Perspectives: What Sorority Means to Me

Sororities have always been a place for women to gather, build friendships, support academic pursuits, develop leaders and provide a sense of belonging. As the needs of women have changed, sorority has adapted to fit those needs. Today, while class instruction and the sorority experience may look and feel different on many campuses due to COVID-19, sorority is adapting to provide these benefits and the opportunity for real, personal connections through a virtual experience. Through it all, sisterhood and the benefits of the sorority experience remain.

Here are some of those benefits as voiced by collegiate members:

"My sorority helped me turn my college campus into a place that I can call home. These women started as strangers and are now some of my closest friends in the world. And, I know I can look to them to help in every aspect of my life – from academics to life advice." 
-Patricia, Tulane University (in a Her Campus/TheSororityLife.com Instagram story video)

"One of the things that I have loved most about being in my chapter has been the support system. More specifically, my sorority family has been my best support system ... These women are always here for me when I’m feeling down, need advice or just want someone to talk to and have made me feel at home, while being so far from home."
-Bridget, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (full story)

"I was worried about losing that connection with my sisters when we left campus (in spring 2020 due to the pandemic). But, I’ve found a new appreciation for our sisterhood. Sisterhood is in the little things. The texts, the FaceTime calls and the memories we create together make me that much more grateful to have my sisters in my life!"
-Bri, NPC intern for TheSororityLife.com (full story)

A Message From the NPC Chairman: Living our values and telling the positive story of sorority

Summertime…and the living is easy! That is certainly a phrase we all need to heed so we can use the summer months to step back from our busy lives, slow down a bit and approach the fall and new academic year refreshed and ready to recruit new members.

As sorority members, we all know our organizations provide great value to every member and to every potential member on campus. Our respective groups were founded on ideals and standards of behavior that respectable members of society would applaud. However, even though collectively, we are one of the largest, most visible and most active values-based organizations on college and university campuses, the perception–and too often the reality–is that fraternities and sororities have fallen away from their values. That said, it’s all of our responsibilities, collegians and alumnae, to live our values and tell the positive sorority story.

• Every NPC organization is guided by founding principles and values that serve as a moral beacon for its members. We use educational programming to help our members incorporate these principles and values into their daily lives, and our emphasis on values helps college women develop the moral foundation for their future actions.
• We are the nation’s largest network of young volunteers. Sorority women are committed to improving the world in which we live. Each year, NPC-affiliated collegians and alumnae donate more than $28 million to worthy causes and volunteer almost five million hours in their communities. Our emphasis on volunteerism prepares members for a lifetime of community involvement.
• Our comprehensive leadership programs teach values-based management skills to our members and our members graduate with the management and interpersonal skills needed to excel in today’s work environment.

Then there’s the softer side. Sorority membership provides our members with a safe environment for personal growth and development. Friendship is the cornerstone of sorority membership and it was friendship that brought together the founders of all 26 member organizations.

There’s also the support we give one another as Panhellenic sisters, enabling us to meet the challenges we face in today’s world. NPC has a rich history that embodies unified coalitions among women. I am certain that each of you, as a collegian or alumna, has experienced the power of Panhellenic women working together.

All of these components–living our values, volunteerism, philanthropy, leadership programming and friendship–are part of each of our stories. It’s our responsibility to share our experiences so that the young women participating in recruitment today will have heard about our organizations long before they enter college. We are the best public relations we have.

So, this summer, as potential new members consider sorority membership, remember to share your sorority story and promote the sorority experience!

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones
NPC Chairman 2017-19

From the NPC Chairman: Cultivating character on a daily basis

“We as Fraternity Women, stand for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life.” 

 From The Panhellenic Creed

Character is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual. As sorority women and members of the National Panhellenic Conference, we all strive to cultivate positive character traits, and as our collegiate members prepare to return to college campuses across North America, I encourage each of us, as sorority women, to cultivate our character on a daily basis.

As I think about potential new members and what characteristics they look for in the sorority women they meet, the following characteristics come to mind: kindness, humility, honesty, social intelligence and self-control. What characteristics would you add to my list?

On September 26, there is an opportunity to join millions of people around the globe to further cultivate your character by participating in Character Day, a global initiative where school districts, universities, organizations and families of all sizes screen films on the science of character development offered from different perspectives. Resources for planning a Character Day event include short films, discussion materials and a global live cast question and answer session.

View Character Day resources.

Character Day is an advocacy program of Let It Ripple, a California-based film studio that produces mini-documentaries often focuses on social justice issues. NPC was introduced to Let It Ripple through our relationship with Vision 2020. Since 2011, NPC has been a national ally of Vision 2020 and has supported the work of their staff to make equality a national priority through shared leadership among women and men with an initial focus on business and government, where decisions are made, policies set and resources allocated.

