perspectives fall 2010

Fa l l 2 0 1 0

A publicAtion for members of the AssociAtion of frAternity/sorority ADVisors.

in this issue: Ready or Not...The World is Changing. Are WE Ready? | FREE Technology Tools to Develop Professionally and Collaboratively | Securing Your Data: A Brief Guide to Protecting Personal Information Stored in the Workplace | Becoming Future Friendly: An Analogy for Fraternal Sustainability

Technology in our Profession

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

Perspectives is published four times per year.

Submission deadlines:Winter 2011 November 1, 2010 Spring 2011 February 1, 2011Summer 2011 May 1, 2011Fall 2011 August 1, 2011

Send address corrections to AFA:Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors9640 N. Augusta Drive, Suite 433 Carmel, IN 46032317.876.1632Fax [email protected]

Allison St. Germain 2010 Editor

Director of Educational Technologies Delta Zeta Sorority

14 Elgin Avenue Bethel, CT 06801

[email protected]

Phone: 513.523.7597 Direct: 203.798.8777 Fax: 513.523.1921

BoardAmanda Bureau, Zeta Tau Alpha

Erin Huffman, Delta Gamma

Megan Johnson, University of Iowa

Christopher Kontalonis, Kappa Sigma

Heather Matthews Kirk, Zeta Tau Alpha

Katie Peoples, Drexel University

Jessica Pettitt, Kirkland Productions

Nathan Thomas, Bradley University

Rob Turning, Johns Hopkins University

2010 Editorial

Kelly Jo Karnes, 2010 President

Welcome to the Fall 2010 issue of Perspectives, the first-ever electronic issue of the magazine! We are excited to dip our toe into the virtual world and the limitless possibilities that it

can create for a magazine such as ours. We have seen the trend of many fraternity and sorority organizations to “go digital” with various pub-lications, including manuals, programs, and magazines. As individuals, we have seen our world become more virtual with every possible piece of information available to us on our computers, laptops, and phones.

As an Association, we felt that perhaps it was time to see what all of the hype was about!

As someone who also teaches college classes, I have been amazed over the last few years that the old technologies of the past are not syncing well with the tech-savvy students of today. Classrooms are fitted with the most current equipment to help support various teaching methods. Students can use their cell phones or other devices to interact with the professor and participate in “polling” throughout the lecture. It is another example of how far we have come from the good ol’ days of pencil and paper, and raising your hand to ask a question.

The students we work with in fraternity/sorority life are no different. We organize some fraternity and sorority recruitment processes via a web-based program that manages a student’s experience from sign-up to selection. Chapters are using mass texting to reach members quickly to keep them in the loop about upcoming events and reminders. Students pay their chapter bills online and truly never have a need to write a check to the chapter. Let’s be honest…most of them do not even have a checkbook!

Just like our students, I do enjoy all of the technologies that we have at our fingertips. I read the newspaper online, as well as get the best of gossip from the celebrity world from an app on my iPhone. I am considering buying stock in Google, as it is my number one, “go to” search engine for anything that will make my life easier or answer life’s greatest questions. And like others, I keep up with my friends and family via Facebook and Twitter.

In times of tight budgets and limited new sources of income, as an Association we must be creative in the methods in which we share news and education with our members. This issue is our first stab at delivering Perspectives in a different way, and it provides us new oppor-tunities unavailable with a “print-only” format. We hope that you enjoy our pilot endeavor, and we would love to hear your feedback! So…sit back…get your mouse ready…and we hope you enjoy clicking your way through our electronic issue of Perspectives.

Fraternally,

8Join the discussion – Share your thoughts on any of this issue’s articles by visiting the association’s Online Community and clicking on the “Perspectives Discussion” link.

Click here to listen to 2010 aFa President’s audio ‘From the Top’

Fall 2010 / Perspectives 3

Perhaps it’s the Annual Meeting session on useful technologies I’ve done for a few years with Emily Perlow and Dave Conner, or maybe it is because I have “technologies” in my title, but for some reason I’ve become known as a “technology person” around the Association. I have to admit that as much as I enjoy technology,

I’m definitely not an IT expert! When your computer has a virus, I should be the last person you call. But, I have definitely developed an affinity for technologies and their application to our work in fraternity/sorority advising.

My first introduction to technology occurred during the fall of my freshman year in college. I was the proud owner of a new Mac Classic and had my very first email account. Though the only people I knew with email were my neighbors in Stodder Hall at the University of Maine, and I could just walk next door and talk to them face-to-

face, email was so exciting and new that I couldn’t resist hitting the send button. I wonder if students returning to campus this fall think as much about sending an email as I did not that long ago? As you will see in this issue of Perspectives, students today as a whole want instantaneous response and expect that in their fraternity/sorority experience.

The AFA Technology Committee challenges us as fraternity/sorority professionals in “Ready or Not...The World is Changing. Are WE Ready?” to envision what Fraternity 2.0 is going to look like. It is not enough to imagine what the future of our organizations will be – we need to act and make change to stay relevant. Technology can be used as an educational tool, a collaboration tool, a professional development tool, and a communication tool. How will you use technology to continue the fraternity/sorority experience that the founders started?

Managing your online presence can be overwhelming. But, it doesn’t have to be. As long as fraternal organizations remember the values that they were founded upon, they will be successful in using technology. If our organizations say we are relevant to higher education, then the messages that we share via any communications outlet need to support that.

Today, I find myself unable to just “walk down the hall” to deliver a message to a friend. I’ve moved many times since college and have lost touch with many of those people I first emailed. But, with the help of technology, like Facebook and Twitter, I’ve stayed connected to my friends from Stodder Hall. I see their growing families, they keep on top of what I’m doing, and we continue the friendships start-ed through our common experiences. And for that I am extremely grateful!

How will you use technology to continue the fraternity/sorority experience that the founders started?

in thisissue 5 Ready or Not...The World is

Changing. are WE Ready?

8 FREE Technology Tools to Develop Professionally and Collaboratively

12 Securing Your Data: a Brief Guide to Protecting Personal Information Stored in the Workplace

14 S.O.S. Sharing Our Success: Using the aFa/EBI Fraternity/ Sorority assessment to Drive Continuous Improvement

16 2010 aFa annual Meeting

19 Becoming Future Friendly: an analogy for Fraternal Sustainability

regular columns

From the Top .......................... 3

Editor’s Notes ......................... 4

From Where I Sit ................... 10

Allison st. Germain

4 Perspectives / Fall 2010

Those of us who were present at this past year’s Annual Meeting may remember hearing Delta Upsilon International President Dr. Bernard Franklin utter that query during his

General Program address (B. Franklin, personal communication, December 3, 2010). Dr. Franklin challenged us to rethink the way we look at fraternal organizations in today’s society. Failure to do so, he argued, would lead to a failure in remaining relevant to many college students. Claiming the need for higher expectations of ourselves and our students, Dr. Franklin reminded us of the changing demographic of our students, our society, and our world.

Our world has become smaller than ever, and today’s college student has access to more information, more people, and more knowledge than any previous generation. They are truly the “insta-generation.” Simply put, our world is changing every day.

CONSIDER THIS.. .• If Facebook were a country, it would be the 3rd largest country

in the world (socialnomics.com, 2009).

• Many Millennials claim email is too slow...so much so, that some universities have stopped distributing email addresses to new students (socialnomics.com, 2009).

• Seventy-eight percent of consumers trust peer recommendations over advertisements (socialnomics.com, 2009).

• Online students outperform those students receiving face-to- face education according to a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Education (socialnomics.com, 2009).

• Older Millennials average 6.8 hours a week using email; younger millennials spend 4.2 hours (Accenture, 2010).

• Fifty-nine percent of Millennials say that they receive the majority of their news from the Internet, not television (nationaljournal.com, 2010).

