Why Fraternities and Sororities are not Stupid: Reason 7

How many hours of service has your chapter put in so far this year? We're willing to bet it's a lot!

Reason 7: Fraternity and sorority members are serious about philanthropy and community service and spend more hours on service and volunteering than other students.

We're all very proud of the work we do in our communities and beyond, but what really sticks with us is hours and work we put into our service. Many can argue part of the reason fraternity and sorority members excel in philanthropic efforts is the privilege some of our members have, but no one can dispute the hard work we put into service.

Research shows fraternity/sorority affiliation was associated with higher levels of community service and fraternity/sorority members spend substantially more hours per week on community service than unaffiliated students.

Even just using statistics from the National Panhellenic Conference (page 4), undergraduate sorority women have put in over 639,000 hours of service and raised over $2.8 million for philanthropic events and organizations. That doesn't even include non-Panhellenic sorority women, fraternity men, or fraternity/sorority alumni. 

That's impressive and makes a real impact.

What if we could do better? Many of our chapters are making strides toward real cross-programming to avoid member burnout. What if we turned more of our sisterhood/brotherhood events, recruitment events, and the like into service and volunteer opportunities? 

What if we brought philanthropy and service together to raise money while doing actual work? We love seeing what new ideas chapters are developing. Greeks For Good is a great resource to help you raise money for your service efforts. Our Philanthropy and Community Service officer manuals and your campus fraternity/sorority advisors are also great resources for service programming ideas.

So, in short, let's keep it up and take it to the next level. It's what we do.

Why Fraternities and Sororities Are Not Stupid: Reason 6

Santa Claus would like you to stay safe this holiday season and follow all local laws.

Do you have an entire chapter that rages 24/7? No? That's what we thought.

Reason 6: Alcohol consumption among fraternity and sorority members has decreased.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Obvi, we still have some work to do when it comes to alcohol-related incidents. But, compared to the 1990s, alcohol use has decreased among fraternities and sororities.

We think part of this has to do with the way we are recruiting. As dry recruitment is better enforced, we do a better job of explaining what we are about. While we do like to have fun, when we put alcohol front and center, it makes it seem like that's all we're about. By recruiting members who are more interested in our values and leadership opportunities, we'll get more members who aren't focused on getting wasted. Isn't that what we're looking for to take our chapters to the next level?

Related to better recruitment practices, students are entering colleges with different priorities. In 2011, the amount of drinking and time spent partying in high school was at an all-time low for entering freshmen. With more academically-focused students entering college, we are able to recruit members who can prioritize.

Another factor we think has contributed is improved alcohol education by our higher education professionals. We are seeing many more educational programs happening on campuses across the country, more programs like GreekLifeEdu, and more resources developed by our inter/national organizations that make us confident that the information is being presented to our collegiate members. By doing our homework and performing legit research, we get numbers that support our claims and hard work.

We know we still have some work to do. We get stories and reports every day that tell us that. But don't let them call all fraternities and sororities just a bunch of drunks.

Why Fraternities and Sororities Are Not Stupid: Reason 5

Have you ever made a decision and thought to yourself "Is this going to make my chapter look bad? If I do this, will these people think we're the -insert stereotype here- chapter?"

Reason 5: Fraternity membership has a positive influence on moral development.

So, when you are having that inner dialogue with yourself (and we all do), that's all a part of moral development. We totally know that there are some horrible chapters that aren't developing morals at all, but most chapters create some of the best environments for moral development.

Before you joined a fraternity or sorority, you had less people to consider in making your decisions. You may have had to consider your athletic team or choir in high school, but the vast majority of people have never had to consider representing an entire inter/national organization.

One of the top issues we hear from students regarding new member education is the fact that new members don't seem to "get it" yet. While we think this is obvious because they are new, it's like we just explained: they have never had so many people to consider while making decisions.

Other aspects of moral development include using values and beliefs to guide behavior and maintaining self-respect. Let's use this in some specific examples and ask ourselves some questions.

• You are wondering if animal ears and lingerie make a good Halloween costume, a la Mean Girls.

• How does this reflect on all the members of my sorority? 
• Does this match my value of being a classy lady?
• Is this an image of self-respect?

• You are thinking about great ideas for your fraternity's recruitment events. What about a stripper?

[NO PICTURE NEEDED OR APPROPRIATE]

• What does that say about my fraternity?
• Does this match our value of respecting all people, including women?
• Does hiring someone as a sexual object say a lot for my self-respect?

To us, moral development is what fraternities and sororities are all about. A lot of what is portrayed in the news is a failure in that process, but YOU are better than that.

So, ladies and gentlemen, keep being good people. We know you are.

