Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Today, America continues to face the issue of racism and as fraternity men we must acknowledge and denounce all forms of hate and intolerance. We must unite around the notion that fraternal bonds are built on concepts of respect, dignity and empathy for all people. 

Representing a diverse range of fraternity men, the NIC has in recent years invested significant resources in supporting emerging and culturally-based fraternities as well as enhancing education for all fraternity members on the importance of diversity and inclusion.  We are inspired by fraternity men across the country fighting racism.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force

At the core of fraternity brotherhood are empathy, respect justice and love. Antithetical to these principles, racism and other prejudices on campus and in society stem from hate and intolerance.  As fraternity men, we are compelled to understand our privilege and use our positions on campus to help create more justice and fairness for all. Our leaders must acknowledge that many of our organizations’ history includes injustices and exclusivity. We must work to eliminate all forms of racism, hate and intolerance as we work to create a more inclusive community moving forward. When fraternities unite around shared aspirational values, we are a tremendously powerful platform to foster a better world. Progress in this area only happens when all levels are committed to change and demonstrate that by consistent actionWe will continue to see progress is being made as more of our brotherhoods are forged with men from different backgrounds filled with empathy, respectjustice and love. Attempts to abolish fraternities won’t fix racism on campus or in society. Rather, it will likely make our campus communities more divided and vulnerable to hate and intolerance. The members of the North American Interfraternity Conference are committed to leveraging our collective brotherhood to improve society. In addition to previous positions and resources, our conference has committed to: 

  • Working with all umbrella associations to better coordinate efforts and find more opportunities to build a stronger future. 
  • Working closely with all regional educational associations, the NIC and AFLV will launch resources for fraternities to better equip our members to use their fraternity as platform for improving society. 
  • Empowering this task force to bring forward recommendations for new Conference Standards, policies and protocols in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. 
  • Launching a fireside discussion video series where interfraternal leaders have meaningful dialogue on diversity, equity and inclusion. We encourage you to watch and share our first video. 

We welcome your input as we move forward. Please simply email us with your insights into how fraternities can improve in this area. Also, please make sure to report all instances of hate, intolerance and racism to our intern/national member fraternities if it happens within one of their chapters.  Our committee plans to keep you updated on our progress as we work towards a world that values empathy, respect, justice and love. Interfraternally, 

KEVIN BENNETT

Chair

Executive Director of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

JUSTIN BUCK

Executive Vice President & CEO Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity

CHRIS GRAHAM

Chief Chapter Services Officer of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity

BRYAN GUFFEY

Executive Director of Delta Lambda Phi Fraternity

ANDY HUSTON

Executive Director of Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity

RYAN O'ROURKE

Executive Director of AFLV (Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values)

RON RANSOM

Executive Director of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity

NICKI ROWLETT

Senior Director of Leadership Programs at Triangle Fraternity

JUDSON HORRAS

President and CEO of North American Interfraternity Conference

Position Statement

The NIC values and finds strength in the diversity of people, approaches, and experiences. We believe that human diversity and our practice of embracing differing points of view allow innovation, and we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment in our daily work of advocating for the advancement of men’s fraternities. Diversity, equity, and inclusion drive us forward, and we understand that these principles are not static, but rather take ongoing education and continually renewing commitment. The NIC’s dedication to that growth is and will be central to every facet of our operations.

Resources

The following resources were developed in partnership with AFLV for fraternities to better equip members and the community to use their fraternity as platform for improving society.

Resources Topics (follow link to download PDF):

NIC Standard

By September 1, 2021, each NIC member fraternity will have a public position or policy addressing its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Furthermore, each member fraternity will establish and maintain a system for reporting of and acting on bias-related allegations/incidents. Any member fraternity that does not have a business meeting before September 1, 2021, will be granted a one-year extension in adopting the above policy if such a meeting is required to comply with this standard.

Fireside Chat Conversations

The NIC Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force conducted a series of three video-based fireside chats on topics including racism, diversity, equity and inclusion. These conversations provide for open dialogue and model undergraduate engagement.

Fireside Chat I

Fireside Chat II

Fireside Chat III