National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, thank you for always wel-coming us to your events and hosting your recent and future meetings at AFA Annual Meetings. We welcome you anytime. To NAPA and NMGC, we look forward to strengthening our partnerships and hosting you at our Annual Meetings. To all our interfraternal and higher education part-ners, let us continue to educate each other to the best of our abilities, whether it is through a combined resource or simply through informal discussions among our members. Learning unplugged is the way to go. This is our own reality show.

– Jay Anhorn, 2008 President

Spring �008 / Perspectives 3

– kurtis foriska, Editor

Where We Are, Where We’ve Been, Where We’re GoingWe were fortunate at The Ohio State University to have the recent opportunity to hire an additional staff member for the upcoming year. For years, we have struggled to solve the challenges that face many of us: getting our councils to work together, increasing recruitment numbers, providing better membership development, establishing real-istic social expectations, etc. Looking at different staff models at other institutions yielded similar problems, making it hard to convince the University that the benefit of additional staff would help mitigate the challenges facing our community. Finally, we decided to do something a little different by hiring a recruitment specialist, which we hope will allow the council advisor more time to develop meaningful programming and leadership experiences for our council members.

It is amazing to look back just 10 years ago when there was one person to manage the more than �,000 students and her other job responsibilities. Rob Turning discusses similar chal-lenges in his article, TheOnePersonShow. The addition of previous staff, however, helped to move our community forward and explore new and different things. As we interviewed capable applicants, we found ourselves excited about the future. We could now do the NPHC retreat with undergraduates and graduates. We could finally cultivate an effective alumni society. We could finally work intensively with individual chapters who struggle to recruit. We could develop expectations for our new member processes. In short, we could do more innovative programming that we continually discuss but do not have time to implement.

It is fitting that our process happened in Spring, a time for new beginnings. To be sure, the office of one accomplished many feats, but we are excited to see what a new beginning in our office will bring. The articles in this issue allow Association members to reflect on where we have been, where we are, and where we can go. Several articles address issues of diversityand inclusion on our campuses. Without a doubt, institutions have come far in building community, and these articles provide opportunities to further enhance that connection. Tracy Maxwell’s hazing article captures the challenges we continue to face and provides tangible suggestions on how to stop hazing.

At the end of some of the articles, you will find questions. These questions can be rhetorical,used to generate dialogue on important issues among your staff, or to provoke discussion among colleagues within the Association via the online community. The editorial board encourages you to participate in any form and think about how to use these articles to inform your practice.

Perspectives is the official publication of the Association of Fraternity Advisors, Inc. (AFA). Views expressed are those of the individual authors/contributors/advertisers, and are not necessarilythose of the Association. AFA encourages the submission of articles, essays, ideas, and advertisements. All Perspectives correspondence and submissions should be submitted to:

Kurtis Foriska 2008 Editor

AssistantDirector,TheOhioUnion

The Ohio State UniversityThe Ohio Union @ The Ohio Stadium

1�61 Tuttle Park PlaceColumbus, Ohio 43�10

[email protected]

614-�47-5878

Fax: 614-��-6061

Perspectives is published four times per year.

Submission deadlines:Summer 2008 May 15, 2008Fall 2008 August 15, 2008Winter 2009 November 15, 2008Spring 2009 February 1, 2009

Send address corrections to AFA:Association of Fraternity Advisors�640 N. Augusta Drive, Suite 433Carmel, IN 4603�317.876.163�Fax 317.876.3�[email protected]

BoardMichael Hevel, UniversityofIowa

Megan Johnson, UniversityofIowa

Justin Kirk, DeltaUpsilonFraternity

Ray Lutzky, RensselaerPolytechnicInstitute

Georgianna Martin, UniversityofIowa

Monica Miranda Smalls, UniversityofRochester

Todd Sullivan, UniversityofConnecticut

Nathan Thomas, BradleyUniversity

Robert Turning, TheJohnsHopkinsUniversity

in this

4 Using Case Study to Help Educate Practitioners

8 The one Person Show: Challenges of the lone Fraternity and Sorority Advisor

10 The Intersection of Responsibility and Freedom: Anti-Semitic Incidents on College Campuses and Your Role as Educator

issue12 Social Justice: When Diversity

Isn’t Enough

14 The Native American Fraternal Values Movement: Past, Present, & Future

20 2008 AFA Award nominations

26 AFA/EBI Fraternity/Sorority Assessment Renewed

regular columnsFrom the Top .................................. 2

Editor’s notes .................................. 3

Putting It In Perspective ................. 16

Core Competencies ....................... 22

2008 Editorial


4 Perspectives / Spring �008

usInG CAse sTuDY TO heLP eDuCATe PrACTITIOners A REvIEW of ThE 2007 oRdER of oMEGA CASE STudY hELd AT ThE 2007 AnnuAL MEETInG

Student affairs practitioners are met with daily challenges to help students succeed throughout their fraternal experience. Various professional associations, journals, and conferences

exist to aide professionals in acquiring knowledge, discussing best practices, and affirming academic theories. Many practitioners may apply this professional development to their jobs on a daily basis. What happens, however, when professionals face a new challenge, and all of the years of training, learning, and putting best practices to work cannot help overcome this challenge? Does one panic, ignore the problem, or ask for help?

One method of challenging graduate students preparing to enter the field of student affairs is utilizing case studies. Many associa-tions within the diverse field of student affairs offer case studies as a way to develop new and creative critical skills that are con-stantly affecting the way professionals perform their jobs. Case studies are used in an effort to utilize classroom knowledge, practical experience, and best strategies when solving current or anticipated problems. The objective is to showcase as much information as possible, in an effort to allow practitioners to best utilize previous research, trends, and acquired knowledge in order to effectively solve the problem. Piecing together the answer to a case study can often be difficult, particularly when only a small amount of information is known about the situa-tion at hand. Also, the approach that individuals take to solve the problem can greatly affect the outcome of the case study.

The case study can be a great tool for graduate students and seasoned professionals to challenge one another to utilize team-work, knowledge, and resources to solve problems that they can face at any time in their positions. It allows individuals to think critically about current and relevant issues and how they can impact the community at large as well as the individuals at a given institution. A case study can serve many purposes, such as reaffirming knowledge taught in the classroom, revising of policies and procedures, obtaining buy-in and input from other staff members, and creating an environment where practitioners are constantly learning about the problems affecting the field every day.

AfA/order of omega Case Study

The AFA/Order of Omega Case Study Competition at the �007 Annual Meeting allowed graduate students an opportunity to put their knowledge and practice to the test. With the diverse backgrounds and experiences of graduate students, the case

study is a developmental opportunity for participants to learn from one another, put theory into practice, and tackle difficult challenges facing fraternity and sorority communities.

Case Background

The �007 case study offered a scenario that could be relevant to any sorority and fraternity community on a college campus; or any college community in general. It encompassed many of the diverse attributes of fraternity and sorority communities includingsize, structure, housing, and specific council memberships. The case study offered a glimpse into real life experiences faced by many members of our fraternity and sorority communities including risk management, FIPG, national, local, and institu-tional policy and regulations, and education of fraternity/sororitycommunity members.

The case described a situation on a hypothetical campus where students were engaging in the campus “tradition” of opening weekend parties before the winter semester began. These activitieshad been an accepted part of campus life. During the beginning of the school week following these big parties, a member of one of the fraternities on campus is diagnosed with meningitis. The member also is the social chair of one of the organizations who hosted a party. There is a large possibility that students have been exposed to meningitis due to his attendance. The situation is aggravated by the mismanagement of alcohol and alleged violations of risk management procedures. In this case, partici-pants were asked to take the role of a new professional whose supervisor is out of town.

Tackling the case…

It was difficult to piece together the information of the case study and ensure that proper questions were asked, correct procedures were followed, and confirm that each team worked together to accomplish the task. Most importantly, the case study allowed each team to take a closer look at what it means to work with fraternities and sororities. It can often be a challenge to keep up with the latest trends and issues affecting students; this case study, however, challenged graduate students who will soon be professionals to apply their knowl-edge of various policies, practices, and procedures that impact the fraternal movement. Graduate students in teams of two were forced to rely on one another to succeed in ultimately taking the appropriate measures and course of action.

– Julia Roberts and kelvin Rodriguez

The case study can be a GREAT TOOL for graduate students and seasoned professionals to challenge one another to utilize teamwork, knowledge, and resources to SOLVE PROBLEMS that they can face at any time in their positions.



The remainder of the analysis focused on identifying the decision issues within the case. Once it was determined what issues were present, we were able to step back and consider their immedia-cy, the duration of these issues (e.g., short-term, long-term), and the role of on-going campus culture. After prioritizing the issues, we considered our role in the case. We were able to streamline much of the discussion of “maybes” and “what ifs” by first focusing on the immediate issues, and then creating possibilities for the both the long-term and short-term issues.

Student development theories provided a foundation for much of our discussion. Although theory supported our opinions and helped frame our proposed actions, we found some of our responses were more innate. We understood the developmental concerns that became apparent and used that understanding to create responses to short-term and long-term courses of action, but significant pieces of our plan and immediate health concerns had little to do with the study of theory and more to do with educated instinct. While case studies, like this one, are an exercise for the educated instinct muscle of a student affairs practitioner in a crisis, the grounding in theory can help practitioners address/prevent crises.

The next crucial element in considering this case was under-standing the university itself. Building connections, knowing whom to call in a particular office, and creating a network upon arrival on campus would have been very important for the successof the plan that we created to tackle the case. Without good relationships with staff in media relations and the university counsel’s office, navigating a campus crisis can become the crisis itself. In this case specifically, understanding the expectation for internal campus politics and adhering to the chain-of-command is important, especially for entry level professionals. In a crisis, the lines of communication that have been created need to be followed to ensure a speedy implementation of any plan, the involvement of all those needed, and a general knowledge for all those who need to be kept in the information loop. In addition, knowing about the University’s relationship with the community and local agencies helps when the crisis extends beyond the boundaries of the campus and could potentially impact the surrounding residents and the community as a

whole. We did not expect this case to include lessons on how to be a new professional, but the transferable knowledge that “if I were in this case, I could only be successful if I had built good relationships, learned about campus, known about the surrounding community, etc. when I first started at this institution” was a very real lesson.