• Sixty-one percent of Millennials say their generation has a unique and distinctive identity; the most common reason for this feeling: technology use (Pew Research Center, 2010).

• Eighty-three percent of Millennials sleep with their cell phone either on their bed, or right next to their bed. (Pew Research Center, 2010).

• The median number of texts a Millennial sends within a 24 hour period: 20; the median number of texts a GenXer sends within a 24 hour period: 12 (Pew Research Center, 2010).

• Seven percent of Millennials used social networking sites in February 2005; in January of 2010, 75% were using social networking sites (Pew Research Center, 2010).

• Twenty-five percent of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content (socialnomics.com, 2009).

• Twenty-four of the 25 largest newspapers are experiencing record declines in circulation (socialnomics.com, 2009).

Furthermore, according to a 2010 study on the Millennial Generation conducted by the Pew Research Center, our current 18-29 year-olds are:

• characterized as confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat, and open to change;

• more ethnically and racially diverse than any other generation and more receptive to immigrants than their elders; 58% say immigrants strengthen the country compared to the 43% of adults;

• more likely to self-identify as spiritual over religious than any other generation;

• on track to become the most educated generation in our coun-try’s history; a record 39.6% were enrolled in college as of the 2008 census;

THE WORlD IS CHaNGING. Are WE reAdy?By Michael Beaver, tyler Blair, and Ashley Whitlatch

“ WhAt if you Were given A demAnd for your greek orgAnizAtion to chAnge or die?”

continued...


• the first generation to have no recollection of life without Internet, cell phones, and social media;

• saying that being a good parent and having a successful marriage is far more of a life priority than career or financial success;

and

• self-identifying as liberals more so than any other generation; they are more supportive of a progressive domestic social agenda than they are of an assertive national security policy, unlike their elders. (Pew Research Center, 2010).

So, given this context, we are reminded that the new generation of young people is a global generation, and in the spirit of Dr. Franklin, it is not enough to just know that the world is changing, if you are not changing with it.

In a profession where so much talk is focused around the topic of “relevancy,” irrelevancy is something that simply cannot be afford-ed. When we talk about relevancy, we are talking about a return to values congruence. We talk a lot about how being relevant requires a renewed commitment to fraternity. We do not, however, talk much about how promoting our relevance requires a shift in how we communicate. In the year 2010, with the emergence of tech-nologies that allow us to reach across the world, like Twitter and Skype, we have entered a new age of globalism. Considering this, promoting fraternal relevance requires us to effectively utilize and manage technological advances.

Most importantly, we do not spend time talking about how the notion of “fraternity” needs to change. Yes, it needs to conquer the cancers of alcohol abuse, hazing, and issues of body image and homophobia. Yes, it needs to become more relevant to the lives of our college students, but how is fraternity going to really change in the coming decade? We are talking about fundamental, transfor-mational change. What would have happened to the modern day automobile had Henry Ford not fundamentally changed the way we travel? What would have happened to the cellular phone business had Apple not fundamentally changed the way we communicate? What will happen to fraternity if we do not fundamentally change? What does version 2.0 of fraternity look like?

If this challenge is to be successful, each and every one of us must take up the gauntlet. No longer are the students, chapters, campus-es, inter/national organizations, or professional associations with whom or with which we work the ultimate context in which we wish to facilitate change. In order to truly and effectively facilitate the type of change necessary for fraternal relevancy, it is imperative we make use of our ever-changing global society, much of which happens virtually.

The good news is, taking advantage of this new age of endless access to information and global knowledge does not have to be difficult. We offer the following four strategies for how the fraternity/sorority advising profession can change with the world:

1. RE-COMMUNICaTEFraternities and sororities are communicating in ways that we could not imagine just a generation ago. Like mentioned earlier, with more than 500 million active users, Facebook has become the platform of communication, taking the place of phone calls, instant messaging, and even email. With Twitter gaining more than 300,000 new users every day, it is important to recognize that students are increasingly using these technologies. Students com-

municate via status updates, tweets, and text messages. Instead of running from this type of communication and criticizing them for a lack of personal interaction, it may be time to take advantage of this new way of life. Fraternity/sorority professionals should accept this new way of communication and re-learn how to interact with today’s student. Check out the technology tips listed on page 8 for specific tools you can use in your daily communication. And as you are reading this, send a tweet or two to @AFA1976 with the hashtag #recommunicate with a tip on how you are working to re-communicate.

2. RE-INVENTTen years ago we could not have imagined that we would be able to sit at a computer or hold a phone in the palm of our hand and watch a smiling face on the other end answer a question in real time. Skype founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis had that light bulb moment and reinvented the way we communicate today. The 35.4 billion minutes of Skype-to-Skype video calls in just the first half of 2010 are proof (Skype, 2010).

In the same vein, fraternity/sorority professionals have the ardu-ous task of helping reinvent the idea of “fraternity,” in order to maintain relevance to prospective members and the Millennial Generation. For the instant gratification generation, a “lifetime membership” is not going to cut it anymore. They want benefits pronto, and just as Skype reinvented the idea of mainstream live video communication, professionals must help organizations reinvent what joining a fraternity or sorority means and how to showcase the advantages of joining to the members of the future.

So, what is the 2.0 version of fraternity going to encompass? That is still to be determined. However, we know that if we truly want to be keeping pace with the rest of the world, then Fraternity 2.0 should utilize technology and social media as a foundation for its mission, and its mission should account for the characteristics and interests of college students today. We also know that sometimes, the best way to re-invent is to start from scratch. According to the Merriam-Webster (2010) dictionary, “reinvent” is defined as “to invent again or anew, esp. without knowing that the invention already exists.” So maybe the question is not What can we do to make fraternity better knowing what today’s world looks like? Maybe the question instead should be what would fraternity look like if it were invented, for the first time, in the year 2011, using technology and keeping in mind the characteristics of students today? Tweet your answer to the second question to @AFA1976 with the hashtag #reinvent.

3. RE-THINKIt was only a decade or so ago that we were still promoting leader-ship as a positional way to manage tasks and people by showing charisma and energy – all words that make us cringe today. Now, we talk about leadership as a values-based process of facilitating positive change. When we consider how this paradigm shifted over just ten years, consider how it may – or should – change within the next ten.

In fact, we may already be changing that paradigm again. With the emergence of social media and the new priorities of our Millennial Generation, we are already seeing a shift of how this new genera-tion talks about leadership. While the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Higher Education Research Institute, 1994) may not be anything new, its emergence as a dominating


force in how we talk about leadership is. Through new websites such as http://www.dosomething.org, http://www.serve.org, http://www.boomboomcards.com, and even the Pepsi Refresh Project, we are seeing leadership and the concept of being a socially responsible global citizen integrating into one. These new, virtual initiatives, all of which are centered around using the Internet and social media as a way to engage young minds in the effort of making the world a better place, make it easier than ever before for a college student to find the support, resources, and confidence necessary to facilitate wide-scale social change.

Combine the phenomenon of these virtual initiatives with emerging texts and theories such as Susan R. Komives and Wendy Wagner’s Leadership for a Better World (2009), and we are on track for yet another shift in how we think and talk about leadership. No longer will it be enough to talk about positive change, if that posi-tive change is not influencing our global society. It is time to begin re-thinking how we talk about leadership development within our organizations, and what role fraternity will play in this new revolu-tion of social change. Tweet your changing thoughts about leadership to @AFA1976 with the hashtag #rethink.

4. RE-alIGNThere is an age-old adage, times change; principles do not. But per-haps the new adage should be, times change; and so do principles. In a world where every generation is faced with more ideas and more information than the previous one, it is impossible to remain relevant solely on static values that were established long ago. To some extent, our constant values are what make fraternity unique. At the same time, the founders gathering in a classroom to discuss works of literature did not anticipate these discussions would be replaced by online discussion boards, wall postings, and tweets. The founders may not have anticipated their brotherhoods and sisterhoods to expand outside the boundaries of their individual organization or campus. The founders, as admirable as their com-mitment to service was, may not have intended their service to have the potential to influence communities beyond their own campus or city. We now live in an age where learning happens as much online as it does in the classroom, where friendships are fos-tered from afar, and where civic engagement has hit a global scale.

