For every four women graduating from four year colleges, there are only three men. Men are going to college less with less frequency than in the past, and not persisting to graduation at the same rates. Fraternities provide the academic support and connection that helps members reach the finish line.
Fraternity organizations are focused on academic support and excellence.
On many campuses, average GPA for IFC fraternity men is constantly above the all-men’s average. Fraternities are places for young men to develop into leaders, philanthropists and, most importantly, scholars. Research shows that nationwide fraternity/sorority students reported substantially higher levels of academic and social involvement.
Fraternities provide first-year students with a sense of community.
Research shows the stress of first-year students stems from a sense of loneliness. Fraternities provide first-year students with a sense of community.
They provide connection and friendship when students are often far from home and familiarity. Furthermore, fraternities offer a strong support system that can offer help and guidance when under stress, and studies show how students who join fraternities in their first semester show greater gains in growth, learning and development.
Statement regarding University of Northern Colorado
The health and safety of students in the campus community must be a top priority while respecting the rights of those who are doing the right thing. As we have said previously, blanket community actions disincentivize following the rules and taking care of each other, since responsible students are treated just like their peers causing problems. Additionally, blanket actions erode trust between campus partners and students, alumni and inter/national organizations, because these actions come off as unilateral, lacking basic principles of due process.
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February 10, 2020
Media Contact:
Todd Shelton
Federal Court Dismisses All Claims Against Yale Fraternities
February 4, 2020 – The U. S. District Court in Connecticut has dismissed all claims against fraternities in a lawsuit filed by Engender and three individuals attacking single-sex membership policies. The court stated the claims “lack a strong basis in law.” This decision follows the resounding rejection of a similar Engender theory last year by the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.
“All students should have the right to join organizations, co-ed or single-sex, that enhance their collegiate experience and make positive contributions to the local community,” said Judson Horras, president and CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference.
Additionally, federal and state courts in Massachusetts recently concluded that Harvard’s sanctions policy against individuals who join single-sex organizations may be discriminatory and unlawful. Further, the Collegiate Freedom of Association Act has received strong bipartisan support in Congress.
Across hundreds of college campuses, millions of students and alumni have found value in belonging to single-sex organizations, from fraternities and sororities to acapella groups and academic societies.
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DOWNLOAD: Court Ruling (PDF)
Media Contact:
Todd Shelton
Ryan Temby to Serve as VP of Campus Operations in Southeast
Indianapolis, February 3, 2020 — Veteran business executive Ryan Temby has joined the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) staff as Vice President of Campus Operations for the Southeast region.
Temby will focus on community development, council effectiveness and alumni engagement as he contributes to the NIC’s mission to enhance the fraternity experience. He will facilitate strong relationships by delivering support to communities across the Southeast.
“Ryan brings a fresh perspective, rooted in industry client management and business success, to the NIC. I look forward to seeing the growth of our Southeastern regional communities and the fraternal experience as a whole that will stem from his executive-level leadership skills,” NIC President & CEO Judson Horras said.
Temby has more than 20 years of project management and customer service experience in energy, manufacturing, high tech and retail industries. He brings strong leadership, management and sales skills coupled with a focus on innovation to the NIC.
“My fraternity and the health of the entire interfraternal community have been a passion of mine since I was initiated. I am excited to bring this passion to the NIC,” Temby said.
As an undergraduate at Rutgers University, Temby served as president of his colony and was a founder of his Sigma Chi chapter. He has served as a local volunteer for Sigma Chi since the 1990s, and he assumed international volunteer roles more than a decade ago. He currently serves as grand treasurer for Sigma Chi.
Temby will work from his home in the Columbus, Ohio, area, where he will be accessible to the campuses he serves.
In another staffing change, Archie Messersmith-Bunting has assumed a new role with ForCollegeForLife and will have a reduced role with the NIC. He will continue to provide leadership to the NIC’s Health & Safety Initiatives on a consulting basis.
“We are thankful for Archie’s contributions to the NIC membership and happy he will continue to support our framework that empowers students as they work to shift campus culture,” Horras said.
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Statement regarding Lehigh University pause for fraternities and sororities
We agree with the university that the health and safety of students in the campus community must be a top priority. We need to hold students accountable who are not meeting our shared expectations.