Now in its fifth year, Character Day has grown from having 1,500 events in its first year to more than 133,000 events in 125 countries and all 50 states in 2017. I encourage you to learn more by watching this short clip: https://vimeo.com/159254643

To sign up your Panhellenic or organization for Character Day, please click here.

Interfraternally,

Carole Jones

NPC chairman 2017-19

Sample Character Day Resources: 

A poster of The Periodic Table of Character Strengths is included in the free, hands-on discussion kit. Also included in the kit: A deck of 44 conversation cards with discussion guides, questions for all ages and quotes related to the poster.

Promoting the benefits of the sorority experience

When each of us chose to become a member of a fraternal organization, we found lifelong friends, support to excel in studies and opportunities for leadership development and community service. What many of us probably did not expect was the bond rooted in Greek traditions that we not only share with members of our specific fraternity or sorority, but also with members of other fraternal organizations.

There are more than 4 million sorority women and more than 4.5 million fraternity men – that’s a lot of people who share a common bond of sisterhood and brotherhood. Think about those numbers and the networking opportunities! If you are a college student embarking in a summer job or internship, or even beginning your first full-time job after graduation, you are joining a work environment where you no doubt will have the opportunity to network with fellow fraternity and sorority alumni. By talking about your fraternal experiences, you most likely will be opening doors to endless possibilities in career and volunteer opportunities.

I speak from experience. When I interviewed for my first job, the person interviewing me asked about my sorority experience listed on my resume. She shared she was a member of Kappa Delta, and we “clicked” immediately. She hired me on the spot. I’m convinced it’s because we bonded over sorority life.

Whether you joined a fraternal organization two months ago, five years ago or 50 years ago, hopefully, your experience, like mine, was amazing. So, don’t be afraid to tell your story even when it is sometimes hard to be a fraternity or sorority member. Our organizations have become tarnished by heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking, hazing and lack of responsibilities. The activities of fraternity and sorority members that have led to deaths, mental and physical injury, poor academic achievement and health problems are a contradiction to our rituals and founding principles.

Therefore, we have to have conviction to fight the negative and promote the positive. We are the best public relations we have. When asked why you belong to or are still involved in a sorority, tell them why. Talk about the friendships you’ve made, the experiences and lessons that have helped shape who you are, the skills you’ve developed and the memories you’ve created.

For sorority alumnae, it’s our responsibility and privilege to give collegiate members and young alumnae the assistance they need in building relationships as they seek job opportunities. We should also be telling our sorority stories and sharing our experiences so young women participating in recruitment today will have heard the good news about our organizations or know someone who is a member long before they enter college.

The bond of fraternity and sorority membership is strong. We know it inside our hearts and inside our communities. To ensure others can continue to share in this bond, we must also be strong in telling others about our positive experiences and the benefits of membership we all enjoy.

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones

NPC chairman 2017-19

Advocating for the value of the sorority experience

More than 235 fraternity and sorority members, both alumni and students, were on Capitol Hill on April 25 advocating for sororities and fraternities and the value they provide to our members. Our organizations’ values of character and dignity guide our members in their daily lives as they serve their campus and local communities.

Each year since 2002, the Fraternal Government Relations Coalition (FGRC), which is a collaborative effort between the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee (FSPAC) and Fraternity and Sorority Action Fund (FSAF), has lobbied in Washington, D.C., in order to educate legislators on the value of sororities and fraternities and the advocacy issues important to NPC and NIC.

The FGRC represents 92 single-sex fraternities and sororities nationwide with more than 800,000 undergraduate members at over 9,500 chapters on almost 700 campuses, as well as more than 9.1 million alumni. The NPC and NIC set and execute the advocacy agenda for the FGRC. This year’s lobbying efforts, with more than 460 meetings between fraternity/sorority members and legislators or their staffs, focused on the value of the fraternity/sorority experience and our priorities for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA).

This topic directly aligns with Pillar One of the NPC Government Relations Platform: Preservation of the sorority experience.

Working together with the NIC, FSPAC and FSAF, our goal is to gain support for protection of our experience through the reauthorization of the HEA. Our members have a constitutional right to freely assemble and associate, but there is a growing trend to punish single-sex organizations for existing by creating barriers and/or penalizing students who join such organizations. Harvard University is just one example as that institution is now blacklisting students who choose to join single-sex social organizations and seeks to force groups to become co-ed against their will. The Harvard policy affects this year’s freshman class and all future students, penalizing those who join single-sex organizations by rendering them ineligible for leadership positions in recognized student organizations, selection as a sports team captain and the Dean’s endorsement for a Rhodes, Marshall or Fulbright scholarship, where such endorsement is a prerequisite for consideration.

