- An Overview of ACHA Recommendations for Fraternities & Sororities
- Adjusting to Advising Remotely and Engaging Remote Advisors
- Growth!? A Brutally Honest Conversation About Recruitment/Intake in 2020 for Council Leaders and NIC Partners
- Using Crises to Refine Strategy | Supporting Your Fraternity-Sorority Councils
- Why Coronavirus Will Change Higher Education More Than the Great Recession
- Connecting through Closures and Chaos
- Covid-19, the Economy, and the Nonprofit World
- Crisis on Campus: College Students and Mental Health
- PhiredUpFridays – On-Line Fraternity/Sorority Growth Education
- Staying in Touch and Navigating Remote Community Operations
Recordings of Past Webinars
Adjusting to Advising Remotely and Engaging Remote Advisors
As students and professionals continue to adapt their advising of fraternity/sorority chapters, local volunteers and alumni have also felt stranded by not knowing how to best support their chapters. Unable to maintain standard advising practices through face-to-face consultations, or attendance at chapter meetings has led many volunteer advisors to wonder what steps they should be taking to help support their undergraduate members.
This webinar with NIC Alliance Partner PLAID will provide fraternity and sorority advisors and council presidents with advice on how to engage local advisors to help maintain chapter accountability, commitment, and reinforce brotherhood during this challenging time.
Recruitment Discussion
Q&A about the impact of COVID-19 on fraternity recruitment with Justin Tinkler, Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Kansas State University; Brett Tilton, Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Kansas State University; Will Branstetter, Beta Theta Pi at Oklahoma State University; Josh Orendi, Phired Up Productions; and Judson Horras, NIC President and CEO
Key Points:
- Building interpersonal relationships can be challenging over video and phone.
- Shifted focus on social media and video calls after major summer events already canceled.
- Financial strain on families is a concern and affordability of fraternity membership.
- Establish regular touch points with new members, particularly at new colonies.
- Phil Rodriguez, CEO of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, discusses online initiations starting at time: 14:29
Resources discussed/referenced:
Growth!? A Brutally Honest Conversation About Recruitment/Intake in 2020 for Council Leaders and NIC Partners
Unfortunately, due to a technical issue, the first 15-20 minutes of the webinar are not available but we believe there is good information and Q&A in this segment.
Resources:
Featuring fraternity growth experts Josh Orendi, Hailey Mangrum, and Matt Mattson from Phired Up Productions. With NIC senior staff members Will Foran and Mike McRee.
No fluff. Here’s what we know, what you can do, and actionable resources you can use right now to prepare for a VERY different recruitment/intake season ahead. Don’t wait. Don’t assume things will return to normal. They won’t. The likelihood of a membership decline in the next 6 months is high. The likelihood that recruitment/intake can be done the same way it was done in 2019 is almost zero. Now is the time to pivot your growth strategy and put new recruitment/intake practices in place. This webinar is designed to get change started. Come to the web cast with your key leaders; come knowing change starts now; come knowing that the answer includes (virtual) social connection while social distancing; come with questions to ask at the end.
Legal Affairs Discussion
Q&A about legal affairs impact of COVID-19 with Toby Eveland of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr; Stanton Jones of Arnold & Porter; Micah Kamrass of Manley Burke; Jennifer Riso of Cokinos | Young; and Judson Horras, NIC President and CEO
Key Points:
- It is key to educate and help chapters stay informed of applicable shelter in place and social distancing orders.
- One important issue is monitoring for consistent application of public health orders/guidance across campuses. The government does have the authority to restrict constitutional rights, such as the freedom of association, in the context of a national emergency, but this authority is not limitless. New university policies and guidance should be neutral with respect to different types of organizations.
- We should anticipate that neutral policies, consistently applied, will receive great deference from a court. It is important to note that private schools will have broader flexibility to implement policies they see fit. Chapter officers need to be cognizant of both civil and criminal liability if these policies are violated.
- Virtual recruitment and meetings likely comply with the existing orders. Planning for start and stop scenarios is key as there could be more flareups of the virus.
- Regarding Force Majeure provisions, the language of the contract is key. Be sure to comply with any required notice provision.
- Houses with food service should take a close look at how that is addressed in leases.
- Chapters should have policies and protocols in place for how to address a positive diagnosis within its membership, especially if that person lives in a chapter facility.
- If your entity is involved in pending litigation, you should be pursuing early resolution.
IFC Video Conference Background
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Student Life Discussion
Q&A about impact of COVID-19 on student life and fraternity community with Chris Graham, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Florida State; Jenny Loeffelman, Assistant Vice President for Student and Campus Life, Cornell University; Jeremiah Shinn, Vice President of Student Affairs, LSU; and Judson Horras, NIC President and CEO
Key Points:
- Major changes are coming for Fraternity/Sorority Life. Fraternities need to have hard conversations going into fall.
- How can fraternities support campuses as they deal with sick students? Connections with health departments and residence life will become critical.
- Modify protocols from past situations (Example: Mumps cases).
- Prepare to coach students who are unwilling to follow protocols.
The CARES Act: Income Tax Provisions for Businesses
Among its many provisions designed to stimulate the economy and provide relief to businesses, the CARES Act includes several tax provisions designed to do so through the US Internal Revenue Code. These tax provisions relate to industry-specific excise taxes, payroll taxes, income taxes and credits, charitable organizations, and tax-deferred retirement savings.
This Advisory focuses on the following income tax provisions in the CARES Act that impact businesses:
- Businesses now generally can carry back a net operating loss (NOL) generated in 2018, 2019, or 2020 for up to five years. In addition, the annual limitation on the deduction of an NOL of 80 percent of taxable income is suspended until 2021. The CARES Act also suspends the limitation for noncorporate taxpayers on the deductibility of excess business losses until 2021.
- The limitation on interest deduction, which otherwise permits businesses to deduct interest expense only up to 30 percent of adjusted taxable income, has been generally increased to 50 percent for 2019 and 2020.
- Tax credits related to the repealed corporate alternative minimum tax (AMT) now can be refunded entirely in either 2018 or 2019, instead of over four years through 2021.
- A technical error in the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) has been fixed, making the cost of real property improvements eligible for immediate expensing under the “bonus” depreciation rules beginning in 2018.
We expect that most businesses will find these changes beneficial. However, as discussed in more detail below, there may be unintended tax consequences of carrying back NOLs. Legal questions also could arise from carrying back NOLs of recently acquired corporations.
Technology & Virtual Experiences Discussion
Q&A about the impact of COVID-19 on the fraternal community and how technology can be used for virtual experiences with Mike Bourassa of WBT Systems; Holly Rider-Milkovich of EverFi; Chris Woods of Plaid; and Judson Horras, NIC President and CEO
Key Points:
- Recognize that students are more comfortable with technology than organizations are.
- Provide tools for chapters to continue operations, philanthropy and service.
- Shorter is better, students will not be willing to sit through long virtual experiences.
- Find ways to retain personal touch or students won’t connect well.
How to Prepare Attendees for a Virtual Conference—or Other Online Learning Options
The modus operandi these days is making the best of a bad situation. Many associations are containing the financial ripple effects of cancelled conferences by converting them into virtual conferences and/or other online learning programs. Even within a short timeframe, they’re managing to register and prepare attendees for a virtual conference.
Shifting to a virtual conference makes the most sense for everyone.
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