Is it enough to still say that fraternal organizations are focused on scholarship, brotherhood/sisterhood, and service? Again, at the foundation, these values will probably remain static, but at the surface, there is so much more to these values given our new access to information. It is time to take these values to the next level; a more complex, sophisticated level.

Furthermore, what values are missing? Given the facts above about the current generation, what values make an organization relevant to today’s students? There are some powerful values that could be identified with which fraternal organizations should be aligned today: creativity, innovation, globalism, multiculturalism, social change, to name a few.

Missions, constitutions, and fraternal values must be seen as living documents; a dynamic set of principles that are allowed a sense of flexibility in order to remain relevant with the times. What values do you want Fraternity 2.0 to be re-aligned with? Tweet your values to @AFA1976 with the hashtag #realign.

Even though this issue is focused on technology, and we’ve men-tioned many specific technologies, this is not an article about technology. This is an article about our evolving and progressing

way of life and how we must embrace it if we want to promote fraternal relevancy.

Implementing new technologies in your daily work is not enough, if you are not also changing the way you perceive the world. So the question becomes, what are WE going to do to change the way we perceive fraternities and sororities in relation to our global soci-ety? How are we going to change the way we communicate, define fraternal organizations, think about leadership, and clarify our values? In the future, even if fraternities and sororities have become authentically values congruent and have conquered the cancers that currently plague them, is that really going to be enough, if at the end of the day, we have not met the changing needs of our culture?

No one really knows for sure what the fraternity or sorority of the future will look like. Ideally it is 100% values congruent, but it should be a lot more than that. We hope it is something that looks nothing like what a fraternity or sorority looks like today. We hope the fraternity or sorority of the future is as foreign to today’s as the iPhone is to the cell phone, as email is to snail mail, and as the airplane is to the automobile.

The world is changing, whether you are ready or not. As profes-sionals, not being ready is not an option. Are we ready? Start small today and send a tweet to @AFA1976 with the hashtag #ICommit, and share with the world what you will do to change with it.

– Michael Beaver is the Assistant Director for Student Involvement and Leadership Development at Northern Illinois University and is a member of the AFA Technology Committee.

– Tyler Blair is the Coordinator of Sorority & Fraternity Life at The Ohio State University and is Chair of the AFA Technology Committee.

– Ashley Whitlatch is the Coordinator of Fraternity & Sorority Life at The University of Washington and is a member of the AFA Technology Committee.

REFERENCES

“About Skype.” Skype. Retrieved August 13, 2010 from http://about.skype.com

Accenture global research on millennials’ use of technology. Accenture. Retrieved August 3, 2010 from http:////www.accenture.com/Global/Research_and_Insights/By_Role/HighPerformance_IT/CIOResearch/Millennials.htm

dannybrown.me (2010, July 3). 52 cool facts about social media. Retrieved July 29, 2010 from http://dannybrown.me/2010/07/03/cool-facts-about-social-media

Millennials: A portrait of generation next (2010, February). Pew Research Center. Retrieved August 1, 2010 at http://pewresearch.org/millennials

nationaljournal.com (2010, February 25). Millennials defined by technology use. Retrieved August 1, 2010 from http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20100225_3691.php

socialnomics.net (2009, August 11). Statistics show social media is bigger than you think. Retrieved, July 29, 2010 from http://socialnomics.net/2009/08/11/statistics-show-social-media-is-bigger-than-you-think


GooGle Docs: Google Docs allows one to create, edit, and upload documents, spreadsheets, and pre-sentations that can be accessed and shared online. Fraternity/Sorority members at Kansas State University

used Google Docs to collaborate on the development of a strategic plan. Advisors might also use the application to back-up files or provide data storage space for officers. The Google Forms feature within Google Docs is useful in creating forms, surveys, and polls, which could be used for event registrations, membership directo-ries, or assessments. The collected data is automatically stored in Microsoft Excel compatible spreadsheets. The fraternity/sorority community at Ball State University used Google Forms to report round attendance during formal recruitment and to compile statistics such as service hours and philanthropy attendance.

>> https://docs.google.com

GooGle Picasa: Google Picasa is an online web album. It allows one to upload photos by sending a message to a personalized email address. The result is that advisors no longer have to worry about

their inbox filling with photos and then having to upload and file the photos. Advisors may also share photo albums with their constituents, which could be useful as part of an alumni/graduate relations program.

>> http://picasaweb.google.com

WiGGio: Wiggio is an all-in-one project management applica-tion. One can share and edit files, assign tasks, manage a calendar and contact list, survey members, and send messages. Wiggio also allows

text messaging and web-conferencing. Aside from using Wiggio to coordinate philanthropy and recruitment events, student organi-zations may use it for online storage space.

>> http://www.wiggio.com

JinG: Jing allows a user to record and capture screen activ-ity and either post the resulting video or image online or save the file to a desktop. The application is great for creating tutorials and providing

students with feedback on documents and presentations, including résumé reviews. Zeta Tau Alpha has used Jing to create website training videos. The free version of Jing allows up to five minutes of recorded screen activity.

>> http://www.jingproject.com

skyPe: Skype allows users to talk, chat, and video conference for free. Skype can be used to collaborate on projects and to set-up virtual presentations. With budget cuts, some organizations have even utilized

Skype to interview candidates prior to or in lieu of an on-site visit.

>> http://www.skype.com

FRee Technology Tools to Develop Professionally and Collaboratively

By Laura needs and Larry Long

>> TECHNOlOGY IMPaCTS alMOST EVERYTHING WE DO TODaY aND IS BECOMING aN EVER INCREaSING

COMPONENT OF PROFESSIONal DEVElOPMENT. lISTED BElOW aRE FREE OR lOW-COST TECHNOlOGIES

THaT FRaTERNITY/SORORITY aDVISORS CaN USE TO aSSIST THEM IN DEVElOPING NEW SKIllS aND

IMPROVING HOW THEY SUPPORT FRaTERNITY/SORORITY MEMBERS. THIS IS ONlY a SaMPlE OF aVaIlaBlE

TECHNOlOGIES. WHIlE SOME HaVE BEEN IN ExISTENCE FOR a FEW YEaRS, WE HOPE TO OFFER ExaMPlES

OF HOW THEY CaN BE USED SPECIFICallY WITH FRaTERNITY/SORORITY lIFE.


Vimeo: Vimeo is an online video shar-ing service, but differs from YouTube in that the service does not suggest alternative videos. This ensures your video about fraternal values will not appear next to a

video of someone chugging a beer. See the Beta Theta Pi profile (http://www.vimeo.com/betathetapi) for an example.

>> http://www.vimeo.com

animoTo: This site can produce orchestrat-ed videos from photos, video clips, and music. It is a fast, free (for 30-second videos), and extremely easy way to create engaging videos without any editing software or expertise.

>> www.animoto.com

BloG siTes: Two blogging sites which can serve as an online portfolio or personal website are Google Blogger and WordPress. Aside from improving a profes-sional online presence, blogs can also be used to support student learning. As part of a leadership class at The Ohio State University, students created “fraternal change” blogs where they reflected on ways to improve their community.

>> http://www.blogger.com

>> http://www.wordpress.com

TWiTTeR: Beyond following what celeb-rity or sports stars are doing, or when to catch Lance Armstrong on a ride, Twitter can be used to follow other student affairs or fraternity/sorority life professionals.