Why Fraternities and Sororities Are Not Stupid: Reason 4

Graduating on time: it is a more likely outcome if you are in a fraternity or sorority.

Reason 4: Members of fraternities and sororities have been found to persist to graduation at higher rates than other students.

A study by Auburn University found the four-year graduation rate for students in fraternities and sororities to be just over 80% while only 70% of unaffiliated students graduated in four years. We put our heads together and brainstormed a few ways our brothers and sisters subtly and not so subtly encouraged us to make it to graduation (and in a timely manner at that).

First off, fraternities and sororities automatically create an environment of people with similar goals. When you're surrounded by brothers or sisters who want to succeed and progress academically, it makes it a lot easier for you to stay focused on your academic goals. By studying in groups, even when you're all working on different things, you have people pulling you through your next test or big paper. Additionally, by having a network of people with different areas of study, it is a lot easier to get help in a class you may have to take from someone who has a major in that area. If you're an English major struggling in economics, it's a lot easier to ask a brother who is majoring in business than someone you don't know in the business school.

Whenever you have a chapter of 20-300 people, there is a high likelihood you will find someone with your same major. By having a built-in cohort, you have created a learning community that increases your chances for academic success and university engagement (Zhao, 2004). 

Think about it: when you have classes together and similar material to study, you can think more critically and deeply about concepts, thus better understanding the material. In addition, by connecting with older members in your same area of study, you have an invaluable resource for knowing which classes to take to achieve your goals and more information about what you can do with your major. It's pretty hard to make those connections without a fraternity or sorority.

So, more than the general student leader experience, membership in a fraternity or sorority (if done right) can provide a dedicated network to help you succeed academically and push you towards graduation. Doesn't sound so stupid to us.

Why Fraternities and Sororities Are Not Stupid: Reason 14

So we're a little out of order today, but today's post is in honor of October 3, Mean Girls style.

We know, so fetch.

Reason 14: Membership in a fraternal organization exposes students to a more diverse variety of personality types.

Think about going through the recruitment or intake process. When you're unfamiliar with fraternities and sororities, it's easy to stereotype an entire chapter.

But once you join the chapter and get involved, you realize that each member is in fact, very different. Put 20-250 personalities together, and each chapter is bound to have internal disagreements. By joining a fraternity or sorority, you are developing interpersonal skills that will serve you throughout your life. Working with a group that doesn't always see eye-to-eye to achieve the same goal is something that you will deal with often in your professional life. Research by Hart & Associates found employers cited the ability to work in a diverse team as one of the top skills they were looking for in recent graduates.

Working with different personalities is especially important as chapter and council leaders. Disagreements stemming from different work styles and beliefs can lead to problems with communication.

Learning how to communicate with people who are different from you is essential because you make decisions for the chapter or community. Set an example for tolerance and civility.

Additionally, it is important to respect and accept each member's individual differences. Continue to recruit different members who each contribute something different and essential to the chapter. I mean, you can't expect everyone to buy army pants and flip flops or wear pink on Wednesdays (although we totally are today in honor of October 3).

We're sorry that people are so jealous of us,
but we can't help it that we're popular.

You need people of all talents and beliefs for your chapter or community to succeed. If you had a chapter full of artists, who would be the treasurer? Similarly, if you had a chapter full of mathletes (not social suicide, by the way), who would lead your public relations efforts?

So, continue to recruit all kinds of different people. It allows you to become a better person and communicator, and it makes your chapter or fraternity/sorority community better. Everyone wins!

Keep up the good work, and don't let the haters stop you from doin' your thang.

Why Fraternities and Sororities Are Not Stupid: Reason 3

So, fraternities and sororities are not stupid. Know why? Because our members stay in school, that's why.

Reason 3: Membership in a fraternity or sorority increases first-year retention.

Based on state-reported data to the Integrated Postsecondary Data System, the national average for first-year retention is about 75%. Based on a multi-institution study by Robert DeBard and Casey Sacks, average first-year retention for fraternity and sorority members is about 94%.

We think that's pretty dang significant and impressive. Just like with grades, let's think about why our numbers are higher so that we can keep it that way.

First off, fraternities and sororities are founded upon brotherhood and sisterhood. So, by forming connections and families away from home, first-year new members are usually able to better adjust to their new environments. Think back to your first year of college. It can be super overwhelming when everything is new. When your new sisters and brothers join your organizations, it is your job as initiated members to make sure they feel welcome. A lot of that is just being their friend. Having friends somewhere makes you more likely to stay in that environment. Most of y'all seem to be doing a pretty good job of that.