Our plan to deal with a potential meningitis outbreak on campus was the product of previous experience, education, and instinct. Having knowledge of crisis management, knowing where to look to find health information quickly, and having some previ-ous knowledge of past experiences of other institutions all aided in the decision of what needed to be done. Once the immediate concerns are addressed, appropriate communication lines are opened, and collaboration within the university and the com-munity is happening, the actions can move to the less immediate issues that will help to prevent future situations like this from taking place. Bringing students into the process and supporting self-governance from council judicial processes can provide a developmental approach to reinforce the actions that should not take place, but we believed would also help to support community-wide education and changes. Unfortunately, sometimes professionals wait until its time to “right the wrongs” before they attempt to create positive change within sorority and fraternity communities.

Working on a case study that could be very real emphasized to us the importance of not only involving students when possible or creating change and issues of accountability, but also in con-necting discussions of our values to real-life events. Discussions at this fictitious institution surrounding risk management rules and social events are more likely to be concrete and student-led because they have specific issues that demonstrate the impact of their decision making. Approaching issues like crisis and risk management from bland policy or stereotypical worst case sce-nario are not effective because they are not real enough for our students to grasp in any way other than philosophical, theoreti-cal, or hypothetical. If we can make fraternity/sorority values about everyday life, it will not be as much of a stretch for them to see their lives as a vehicle for communicating their values.

continuedonpage6


our team created a best case scenario checklist of how to tackle the situation when given the time to consider multiple opinions, a variety of resources, and a combination of practical experience. The following is the framework for this collaboration:

What are the decision issues presented in the case?

What facts are essential for understanding and dealing with the issues?

What additional information must be collected?

Who are the principle decision makers and what roles do they play?

What theories might be relevant to the decision issues?

What alternatives are available to the principle decision makers?

What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with each alternative?

What course of action (long-term and short-term) will be taken?

(Stage&Associates,1993)


continuedfrompage5

Conclusion

The use of case studies has great benefits as the profession faces new situations and changing times, not only for emerging professionals, but also for students and seasoned professionals. The consideration of crisis situations in cases provides real learning opportunities for students through practical application and the opportunity to form their own framework in which to approach issues of crisis, decision making, and strategic planning. Reflecting upon new situations and empowering students to review their own policies, procedures, and traditions can create great results, even if not sparked from real crisis or tragedy. Grounding one’s work in theory and a knowledge of trends in our field will prepare any new professional for success and build the groundwork for successful practice in student affairs.

– JuliaRobertsisagraduatestudentatGrandvalleyStateUniversity(MI)andKelvinRodriguezisagraduatestudentatFloridaInternationalUniversity.

REFERENCE

Stage, F. & Associates (1��3).Linkingtheorytopractice:Casestudiesforworkingwithcollegestudents. Muncie, IN: Accelerated Development.


2007 AfA/oRdER of oMEGA

CASE STudY CoMPETITIon WInnERS

fIRST PLACEJulia Roberts,

Grand Valley State University

kelvin Rodriguez, Florida International University

SECond PLACESarah decker,

Bowling Green State University

Renee Piquette-Wiedenhoeft, Bowling Green State University

ThIRd PLACESharrell hassell, Miami University

Antonio Lytle, Miami University


The AFA Foundation is looking to the future with a new endowment program to provide greater support for the programs of the Association of Fraternity Advisors. Look for an announcement this spring. For questions about establishing an endowment, please contact Tom Jelke, Foundation Chairman, at [email protected] or Jonathan Brant, Foundation Board member, at [email protected].

Endowed Gifts• Require a minimum $10,000 gift.• May be payable in installments over a four-year period.• May fund a scholarship, support an AFA program, or other projects

of the donor’s choosing through interest from the endowment. • Allow the donor the ability to provide support for the Association

of Fraternity Advisors in perpetuity.

At the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Association of Fraternity Advisors,

David Stollman and T.J. Sullivan, owners of CAMPUSPEAK, Inc., announced a $10,000 gift to the AFA Foundation. With this gift, CAMPUSPEAK becomes the fi rst organization to establish an endowment for a permanent scholarship with the AFA Foundation.

CAMPUSPEAK is the nation’s premier agency providing educational speakers and programs to campuses and higher education organizations. Their gift was made in recognition of the agency’s 10th anniversary in 2008. The company is planning a celebration to coincide with the 2008 AFA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, where the company is headquartered. “The members of AFA have been incredibly loyal to our company, and this

was a symbolic way to thank them for their support over the last decade,” Stollman said. “We hope that we can set an example for others who do business with the interfraternal community.” Sullivan is a past board member of the AFA Foundation, and Stollman currently serves on the board. Since the founding of the company, CAMPUSPEAK and its

speakers have given more than $50,000 to the AFA Foundation through silent auction and other gifts. “If it weren’t for the friends and colleagues we have in AFA, we wouldn’t have been able to start our company, much less have it thrive for 10 years,” Sullivan said. “Supporting the long-term success of the fraternity advising profession is consistent with our mission of touching people’s lives.”

If it weren’t for the friends and colleagues we have in AFA, we wouldn’t have been able to start our company.”we wouldn’t have been able to start our company.”we wouldn’t have been able to start our company.we wouldn’t have been able to start our company.“If it weren’t for the friends and colleagues we have in AFA, “If it weren’t for the friends and colleagues we have in AFA, If it weren’t for the friends and colleagues we have in AFA,

CAMPUSPEAK co-founders, David Stollman (left) and T.J. Sullivan (right)

at the 2007 AFA Annual Meeting.

Because You Believe!

CAMPUSPEAK Makes the First Endowed Gift to the AFA Foundation

The Foundation’s Mission

To secure, invest, and distribute the necessary resources to support the educational objectives of the Association of Fraternity Advisors.

As a registered 501(c)(3) organization, the Foundation raises money through individual, organizational, and corporate donations to provide the highest quality professional development opportunities for AFA members. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent the law permits.

How Can I Help?

There are several ways you can make a gift to the AFA Foundation:

1. Make an annual cash gift (check or credit card). To make an annual gift online, please visit: www.fraternityadvisors.org/foundation.aspx

2. Set-up automatic monthly or quarterly credit card installments.

3. List the AFA Foundation as a benefi ciary in your will, estate, or life insurance policy.

4. Endow a gift to the AFA Foundation.

For recurring credit card charges or information on estate or life insurance gifts, please call the AFA Foundation at 678-654-6207.

Please consider making a gift of $25, $50, $100 or more and mail to:

AFA Foundation, 9640 Augusta Drive, Suite 433, Carmel, IN 46032


The One PersOn shOw: Challenges of the Lone Fraternity and sorority Advisor

Build your support system and recruit volunteers.

When you are the person on campus responsible for fraternity and sorority life, it is imperative that you have some help. A good way to do this is to build a rolodex of fraternity and sorority alumni who work on campus and develop a relationship with them. You can begin with fellow student affairs practitioners on your campus who understand the educational benefit of fra-ternity and sorority life and then branch out to other divisions and to faculty. It may be best to first seek help for chapters without advisory boards. In my experi-ence, alumnae from National Panhellenic Conference groups are usually willing to lend a hand with the membership recruit-ment process. Fraternity and sorority alumni in the housing office or in athletics may serve as another set of eyes and ears to spot potential issues within chapters’ operations. These relationships with campus partners can give you an extra set of hands, eyes, and ears.

Building a support system of trusted fraternity and sorority professionals on other campuses is also beneficial. For example, if one has never facilitated NPC recruitment before, it is helpful to have a colleague to call when one discovers a computer recruitment problem that is a quick fix to someone with experience. Also, the ability to ask someone their perspective on a policy or why things are done a certain way will help you develop strategies to address unfamiliar situations. Some professionals utilize their colleagues at other institutions to serve on awards committees, faxing and emailing chapter applications to the opposite coast for review.

If hiring another full-time staff member to work with fraternities and sororities is not an option, a graduate assistant may be more feasible. Graduate assistants are generally less expensive than full-time staff. The experience also aids graduate students in gaining practical, first-hand experience.

Get orGanized.

The lone professional must learn to embrace technology and its benefits. A Blackberry, a Palm, or simply the calendar function of most email systems will do much to keep tasks and events from being forgotten. If the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life is part of a larger department, professionals might try to involve admin-istrative staff in day to day organization. Front line staff members will be able to dispatch with most of the minute admin-istrative questions that can eat up a day. Provide these staff members with sufficient information and instruction so they know what to do when a treasurer drops off a check for IFC dues or the Order of Omega applications begin streaming in. It may also be helpful to not give out your direct phone line to students, which does not equate to being inaccessible.

Another way to get organized is to encourage recurring events. This will help to organize each semester so another retreat does not have to happen just to set the upcoming calendar. For example, advisor meetings can be the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m., the Powder Puff football tourna-ment can be held the second Saturday of November each fall, and community service report forms can be due the last day of each month. This will help chapters, and the professional charged with managing them, get into a routine, which may help

prevent deadlines and events from sneaking up on all involved.

communicate values and expectations of fraternities and sororities across campus.

Expectations for fraternities and sororities on campus may be low; the “boys will be boys” mentality is tolerated to a certain extent as long as people are not getting hurt. At a minimum, basic expectations should be relayed to the entire campus, not just fraternity and sorority members. For example, fraternity or sorority membership does not exempt one from state alcohol laws or statutes prohibiting indecent expo-sure. The institution’s student code applies to everyone whether they have accepted a bid or not. Indirectly involving the entire campus in monitoring behavior that violates the campus standard will help a campus advisor avoid having to be in several different places at once.

It may be news to undergraduate members on some campuses that fraternities and sororities are values-based organizations. If this is the case, it is highly likely this is also new information for unaffiliated students, faculty, and staff (and probably some fraternity and sorority alumni). The key is communicating this to other “front line” people on campus so they, in turn, are sending the same message to fraternity and sorority members. Encouraging the campus community to challenge fraternities and sororities to “do what you say you will do” reinforces fraternal values and appropriate behavior. Use opportunities like new stu-dent orientation or R.A. training to educate those populations about what fraternities and sororities should be doing, and to identify if chapters’ actions are inconsistent

– Robert Turning

There are many benefits working at a small institution, like the flexibility to build your own program, the cozy, collegial feel of a small campus, “Calling Bob” when you want a picture hung instead of submitting an online work order, and knowing most, if not all, of the staff and faculty on campus. It also comes with knowing, however, that you and your 15 by 15 foot office, with or

without windows, are the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. You are your own scheduler, help students reserve space on campus, hold chapters accountable, check grades and verify rosters, and meet with headquarters consultants on their way through town.