Learn what types of events, programs, or resources they are

recommending. It is also a tool for improving communication with your constituents and learning about job openings. Interfraternal organizations have used Twitter as an educational tool and conducted “chats” using specific hashtags, such as AFLV’s #GreekChat and AFA’s First 90 Days Program #First90Days.

>> http://www.twitter.com

oTheR: Other useful web applications can be found at www.zamzar.com, www.photoshop.com, and www. needtomeet.com. These sites offer free online file conversions, photo editing, and scheduling, respectively.

Need additional ideas for new technologies? Ask! Even in collabo-rating on this article, the authors learned from each other about new and viable options to utilize in their own development.

Professional development is not a stagnant one-time occurrence, but an ongoing evolution of growing and developing throughout one’s professional career. Individuals can continue to learn new technologies and utilize them to enhance skills and increase organizational effectiveness. For more information on emerging technologies, check out “Tech Tips” on the AFA Facebook fan page.

– Laura Needs currently serves as an Assistant Director with Career & Employment Services at Kansas State University.

– Larry Long serves as the Student Life Coordinator for Gonzaga University in Florence and is a member of the AFA EBI Committee.

>> http://www.zamzar.com

>> http://www.photoshop.com

>> http://www.needtomeet.com


mimeographs, Typewriters, Facebook, and Beyond

The next time your office scanner messes up your PDF document, or the color printer does something “funky” with your double-

sided, collated, office newsletter, be thankful that we’ve moved on from the mimeo machine. For those not around in the 1970s and early 1980s, a mimeo machine used heavy waxed-paper that a typewriter cut through. The stencil was wrapped around a drum that forced out ink – typically purple – through the cut marks on the stencil. For many of us, this was the first time we were able to (somewhat) easily and (certainly) cheaply reproduce agenda, minutes, and newsletters.

Yes, I said ‘typewriter’ above. Does your office even have one of those anymore? I worked for a campus that kept one around for those old fashioned, paper-based forms that required submissions to be typed and not hand-written, yet were not available in Word or PDF.

Thankfully, I believe most campuses and inter/national headquar-ters have moved on to Web-based submissions that immediately populate high-tech databases (thus eliminating cut and paste or rekeying errors), or expandable Word and PDF documents where the person submitting can fill in the designated blanks, but the actual form cannot be changed. The completed document may then be printed or emailed as an attachment.

Of course, we all know that “cut and paste,” in today’s language does not involve scissors. And for our traditional college-age stu-dents, the World Wide Web has been an online tool since they were born, and they naturally communicate with technology.

Mark Zuckerberg, the 26-year old founder and CEO of Facebook said, “The other guys think the purpose of communication is to get

information. We think the purpose of information is to fos-ter communication.” I believe that, as fraternity/sorority advisors, we tend to fall into the category of “the other guys.” In an effort to bridge that communication gap and become better at fostering information exchange, here are a few emerging trends that I have seen on col-lege campuses.

While students still use email to communicate with “other guys,” they “talk” to their peers through social networking sites such as Twitter, Badoo, Bebo, Tagged, and Facebook. Approximately 85 percent of students use Facebook, some reporting usage of up to four hours each day (Spanier, 2008).

More than 90 percent of college students have cell phones, a growing portion of them with Internet access (Associated Press, 2006). With the growth of mobile broadband and Wi-Fi Hotspots, these portable, personal devices are quickly becoming the technology of choice for communicating, surfing the web, taking and sharing photos, and making videos.

From Where I Sit is a section in Perspectives featuring a personal perspective on the interfraternal community. Do you have an opinion to share on fraternity/sorority life? Tell us how things look from where you sit by emailing your thoughts to the editor at [email protected], and you could see your ideas in a future issue of Perspectives.


By dr. Grahaeme A. hesp

mimeographs, Typewriters, Facebook, and Beyond

Today, collaborating with a friend down the residence hall floor or across the ocean is as easy as opening a Web browser. Skype allows for live video chats and is beta testing video conferencing that is already available via TokBox. Affordable teleconferencing equipment and open programming interfaces, such as wikis or Google Docs, enable chapter members to collect information, edit documents, and share resources in a matter of minutes and without too much personal interaction.

While these trends offer untold promise, there are important issues that must be considered by an organization’s leadership, especially house corporations. Take cost, for example. A significant byprod-

uct of this new technology is the increased demand for broadband access. Just a few years ago, the move from a 28.8k modem to 56k made users ecstatic; these days, DSL and cable connections are up to 100 times faster than the old dial-up connections. The need for faster and better delivery of services is part of the reason univer-sities spend over $7 billion annually on information technology (Spanier, 2008).

Simultaneously, the accessibility of large amounts of Web-based traffic poses serious questions about security risks. Lost or sto-len computers containing research papers or sensitive personal information can cost the author, a university, or headquarters a small fortune in lost productivity, liability, reputation damage, and unintended consequences. What’s more, the Government Accountability Office reported that viruses, spyware, data theft, and other computer-related crimes cost the U.S. economy just over $67 billion a year according to a 2005 Federal Bureau of Investigation study (Government Accountability Office, 2007).

Sadly, the more communication tools that become available, the less students are actually communicating with each other. Instead, they talk at one another, oftentimes in an offline environment. It is my experience that when required to confront inappropriate behavior, chapter leaders turn to online sources as opposed to developmental conversations face-to-face. As such, it is easy to downplay or ignore altogether such interventions, thereby enabling the behavior to continue.

Whether we are ready or not, today’s students are forging ahead with new technologies. As advisors, our task is to decide how to harness the opportunity, provide for a secure IT environment, and cultivate a higher level of learning in the digital age, while dealing

with the trend that today’s students seek rapid information, answers, and contact. As values-based organizations, it is also our duty to confront the rise in cheating and plagiarism that Web-based technologies have provided. Faculty members already use resources such as TurnItIn to crosscheck papers; what is our role in educating our members outside of the classroom? These issues can be overwhelming for a fraternity/sorority professional.

As technology continues to advance rapidly and offer students an increasing number of communication options – from mere Web browsing and text messaging to tweets and cloud computing – we need to be ready to explore the use of these technologies as

communication tools sooner rather than later. Bottom line, today’s students want us to use technology to meet them where they are, so that we are not perceived as “the other guys” when it comes to communication. Be prepared to ask your students which communi-cation tools work for them.

Be flexible. Be adaptive. Use multiple avenues for communication. Perhaps most importantly, be excited by new opportunities and don’t be scared to try out new tools, even if you need to ask for help in fully utilizing what is available. Remember, we moved from mimeos to Microsoft Office with ease, so this is just another transition. Just be thankful you no longer have purple ink all over your hands from changing the ink in the stencil.

– Dr. Grahaeme A. Hesp is the Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life at the University of California, Berkeley.

REFERENCES

Associated Press. (2006, April 20). Study: Internet access from cell phones, PDAs surging. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192431,00.html

Government Accountability Office. (2007, June 22). Cybercrime: Public and private entities face challenges in addressing cyber threats. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-705

Spanier, G. B. (2008, November/December). Technology and today’s college students. Trusteeship Magazine, 16(6). Retrieved from http://www.agb.org/trusteeship/2008/novemberdecember/technology-and-todays-students

Mark Zuckerberg, the 26-year old founder and CEO of Facebook said, “The other guys think the purpose of communication is to get informa-tion. We think the purpose of information is to foster communication.”


Transition and change are recurring themes in our profession. Many of the things we do as fraternity/sorority profession-als revolve around the dynamics of change. Whether we are

advising officer transitions, participating in a search committee, or organizing the relocation of our office, we often find ourselves moving from one idea or one space to another. All of this change and transition can have a positive impact on the programs we work to build; however, sometimes in the wake of a shift we may overlook the possibility that private or confidential information could be left behind or unintentionally become public. This pos-sibility is increasingly realistic, because so much of what we do is dependent on electronic media and the ability to share information.