But, it’s not just Harvard that is seeking new ways to restrict freedom of association rights. It has become increasingly common for institutions of higher education to regulate and propose policies aimed at forcing single-sex social organizations to become co-ed or imposing burdensome policies and restrictions that undermine a student’s right to freely associate. Examples include blanket suspensions for all sororities and fraternities on a campus when one student or one organization is accused of misconduct and the adoption of operational restrictions that don’t apply to any other student organization on campus, such as not allowing first semester or first year students to choose to join a sorority or fraternity.

Students and alumni gather on Capitol Hill
to advocate for the fraternity and
sorority experience. More photos.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce has taken the first step to protect every student’s freedom of association rights, including with single-sex social organizations. The committee’s HEA reauthorization bill – the PROSPER Act – includes language on this issue, but does not address or prevent actions taken by Harvard or a few other campuses that do not already recognize single-sex organizations.

That was our task on April 25 – to encourage House members to perfect the pending language in the PROSPER Act to include all students and to ask senators to include this same language in their own HEA reauthorization bill.

The value of protecting our single-sex experience now and for generations to come cannot be understated. Our organizations create a unique community of support. They are the one place on a college campus, where through a shared single-sex experience, young women or men can enjoy a sense of belonging, empowerment and personal development. NPC and NIC are committed to continuing to advocate for freedom of association rights for our organizations, and we invite you to join us by contacting your representatives here.

Facing challenges, embracing opportunities … together

Carole J. Jones NPC Chairman 2017-19 As I begin my term as the 2017-19 chairman of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), I look forward to two years filled with opportunity and promise. I also look to what’s ahead with clear eyes and honest expectations. Over the past 10 years, NPC member organizations have benefited from a strong, consistent expansion of the sorority community. Now research shows we are entering a more challenging period.  The number of college-aged students will decline. Moreover, the geographic make up of students will be a mismatch with the geographic locations of the strongest fraternity/sorority communities. Beyond that, NPC and our member organizations will face six trends arising from generational change:  -Financial stress. Tuition costs continue their steep rise. Fewer parents will be able to financially support their children’s aspirations and students will need to borrow more for educational expenses. As a result,  financial obligations will remain an obstacle to sorority membership. -Diversity. The racial and ethnic makeup of college students is rapidly changing. Soon, the largest groups of high schoolers will include students of Hispanic heritage, students with lower family incomes and students who are the first in their family to attend college. Historically, these segments have been under-represented in undergraduate ranks and unable or unwilling to travel far for college.  The good news is women continue to outnumber men in incoming freshman classes. The expected increase in students of color provides opportunities to broaden the appeal of sorority membership. -Technological acceleration. Our expectations for and use of technology will continue to grow. Yet members of each generation – baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z – view technology with different utility. NPC and our member organizations must recognize each generation’s technological needs and preferences and identify where we can use technology to our benefit. -The redefined family. The definition of family continues to change, with more divorces, remarriages, single parenting and same-sex relationships. Families also are more mobile. These changing family dynamics will affect the behavior and needs of our members as well as impact our ability to attract and retain volunteers. -“Me” branding. In the college course “The Branding of Me,” Gary Kayye, adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina School of Media and Journalism, notes how many Gen Z students have put personal brand building into overdrive. The expression of their personal identities is central to the world in which they live. They harness social media to build an online brand to help them get that first job or prove their potential worth to employers. Still, this generation came of age during the Great Recession and have already faced life’s setbacks. Many care about social causes, but they might express their passion differently. Rather than joining organizations, they often first turn to the digital world to promote change. - Changes in work/life balance. Baby boomers are rethinking their “work, work, work” mentality as they grow older, while younger generations say “no way” to working 24/7. Knowledge workers want to work remotely, a trend enabled by technology. These changes impact what we ask of volunteers and challenge us to create meaningful, rewarding volunteer experiences.   These six trends are just the beginning. Student alcohol consumption remains problematic, and heavy drug use is rising. Many students struggle with mental health issues. High rates of sexual assault threaten all students on campus, primarily women. All these trends and issues underscore the importance of NPC and member organizations working together to meet these challenges head on and embrace the opportunities. We must all read widely, consider deeply and take action where we can together to advocate for the sorority experience and work to preserve the single-gender experience. I am grateful to serve alongside each of you. I look forward to our bright, promising future together.