Based on my own experience as the only fraternity and sorority advisor at my institution, I offer some suggestions on how to cope with life as a one person show.

Spring �008 / Perspectives �

Encouraging the campus community to challenge fraternities and sororities to “do what you say you will do”

reinforces fraternal values and appropriate behavior.

with fraternal values. You might distribute open mottos, creeds, and value statements of organizations so that campus constitu-ents can use as a reference. I can think of nothing more powerful than for a campus police officer to ask an undergraduate, “So, how does streaking the library make you a man of principle?”

empower students. advise the process, don’t do the process.

Learning and growth occur when students do and advisors advise. Students are only going to attend events in which they are invested, no matter how “cool” the event the staff member has planned. Encouraging self-governance is the largest favor a short-staffed campus advisor can do. Students should be the ones governing their organi-zations and planning their events. This is not to say that the occasional “boot in the rear end” should not be given; however, some learning may occur if students are afforded a small failure. Empowering students to make the calls, do the leg work, and plan programs will free the fraternity and sorority professional to focus on their professional commitments while supporting student programming and increasing student engagement. Eventually, undergraduates will be empowered to make decisions and to hold each other accountable, freeing the fraternity and sorority professional from 100% of that responsibility.

Get to know your students. let them Get to know you.

In practice, the more students know a staff member, especially one charged with advocating for the fraternity/sorority community, the more likely they are to understand the responsibilities placed on that individual and the role students have in adding to, or not adding to, the workload. In my experience, I find students generally do not enjoy disappointing those in authority, especially those with which they feel they have a bond.

Immersing oneself in the campus commu-nity will also pay dividends. Introducing significant others or family to members at campus fraternity or sorority events shows that the campus professional is human. If there are sorority members on the field hockey team, attend the field hockey game. Attend the campus production of Oklahoma!. Eat in the dining hall from time to time. Interacting with students in

their environment builds camaraderie and a sense that “we’re all in this together.” Developing relationships builds the staff member’s credibility with undergraduates, alumni, and fraternity/sorority staff and adds more value to the advice they dispense.

– RobertTurningistheCoordinatorofGreekLifeatJohnsHopkinsUniversityinBaltimore,Maryland.

Being a one person office often makes it difficult to balance personal and professional aspects of life. What strategies do you use to maintain a healthy personal/professional balance?

8 Join the discussion of these questions by visiting the Association’s webpage and clicking on the ‘Online Community’ link.

Spring �008 / Perspectives �


The Intersection of responsibility and Freedom:Anti-Semitic Incidents on College Campuses and Your Role as Educator

– Georgianna L. Martin and Megan P. Johnson

On October 31, �007, Professor Midlarsky, of Teachers College at Columbia University, discovered

a swastika applied with spray paint to her office door. The faculty member claimed this was the third time in recent weeks she found herself a victim of anti-Semitic behavior (New York Times, �007). Historically, the cyclical pattern of anti-Semitism is one that alternates between periods of explicit acts of hatred and periods of subtle bias (Weinstein & Mellen, 1��7). Weinstein and Mellen suggest that people who only look at present events without understanding the recurring themes of anti-Semitic behavior may dismiss some events as isolated incidents or less important than other types of oppression in mainstream society. Although many fraternity/sorority profes-sionals might not be aware of anti-Semitic incidents, these acts of hatred still occur.

During the summer of �007, the Association of Fraternity Advisors partnered with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to support their PublicEducationCampaigntoEndCampusAnti-Semitism. This article will present the background and relevancy of the campaign to fraternity/sorority life and provide suggestions for addressing and preventing anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses.

BACkGRound

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) was briefed in November �005 regarding anti-Semitic actions on college and university campuses (USCCR, �006). The experts acknowledged that campuses tend to be welcoming and positive environ-ments for Jewish students with opportunities for involvement and growth in and out of the classroom. However, they agreed that contrary to mainstream beliefs, anti-Semitism continues to exist on college campuses, often hidden under the guise of anti-Israel criticism. One of the experts, Dr. Gary Tobin, explained that

“ much of anti-Semitic rhetoric and behavior goes undetected since it falls under the debate about the Middle East. This form

of anti-Semitism is different from past discrimination that plagued college campuses; it goes against the norms and values of campus-es that allegedly promote racial and ethnic and religious diversity and understanding” (USCCR, p. 4).

Members of the panel expressed concern that Jewish students on campuses such as Columbia University, San Francisco State University, and the University of California at Irvine “have recently experienced an increase in hostility and intimidation inside and outside the classroom. In some cases, posters, rallies and speakers on campus have promoted hatred of Jews and Israel” (USCCR, �006, p.1). Susan Tuchman, another expert, suggested that it was inac-curate to claim that all criticisms of Israel and the Israeli government are anti-Semitic. She explained that Israel’s practices should be subject to legitimate criticism, but the line is crossed when Israel is demonized or when Israeli leaders are compared to Nazi leaders by using anti-Semitic slurs and images. Tuchman used examples from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) to illustrate her point. At UCI, Jewish students built a Holocaust memorial on campus, and one night the memorial was defaced and destroyed. On the same cam-pus, a swastika was carved into a nearby table during a candlelight vigil held to commemorate the Holocaust. Such incidents illustrate that bias and insensitivity towards Jewish culture and heritage persists.

RELEvAnCE To ThE fRATERnITY And SoRoRITY CoMMunITY

At first glance, readers may question the relevance of this issue to fraternity and sorority advising; however, the issue of anti-Semitic behavior is a symptom of deeply rooted issues in the culture and environment related to broader prejudiced behavior on college campuses (Weinstein & Mellen, 1��7). These actions often stem from ignorance or lack of information or knowledge. The issue here is one of oppression: marginalization of one group is hurtful to all groups. While students may not intentionally engage in anti-Semitic behaviors, education can help students

begin to understand their own identities and how privilege manifests itself in society.

Discrimination is not always overt on college campuses as it manifests itself in different ways. Extra bureaucracy during expansion is one of the ways in which Jewish frater-nities and sororities may experience the ramifications regarding a lack of edification about the purpose of Jewish fraternal organizations. If an Interfraternity Council voting on expansion is uneducated about the history of traditionally Jewish fraternities and the benefit these organizations can bring to the fraternal community, how likely are they to extend an invitation to these groups? Although a historical overview regarding the context of Jewish fraternities and sororities is beyond the scope of this article, campus-based professionals need to understand the history of Jewish fraternal organizations. Additionally, all fraternity and sorority professionals need to be on the forefront of understanding these issues to ensure that students have a foundational knowledge which can lead to prevention of anti-Semitic behavior.

RECoMMEndATIonS foR fRATERnITY And SoRoRITY EduCAToRS

Administrative answers to bias-related inci-dents typically occur in one of two forms: as a response that is incident-focused or one that is climate-focused (Marcus & Yavorsky, 1�8�; Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, & Allen, 1��). Incident-focused responses tend to be reactive and deal with the symptoms of the incident. In contrast, a climate-focused response is typically seen as a more proactive approach to dealing with issues because they focus on the root of the problem. Kenneth L. Marcus, staffing director for the USCCR, offered suggestions for both incident-focused and the more proactive climate-focused approaches to professionals working with college students (K. L. Marcus, personal communication, October �5, �007). First, when incidents occur, take them seriously. One or two issues on a campus or within an organiza-tion suggest a larger problem exists. Some students, either victims or bystanders, hesitate to report incidents because they


fear retaliation. Others fail to report such events because they do not believe that anything will be done about the notification. As advocates for students, it is important that educators work to create inclusive and supportive educational environments where students feel comfortable raising concerns with the assurance that their voices will be heard. Marcus also highlighted the importance of good record keeping. It is important to document each situation, including as many details as possible.

Taking proactive steps to keep incidents from escalating further is another important consideration. Sarah Stern, an anti-Semitism expert, offered suggestions to appropriately acknowledge and address such behavior. She indicated that demanding an apology from those found responsible was neither necessary nor sufficient since requiring an offending individual or group to apologize would only harbor resentment (USCCR, �006). She said it was important to bring the issue to the forefront in order to raise awareness and discuss the consequences of such behavior on those affected by anti-Semitic action. Stern continued that it would be valuable to hold community meetings, workshops, and educational forums to help students, faculty, and staff understand the implications of anti-Semitism.

One important point raised by Marcus and other experts in the campus anti-Semitism briefing is the issue of free speech. All mention that some of the reported anti-Semitic activities are protected speech, despite one panelist’s claim that it is an abuse of free speech under the guise of open discussion (USCCR, �006). This sentiment is further explained by pointing out that while speech and expression are protected under the First Amendment, colleges and universities have an obligation under Title VI to provide an educational environment that is comfortable and conducive to learning; they have a legal obligation to ensure that Jewish students are not subjected to harassment, intimida-tion, or discrimination. They also have an ethical and moral obligation to act as leaders and promote the values of respect, tolerance, and inclusiveness on campus. That is, they must educate students that with freedom of speech comes responsibility (USCCR, �006, p. 6).

As Marcus further explained, this is not simply a matter of free speech, but rather a matter of moral leadership. He believes university administrators have an obliga-tion as leaders to set a moral example by acknowledging and addressing anti-Semitic words and actions when they occur. As

with any form of oppression, silence sends a strong message, whether intentional or not, that such actions are tolerated. Tuchman explained, “Jewish students perceive the university as taking sides by not taking action” (USCCR, �006, p. 6).

ConCLudInG ThouGhTS

The anti-Semitic events actually reported on college campuses in recent months and years suggest a high likelihood that additional incidents that go unreported. While many Americans may consider anti-Semitism an issue of bygone era, it is clear from recent events that this issue persists and demands our attention. For further information on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ PublicEducationCampaigntoEndCampusAnti-Semitism, please visit the initiative’s website (http:// www.usccr.gov/campusanti-semitism.html). This web-site includes a hotline for reporting incidents as well as other valuable information relat-ed to anti-Semitic behavior. Additionally, posters and postcards for the Campaign can be obtained through this website. Know your resources, so you can help students know theirs.