In addition, sorority and fraternity members, whether formally or informally, serve as role models. Since our members tend to be more involved on campus, new members are able to talk to student leaders on a more intimate level, making them more likely to also get involved on campus. Questions about joining student government? New members can ask a sister who serves as Vice President. That new member who is not sure how to get involved in that service trip he read about? They can ask a brother who has been before. Even if our members are not involved in every organization, their involvement on campus helps them make connections to stay informed about other organizations.

Apart from friendship, sisterhood, and brotherhood, fraternities and sororities provide structured assistance when it comes to adapting to a university. Chapters' academic achievement programs, connections on campus, and knowledge of resources are invaluable to a first-year member's success. For students fresh out of high school, it can be daunting to figure out how to get help in an unfamiliar setting. Fraternities and sororities help their new members by being able to connect them with resources on campus before their problems get too big to handle.

So, by providing a home away from home, setting a good example, and helping our new members adjust to campus, our organizations are keeping our members on the path to success.

In other words, be cool; stay in school.

Why Fraternities and Sororities Are Not Stupid: Reason #2

And we're back! It's one week later, and fraternities and sororities still aren't stupid. In fact, today we focus on exactly how not stupid they really are.

Reason #2: The Greek GPA is higher than the non-Greek GPA at the top party schools.

We recognize that the Princeton Review's rankings are highly subjective, but this report shows at the "Top 20 Party Schools" known for their party cultures and large fraternity/sorority communities, the fraternity and sorority GPA is actually higher than that of unaffiliated students. Fraternities and sororities form an academic support network to help their members succeed.

We've heard some really cool ideas from different chapters that succeed academically. Since we're such great friends, we thought we'd share.

• Partner with academic resources on campus like the Writing Center, the Math Lab, or Supplemental Instruction. This one seems the most practical, but it's totally underutilized. They are on campus to help you succeed academically. Your sorority or fraternity is on campus to help you succeed overall. It's like a match made in Heaven.
• Give your chapter members incentives to achieve. We already know that bad grades get punished: by the chapter, by the university, by your (inter)national organization, and any others who choose to shame you. But what if you recognize and reward academic achievement? Try small gifts at chapter to recognize achievements throughout the semester like A's on test or papers. Keep chapter members motivated throughout the semester so they can celebrate great things at the end. We're obsessed with the ones with catchy names like "smarty pants" involving free pants or "skippy award" involving peanut butter cookies for those that do not skip class.
• Have coffee or dinner for your professors. This is a great way to get to know your professors and do something great and commendable on campus. Invite all professors on campus and let them get to know your chapter. Your chapter members are more likely to visit their professors when they need help if they've met them before. Not to mention your faculty will remember be able to make a connection between the organization that showed their appreciation and the students rockin' their letters in class.

So, now you know that fraternity/sorority members tend to have a higher GPA, and you have tips to keep it that way. Let's keep it that way so we can still mean it when we say we aren't stupid.

Why Fraternities and Sororities Are Not Stupid: Reason #1

How many people were skeptical of your decision to join a sorority or fraternity?

We've heard the phrase "From the outside looking in you could never understand it; from the inside looking out you could never explain it."

This new blog series based on 16 Reasons to Join a Fraternity is here to help you explain it. Plus, these reasons are all backed up by scientific research, so you know they're legit.

Reason #1: Fraternity and Sorority life builds better leaders and more active citizens

These findings are based on the University Learning Outcomes Assessment (UniLOA), a diagnostic tool used as a "dashboard indicator" of student growth, learning, and development. In its 2010 study with responses from about 5,700 male students, the assessment found that fraternity men scored substantially higher that non-affiliated men in the domains of citizenship and membership and leadership.

Some specific items where members scored higher than non-members were:

• engagement in the political process through voicing viewpoints such as writing letters to the editor, engaging in debate, and contacting political leaders;
• involvement in organizations relating to personal or professional interests;
• leadership opportunities in important/expert areas;
• and effective management of an organization, group, or club.

Think about those leadership positions in your chapter or council where you have to find the best way to run a committee or meeting. Yup, you are developing transferable skills that translate to leading a department or task force. The same skills you learn as a vice president of programming mentoring committee chairs will be used when you supervise individuals someday.

And those times when your sisters or brothers encouraged you to join organizations you were really interested in? It's definitely setting you up to be an involved professional with great networking opportunities within a field you're interested in. Involvement in organizations like the Pre-Medical Students Society or the Public Relations Student Society of America is a great way to network within a future profession while you're still in college.

And those times you had the courage to speak out in student government meetings or to the campus newspaper? Your engagement as an involved citizen spurs discussion that is instrumental to forming opinions on important issues in your community. As engaged citizens, your involvement today is a start to future civic engagement like holding positions on your local school board or even running for a political office.

So the next time someone asks why you made the decision to go Greek, here's just one reason you can give her or him with stories to support it.

You're welcome.