In our technological world, information is shared en masse at a fast pace and often reaches several destinations at the same time. Regardless of what we wish to do, the opportunity is often literally at our fingertips. Each time we log on, sign in, or boot up we share information and data in many forms, and there are numerous ways to accidentally share too much information. Here is a brief guide to protecting your information as well as that of your students and colleagues.

ComputersSafeguarding private or sensitive information starts with something as simple or as complex as your password. Gone are the days when you only had to prevent others from guessing your password. Using software widely-available on the Internet, malicious users can “crack” your secret code using huge lists of common passwords. Another common technique is the use of “brute force” technology, which continuously attempts all possible letter/number/symbol combinations, often millions per second. Longer passwords, including a variety of letters, numbers and characters, will thwart guessing and exponentially increase the time needed for software to break your key. To develop good

passwords you can remember, try using a phrase as a password, replacing letters with numbers and symbols. Perhaps your favorite song is “Please Mr. Postman.” This could be written as “Pl3@s3MrPo$tM@n.” Of course, a strong password is worth nothing if it is written on a sticky note on your monitor or under your key-board. Just as using a creative password can prevent unauthorized users from accessing your information, protecting your password is essential for keeping your files safe.

Another important and underused security feature is the option to lock your computer. Once locked, no one will be able to access your computer without your username and password. Locking your computer when you leave your desk is a good habit to devel-op. For Windows users, press the Windows Key + L. Mac users do not have a key combination, but can set the screensaver to require a password and then configure the screensaver to activate when the cursor is moved to a specific corner of the screen.

Storage MediaIn addition to the basic security that passwords and computer locking options provide, protecting your information is often as easy as keeping track of it. Flash drives, external hard drives, CDs, and DVDs are excellent resources for storing and backing-up large amounts of data. Though with portability comes the potential for additional security risks. In offices employing shared computers it is easy to forget a CD in the tray or leave a flash drive attached. Not uncommonly, CDs and DVDs are left in computers that are moved between departments, refurbished, or sold. If your disc con-tains sensitive documents, consider keeping it in a jewel case and leave the case open on your desk as a reminder to retrieve it again. Consider keeping your flash drive on your key ring. It may not prevent you from forgetting it in a computer, but it will prevent you from leaving the building without it and your keys.

securing your Data: A Brief Guide to ProteCtinG PerSonAl inforMAtion Stored in the WorkPlACe

By emilee danielson and thomas Burke


In addition to storage media like CDs, DVDs, and flash drives, many users will store the majority of sensitive documents on the computer’s hard drive. When changing computers, many users know to delete any data that should be kept private. What they may not know is that simply deleting and emptying the recycle or trash bin does not completely delete the information. When a file is deleted, the computer simply marks the space occupied by that file as free to use. If no other file is written to that space the data will remain fully restorable. To prevent those files from being recovered, you will have to overwrite them with random letters and numbers, a process called “wiping.” An Internet search for “data wipe” using Google or another Internet search engine should provide many software tools to help you do so.

If the computers you use for work are part of a networked system, like that found in most major businesses, colleges, and universities, you may be allotted shared network storage space for files. One benefit of these shared drives is data security; the servers on which your files are stored are generally backed-up on a specific and frequent schedule. However, this also means that a copy of any personal data stored on a shared drive is archived on remote computers. Be cautious about what you choose to store there as any personal photos, banking information, or documents contain-ing passwords will be backed up repeatedly. In the event that this occurs in error, contact your system administrator or IT profes-sional for help.

Protecting your information becomes paramount when you change computers or move to another job. Consider your replacement, who must familiarize him/herself with any stored files pertaining

to the job. Will he/she find personal information, family photos, or sensitive documents when sifting through folders? Neglecting to take your personal information with you can be an embarrassing and possibly costly oversight.

other equipmentAnother way that office data should be monitored is by paying attention to all of the equipment we use. Many modern photo-copiers, fax machines, and scanners contain hard drives that store everything copied, scanned, or transmitted. As old equipment is replaced by new, it is important to remember this and have a con-versation with your service provider about removing or otherwise wiping out the data stored on these hard drives.

The same warning can be given for use of shared corporate Global Positioning System (GPS) systems. Standalone GPS units, as well as many GPS-capable electronic devices, store entered data such as recent destinations. Just like a copier or scanner stores a record of

each transaction, many GPS systems keep on file everything that was ever entered into them. This may include, but certainly isn’t limited to, your home and work addresses as well as detailed information about travel routes and destinations. Here again it is important to speak with your service provider about clearing any personal data before selling, repurposing, or donating an old device.

It is also important for you, the consumer, to know what your cell phone, PDA, or other device is recording. In addition to contact lists and logs of incoming and outgoing calls, these devices store text and picture messages and data retrieved through applications and are even capable of logging GPS locations. Additionally, smart phones are capable of “geotagging” – adding data to photo-graphs that indicate the GPS location where the photo was taken. This feature is not typically enabled by default, but its inclusion could lead to privacy concerns. As with any computer or office equipment, cell phones and PDAs should be thoroughly checked before selling or donating. Consider wiping your storage card and reverting the phone or PDA to “Factory Defaults.” Setting your phone to factory defaults should effectively remove any personal information stored on it. Refer to your device’s instruction manual or technology administrator for assistance in setting your device to defaults.

ConclusionIn the fraternity/sorority advising profession, change is inevitable; often it is welcome and at times may seem long overdue. By con-trast, sometimes it seems that the needs of our students and the

opportunities provided by technology change so quickly it feels impossible to keep up. Although this can present many challenges in the way we advise and approach our work, it is essential that we maintain enough technological savvy to protect ourselves, students, and colleagues by respecting and protecting the most important or private details about each others’ lives. Keeping private or confidential information secure may at times seem as confusing as updating one’s Facebook privacy settings; however, by completing the steps outlined above you can take significant steps toward preventing the unintentional sharing of private information.

– Emilee Danielson is the Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life Shippensburg University.

– Thomas Burke is a Graduate Assistant in Computer Services at Shippensburg University.

Be cautious about what you choose to store on shared network storage, as any personal photos, banking information, or documents containing

passwords will be backed up repeatedly.


s.o.s. Sharing Our SuccessUSing ThE AFA/EBi FrATErniTy/SOrOriTy ASSESSMEnT TO DrivE COnTinUOUS iMPrOvEMEnT

By emily Perlow

In fall of 2005, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) fraternity/sorority community experienced the

closing of two of its 14 chapters, three fraternity house fires, two separate allega-tions of sexual assault at chapter facilities, and an overall decline in the number of men and women interested in joining the fraternity/sorority community. The University Trustees became understandably concerned about this downward spiral. They issued a call to study fraternity/sorority life and develop a plan to change the community’s trajectory. The AFA/EBI Fraternity/Sorority Assessment played a role in initiating this process.

The Greek Life Task Force, a committee of 60 faculty, staff, students, alumni, and regional fraternal volunteers, was assembled to assess, evaluate, and make recommendations that would revolution-ize the fraternal experience. Their charge was to identify the outcomes achieved by a successful chapter and to develop rec-ommendations for chapter practices that help achieve these outcomes. The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS Standards) and the Educational Benchmarking, Inc. (EBI) Assessment provided these committees with quantitative support for the achievement of the outcomes they identified as essential to a positive fraternity experience. The assessment was administered electronically over a two week period, and students were encouraged to participate by their chapter presidents and entered into a raffle as an incentive to participate. Over 70% of fra-ternity/sorority members participated.