– GeorgiannaL.Martinisadoctoralstu-dentintheStudentAffairsAdministrationandResearchprogramattheUniversityofIowa.ShealsoservesasaresearchassistantintheCenterforResearchonUndergraduateEducation(CRUE).

– MeganP.JohnsonisadoctoralstudentintheHigherEducationprogramattheUniversityofIowa.

REFERENCES

Hurtado, S., Milem, J., Clayton-Pedersen, A., & Allen, W. (1��). Enacting diverse learning environments: Improving the climate for racial/ethnic diversity in higher education. ASHE-ERICHigherEducationReport, �6(8).

Marcus, L. R., & Yavorsky, D. K. (1�8�, September). Improving human relations on campus: The role of state-level poli-cy. In Minority Success: Apolicyreportofthestatehighereducationexecutiveofficersminoritystudentachievementproject. Denver: SHEEO.

Swastika painted on Columbia professor’s door. (�007, November 1). NewYorkTimes.Retrieved November 5, �007, from http://www.nytimes.com/�007/11/01/education/01swastika.html

The United States Commission on Civil Rights. (�006, July). Campusanti-Semitism:AbriefingbeforetheUnitedStatesCommissiononCivilRights. Retrieved October 17, �007, from http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/081506campusantibrief07.pdf

Weinstein, G., & Mellen, D. (1��7). Anti-Semitism curriculum design. In M. Adams, L. Bell, & P. Griffin (Eds.), Teachingfordiversityandsocialjustice (pp. 170-1�7). Routledge: New York.

TIPS foR fRATERnITY/SoRoRITY EduCAToRS:

• Publicly acknowledge and address any anti-Semitic incidents and behavior; Silence sends a message that the institution does not take bias-related issues seriously.

• Internally document campus anti-Semitic incidents with as much detail as possible.

• Visit the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Public Education Campaign to End Campus Anti-Semitism website to familiarize yourself with the processes for reporting incidents.

• Organize educational workshops for fraternity/sorority members to raise awareness or address any known anti-Semitic issues on campus.

Martin & Johnson explain that university administrators need to acknowledge and confront anti-Semitic behavior. How do professionals begin to address these behaviors successfully?

What strategies do professionals need to consider to provide an inclusive environment for Jewish students and others? What has your campus done to change policy or procedures to be more inclusive?


1� Perspectives / Spring �008

At a young age, my dad drilled an Albert Einstein quote into my head, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The quote

may sound similar to our work in student affairs. How many times have I expected fellow college administrators to respond in a new way to a crisis only to be disappointed by similar results? We can make new flyers and T-shirts, sponsor different speakers, and develop a strategic plan, but if we are doing the same thing we should not expect something different to happen. The same can be true for our approach to diversity and issues of social justice.

Over the past decade, the verbiage used has included tolerance, acceptance, celebration, and awareness, evolving into today’s buzz word, inclusion. The foundational concepts of multicultur-alism and diversity are used to relate to issues of recruitment, retention, matriculation, and community relations of diverse students and perspectives. The question remains whether these initiatives actually manifest into something widely different. Are we experiencing different results in chapters, departments, and on campus? Despite an ever-evolving language, a consistent and comfortable sense of complacency remains supported by our institutions and colleagues. For real change to occur, we must be willing to become uncomfortable – to become aware of the active role we have in supporting the current system of rhetoric.

The motivation for this article stems from my visits over the past eight years to numerous campuses responding to ‘black-face’ theme parties, hate crimes and other acts of violence, or requiring mandatory diversity trainings for new chapter members. I am not, however, talking about affirmative action, desegregation, or media relations; my purpose is not to bring up feelings of inadequacy or defensiveness. My purpose is to acknowledge that to “walk the talk” and embrace concepts of social justice, we must take risks, name our assumptions and judgments, and acknowledge our individual role in supporting systematic oppression. It means making a conscious change to the normal rhetoric. I must recognize my own privilege and my active role in perpetuating a system from which I benefit. Social justice is exciting and optimistic because each person can make a difference to society, it costs nothing, and there is no expectation of perfection.

The cause is hidden, but the result is well known – Publius Ovidius Naso

I hear statements like, “I’m not a racist,” and “Gender discrimi-nation doesn’t happen anymore” from students, faculty and staff. Yet, I have moving conversations with the same people about inequities on campuses and in communities. It is as if most acknowledge there is a problem, but as a culture, we have lost sight of the cause. I am often asked if I feel society has been backsliding since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1�60s.1 This is a tricky question because a number of ideas must be deconstructed. The Civil Rights Movement is not over, because in retrospect, it left out several communities in the fight for

equality. Furthermore, I believe the cultural result of the movement was to teach the privileged what not to do publicly to maintain their power. While behavior modifications, no matter how slight, do have an impact on our social norms, they mask institutionalized oppression. Martin Luther King, Jr. was viewed as a person who helped to mold consensus, not gather it. To ask if society is backsliding seems to suggest progress was secured, while many are experiencing the pain of oppression today.

After all there is but one race – humanity. – George Moore

While the concept of “one race” is not a new concept, I find it is still harmful. Throughout western history, examples show-case that denying differences among people allowed privileged groups to distance themselves from messy or daunting social disparities. By claiming to be “color blind” and supporting the claim “we are all equal,” it is much easier to remain oblivious to the group-based privileges from which many of us derive benefit. I believe the idea of equal footing is the root of the “pull your self up by the bootstraps” mentality – the assump-tion that everyone starts at the same place and some just work harder to get what they deserve. Privilege is rarely earned but often given at birth and through perceptions of other people. To believe that there is an equal playing field for all but award power to certain groups based on perceived membership is hypocritical.

We must differentiate between people in order to determine how our own identities measure up. We judge others based on what we perceive their group memberships to be: race or ethnic identity, social class, religion, age, ability, gender, sexual identity, etc. Making such judgments informs us on how to navigate the world around us interpersonally. Again, in order to “walk the talk,” an important first step is to recognize that we make judgments based on perceptions and our own experiences, while touting an assumption of equality.

Once a person’s individuality is acknowledged through conver-sation or personal interaction privilege, “points” can be distributed based on reality. This incongruence also leads to tokenism. I identify as a member of numerous socially-constructed groups. Based on the reader’s group memberships, I may gain or lose privilege points with you for being a Texan, Democrat, queer, vegetarian, Delta Gamma, student affairs professional, diversity speaker, woman, white, in my thirties, or a wife. I cannot represent all members of these groups, however am frequently asked to “represent” the whole group. This may seem obvious, but how many times do professionals ask some-one different, like a person of color, first-year college student, commuter student, international student, etc., what they think about an idea or program and treat the response like a community notarization. This is an illogical and incongruent pillar of our social norms that keeps systems of oppression in place. This incongruence is also a hot bed for judgment, finger pointing, inner-group pride, and other-group hatred.

sOCIAL JusTICe: When Diversity Isn’t Enough

– Jessica Pettitt

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The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. – Steve Biko

When discussing oppression, power, and privilege, people often become defensive, protective, or feel guilty. When given the opportunity to talk about oppressive experiences, they relive anger, frustration, disappointment, fear, and hopelessness. These negative emotions and painful experiences support a hierarchical concept of oppression. Members of dominant groups aim (consciously or subconsciously) to pit subordinate groups against one another.� In the movie ColorofFear, Victor Lewis states that, “the groups with less power fight amongst themselves and do nothing to take privilege away from those in power.”

Diversity initiatives have taught us that making real change can feel overwhelming if not daunting. We have been comparing apples to oranges, seeking a solution to the “difference” problem. Social justice is about comparing oranges to oranges and bridging the gap between our social norms and behaviors. Social justice is not about solving difference or even celebrating difference. It is about self-awareness and how your lived experiences make you different from those around you. This self-reflection will allow you to find your dominant group memberships. Change can be made from a position within a dominant group.

God changes not what is in a people, until they change what is in themselves. –The Koran

As Einstein and my father alluded to, change that comes from innovation and trying new things is often uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is where judgments, assumptions and behaviorsmeet real change. In order to get different results, I must quiet the voice in my head that says I am not making difference and push myself to be uncomfortable. I can listen to the voices of those that came before me and trust that there are others hosting their own parties of one. It is up to me to show that “diversity” just isn’t enough.

– NominatedforBestDiversitySpeakerof2007fromCampus Activities Magazine,Jesscontinuestoworkcampustocampusbeingthechangeshewantstoseeintheworld.Forfurtherconversationsontoughsubjectsandprogressiveideas,visitJessicaPettitt.comorCampuSpeak.com.

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Cobb, W. J. (�008, January). The noose. Ebony, 63(3),110.

Gilson, D. (�008, January/February). We’re all #1! MotherJones: Smart Fearless Journalism, 33(�), 6-7.

His Holiness The Dalai Lama. (1��). Ethicsforthenewmillennium. New York: Riverhead Books.

King, Jr., M. L. (1�68, April 3). I’veseenthepromisedland.Speech and following question and answer session given at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, TN.

Martin, C. E. (�008, January 1). Love your fat self. UTNEReader. Retrieved January 1, �008 from http://www.utne.com/�008-01-01/Politics/Love-Your-Fat-Self.aspx

Nathan, R. (�005). Myfreshmanyear:Whataprofessorlearnedbybecomingastudent. New York: Penguin Books.

Schindehette, S. (�007, November 1). Nooses: An old-time symbol of hate is making an ugly comeback. People,68(20),143-144.

FOOTNOTES

1 It is important to note that there have been a number of move-ments fighting for equality in the United States and in other countries. I find it quite typical for myself and other Americans to refer to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1�60’s and Martin Luther King Jr.’s work as if it is the only time equality was sought and that it was achieved. Thousands of people were involved in this movement and others in the ’60s and other decades. Thousands are involved in similar movements today in the US and in other countries as well.

� Lynch, William E. “SlaveConsultantsNarrative.” Speech, given in 171�, on the bank of the James River. The premise here is to have slave owners pit different groups against one another (field workers vs. house slaves, light skinned vs. dark skinned, young vs. old, men vs. women, etc.) to instill frustration and to set up a system where the slave owners are the only trusted people on a plantation. Analysis now suggests that the document was writ-ten in the mid to late �0th Century. The full-text of the speech is available. The site is maintained by the University of Missouri – St. Louis, Thomas Jefferson Library. http://www.umsl.edu/~libweb/blackstudies/lynch.htm

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For real change to occur, we must be willing to become uncomfortable – to become aware of the active role we have in supporting the current system of rhetoric.


