greek life research project

GREEK LIFE RESEARCH PROJECTBrooke BoydKevin Solomon, Site HostGreek Life Office & Campus LifeArkansas Tech UniversityRussellville, Arkansas

Introduction• Relevant Background of Information

• CAS Standards for FSL Advising Programs used to create survey• Connecting with recent Greek-Affiliated graduates• NACE has identified the top skills/qualities employers look for in

candidates—supplementary to academics• Justification of Research Project

• Impact the program development in Greek Life as well as Campus Life at ATU

• Learning objectives reflect the skills/qualities employers seek out• Measuring effectiveness of current programs and experiences

Greek Life has provided to participants

RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATIONCAS StandardsGreek Life ExperienceNACE Job Outlook

Relevant Background of Information • CAS is the standard of measuring success in Student

Affairs assessment• Fraternity & Sorority Advising Programs Mission

requires (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, 2014):• Promote development in career, intellectual, physical, emotional,

ethical, civic, interpersonal relationships, leadership, group dynamic• Promote sponsorship in community service• Advocate success and opportunities for in-class and out-of-class

learning • Collaborate with stakeholders, including undergraduates and

graduate/alumni members, faculty and other advisors, and organizational staff and/or volunteers

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Relevant Background of Information • Connecting with Recent Greek-Affiliated Graduates

• Establishing connection early to increase likelihood of engagement• Learning about their undergraduate and post-graduate experiences

and successes• Greek Life provides students with skills associated with job success:

Are students more competent and competitive at ATU?

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Relevant Background of Information • Top attributes employers look for on a candidate’s

resume (National Association of Colleges & Employers, 2014):

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Leadership Ability to work in a team

Communication skills (written)

Communication skills (verbal)

Initiative Interpersonal skills (relates well to

others)

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Top skills & qualities employers look for on a candidate’s resume:

Relevant Background Information• NACE Categories:

• Leadership & Growth• Working with Others• Relationship Building• Initiative

PROPOSED RESEARCH QUESTION & RESEARCH METHODS

Proposed Research QuestionWhat is the impact of active involvement in Greek Life at

Arkansas Tech University on the career and life experiences as reported by recent graduates?

Research Methods• Nonrandom Convenience Sampling

• Greek students who have graduated in the last two years• Mixed Method Survey

• Quantitative data gathered through Likert scales• Qualitative data gathered through open-ended prompts

• Limitations• Graduates who were highly active leaders might be more likely to

respond rather than general members• Finding a method of staying updated on participants as time moves

forward• Participants’ contact information may change• Information is self-reported

THE INSTRUMENTProcedures & ConditionsDevelopmentOverview of Questions

Procedures & Conditions• Location — QuestionPro survey, online• Time — Fall, a few weeks before Homecoming• Frequency — Data will be collected during the fall

semester each year for an undetermined amount of time• Administration — Kevin Solomon will collect the data

Development• Background Information

• Quantitative• Qualitative

• Attribute Questions Divided into “Greek Life Experiences” and “Current Career and Life Experiences:”• Leadership & Growth• Working with Others• Relationship Building• Initiative

• Reflections• Qualitative

Background Information• Quantitative Questions:

• Semester and year initiated into Greek organization and graduated from ATU

• Identify three student organizations, not including chapter affiliation, in which the participant actively participated

• Rate involvement in chapter and student organizations and indicate if leadership or executive positions were held

• Qualitative Questions:• Identify the organization in which the participant felt had the most

impact on their development and rationalize

Leadership & Growth• Greek Life Experiences:

• Attend a conference for fraternity or governing council• Rate level of experience and understanding in the following:

• Creation and implementation of workshops, collaboration with other members, transparency in decision-making, mentorship, delegation, incorporating values into everyday life

• Current Career and Life Experiences:• Rate likelihood of participating in the following:

• Participate in professional development (conferences, certifications), create and implement a workshop, encourage others to further professional development, find and serve as a mentor, collaborate with others, volunteer for chapter event or as an advisor

Working with Others• Greek Life Experiences:

• Rate level of experience and understanding in the following:• How individual members are motivated and work with others,

personal motivation and ability to work with others, participation in physical fitness activities with other members


• Advocating for co-workers or employers, understand group dynamics, choose healthy habits

Relationship Building• Greek Life Experiences:

• Rate level of experience and understanding in the following:• Stay connected to and promote chapter through written and

verbal communication, explain and reflect fraternity’s values on social media and to non-Greek students, recruit new members, and professionally communicate through emails, minutes, meetings, and with advisors and university staff


• Attending or planning networking events, meeting new people, finding and making time for new places, hobbies, and interests, find healthy outlets for stress, discuss the values of your workplace to others

Initiative• Greek Life Experiences:

• Rate level of experience and understanding in the following:• Identify problems and find solutions, volunteer to assist and

support other members without being asked, speak up about issues affecting the group during meetings, mentor members not following standards, volunteer for tasks such as tabling, setting up or breaking down at events

• Current Career and Life Experiences:• Rate how often you participate in the following:

• Openly communicate with HR, your employer, and/or co-workers about questionable policies or situations as well as your goals and your approach to work, participate and promote volunteer opportunities and community service projects and events

Reflections• Qualitative Questions:

• Explanation of how Greek involvement has affected individual career and professional development

• Identification of key areas that have been developed as a result of participating in Greek Life. Justification required.

• Belief of whether or not Greek Life has positively or negatively impacted the professional competitiveness and experience of participants compared to peers at work.

• If given the opportunities to go back and relive the Greek Life experience, participants will decide if they would change anything about their experience, including the decision to affiliate with a fraternity or sorority.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONSPersonal Thoughts & SuggestionsPersonal Growth & TakeawaysReferencesAcknowledgementsQuestions

Personal Thoughts & Suggestions• Divide the Survey and Add a New Member Survey

• Seniors to take Greek Life Experiences• Graduates to take Current Career and Life Experiences• Develop instrument for New Members = Control

• Another Pilot of the Instrument Before the Fall• Analyzing the Data

• Meeting the CAS Standards?• Effective development for career success?

Personal Thoughts & Suggestions• My Hopes for This Project

• Data is used to guide the assessment used to create an effective programming model

• Data and suggestions are shared with all departments within Student Affairs and incorporated into programming

• Participants will gain better understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses in order to continue growing after graduation

Personal Growth & Takeaways • Utilizing the CAS Standards• NACE Attributes in Learning Outcomes• QuestionPro & Developing Research Instrument

References• National Association of Colleges & Employers. (2014). Job

Outlook: The Candidate Skills/Qualities Employers Want, the Influence of Attributes. NACE. Retrieved from http://www.naceweb.org/s11122014/job-outlook-skills-qualities-employers-want.aspx#sthash.fDzFFTdr.dpuf

• Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2014). Fraternity and Sorority Advising Programs. CAS Standards. Retrieved from http://standards.cas.edu/getpdf.cfm?PDF=E86B4AB0-F173-3390-D037EC8471C252D5

Acknowledgements• Kevin Solomon—Providing this opportunity and his

guidance, mentorship• Dr. Joelle Carter—Supporting and encouraging me

throughout the semester• Dr. Susan Underwood—Critiquing my survey questions

and presentation PowerPoint• Bekah Hickman—Giving feedback on my survey questions

ANY QUESTIONS?