The data suggested several areas for improve-ment within the community including:

• Chapter members’ perception about the relationships with WPI faculty and administrators

• Perceptions about the role of the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils

• Stronger positive promotion with faculty, staff, and potential members

• Involvement with cultural activities and understanding of the opposite gender, persons with disabilities, sexuality, different religious affiliations, and different ethnicities

• Linking members’ career goals with their fraternity/sorority experience

• Connection with faculty members

• Ability to lead a balanced, healthy lifestyle

Informed by the data, the Greek Life Task Force was broken into smaller committees, and each committee made recommendations for practice. The Greek Life Programs Office, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, and Greek Alumni Council each developed an implementation plan and worked to institutionalize the recommendations.

The Greek Life Task Force used the AFA/EBI continuous improvement framework. It challenged chapters to evaluate them-selves each year and push their own poten-tial. Chapter leaders used the AFA/EBI Assessment data for their chapter and their progress in the previous year to establish goals at the beginning of the year. At the end of the year, the chapter completed an “Annual Report,” which had two sections: a review of yearly goals and a section in which points are earned for meeting recommendations from the Task Force.

Based on the AFA/EBI results, some of the programs and initiatives that have been developed include:

• Creation of an annual report that is distrib-uted to alumni, inter/national organizations, advisors, and staff members

• Outreach through administrator attendance at chapter events and educational programs

• Development of an annual, overnight, leadership retreat to help chapter leaders develop relationships

• Sponsorship of an Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council faculty social event

• Creation of a public relations plan targeted toward potential new members

• Recruitment and training of faculty advisors

• Creation of a faculty advisor listserv that educates about important fraternity/sorority issues

• Hosting of an annual résumé critique and mock interview program staffed by fraternity/sorority alumni

• Push to advertise and encourage attendance at diversity initiatives on campus

• Training on bystander intervention for new members

• Strengthening of partnerships between residence halls and fraternities and sororities through a daylong community service event

The WPI fraternity/sorority community looks different today than it did five years ago. Since the implementation of the AFA/EBI Assessment and the subsequent work of the Greek Life Task Force, organizations have demonstrated continued development in the following areas:

• Increased emphasis on member development

• Involvement of alumni in chapter-specific and council-wide career networking

• Improved relationships with WPI faculty and staff as evidenced by a 180% increase in chapters with faculty/staff advisors

• Decline in the documented abuse of alco-hol as a evidenced by the 50% reduction in the number of judicial cases involving fraternity or sorority chapters

• Increase of 21% in the number of members joining fraternities and sorori-ties including the addition of three new organizations: one NIC group, one NPC group, and WPI’s first NALFO group.

The AFA/EBI Assessment data does not provide solutions. The data merely informs us about issues and concerns that exist in the community. It is important to then take that data and ask more questions, hold focus groups, set goals based on the data, and then share that information with others. Through a continuous improvement frame-work, longitudinal change can happen.

– Emily Perlow is the Associate Director of Student Activities and Greek Life Programs at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts.


afa® EducationalBenchmarking

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Identify where resources will have the greatest impact on the fraternity and sorority experience

The National AFA/EBI Fraternity/Sorority Assessment Provides:

Alignment with CAS and NASPA/ACPA Learning and Leadership Reconsidered standardsThree levels of benchmarking against other colleges and universitiesAnalysis in vital areas like leadership and personal growthReliable data from an external, independent source endorsed by AFA

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2010 aFa annual meetingPhoenix, ArizonaWednesday, december 1 – Sunday, december 5, 2010

General ProgramsThis year, we are pleased to announce that Barry Z. Posner will be our Opening General Program speaker. Many of you are familiar with the books he has co-authored with James Kouzes. In this session you’ll learn about the research behind the books and how you can apply that research to your work with fraternities and sororities. All those in attendance at the Opening Program will receive a copy of The Student Leadership Challenge. The Opening Program is funded by a grant to the AFA Foundation from Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and Foundation. Saturday’s General Program is funded by a grant to the AFA Foundation from Delta Upsilon International Fraternity and will focus on the impact of immigra-tion in higher education.

Educational Programming The Call for Content process drew in a record number of program proposals and feedback from members about their educational needs and wants during the Annual Meeting. Attendees will have the opportunity to select from a wide variety of topics and engage in discussions intended to advance the fraternal movement. Over 100 educational programs will be offered to members through-out the Annual Meeting. As in 2009, educational programs will be grounded in the Core Competencies for Excellence in the Profession. In addition, this year, programming geared toward the impact of immigration on higher education, student affairs, and fraternities and sororities will be provided.

Graduate Training TrackFunded by a grant to the AFA Foundation from Rho Lambda National Honorary, this intensive and interactive educational track is specifically designed for graduate students and will complement the educa-tional experience of those seeking careers in fraternity/sorority advising.

Programming PreviewWhat was once called the Speaker Showcase has had a makeover! We will feature an opportunity for professional speakers, facilita-tors, and educators to share a brief offering of their programs with us during the Programming Preview. This year the Programming Preview will also spotlight workshops which attendees might be interested in bringing to their institutional or organizational event. This year’s Programming Preview will occur later on Thursday evening to provide additional nighttime entertainment.

Annual Meeting Additional ProgrammingAnnual Meeting Advance and Post Programming offers partici-pants several pre- or post-meeting learning opportunities. Topics include designing hazing education, the role of fraternities and sororities in retention, developing social justice training, bystander intervention education, and a track geared towards seasoned pro-fessionals. Attendees may elect to participate in these additional programming opportunities when registering for the Annual Meeting. For more information about these programs, visit the Annual Meeting website.

The 2010 Annual Meeting Planning Team is excited to travel to Phoenix in

December, and we hope that whether you are coming to the meeting for the

f irst t ime or making a re-appearance, you wil l have the chance to reconnect

with fr iends, challenge your mind, engage in meaningful conversations,

recharge your professional batteries; and share best practices and innovations.


Order of Omega Case Study Competition and First-Year Case Study ChallengeTeams of two final-year Master’s students are invited to compete in the feature Case Study Competition, generously sponsored by Order of Omega, while first-year graduate students may elect to participate in the experiential learning of the Case Study Challenge.

Service ProjectAFA is excited to give back to the Phoenix community during this years’ Service Project. We are partnering with the Phoenix chapter of the Children’s Miracle Network to assemble coloring books, with pages designed by members of the Association, and crayons for children in the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The service project will take place on Wednesday, December 1 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will once again be held on-site to provide Annual Meeting attendees the opportunity to give back to a Phoenix charity without leaving the hotel. This year, we ask that each participant bring a set of coloring crayons to donate. For more information about the service project, visit the Service Project website.

The AFA CONNECTION KickoffThe AFA CONNECTION Kickoff is a program for first-time meet-ing attendees to assist in maximizing and taking ownership over the Annual Meeting experience. First-time attendees will receive tips of the trade to navigating the Annual Meeting and learn about which programs and opportunities not to miss.

Developmental Resource Center (DRC)The DRC will showcase the best practices, programs, and initia-tives of AFA members and interfraternal partners. Categorized by the Core Competencies for Excellence in the Profession, this resource center will further sustainability efforts by providing onsite viewing of materials with the opportunity to download copies from the AFA website after the Annual Meeting. For more information about the DRC, please visit the DRC website.

Fireside Chats (FSC) and the FSC Meet & GreetThe traditional 20-minute Fireside Chats will happen on the Friday afternoon of the Annual Meeting, while the informal Meet & Greet will occur on Thursday night. This year we are excited to announce that the Meet & Greet will be hosted in a different fashion. Campus representatives will stand at tables and organi-zational representatives will have the opportunity to visit desired institutional contacts around the room. For additional information, please visit the Fireside Chats website.

Project Job SearchPotential job seekers are encouraged to participate in the PJS: Résumé Review & Mock Interview process. During this program an experienced fraternity/sorority professional will critique your cover letter and résumé and conduct a mock interview for one of four sample positions.

Open Space LearningDo you have a topic about which you are interested in chatting with different Association members or just want to sit in on a discussion with fellow interested individuals? Get your list of topics ready, because Open Space Learning is making a return to the Annual Meeting.