The nATIve AmerICAn FrATernAL vALues mOvemenT:

Past, Present, & Future – Sara L. Jahansouz and Symphony d. oxendine

Native American Student Experience and RetentionAccording to Larimore and McClellan (�005), Native American students are the least likely to enroll in public four-year institutions and have an estimated retention rate of 15 percent and an attrition rate as high as �3 percent. Student affairs practitioners understand the vast need to engage Native American students at a much higher level due to their at-risk status.

Formal social integration correlates positively with academic performance among Native American students (Larimore and McClellan, �005). Research regarding fraternal membership among general undergraduate students shows that members tend to be more involved, which is positively correlated with student learning and development (Astin 1��3). The research completed by Larimore and Astin helps frame the assumption that engaging Native American students within fraternal membership that celebrates their culture might have a positive influence on their collegiate experience and academic performance.

The Founding of Historically Native American Fraternities and Sororities (HNAFS)Approximately eight fraternal organizations have self-identified as Historically Native American Fraternities and Sororities (HNAFS) (Locklear & Oxendine, �007). While some of these organizations are primarily located within a specific region of the United States, Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, Inc. and Phi Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc. are considered nationally-affiliated organizations. Both of these organizations are the first HNAFS to be established and recognized by an institution of higher learning.

The fraternal experiences for HNAFS undergraduates and alumni are unique from the fraternal experiences of those in organizations affiliated with the four major umbrella organizations (NALFO, NIC, NPC, NPHC). While the founding principles of these organi-zations share more similarities than differences, the acts commonly referred to as rituals or ceremonies for HNAFS revolve around Native American traditions and culture. Specifically, the variety of common traditional practices such as sweat lodges, smudging ceremonies, cleansing processes, and Pow Wows serve as a mecha-nism for the maintenance of cultural practices away from home.

Emerging Issues within HNAFSAlthough the current number and membership of Native American fraternities and sororities are relatively small, it does not inhibit this community from advancing fraternal values in a substantial way. For example, organizations have already recognized the cultural insensitivity of utilizing the common term “colony.” Terms and differences not only provide historical education, but also enable the further development of cultural competencies regarding others.

National representatives of HNAFS anticipate growth not only within membership and expansion of established organizations, but also an emergence of new organizations (Locklear & Oxendine, �007). This is due to the vast diversity among Native American tribal nations. While some HNAFS value the advancement of all native cultures, others prefer to celebrate tribal/regionally specific beliefs and values. Both perspectives allow Native American students an opportunity to connect with a fraternal experience that is congruent with their personal beliefs.

Whether intentionally or not, the fraternal world has created an environment in which national organizations must become members of an umbrella organization in order to be taken seriously. This poses a major challenge for HNAFS as the financial resources and limited membership do not provide the capital necessary to establish nor join a currently established umbrella organization. Some professionals within fraternity and sorority life have been unwilling to build partnerships with HNAFS as they may question the validity of these organizations within our fraternal community. On the other hand, there are many professionals who have taken an active role in educating themselves and others on the significant contributions that HNAFS are making in advancing fraternal values.

– SaraL.JahansouzservesastheDirectorofGreekLifeatTheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatPembroke,anhistoricallyAmericanIndianUniversity.

– SymphonyD.OxendineservesastheAssociateDirectorofStudentLifeatTheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatPembroke,anhistoricallyAmericanIndianUniversity.SymphonyalsoholdsthepositionofGrandDeanofHoneycombsforAlphaPiOmegaSorority,Inc.

REFERENCES

Astin, A.W. (1��3). Whatmattersincollege?Fourcriticalyearsrevisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Larimore, J. (Spring, �005). NativeAmericanStudentRetentioninU.S.PostsecondaryEducation. New Directions for Student Services, 10�, 17-3�.

Locklear, B. & Oxendine, S. (�007). AmericanIndianGreekorganizations:Anewvehicleforcarrying-onoldtraditions. NASPA/ACPA Joint Meeting Educational Program.


Spring �008 / Perspectives 15Spring �008 / Perspectives 15


hazed and Confused: A look at why hazing is so difficult to tackle from both student and professional viewpoints – and how we can do better

Hazing is one of the most difficult challenges facing both students and professionals today. There are

numerous factors that complicate this issue: culture, tradition, secrecy, unclear defini-tions, poorly enforced or communicated policy, and confusion or mistrust of the reporting system. This article will explore these issues, and offer some suggestions for further exploration.

ChALLEnGES foR PRofESSIonALS And voLunTEERS:

• long-standing culture of accepting hazing as tradition

• deep secrecy surrounding the practice

• intense pressure on students to conform and not to report hazing

ChALLEnGES foR STudEnTS:

• peer pressure and groupthink

• unclear definitions

• homogenization of hazing regardless of severity

• a belief in the benefits

• a lack of skills for instituting change

CuLTuRAL ChAnGEMany of us associated with the fraternity/sorority movement have met alumni who swear that they are better leaders, stron-ger individuals, and were better members because of the hazing they experienced. It is difficult to argue with someone who experienced and perpetuated hazing and believes in its benefit. When a chapter, a campus, or an inter/national organization has developed a culture where hazing is not only acceptable, but revered, change can seem almost impossible. Simply presenting a list of alternatives or expecting a few individual members to stand up against the practice will likely not make an impact. Even if a few organizations on a campus

or chapters within a national organization manage to eliminate hazing, if the culture of acceptance still persists in their environ-ment, they are likely to eventually revert to old behavior after a time. Widespread environmental change is necessary in order to truly impact the problem.

Policy, enforcement, leadership, and anti-hazing messages must all reflect the desired change. If national officers, campus profes-sionals, and local advisors are unwilling to enforce policy, the problem will persist. The anti-hazing message must be delivered consistently and constantly through various venues until everyone understands. Getting members to believe and buy into hazing alternatives is an additional challenge. News articles, advisor training, policy compliance agreements, and educational programming on the national and campus level are all good tactics for communication. Closing chapters if the hazing culture is too imbedded in an organization reinforces the message that hazing is unacceptable.

SECRECYIt is often difficult to know that hazing is occurring in an organization because of the secrecy involved. However, there are warn-ing signs, and advisors must follow their suspicions and take the time to investigate. Visible signs of second-class citizenship type behavior (e.g. new members carrying objects around campus, running errands for older members, or sitting at a separate table from members in the cafeteria) could mean that worse behavior is occurring behind closed doors. A simple way to identify problems is to enlist the help of others who might have the opportunity to see more than you do. Residence life staff, campus and local police, faculty members, and parents are all excellent sources of information once they are educated about red flags. Casual conversations with a stu-dent, rather than a formal interview process which often causes students to be more reserved, can yield helpful information. Another often useful strategy is to allude to

the information that you believe is happening within the chapter. Students may confirm suspicions of hazing behaviors. Many campuses have taken this a step further and instituted an amnesty program. For a limited period of time, students can share behaviors that violate policy and ask for help in exchange for immunity from adjudication on the information they share.

PEER PRESSuRE“Groupthink” is the most powerful force in the continuation of hazing. The desire to belong and the fear of being perceived by their peers as weak or unworthy can influ-ence students to participate in behaviors they would not condone outside of the group. Intimidation keeps many members from discussing their true feelings with other members. For many, it is not just that leaving the group would be painful, but also the idea that “I’ve come this far and might as well stick it out,” takes over. Leaving a group is difficult enough, especially as a new student, but the fear of being ostracized and ridiculed as a result is enough to keep most students from either standing up to their abusers or reporting the behavior.

A collaboration of �1 national fraternities and sororities created a hazing hotline that allows for easy reporting to a central location. Publicizing this number on your campus, with parents and the constituent groups mentioned above can help insure that individuals can feel comfortable reporting anonymously if they wish – 1-888-NOT-HAZE. Campuses must do a better job of publicizing their own reporting procedures as well.

Perhaps the biggest factor in students’ unwillingness to report is their feeling that “there is no one to tell,” and that “adults won’t handle it right.” These attitudes were revealed by 36% and �7% of students respectively, in the Alfred Study of athletes (Hoover & Pollard, �000). Until students can be assured anonymity or protection,

– Tracy Maxwell


reporting will continue to be low. Using the model of responding to sexual assault, as detailed in the following paragraph, may be helpful in protecting students who have experienced hazing, in addition to determining other needs such as counseling or medical attention.

Empowering bystanders – including victims – to confront and report hazing, is our best chance to eliminate it. The bystander model is becoming more popular as a tool for tackling hazing as well as other problems. It was the basis of two National Hazing Symposium programs held in �007, and will be the focus of the �008 National Hazing Prevention Week resource guide as well. In addition, the Greek Video Consortium is basing its current anti-hazing DVD on this model.

Additional challenges students face con-fronting hazing are: unclear definitions, a homogenization of hazing regardless of severity, a belief in the benefits of hazing, and a lack of skills for instituting change. Kotter’s (1��6) change model can provide a useful framework for students, professionals, and volunteers. Realizing the need to create a sense of urgency in order to initiate the change process and developing a coalition to institute environmental change can ensure long-term institutionalization of the change.

unCLEAR dEfInITIonSDefinitions of hazing vary widely by insti-tution, national organization, and other sources; however, most have the following elements in common:

Anyactiontaken,whetherintentionalorunintentional,thatcausesembarrassment,harassment,orridiculeorrisksemotionalorphysicalharm,tomembersofanorganizationorteam–whetherthememberisnewornot–regardlessoftheperson’swillingnesstoparticipate.

This is the most widely accepted definition of hazing. If any of the elements are missing in an inter/national or campus policy, stu-dents often justify an activity on that basis

(e.g. new members agreed to participate or it occurred after initiation)

Research by Allan and Madden (�006) dur-ing the pilot phase of their project revealed that only �8% of students were told about anti-hazing policies and only ��% reported that they had received a written copy of the university’s policy. While campus pro-fessionals will argue that students on their campus do, in fact, receive copies of hazing policy, the fact that many students feel that they do not know the rules about hazing means campuses must use multiple methods of communicating the policy. Students also expressed confusion in interviews for this study, stating, “They never really tell you what hazing is, just not to do it.” Preliminary data from Allan and Madden’s full study, as well as recent newspaper interviews with leaders of chapters closed for hazing, indicate that students’ confusion about what constitutes hazing is profound.