However, Lehigh’s “pause” negatively impacts students who are following the rules and is not the right way to address its concerns—other campuses have modeled a better way to solve issues by bringing all stakeholders to the table in collaboration to create meaningfully, long-term change.
As we have said previously, blanket community actions against all fraternities and sororities that prohibit positive activities don’t work. Among other concerns, they disincentivize following the rules and taking care of each other, since responsible students are treated just like their peers causing problems. Blanket actions also erode trust between campus partners and students, alumni and inter/national organizations, because these actions come off as unilateral, lacking basic principles of due process.
We implore the university to bring all parties to the table in a meaningful way to seek a path forward that places the highest priority on the health and safety of students, while respecting the rights of those who are doing the right thing.
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January 29, 2020
Media contact:
Todd Shelton
317.872.1112
Second court rejects Harvard efforts to dismiss challenges to discriminatory policy
January 16, 2020
A state court judge has denied Harvard’s motion to dismiss sororities’ legal challenge to Harvard’s policy punishing students who participate in single-sex organizations.
“This decision recognizes what we’ve long known to be true: that sorority members have rights to freedom of association and should be free from sex discrimination,” said Emma Quinn-Judge of Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the state case.
“Yet again, a court has thoroughly rejected Harvard’s arguments and concluded that there’s more than sufficient evidence that Harvard interfered with the constitutionally protected rights of its female students,” said Quinn-Judge. “Not only did the court reaffirm that these plaintiff sororities deserve the chance to fight for their members’ rights in court, but the ruling emphasized that Harvard’s policy has had a disproportionate impact on women. Two courts have now concluded that Harvard’s policy may be discriminatory and unlawful. Harvard should listen to the courts and stop taking opportunities away from its students.”
Additionally, Dani Weatherford, CEO of the National Panhellenic Conference, Judson Horras, CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference, released the following joint statement in response to Judge Linda E. Giles’ decision to reject Harvard’s motion to dismiss a state lawsuit challenging its policy of inflicting sanctions on students who are members of single-sex groups:
“For a second time, a court has found what is obvious to nearly anyone who’s looked at this case: There is considerable evidence that Harvard’s policies have violated the rights of its students and done unique harm to women’s spaces in particular.
“It is now long-past time for Harvard to repeal this discriminatory policy. Instead of enforcing a policy that tramples students’ rights at Harvard, we hope the university will join us in productive dialogue about building a healthy and more inclusive campus culture.
“While we remain confident that the facts of this case remain on the side of the students we represent, we know that we can build a stronger culture if we work together as partners.”
The plaintiffs in this state lawsuit and a federal lawsuit have a breadth of support from nearly 100 single-sex organizations, including the 26 sororities of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), the 65 fraternities of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), and the organizations in the Cambridge Coalition. Learn more at standuptoharvard.org.
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DOWNLOAD: PDF of RULING
Media Contacts:
TODD SHELTON, 317.872.1112 x447
CHIEF COMMUNICATION OFFICER, NORTH AMERICAN INTERFRATERNITY CONFERENCE
JONATHAN COFFIN, 317.983.1419
FOR THE NATIONAL PANHELLENIC CONFERENCE
About the National Panhellenic Conference
NPC is the umbrella organization specifically charged with advocating on behalf of the sorority experience. It is comprised of 26 national and international sororities that are autonomous social organizations. Collectively, NPC sororities are located on more than 670 campuses with more than 400,000 undergraduate members and nearly 5 million alumnae.
About the North American Interfraternity Conference
NIC is a trade association that represents 65 national and international men’s fraternities, with more than 6,100 chapters located on more than 800 campuses in the United States and Canada, with approximately 385,000 undergraduate members and nearly 4.2 million alumni. The NIC has introduced enhanced health and safety guidelines and programs, including a ban of hard alcohol in fraternity houses and events.
Statement on recent tragedies
The recent deaths attributed to fraternity activities remain under investigation by local authorities. These are separate situations and therefore it is inappropriate to attribute a singular cause. The NIC is monitoring the investigations and is in communication with university officials and individual fraternities. We have offered support and resources to the impacted communities. Regardless of the outcomes, these situations remind us of the importance of a safe environment for members and guests of our organizations. Throughout these difficult times, we are keeping the families and friends of these men in our thoughts and prayers.
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(11/13/19)
Media Contact:
Todd Shelton