Additional InformationThis year, in an effort to support sustainability and better allocate resources, meeting registration information will only be available online. All materials are available at http://www.fraternityadvisors.org/ AnnualMeeting.aspx. Please view this site to register and find important information about all the components of the 2010 Annual Meeting. The regular registration deadline is Friday, October 29.


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Becoming Future Friendly: an analogy for Fraternal Sustainability

By Kristin s. Fouts

When I watched one of the first Future Friendly commercials on television, I immediately began to ponder the multitude of innovative ways fraternities and sororities could become

more future friendly, not necessarily in the area of ecological sustain-ability, but in terms of organizational sustainability. As fraternity/sorority professionals or volunteers, we, too, must be innovative in advising students. Building on P&G’s four campaign focus areas, I would like to suggest the following as a few ways fraternities and sororities can become future friendly, and therefore sustainable.

save Water Crisp, clean, refreshing; The Waterboy’s Bobby Boucher called his “high quality H2O.” Water comprises over 60% of the human anat-omy, and over 70% of the Earth’s landscape. It is the life-sustaining element for all life on Earth. With regard to fraternities and sorori-ties, however, there are many ways to “save water,” literally (which I will not discuss here) and figuratively.

Members are the water for fraternal organizations, the life-sustaining element that keeps them healthy and maturing. While ritual might be the DNA that makes us unique and bonds us as a fraternal species, without members who are capable of learning, teaching, and making ritual a part of daily life, the traditions and rich history of fraternal organizations would be lost, trapped in dusty books with no one to share them. Recruiting members is just one critical component of the equation; retention of members is paramount to durability.

There are dozens of valuable and innovative resources available on the topic of recruitment or membership intake, but very few on the retention of initiated members. Between their first year and their last semester, students have very different developmental needs, and fra-ternities and sororities, as a “home” for members to learn and grow, need to have the wherewithal to support members at every stage of their college career. A survey of chapter or community members can determine the most significant areas of need among each age group.

A wealth of resources exists on campuses and within inter/national organizations to connect development theory to practice and back to an organization’s values. For example, hosting a panel of internation-al students for discussion at a chapter or council meeting can enhance students’ intercultural competence; collaborating with career services or student activities staff to create co-curricular profiles can help older members understand learning and skill connections between classroom and campus involvement; and pairing a new member with an alumna/us to serve as a mentor over the course of the member’s collegiate career can facilitate learning and development in a number

of ways for both, not to mention strengthen the student’s intention to become an active alumna/us him/herself.

Conserving water means using it wisely and caring for it properly. Similarly, retaining members means making them feel valued and help-ing them to learn new skills and have developmental experiences that not only make them grateful to be members, but more productive and engaged citizens. Retaining productive members helps preserve the precious fraternal ecosystem, making it more vibrant for the future.

conserve energy According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (“What is Energy,” n.d.), most of the energy consumed in the United States comes from fossil fuels, such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal. Renewable energy sources comprise only 7% of total energy con-sumption in the U.S. What are the primary sources of energy in fra-ternities and sororities? What are energy suckers, those things that sap members’ commitment, focus, or motivation, and how can we avoid them? How can fraternities and sororities utilize “renewable energy” sources to increase productivity and become future friendly?

Some chapters may be extroverted or introverted with regard to their source of energy. Extroverted chapters may be regularly involved in campus or fraternity/sorority events, encourage members to be involved in other student organizations, host regular social activities, and so on. Introverted chapters might not interact with the community as regularly, but focus on building camaraderie and strength within the organization. A balance is possible, and those that have tuned their chapter to that perfect frequency find that members are motivated to succeed individually and organizationally. Advisors can play a key role in helping to strike that balance.

In order to focus on sources of renewable energy, chapters must first take inventory of the things that suck the life out of the organization, as well as the opportunities they can create for themselves with a little ingenuity and responsible risk-taking. Energy suckers, like the following things, must be eliminated: unnecessarily long conversa-tions about t-shirts or party themes, complainers and whiners (Debby Downers and Negative Neds), meetings for the purpose of meeting, dwelling on gossip, and retaining academically-poor and financially-delinquent members. Sunlight and geothermal heat are two examples of the Earth’s renewable energy sources. External and internal sources of renewable energy can be found in chapters, as well, including recruiting new advisors or faculty mentors and encouraging leadership and involvement from younger or quieter members who may be rich with talent.

In March 2010, Proctor & Gamble (P&G) rolled out a new marketing campaign for its Future Friendly products, which promote “environmental responsibility under the guise of consumer education” (“P&G Expands,” 2010). From Tide® to Duracell® and packaging materials, P&G is endeavoring to create opportunities for consumers to save water, conserve energy, and reduce waste. The company is focused on sustainable manufacturing, making going green more user friendly and future friendly (“Future Friendly,” n.d.).

continued...


Chapters should also focus on how member burnout and over-pro-gramming can lead to severe energy loss. Discussing and mapping out energy trends while planning the year’s calendar can be particu-larly helpful, so as to avoid over-programming during periods where most members tend to focus energy elsewhere (i.e., final exams, Greek Week, etc.) or when university events or other chapters’ programs might overlap. Student leaders are especially prone to anxiety-, mood-, and stress-related disorders based on their tendency to over-schedule their own lives (Williams, 2009). Chapters could conduct regular audits of their members’ time commitments, deter-mining if any one person is spending more than 30-40 hours per week on non-academic responsibilities, and create supportive leadership roles (such as assistants, committees, or peer groups) to help share chapter-related duties.

As advisors of students and chapters, our role is to model balance and healthy habits (Williams, 2009). When we allow our personal or professional lives to be filled with energy suckers, our students notice, and the true purpose of our work might get lost in the fray. These strategies can facilitate chapter and member development year after year, helping them (and us) work smarter and not harder.

Reduce WasteProctor & Gamble describes waste reduction as “getting more out of every bottle, [and] putting less into our landfills” (“Future Friendly,” n.d.). Even the most highly-functioning fraternity and sorority chap-ters produce a lot of literal and figurative waste. Reducing any type of waste starts with understanding what should and should not become trash. Those who recycle know that there are distinct dif-ferences in packaging that dictate what can or cannot be recycled. Taking the time to learn these differences, as well as determining whether an item can be reused or repurposed, is well worth the extra time and effort.

Similarly, fraternity and sorority chapters should become comfortable reducing excess waste. For example, traditions that are illegal or that wouldn’t pass the “mother test” (“Would your mother/grandmother approve of that behavior?” or “Would you invite your family to this event?”) should be pitched. Officers who are no longer productive or whose skills do not fit the job description should be reassigned or given proper training by past officers, advisors, or college/university

staff. Just as bylaws should be reviewed on an annual basis for accuracy, leadership position descriptions that are outdated or place too much or too little responsibility on the office-holder should be redesigned. Philanthropic ventures that only serve the chapter’s self-interests or members’ needs to fulfill their required hours should be reconsidered. Recruitment/intake events where mem-bers or guests consume alcohol to loosen up should be abolished.

Reducing waste also includes using resources wisely and intention-ally. In households, it means rinsing and reusing paper plates, using concentrated laundry detergents, using shredded paper as packing materials for fragile objects, or collecting rainwater to irrigate plants. In fraternity and sorority chapters, it might mean that members’ own talents are utilized in the most effective ways possible, that members aren’t assigned to committees randomly, but that skill assessments

are used to determine where members will be effective and will devel-op the most. It might also mean that chapters focus on combining events or collaborating with other chapters or student organizations to conserve time, money, and effort expended on simultaneous or overlapping events with the same goal or purpose.