Sharing comprehensive lists of prohibited activities seems to have further confused students. Scavenger hunts are a great example of an activity that is considered hazing by many organizations and colleges. While potentially an issue of risk manage-ment and poor public relations, scavenger hunts are not necessarily hazing activities in and of themselves. Attempts to clarify

hazing with a simple formula have also clouded the issue. Telling students that any-thing required of new members that is not required of initiated members is hazing has largely caused students to throw up their hands and declare, ”We can’t do anything! Everything’s hazing.” Professionals need to help students understand the difference between the obligations of membership and hazing.

BIG h vERSuS LITTLE h hAzInG Certainly, hazing at any level is inappro-priate and can lead to more dangerous activities. What may begin as second-class citizenship with new members using a certain door or staircase can quickly escalate into psychologically or physically dangerous practices. However, just as our legal system has varying levels of violations – administrative infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies – we too should be able to find ways to communicate

and enforce hazing policy based upon the level of the violation and mete out punishments accordingly. If your campus or organization has effectively developed these systems, please share them at www.hazingprevention.org/feedback, so a universal standard can be developed.

BELIEf In ThE BEnEfITSTo many, the biggest tragedy of hazing is its utter uselessness. The amount of time and energy being expended in hazing could be put to far better use in developing lead-ership or serving the community. Even if a hazing activity is innocuous on its face, the sheer amount of time involved to carry out some tasks is detrimental to already over-programmed students. However, while this can be frustrating to professionals, students do not see hazing from this perspective. Students often see very tangible benefits to the hazing activities they are practicing: closer bonds, respectful members, and teamwork. They attribute these benefits to the hazing, and not necessarily to the organization itself.

Even more tragic is a trend toward hazing as entertainment. Reality television shows provide a model for making people do crazy things in the quest for rewards such as money and fame. Students in hazing organizations pursue similar endeavors in

their quest for membership. How much of the escalation of these activities is sim-ply for the entertainment of the initiated members? That these hazing-like activities are televised nationally make them more acceptable to students and makes eradicating hazing even more challenging.

ThE SkILLS To InSTITuTE ChAnGECultural change is a difficult task, and a comprehensive approach is needed. While there are still many problems with hazing in fraternities and sororities, those who work with these organizations should address this problem locally and nationally and should continue to play a leadership role in eliminating hazing. The fraternity/sorority advisor on a campus is frequently seen as the “hazing expert,” which provides an opportunity for those professionals to rally a coalition to develop a campus-wide plan. Until we change the environment on our campuses and within our organizations,

e m p o w e r i n G B y s t a n d e r s – i n c l u d i n G v i c t i m s – t o c o n f r o n t a n d r e p o r t h a z i n G , i s o u r B e s t

c h a n c e t o e l i m i n a t e i t .

continuedonpage18

the potential for hazing will always be present. Even if hazing is eliminated from individual organizations, it can return if the culture as a whole is accepting of the prac-tice and everyone else is still doing it.

Though difficult, the good news is that the skills to prevent and confront hazing can be taught. For students, confrontation, coalition-building, values-based decision-making, and leadership are all important. Valuable skills for campus and chapter advisors include: advising skills, leading change, coalition-building, and strategic planning. For both groups, a general under-standing about hazing is important, including comprehension of the contributing factors behind the behavior, the psychological impacts on those who haze and those who allow themselves to be hazed, the policy and legal ramifications, and the latest research and alternatives to combat hazing.

EnCouRAGInG TREndSThere are some positive trends in the fight to end hazing:

• Research – The number of thesis and doctoral dissertations on the subject has grown tremendously in recent years, as has the body of research. Key findings in the national hazing study conducted by Elizabeth Allan and Mary Madden was completed in March, and this data will provide a better understanding of hazing, as well as a scholarly basis for continued educational and prevention efforts.

• Millennials – The characteristics of this generation suggest that they will not put up with hazing. In fact, many more students are already walking away when asked to perform demeaning tasks (Sheahan, �006). They value a sense of purpose, respect, and the opportunity to serve others. If they do get hazed, their parents are far more likely to know about it, and to intervene.

• Educational Opportunities – Hazing is getting more attention than ever before from the research being done. There are websites, non-profits, DVDs, online programs, a national awareness week, training for professionals/volunteers, and many more tools available to help tackle the problem (Wolverton, �008).

• Leadership – On both the student and national levels, people are challenging the status quo. More and more students are eliminating hazing in their organizations (Koehler, �008); national organizations are providing financial and other support to anti-hazing initiatives and closing chapters that persist in hazing; and campuses are observing National Hazing Prevention Week on a large scale.

• The Advising Profession – The Assoc-iation of Fraternity Advisors has done an excellent job of bringing more recog-nition to the importance of the advising profession. Turnover rates are still high, but more professionals seem to be staying in the field longer, and campuses are investing more support in fraternity/sorority communities. With longer tenures and greater support, more impactful advising can take place.

By continuing the positive trends, developing the skills needed to tackle the problem (and helping our students gain them as well), and utilizing the educational resources available, we can end the confusion and begin to change the hazing culture.

– TracyMaxwellistheExecutiveDirectorofthenewnon-profit,HazingPrevention.Org,whosemissionistoempowerindi-vidualstoexpectandcreatehazing-freeenvironments.

[email protected]

REFERENCES

Allan, E. and Madden, M. (�008). NationalStudyofStudentHazing:ExaminingandTransformingCampusHazingCultures (Pilot Phase). Retrieved March ��, �008 from: http://www.hazingstudy.org

Hoover, N. C., and Pollard, N.J. (�000). InitiationRitesinAmericanHighSchools:ANationalStudy. Retrieved March ��, �008 from the Alfred University website: http://www.alfred.edu/hs_hazing/

Koehler, S. (�008, January 16). MSU sorority closed over drinking, hazing: University, ousted women differ on gravity of allegations. SpringfieldNews-Leader.

Kotter, J. P. (1��6). LeadingChange. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Sheahan, P. (�006). ThrivingandSurvivingwithGenerationYatWork. Victoria, Australia: Hardie Grant Books.

Wolverton, B. (�008, January 10). TwoExpertsPreviewtheIssuesforToday’sNCAASummit. Retrieved March ��, �008 from Chronicle of Higher Education website: http://chronicle.com/daily/�008/01/1170n.htm

oPPoRTunITIES foR PRofESSIonALSFraternal Relevance Institute, May 21-23 http://www.npoweryourself.com/fri.html

Three-Day Hazing Training for Professionals and Volunteers, June 4-7 www.hazingprevention.org/training

The National Hazing Symposium at the AFA Annual Meeting, December 3 www.hazingprevention.org

oPPoRTunITIES foR STudEnTSNational Hazing Prevention Week, September 22-26 This year’s resource guide will focus on bystander responsibility, and because AFA is a sponsor, one complimentary copy will be mailed to each campus where there is a member. Inter/national fraternities and sororities who are sponsors will also receive complimentary copies.

Greek Video Consortium Project A new hazing DVD is scheduled for release in June 2008

Human Equation Online hazing training available now at www.thehumanequation.com

GreekLifeEdu An online program by the makers of AlcoholEdu, to be released in mid-July 2008

continuedfrompage17

What strategies are you currently using to reduce the hazing challenges that face professionals?

Maxwell states that many members believe in the benefits of hazing. How do we convince students and alumni to change when they rationalize the benefit of hazing activities?



What our participants said:

“Great program! I really enjoy how interactive it is!”

– Kim Cassel, Pennsylvania College of Technology

“The materials provided are amazing! This is something I am going to recommend to other

fraternity/sorority professionals.” – Dan Faill, Loyola Marymount University

“It was great to hear and learn from different professionals in our area who have been

involved for such a long period of time.” – Stephanie Hewitt, UW -White water

Starting your first campus-based fraternity/sorority advising position this summer?

The Be. R.E.A.D.Y. program is a great professional development opportunity created by the Association of Fraternity Advisors specifically designed to assist with the transition into this new role.

Be. R.E.A.D.Y. enables participants to: Participate in a unique eight-session virtual seminar program facilitated by a variety of experienced AFA members; Engage in an interactive online community; Develop a plan for success in the first 90 days of their new

positions; Develop skills and core competencies necessary for the advising profession; and Build a network of support with other professionals.

The program fee is $150 and will cover participation in all sessions. Additionally, participants will receive a variety of resources that will support their progress throughout the program.

Registration begins this spring. Look for more information in the Association Update or on the AFA website.

Spring �008 / Perspectives 1�

UPDATE WITH NEW FILE LINDA

SENDS

2008 AFA Award Nominations

The AFA Awards and Recognition Committee invites you to nominate your colleagues for the 2008 honors. Each year, AFA seeks to recognize outstanding contributions by our members/colleagues in ten different categories. It takes only a few minutes of your time to submit a nomination. The process relies on your nominations and has been streamlined

for ease of the nominator. Nomination instructions, lists of previous recipients, and related information is available on the AFA website (www.fraternityadvisors.org/Awards.aspx). All nominations must be emailed to [email protected] by Friday, July 25, 2008.

The recipients of the 2008 awards will be announced during the AFA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The awards to be presented at the Closing Banquet are the Robert H. Shaffer, Jack L. Anson, and Distinguished Service Awards. All other awards will be presented at the AFA/AFA Foundation Recognition Luncheon.

0

�0 Perspectives / Spring �008

THE ROBERT H. SHAFFER AWARD

This award was established in 1�80 by AFA in honor of Robert H. Shaffer, professor of education at Indiana University and mentor to many professionals in the fraternity movement. The award is presented annually to an individual in the field of higher education who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to fraternities and sororities on his/her campus. The individual should have demonstrated a commitment to fostering change in the fraternity/sorority community, building partnerships in higher education and the interfraternal community, and mentoring both new and seasoned professionals.

In addition to your nomination form and letters of nomination (a minimum of three letters are required), a one page biographical synopsis including education, professional positions, and interfra-ternal service is required.