Read “Adventure in Friendship” to learn the history of NPC and how we and our member organizations have adapted to and led change over the past 115 years.

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones Chairman 2017-19

Our Commitment in the Fight Against Hazing

By Donna C. King, chairman 2015-17

For those that have closely followed the news out of Penn State University this spring, the details of the tragic death of Timothy Piazza have been both shocking and heartbreaking. Words cannot adequately express the extent of the tragedy; put simply, a community that exists to support and nurture young people fell devastatingly short of its goals and ideals.

While the events that led to Tim’s death may have taken place in a fraternity, the changes needed to keep them from happening again require that all of us take action. This has been, and continues to be, our message with the leadership at Penn State University and on campuses throughout the U.S. and Canada.

With the unanimous support of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Board of Directors — as affirmed at our recent meeting — we stand ready to work closely with Penn State as the campus implements changes in its community. And as that process unfolds, it is essential that we ensure the community-wide engagement required to make sure the reforms are successful. Only when we work together can we transcend this tragedy to create a stronger, safer and more supportive campus community.

As one of the world’s largest organizations advocating for women, NPC has long been a part of the fight against hazing. We stand committed to addressing this pervasive problem arm in arm with our campus partners and other collegiate organizations.

In 2014, NPC stated its strong position against hazing and voiced its support for anti-hazing initiatives that engage and empower students to enact positive change and meaningful reform within our community. Hazing undermines the values and ideals of sorority and fraternity life, and serves as a detriment to our ultimate goal of building strong, independent and engaged leaders on college and university campuses.

Today it is more crucial than ever that we reiterate this position, affirming our commitment to thoughtful, substantive partnerships with institutions of higher education where any of our 26 member organizations are recognized. NPC’s utmost priority is the safety of our students, and through transparency, collaboration and advocacy, we hope and believe, we can create campus cultures that reflect our shared goals and ideals – and, most important, keep students safe.

Message From the Chairman: Values-Based Recruitment

Across the country this month and next, new students arrive on campuses eagerly anticipating the launch of their college experiences. A significant number of those female students -- 158,566 in 2015-16 -- will participate in sorority membership recruitment. Sorority chapters are afforded the opportunity and privilege to engage with these women during recruitment. With privilege comes the responsibility of providing an experience grounded in the shared values of the 26 National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) member organizations.

 

In fall 2015, NPC reaffirmed a collective commitment to values-based membership recruiting. What is values-based recruitment? It starts with the rich words found in the NPC creed: "We, as fraternity women, stand for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life. The opportunity for wide and wise human service, through mutual respect and helpfulness, is the tenet by which we strive to live."

Centering the recruitment process for both the sorority member and the potential new member on the rich core values of each inter/national women's organization helps ensure a rich experience for all who participate.

 

How recruitment looks and how it is executed varies from campus to campus. Panhellenic communities are challenged to visit old practices and reshape how the process of recruitment benefits all involved. Reflecting on personal values and key values of an organization, and wrapping those around the benefits of sorority membership, should shape conversations during recruitment. These types of conversations give a young woman seeking sorority membership the opportunity to assess her own values and determine whether they're congruent with an organization's. And likewise, this offers sorority chapters the same opportunity of assessment through the mutual selection process.

 

University of Georgia discusses   removal of skit round

  

As a College Panhellenic community navigates through creating positive change and a better understanding of why and how a values-based recruitment experience impacts the community both internally and externally, NPC offers resources: Resolved to Educate and three values and ethics workshops. In addition, numerous volunteers and campus-based professionals will devote countless hours to providing assistance to Panhellenic communities this academic year as they execute the membership recruitment process. NPC says "thank you" for your gift of time, support and commitment to advancing the sorority experience.

 

Interfraternally,

Donna C. King

Chairman 2015-17

Five Reasons Values and Ethics Matter to Sorority Women

1. Because values are the building blocks of what defines our organizations.

    This is what happens to your sorority without its values.  

2. Because being a sorority woman is a privilege earned by those who demonstrate  
    positive values. 

    ... is what you should say to someone who does not live out positive values.  

3. Because ethical behavior means doing what is right for your community and for all 
    sorority women, not just what is good for you or your chapter. 

    Trust Jiminy Cricket, he is wise.  

4. Because acting ethically prevents unnecessary infractions. 

    No one wants to sit in a judicial hearing about balloons and flowers. 

5. Because sorority women do not get to choose when to and when not to use values
    and ethics, they are lived each day through our choices. 

    It's easy, make choices that display the values your founders put in place for your
    organization. Your big sister will be proud!