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A Call for Values Congruence

College and university presidents, the presidents of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC), and inter/national Greek organization executive directors joined together to develop a presidential initiative to transform the collegiate Greek environment. They met at the Franklin Square in Washington. Its name is affixed to these deliberations. The outcome of these discussions is five recommendations designed to eliminate negative collegiate fraternity and sorority behaviors specifically focused on intolerable high-risk alcohol use. The presidential initiative presents effective practices and policies to develop a thriving student community grounded in the mission of higher education.

The Franklin Square conferees firmly believe that rhetoric will match reality when fraternity and sorority headquarters, host campuses, and students collaboratively implement and assess practices and policies grounded in a shared set of standards. A site visit certification process is proposed to affirm shared standards among collegiate Greek chapters and inter/national Greek organizations.

Thank you in advance for your commitment to improving collegiate fraternity and sorority life on your campus.

Sincerely,

Dr. Steffen H. Rogers
President, Bucknell University and
Chair, Collegiate Greek Community Task Force

 

A CALL FOR VALUES CONGRUENCE

The Franklin Square conferees believe the cure for the maladies facing collegiate Greek chapters is a collaborative and proactive approach among stakeholders led by college and university presidents. Recent studies indicate a widening gap between the rhetoric of Greek chapters and the reality of their practices on college campuses (Kuh, Pascarella, & Wechsler, 1996). Fraternity and sorority mission statements eloquently and clearly define these co-curricular organizations as supporting and enhancing the mission of higher education. However, illegal and abusive alcohol consumption and its second hand effects - sexual assault, vandalism, violence, negative community relations, anti-intellectual environment, and lack of civility - continue to plague Greek systems. A Call for Values Congruence outlines a specific set of strategies for campuses with negative Greek behavioral issues to close the gap between what fraternities and sororities espouse and what their chapters do.

The dichotomy between stated and actual behaviors prompted Dr. Robert Carothers, President of the University of Rhode Island and a member of the 2002 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Task Force, to state, "if we want to maintain the fraternity system - and there are some good reasons to suggest we should - we need to help that system deal with the problem of alcohol abuse" (Guggenheim, 2002). Campuses and headquarters should not passively permit a minority of collegiate Greek chapters to distort the true purpose of fraternities and sororities. College and university presidents have a vested interest in a well-functioning, viable fraternity and sorority community. A thriving Greek community can enhance student learning and leadership, build strong ties between the institution and its future alumni, and develop well-rounded students who value community and citizenship. The ability of higher education and fraternal headquarters to hold Greek communities accountable to their stated values can positively transform the student culture. In addition to eliminating negative behaviors, healthy Greek organizations can support and develop positive student outcomes.

A number of colleges and universities have worked diligently to shift Greek chapter behavior to practices consonant with those of higher education. The results are a myriad of 'relationship statements' describing contractual expectations between Greek chapters and their respective institutions of higher education. While institutional efforts are to be applauded, transformational and systematic change within the Greek community has yet to occur. This diffusion of responsibility has failed to align Greek chapters' behavior with their espoused values. Further, the current models of evaluating effectiveness and developmental outcomes are often antithetical to chapter mission statements and the student experience.

note: The terms "Greek organizations" and "national fraternities and sororities" refer to general fraternity or sorority officers, volunteers, professional staff members, and trustees.

Kuh, G. D., Pascarella, E.T., & Wechsler, H. (1996, April 19). The questionable value of fraternities [Point of View]. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Guggenheim, K. (2002, April 9). Study Finding 1,400 Alcohol Deaths. Associated Press

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Task Force (2002).

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRESIDENTS AND CHANCELLORS

The Franklin Square conferees believe that presidential leadership is indispensable to a concerted, collaborative effort to reestablish and reinforce the contributions Greek systems have made to campus life and higher education. The following five presidential actions will close the gap between what fraternities and sororities espouse and how local chapters behave.

Presidents should:

1. Strongly reaffirm the primacy of an academic culture for the campus community, and the importance that social organizations, including Greek systems, contribute to sustaining that culture by:
A. Reestablishing a five-day academic week;
B. Supporting faculty/staff interaction with students and student groups and valuing campus advising to Greek chapters and adult mentoring for chapter members;
C. Requiring an acceptable level of academic performance for Greek membership and chapter existence; and
D. Recognizing the contribution of student groups, including Greek chapters, to university and community service.

2. Articulate collegiate expectations for student groups, including their responsibility for the behavior of their membership by:
A. Directing messages through venues which effectively reach incoming students, upper-level students, and chapter leaders;
B. Enforcing clear policies addressing underage drinking and social activities entailing alcohol consumption; and
C. Establishing periodic dialogues between university officials and advisers to Greek chapters.

3. Encourage the development of programs and policies addressing alcohol abuse based upon research findings and established best practices and oversee their implementation. Student alcohol abuse is a multi-faceted problem requiring multi-faceted solutions. The development, evaluation and fine-tuning of these programs and policies need to be a priority for campus student affairs leadership and extend to:
A. Adopting successful practices found on other campuses;
B. Engaging community, civic, and business leaders, as well as local alcohol distributors in addressing abuse prevention, and
C. Training programs and resource assistance for campus personnel and student leaders.