THE JACK L. ANSON AWARD

This award was established in 1�8� in honor of the retiring executive director of the National Interfraternity Conference. This award is presented to a well-respected individual not in the field of higher education, who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the fraternity/sorority community beyond just his/her respective organization. The individual should have assisted in developing partnerships with higher education and the interfraternal community, fostered change to advance the fraternal movement, and served as a role model for students.

In addition to your nomination form and letters of nomination (a minimum of three letters are required), a one page biographical synopsis including education, professional positions, and interfra-ternal service is required.

SUE KRAFT FUSSELL DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS

This award was created in 1�85 and re-named for AFA’s second Executive Director, Sue Kraft Fussell, upon her departure from AFA in �007. The purpose of the award is to recognize individuals who have exhibited high professional standards and achievements in fraternity/sorority advising and outstanding achievements in one or more of the following areas: service to AFA; programming and/or service which reaches beyond the recipient’s campus; development and research activities; and/or service to the college and fraternity/sorority communities. Distinguished Service Awards will be presented to no more than five members of the Association each year.

Nominees must be Affiliate, Associate, or Professional members of AFA and may not be a member of the Executive Board or Awards Committee. Previous recipients are ineligible. Self-nominations are accepted.

GAYLE WEBB NEW PROFESSIONAL AWARD

This award was established in 1��0 and re-named for AFA’s first Executive Director, Gayle Webb, upon her retirement in 1��. The purpose is to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of campus advising by an AFA member during his/her first two years of professional employment.

Nominees must be campus-based Professional members of AFA and may not be a member of the Executive Board or Awards Committee. Self-nominations are accepted. Two letters of recommendation are required and may be submitted from any of the following three (3) choices – supervisor, student, or colleague. Nominations will be judged on the contributions of the nominee in the following areas: campus/professional experience, AFA experience, and outstanding projects/programs/ initiatives. Letters of recommendation should address at least one, but preferably all three, of the judging criteria.

Spring �008 / Perspectives �1

PERSPECTIvES AWARDS

These awards were established in 1�88 to recognize those fraternity and sorority professionals who have written thought-provoking articles that are educational and enlight-ening to the AFA membership. Articles must have been published in Perspectives between Fall �007 and Summer �008. Articles may have been previously published. Evidence of research should be shown. Awards are presented to the authors of as many as two (�) articles.

ORACLE AWARD

This award was established in �006 to recognize the outstanding written contributions to Oracle:TheResearchJournaloftheAssociationofFraternityAdvisors during the past academic year (August – July). Evidence of research should be shown.

OUTSTANDING CHANGE INITIATIVE AWARD

Established in 1��6, this award is presented to institutions of higher education or Associate member organizations that have made tremendous progress and improvement in the fraternity/sorority community within the past year. The award recognizes major initiatives or long term plans that have led to positive changes within the fraternity and sorority community and measured improvements, results, and positive outcomes in all or some of the following areas: scholarship, educational programs, leadership development, risk management, retention, and membership recruitment.

Applications and/or nominations from anyone impacted by the change initiative are strongly encouraged. Please provide information regarding the environment that led to the change as well as the actual initiative and how it sought to develop a partnership between the host institution, alumni, students, and inter/national organizations.

DIVERSITY INITIATIVE AWARD

Established in 1��4, this award is presented to an individual, institution, or organization that has contributed significantly to the development of multicultural relations or diversity education in the university fraternity/sorority community.

Criteria for this award include Affiliate, Associate, Graduate or Professional membership in AFA or institutions/organizations with at least one eligible AFA member and significant involvement in diversity issues. Detailed information should be included in the letter of nomination regarding the diversity initiatives implemented.

ExCELLENCE IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AWARD

Three awards are presented for new and innovative educa-tional programming efforts; one to a fraternal organization for efforts directed to undergraduate or alumni members; one to an Associate member organization for educational efforts; and one for a campus-based program.

Organizations/Campuses may not receive the award more than once for the same program in a three-year cycle. This award has a separate application process; please access the application form and instructions from www.fraternityadvisors.org/Awards.aspx.

OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER AWARDS

This award is presented annually to up to eight volunteers in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Association. Nominations will be solicited from all volunteers separately from the other awards nominations process. Any volunteer, excluding Executive Board members, is eligible to receive this award.

�� Perspectives / Spring �008

The Education of Advisors for Black Greek Letter organizations:

TEn CRITIqUES

We have noticed that student affairs personnel at profes-sional conferences eagerly attend workshops and sessions focused on Black fraternities and sororities,

also known as Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs). However, these limited workshops do not often balance infor-mation from both experiential and theoretical standpoints. Our personal observations, coupled with our collective �0-years of experience as members of two different BGLOs, is that quite often, campus fraternity/sorority advisors, while well-meaning, are limited in knowledge about the history, contemporary issues, politics, and the unique racialized mission of BGLOs. This lack of knowledge curtails their ability to effectively advise BGLO chapters on their campuses. Therefore, in the hopes of assisting student affairs personnel, allow us to share some tips. These guidelines are based upon Gregory Parks’ experience as a 10-year active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., former advisor to an undergraduate chapter of his fraternity, former NPHC campus advisor, and current researcher and writer on BGLOs. The guidelines are also based on Matthew Hughey’s 10-year active membership in Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc, advisor to two undergraduate chapters, and his scholarship on the culture and racialized politics of BGLOs.

1. TAkE An ACTIVE InTERESTTake an active interest in the BGLO chapters on your campus. This might sound trite as actions of this sort should be some-thing any competent advisor does with all campus chapters (leaving their task a monumental undertaking). Yet, it must be understood that there has historically been a pattern of letting BGLO chapters fall through the bureaucracy because of their small sizes, their efforts to operate on the margins of the campus and the fraternity/sorority community, or the fact that many campuses have a specialized “advisor” – generally an overworked graduate assistant – whose part-time assistantship is to focus on BGLO issues. However, all advisors need to have a working knowledge of these groups, especially those admin-istrators whose primary responsibility is advising the fraternity/sorority community. Failure to keep current with BGLO chapters can produce considerable headaches for fraternity/sorority affairs advisors when it comes to such issues as hazing and (the often intense) inter-group rivalries of BGLOs. Taking an active interest means communicating with the chapters’ leaders, working with their advisors, and attending their events. If advisors do not have a genuine interest in BGLOs, the following steps cannot be undertaken with any degree of integrity.

– Matthew W. hughey and Gregory S. Parks

“ The American negro has now reached a point in his progress where he needs to take serious account of where he is and whither he is going. There is much hard work yet to be done… it brings not as many assume an end to the so-called negro problems, but a beginning of even more difficult problems of race and culture.”

– W. E. B. Du Bois, member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., in The Education of Black People: Ten Critiques, 1906-1960 (new York: Monthly Review Press, 1973), p. 149.


2. GAIn CUlTURAl COMPETEnCE

Gain cultural competence about the organizations’ history, culture, and contemporary issues. The most important approach to working with BGLOs is to actually understand their purpose. This is impor-tant for two reasons. First, knowledge about BGLOs is simply functional for a close, working relationship that is collectively coherent and informed by the uniqueness of BGLO’s services, membership, traditions, etc. Second, knowledge of BGLOs will yield the advisor “cultural capital” that can then be spent to gain trust, respect, and a mutually cooperative relationship with BGLO members. Knowledge of BGLOs helps to demonstrate that the advisor is invested in the success of the organizations. If lacking, this deficiency of cultural capital will be a debt the advisor will have to pay sometime in the future, whether it is in the form of frequent misunderstandings, the perceived “apathy” of the advisor on the part of the BGLO members, or even an outright dismissal of advice that is meant to help. A culturally informed understand-ing of BGLOs can aid advisors in capitalizing on the organizations’ strengths, while avoiding the numerous perils and pitfalls, from unfamiliarity with the symbolism of “line jackets” and verbal “calls” to the unintended verbal gaffes that might embarrass both advisor and/or BGLO members. Fraternity/sorority advisors may bemoan the fact that there is little information on advising these groups, and while there is a kernel of truth to such an assertion, available information on BGLOs has undergone a rapid rise over the past decade. Although few scholarly articles on BGLOs exist, there are several books on these organizations.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:Fine, E. (�003). Soulstepping:AfricanAmericanstepshows. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press.

Giddings, P. (1�88). Insearchofsisterhood:DeltaSigmaThetaandthechallengeoftheBlacksororitymovement. Washington, DC: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Harrison, L. W. (1��8). Torchbearersofalegacy:AhistoryofZetaPhiBetaSorority,Inc. Washington, DC: Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Jones, R. L. (�004). Blackhaze:violence,sacrificeandmanhoodinBlackGreek-letterfraternities. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Kimbrough, W. M. (�003). BlackGreek101:Theculture,customs,andchallengesofBlackfraternitiesandsororities. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.

Parker, M. H. (1��). Pastisprologue:ThehistoryofAlphaKappaAlpha. Chicago: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Parks, G., Brown, T. & Phillips, C. (�005). AfricanAmericanfraternitiesandsororities:Thelegacyandthevision. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.

Ross, L. (1��). TheDivineNine:ThehistoryofAfricanAmericanfraternitiesandsororities. New York: Kensington Publishing Corporation.

3. UnDERSTAnD THE nPHCUnderstand National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. (NPHC) rules and guidelines. Fraternity/sorority advisors must read NPHC’s national constitution and its rules on hazing. These documents provide con-siderable guidance regarding how NPHC collegiate chapters should function and operate, while also providing some basic information regarding what advisors should expect from BGLO chapters. NPHC documents also include information on tangible goals that advisors and campus professionals should help their chapters attain.