Finally, waste can also include ideas never generated or discussed because other less-important issues overwhelmed the weekly agenda. New ideas or those that deviate from tradition in chapters might be feared or quickly put down. New ideas help an organization move forward, and wasted opportunities can keep chapters in unproductive and unattractive ruts. Chapters that have the courage to try new ideas, regardless of popular practice or community tradition, break the mold and often reap vast rewards.

sustainable manufacturingCreating products and packaging that enable consumers to save water, conserve energy, and reduce waste does not come easily or quickly to Proctor & Gamble. The company is focusing on applying eco-design through innovative construction process improvements (“Future Friendly,” n.d.). They reuse discarded materials, make decisions based on substantiated data, and continuously review their procedures to ensure that their products are helping to enhance the environment.

In a Fast Company article on Toyota, Fishman (2006) described the company’s attitude of “relentless improvement,” driven by a philosophy that each employee has the ability to take leadership for his or her own part of the production process, creating a leaderful environment that helps the corporation achieve its goals. Leaderful organizations are sustainably manufactured: they are built on sound principles, reuse discarded ideas or materials and turn them into innovative new concepts, and value continuous reevaluation of policies and procedures to ensure constant progress.

Fraternity and sorority chapters can and must become leaderful, sus-tainably manufactured organizations in order to be future friendly. Each member should be empowered and made responsible to be the face of the organization. This can only be successful when members know and internalize the organization’s values, mission, and purpose, and are willing to challenge behaviors and events that are not effec-tive in upholding those goals. Chapters should also be willing and

prepared to conduct a thorough audit each year, whether through an accreditation process or self-instructed, in order to insure that today’s activities and processes are focused on the organization’s longevity.

Finally, a P&G study revealed that about 74% of consumers would switch to another brand if it helped them conserve resources without making them pay more (“P&G Expands,” 2010). If fraternities and sororities want to continue to be viable options for student involve-ment on college campuses, they must be comfortable competing with non-fraternal organizations, which often aren’t viewed as legitimate competition. Obviously there are some costs associated with membership in fraternal organizations that do not exist with other involvement options, but the benefits of membership—when communicated effectively—can make the financial commitment of membership seem quite reasonable.

Becoming future friendly requires ingenuity, sweat effort, and commitment.


Being sustainable, Becoming Future FriendlyFraternities and sororities, like Proctor & Gamble and other major corporations, have a social responsibility to be environmentally friend-ly and must also be conscious of their own sustainability. Becoming future friendly requires ingenuity, sweat effort, and commitment. Thinking literally, there are many steps housed chapters in particular can take to be eco-friendly, but as this article has described, there are many figurative means by which fraternal organizations can improve their sustainability by enhancing member standards, employing innova-tive recruiting and retention efforts, eliminating wasteful practices and policies, and encouraging leaderful members.

Proctor & Gamble acknowledges that achieving its mission to be future friendly cannot be possible without the support and account-ability provided by partners and advisors. The same is certainly true for fraternal organizations. A strong coalition of advisors, college/university staff, local alumni/ae, and inter/national staff and volunteers, like a company’s Board of Trustees, can help ensure that a chapter has maximum exposure and access to resources to keep it growing and evolving. Maintaining positive working relationships with community vendors and event venues can be difficult, particularly when crises call for reparations and regaining respect, but the effort may result in the creation of numerous allies, which are invaluable.

In order to compete with other types of student organizations, fraternities and sororities must focus on the benefit and purpose

of membership and create a learning- and development-focused membership experience. Proctor & Gamble’s effort to be future friendly with its customers intends to “create big benefits for the planet and ultimately improve lives every day, now and for generations to come” (“Future Friendly,” n.d.). The same could —and should—be said about fraternities and sororities.

– Kristin S. Fouts is the Assistant Director of RSO Development & Fraternity/Sorority Life at Western Michigan University.

REFERENCES

Fishman, C. (2006, December 1). No satisfaction for Toyota. Fast Company. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/ 111/open_no-satisfaction.html

Future Friendly. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.futurefriendly.com

P&G Expands ‘Future Friendly’ Marketing Effort. (2010, March 15). Retrieved from http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/03/15/ pg-expands-future-friendly-marketing-effort

What is Energy? Explained. (n.d.) U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved from http://www.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=about_home

Williams, L., Schreier, B., and Wilson, C. (2009, January 15). Student leaders and struggling: When the best and brightest need help. Student Affairs Leader, 37 (2), 1-5.

www.gammasigmaalpha.org – [email protected] - 317-876-4695

Gamma Sigma Alpha

National Greek Academic

Honor Society

Give your students something to brag about….

Start a Gamma Sigma Alpha chapter today!Gamma Sigma Alpha is the premier academic honorary for Greek students.

If you are looking for opportunities to advance academic achievement

within your fraternity/sorority community, contact us today!


AFA FOUNDATIONASSOCIATION OF FRATERNITY/SORORITY ADVISORS FOUNDATION

“Save us from the evil Budget Cuts villain” cry fraternity/sorority professionals across the nation!

AFA Foundation donor superheroes… to the rescue!You can be a superhero! The AFA Foundation is

like the Super Friends from comic book and cartoon fame. We gain in strength and in our ability to help others with every hero that joins our team.

Tom Jelke, AFA Foundation President, has announced a President’s Challenge. At the 2010 Annual Meeting, Tom will complete his tenure as Foundation President. To show his support of AFA and its members, Tom will match all gifts, up to $25,000, made to the AFA Foundation through the Superheroes campaign.

The campaign, “Recognizing Superheroes of the Profession,” was inspired by Tom. He explained, “When my third grade teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I proudly announced that I wanted to be a superhero. The ensuing laughter didn’t really dissuade my dream. You see, I still believe they exist. I believe the desire to help others in need stirs in

(Dave Westol may be the exception), but we can make a difference in other people’s lives.” “Recognizing Superheroes of the Profession” is an online campaign for people to give

to the AFA Foundation in honor of those who have meant so much to them in the profession: mentors, volunteers, friends, visionaries – the every day “superheroes” of the fraternal movement. You are invited to nominate a superhero, generate support through donations

and celebrate your hero with this special recognition. To participate in the campaign, go to www.afapresidentschallenge.org.

Look for emails throughout the fall with additional campaign information (if you are not receiving AFA Foundation emails and would like to, please email [email protected] and you will be added to the distribution list). Money will be raised leading up to the Annual Meeting and exciting announcements will be made along the way, and in Phoenix.

With the matching gift, donations made through the Superhero campaign will have double the impact on the professional development of AFA members who work with our collegiate members and chapters.

http://www.fraternityadvisors.org/Foundation.aspx

The President’s Challenge: Recognizing Superheroes of the Profession

To secure, invest and distribute the necessary resources to support the educational objectives of AFA and other relevant research, scholarship and educational programming that further the fraternity/sorority advising profession.

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.

The Foundation’s Mission

Stop our arch villain, Budget Cuts! Be asuperhero: nominate, generate, celebrate, and you will!

Past AFA Foundation scholarship recipients (top to bottom) thanking their donor superheroes: Angie Bong, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Dustin Evatt, University of Vermont; and Alexis Kollay, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

Thanks to your feedback this year, we’ve completed the

2011-2013 AFA Strategic Plan —and we can’t wait to share it with you. We’ve designed several opportunities for you to learn more about the priorities outlined in the plan, and our collective vision for the next three years.

2010 Annual Meeting

Educational Programs Thursday, December 2, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Friday, December 3, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Presentation at the Business Meeting Saturday, December 4, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

AFA Booth in the Exhibit Hall Thursday, December 2, 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, December 3, 2:15 – 6:00 p.m.

Free Informational Webinar

Thursday, December 9, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

On the Association Website

Available following the Annual Meeting

www.fraternityadvisors.org

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Mark your calendar today to join us for one of the following.

9640 N. Augusta Drive, Suite 433 | Carmel, IN 46032317.876.1632 | Fax 317.876.3981www.fraternityadvisors.org | [email protected]

perspectives fall 2010

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