4. Support the establishment and implementation of a site visit certification process for the Greek system on a campus, or for individual chapters, and make external reviews a condition of continuing chapter operations. The development, evaluation and fine-tuning of these programs and policies need to be a priority for campus student affairs leadership and include:
A. Hosting meetings with Greek representatives and local alumni to discuss best practices and institutional policies minimizing alcohol abuse;
B. Forming a review committee of campus programs targeting alcohol abuse and its second hand effects; and
C. Submitting best practices to higher education associations and fraternity headquarters to facilitate widespread adoption.
See Appendix A. "Sample Greek Community Standard."

5. Dedicate the necessary resources to promote healthy life-styles for all students and to encourage Greek organizations to emphasize common core values by:
A. Focusing on physical and emotional wellness, promoting a healthy lifestyle as a viable alternative to an alcohol abuse lifestyle, and
B. Emphasizing the core values implicit in an academic culture; namely, academic achievement, career preparation, civic engagement, intellectual inquiry, racial and cultural understanding, and mutual respect.

Appendix A. Sample Collegiate Greek Community Standard (CGCS)

The following criteria are offered campuses to assist in defining expectations for fraternity and sorority chapters. The first step in developing a widespread initiative to refocus the culture of collegiate Greek chapters away from an "alcohol" centered focus is to agree on a set of shared values and expectations. It is proposed that all campuses, national fraternity and sorority organizations, and their chapters support the following set of shared standards and expectations. These standards are rooted in the values of and expectations for intellectual and social development.

Specifically, these values state that Greek chapters will enhance and promote members' development and learning by:

1. Positively affecting intellectual development
A. Maintaining grade point averages and graduation rates that are equal to or greater than averages for comparison control groups of the same demographic composition.
B. Developing scholarship programs that challenge chapters to achieve academically, provide scholastic support, involve faculty advisors, and recognize both improvement and excellence in academic performance.

2. Instilling the values of their organizations and their host institution
A. Understanding that alcohol is not the central focus of their organization.
B. Integrating the stated values of their organization and their host institution throughout their organizations.
C. Developing and implementing a standards board, which holds members accountable to the 'Greek Community Standard,' the membership expectations of each organization, and the student code of their college or university.
D. Sponsoring monthly personal development programs designed to help members understand, clarify and integrate their personal values into their daily lives.
E. Neither misusing, illegally using, nor supporting the misuse or illegal use of alcohol and illicit drugs.
F. Developing, implementing and enforcing policies and procedures, which govern the problem of high-risk alcohol use and its second hand effects.

3. Developing leadership skills and abilities
A. Encouraging members to take a positive leadership role within their chapters, Greek community, campus, local community, public, and society.
B. Supporting ethical leadership development.
C. Having effective alumni, parent, community member, faculty and/or staff advisors to individual members and chapter officers.

4. Developing positive relationships (brotherhood/sisterhood)
A. Not physically, mentally, psychologically or sexually abusing or hazing, frightening or intimidating any human being.
B. Respecting the dignity of all persons, and acknowledging this respect with positive action based upon the aspirations and ideals of each fraternity/sorority.
C. Positively contributing to the campus' multicultural climate.
D. Creating programs to enhance the Greek community.
E. Exhibiting care and concern for chapter members, guests, the campus and local community residents.

5. Developing citizenship through service and outreach
A. Establishing and maintaining a community service and service-learning program of hands-on assistance and support for campus and community agencies. Encouraging all members to participate.
B. Adhering to University and organizational policies, as well as State and local Codes. Further, if housed, chapters will meet all local, state and federal fire and safety regulations, zoning and building codes.
C. Establishing a positive campus and neighborhood presence through a campus public relations program.
D. Participating in a governing/coordinating council.
2. Campuses should recruit, train, and support faculty and staff who advise Greek chapters;
3. Campuses should support chapter volunteers who advise Greek chapters; and
4. Campuses should value and recognize faculty, staff and volunteers who advise Greek chapters.

Appendix B: The Franklin Square Group

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), in conjunction with college and university presidents and inter/national Greek organization executive directors, developed this set of strategies.

The following representatives were involved:

Colleges and Universities

Dr. Robert G. Bottoms
President, DePauw University (IN)

Dr. John T. Casteen, III
President, The University of Virginia

Dr. Sally Clausen
President, University of Louisiana System

Dr. Dolores E. Cross
President, Morris Brown College (GA)

Dr. Edward H. Hammond
President, Fort Hays State University (KS)

Dr. Steffen H. Rogers
President, Bucknell University (PA)

Dr. Graham Spanier
President, Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Daniel F. Sullivan
President, Saint Lawrence University (NY)

Dr. Stephen J. Trachtenberg
President, George Washington University (D.C.)

Dr. John D. Wetty
President, California State University Fresno

Inter/national Greek Organizations

Mr. Mark V. Anderson
Executive Secretary, Sigma Chi Fraternity

Ms. Cari F. Cook
Executive Director, Delta Delta Delta Sorority

Dr. Thomas G. Goodale
Executive Director, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity

Mr. Thomas A. Helmbock
Executive Vice President, Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity

Ms. Holiday H. McKiernan
Executive Director, Alpha Chi Omega Sorority

Mr. Richard Lee Snow
Executive Director, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Mr. Mitchell B. Wilson
Executive Director, Kappa Sigma Fraternity

Coordinating Organizations

Dr. Constantine W. (Deno) Curris
President, American Association of State Colleges and Unversities

Dr. David Warren
President, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities

Dr. Peter Magrath
President, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges

Dr. Peter Cressy
President, Distilled Spirits Council

Mr. Stevan Veldkamp
Research and Editing, Western Michigan University