4. BE ATTEnTIVE TO TABOO ISSUES AnD TRADITIOnAl IDEOlOGIES

Be attentive to potentially explosive traditions and changes in the membership and ideologies of BGLOs. Being a contemporary member of a BGLO is a particularly double-edged task. One must, as the poet Milton once wrote, “dance the light fantastic.” BGLO membership means carrying on the legacy and traditions that are conflicting with current thoughts and actions. While inter-genera-tional conflict is expected in many places, its unique flavor among BGLOs is due to issues of segregation, empowerment, inequality, and various “isms” that are intertwined with specific traditions and taboo topics. For example, classism is evident in a dual system within BGLOs. Some BGLOs evoke socio-economic elitism, while other groups resist socio-economic snobbery by embracing a romanticized version of “street” and “thug” imagery that, to them, affords cultural “authenticity.” Also, BGLOs are still faced with a vast amount of internalized racism and Eurocentric beauty standards that reproduces the “blue vein” and “brown paper bag” tests of the past in the form of a contemporary light-skin versus dark-skin color politics. Add to these aforementioned issues homophobia, a rising non-black membership (especially among white and Latino populations), an unfair stigmatization as “educated gangs,” and the combination of racism and sexism that can make even the most “inviting” campuses hostile places for many women of color. Advisors must understand that these issues, coupled with the identity politics of BGLO culture, make for a life of both constant surveillance and, ironically, invisibility for more BGLO members. That is, they are both thrust into the limelight as a BGLO student-leader, and often discounted and ignored on many white dominant campuses. Once understood in this light, BGLO culture emerges not as a stable site of simple fraternal bonding, but a constant process of struggling not only to succeed, but to survive.

DEVELoP and MAINTAIN relationships with those entities that may AID IN ADVISING and MENToRING chapters on your campus.

continuedonpage24

5. DEVElOP RElATIOnSHIPS WITH AllIES

Develop and maintain relationships with those entities that may aid in advising and mentoring chapters on your campus. Quite often there are multiple parties involved in the advisement of undergraduate chapters. These entities may consist of African American or Multicultural (Student) Affairs, the local alumni chapters of the organizations, and the alumni of the particular chapters on your campus. BGLO chapters may turn to the campus office that focuses primarily on students of color because members of these organizations may feel more comfortable working under the auspices of these offices or that their experiences are more readily understood and validated there. The local alumni may serve as a major source of support to the college chapter, or serve as an overbearing presence in controlling the college chapter. Often, the alumni of the college chapter have a powerful hand in guiding chapter decisions about step shows, programs, service projects, and even hazing. Maintaining a dialogue with each of these entities will allow campus chapters to draw from a number of advisory sources while allowing your office to remain in the know about your BGLO chapters.

6. FACIlITATE lEADERSHIP TRAInInG

Help facilitate leadership training of BGLOs on your campus. The National Pan-Hellenic Council is far less structured and has far fewer resources than the National Panhellenic Conference and the North-American Interfraternity Conference. Thus, leadership training in the conventional sense has not been conditioned within many members’ repertoire. Fraternity/sorority advisors should strongly encourage BGLO members to participate in interfraternal, on-campus leadership training. Some NPHC organizations do have their own leadership academies. Advisors should provide or help chapters locate on- and off-campus funding to attend such leadership retreats.

7. MAInTAIn DIAlOGUE WITH OTHER COllEGE/UnIVERSITY PROFESSIOnAlS

Maintain an ongoing dialogue with other student affairs personnel at colleges and universities in your area and state about their chapters. Undergraduate chapters are skilled at maintaining rela-tionships across chapters within a given area, state, and region. Though there are a number of benefits to such cross-chapter relationships, trouble often arises in two areas. The first is where there may not be a chapter of a particular BGLO on your campus, but there is a city-wide chapter. The seat of the chapter may be at a school on the other side of the city, but active members of the chapter may exist on your campus without your knowledge. Though this is not a frequent occurrence, where it exists, your campus may be liable for the activities of these members at your institution. The second is where any number of chapters may gather to participate in a collaborative activity. These two situ-ations become even more problematic when hazing is involved. For example, a BGLO advisor may not be aware that there is an active group hazing on campus due to a lack of knowledge about there even being members of a particular group on the campus. Additionally, chapters within any given area can have considerable sway over other chapters within that area. For example, there may be an undergraduate chapter of a BGLO in your city or state that is highly respected by other undergraduate chapters of organization, including the chapter on your campus. A desire for respect from chapters of one’s own organization may lead a chapter to partici-pate in hazing activities. Maintaining a relationship with student affairs personnel at other schools in your area will assist in opening lines of communication about what is taking place with BGLO chapters on other campuses and how they might interact with those on yours.

continuedfrompage23


8. HOlD CHAPTERS TO A STAnDARD

Hold chapters to an agreed-uponstandard. Though student affairs personnel at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) may face the challenge of holding chapters to a standard, this may be most evident among fraternity/sorority advisors at predominantly White institutions. This may be particularly so among advisors who are White. The fear of not knowing how to work with these groups, or worse, being labeled “racist” for some action or inac-tion, may exist. The potential of such occurrences is lessened when advisors take upon themselves to develop democratically selected standards, work to assist BGLOs meet non-negotiable, University-wide policies (e.g., GPA requirements, anti-hazing stipulations), and partner with BGLOs to oppose practices that are unfairly biased toward excusing, validating, or rewarding, other, most often historically-white, fraternities and sororities. BGLO chapters’ chances of thriving increase when fraternity/sorority advisors have high expectations of these groups and hold these groups accountable to democratically agreed upon standards that are both culturally sensitive and justly unbiased.

9. FACIlITATE BGlO InTERACTIOn

Help facilitate relationships among all chapters and student organizations on campus. Quite often a particular BGLO chapter will function in isolation – apart from other BGLOs and from historically White chapters. Fraternity/sorority advisors are in the ideal position to facilitate the breaking down of these barriers by offering incentives or strategies for cross-group collaboration on civic service, programming, and social activities. Though not every organization will act after such nudging, those that do will serve as an example to others. And since BGLOs are notorious for their constant competition, successful collaborations among groups will leave others reaching out across various divides if for no other reason than to not be outdone.

10. BRIDGE THE CAMPUS-ClASSROOM DIVIDE

Help provide the campus with a substantive understanding of BGLOs. Though your campus’ NPHC chapter or the various chapters may host informational sessions, experience has taught us that these programs are not as informative as they should be. Regrettably, chapters often spend more time preparing for parties, step shows, and pledge (hazing) sessions than they do for educating the campus about their organizations. Therefore, in order to make BGLOs stronger, campus advisors should be involved in a number of ways. First, if promotional materials about fraternal groups are sent to incoming freshmen, information about BGLOs should be included. Second, fraternity/sorority advisors should make sure the university library has copies of each book on BGLOs, for prospective members to read and learn more about these groups. Third, advisors should begin to push for a course on their respective campuses about fraternity and sorority life, and, in particular, BGLOs. This would likely be a well-received course, given the popularity of these organizations and limited public discourse on them. Finally, fraternity/sorority advisors should work with the campus NPHC chapter, African American or Multi-Cultural (Student) Affairs, and Student Activities to periodically invite speakers on BGLOs to campus (local alumni members may be sufficient).

These suggestions only begin to cover the broad array of issues facing student affairs personnel in their efforts to advise BGLO chapters. Accordingly, the ten critiques/propositions are offered not as the definitive answer to advising BGLOs, but as a catalyst for critical inquiry and scholarship on the pragmatic and philo-sophical sides of the BGLO experience.

– MatthewW.Hughey,isaPh.D.CandidateinSociologyandanInstructorofAfricanAmericanStudies,MediaStudies,andSociologyattheUniversityofvirginia.HehasalsoauthoredseveralarticlesonBLGOs.

– GregoryS.Parks,Ph.D.iscurrentlyalawstudentatCornellUniversityandco-editorofmultiplebooksonBGLOs.

What additional challenges exist in advising BGlOs?

The authors offer critiques for professionals advising BlGOs as a basis for opening a discussion on improving the relationship and experience between advisors and organizations. What tips would you offer to other professionals in creating a better and more accountable relationship with BGlOs on campus?



MAINTAINING A RELATIoNSHIP

with student affairs personnel at

other schools in your area will

ASSIST IN oPENING LINES oF

CoMMuNICATIoN about what

is taking place with BGlO chapters

on other campuses and how they

might interact with those on yours.


In �003, the AFA/EBI Fraternity/Sorority Assessment was developed to address the needs and issues of fraternity/sorority life at the time. Since then, many aspects of campus life have

changed including students, policies, expectations, technology, staff, and institutions.

These new opportunities prompted Educational Benchmarking (EBI) and the Association of Fraternity Advisors (AFA) to review and update the assessment. It was time to account for the sugges-tions from institutions already using the assessment, as well as adjusting unproductive assessment questions that were not predictive of overall program effectiveness.

To address these challenges, EBI and AFA formed a benchmarking team consisting of EBI staff and AFA members. The renewal plan consisted of reviewing and discussing the assessment, gathering team members’ feedback and suggestions, proposing changes, and then allowing the entire team a final review of the assessment.

The benchmarking team’s goals for renewing the assessment included: • Improving learning outcomes information

• Updating and clarifying demographic definitions

• Maintaining appropriate satisfaction information

• Providing better alignment with CAS and Learning/LeadershipReconsideredStandards

The renewal process was completed in January �008, and the updated assessment is now available. It contains an additional six categorical/demographic questions. Additions also include ques-tions covering sexual orientation, chapter housing, transfer status, when student affiliated with their fraternity/sorority, and the num-ber of hours spent on chapter related activities.

The previous assessment contained scaled questions, to which 4� new questions were added, 44 remained unchanged, and 34 were removed. The questions were created to produce two distinct groupings – one for student satisfaction and one for learning outcomes.

The factors for student satisfaction include:• Satisfaction with housing

• Safety and security

• Sense of belonging

• Satisfaction with programming

• Overall satisfaction

The factors for Learning Outcomes include:• Healthy behaviors

• Personal development skills

• Leadership skills

• Diverse interactions

• Interpersonal competence

• Intrapersonal competence

• Self-worth

• Collaboration among members

• Principled dissent

• Effective chapter leadership

Together, these two groups of questions can help campuses determine the effectiveness of their overall fraternity and sorority program.

Those interested in reviewing the new AFA/EBI Fraternity/ Sorority Assessment can contact Dave Butler at 30�-�86-0�30 to schedule a 30 minute online demonstration.

– TonyaStollistheDirectorofOperationsatEducationalBenchmarking,Inc.(EBI).

AFA/EBI Fraternity/Sorority Assessment Renewed

– Tonya Stoll

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Association of Fraternity Advisorswww.fraternityadvisors.org9640 N. Augusta Drive, Suite 433Carmel, IN 46032

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Ames, IowaPermit No. 307

AFA Perspectives Spring 2008

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Transcript of AFA Perspectives Spring 2008