Indianapolis, April 19, 2017—Known throughout the higher education community for his commitment to interfraternalism and leadership development, Dominic Greene will soon bring his experience to the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) as Vice President of Campus Operations for the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

Joining staff July 1, Greene will deliver campus support to college fraternity communities and contribute to NIC educational and advocacy initiatives. This position’s focus on undergraduate development, alumni engagement and council effectiveness will lend to the NIC’s overarching Vision for Fraternity Communities. Greene will join fellow VPs Will Foran, Rick Barnes and Blaine Ayers, further growing the campus support team.

Dominic’s extensive experience in higher education and the fraternal industry makes him the perfect resource to support campuses in his region,” said NIC President & CEO Judson Horras.

Greene’s breadth of experience spans fraternity/sorority life, student activities, leadership development and residence life, providing valuable subject matter expertise across the higher education landscape.

As a long-time volunteer for the NIC, I am excited to work for an organization that has done so much for me personally and professionally,” Greene said of joining the NIC team. “The position perfectly aligns all of my passion areas as I work with our member organizations and campuses to continue elevating the fraternal movement.”

Most recently serving as Director of Student Activities at American University, Greene oversaw fraternity/sorority life, student government and organizations, and leadership programming. In this role, he successfully increased support of the fraternity/sorority community with the addition of professional staff, establishment of four new chapters and procurement of significant leadership development funding for fraternal officers. Prior to this role, Greene served as Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Northwestern University and was the catalyst to immense growth within the community, adding 11 new chapters over eight years and increasing participation in campus leadership programs by 540 percent.

Greene’s involvement in fraternity/sorority life has encompassed both professional and volunteer roles. He has facilitated almost 100 interfraternal leadership programs, including 30 of the NIC’s Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI), Impact and Alcohol Summit sessions. He is a long-time Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) volunteer, and the organization recognized him as Volunteer of the Year. Beta Theta Pi also honored Greene with the Interfraternalism Recognition Award and Regional Volunteer Award for his work as a program facilitator and chapter advisor.

Greene joined Delta Upsilon while attending University of Oregon, where he served as chapter President and a two-term IFC officer. He earned his master’s of education from University of South Florida. Greene will work from his home in Washington, D.C., where he will be accessible to the campuses he serves.

STATEMENT FROM JUDSON HORRAS, NIC PRESIDENT & CEO

CONTACT:
Heather Kirk, Chief Communication Officer
heather.kirk@nicfraternity.org

Indianapolis, March 29, 2017—While fraternities focus on improving campus culture and strengthening higher education partnerships, Harvard’s decisionto allow only women’s groups to continue operating as single-gender organizations affirms why we must also aggressively defend students’ rights.

Harvard’s original policy trampled students’ association rights, and it now also serves as a blatant form of gender discrimination, which must be vigorously challenged.

We strongly urge Harvard to reconsider their decision and accept our repeated offers to collaborate on solutions that create greater inclusivity, improve campus culture and respect student rights.

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

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Founded in 1909, the NIC is the trade association representing inter/national men’s fraternities. The NIC’s member organizations boast more than 6,000 chapters located on more than 800 campuses in the United States and Canada, with approximately 380,000 undergraduate members and nearly 5 million alumni.

March 1, 2017

Good afternoon,

A lot of you, our campus partners, have asked for “the NIC’s position on system-wide actions” since several communities have recently resorted to various forms of blanket actions.

First and foremost—we agree student safety must be our top priority. We also agree we need to hold students accountable for not meeting our shared expectations.

As we talk about advancing communities, I think it’s important for everyone to understand the fundamental assumptions that guided the development of the NIC’s Vision for Fraternity Communities:

There is no silver bullet

If there was one solution to fix negative aspects of campus cultures, it would have been done by now. Complex problems require multiple strategies working in coordination over a sustained period to foster dramatic change.

Collaboration fosters commitment:

A top-down strategy of issuing a bunch of new policies without buy-in isn’t going to move the needle. Engaging stakeholders in solutions that impact their lives fosters the commitment required for authentic change.

Global strategy, local tactics

Each campus requires customized solutions that align with the industry’s direction and its unique environment.

One block at a time

Campus cultural change will not happen overnight. Each campus needs an intentional, phased approach that moves its local culture in a positive direction.

So, here is why the NIC opposes blanket community actions:

• It disincentivizes following the rules and taking care of each other, since responsible students are treated just like their peers causing problems.
• It undermines efforts for students to self-report problems since doing so will negatively affect a broad group of students not related to the misconduct.
• It advances the narrative among students and alumni that “the school is out to get rid of fraternities.” We know that’s not true, but it is hard to counter it when the community’s activities are shut down over the actions of a few.
• It erodes trust between campus partners and students, alumni and inter/national organizations, because these actions come off as unilateral, lacking basic principles of due process.
• Too much energy is wasted dealing with the predictable media over-reaction, trying to figure out who did what, and rebuilding strained relationships among those unfairly and negatively impacted by system-wide action.
• We need to focus on proactively building healthy communities where students effectively govern themselves, establishing and practicing leadership prior to a crisis. Educational and compliance requirements often put in place during a blanket action should be consistently applied well before any incident.

I also understand the reality that doing nothing when a tragedy has occurred or a pattern of problems has emerged isn’t a good option either. The NIC will continue to work with interfraternal partners and the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) in the coming months to finalize industry guidelines for all parties should collective response be necessary.

With that in mind, here are some recommended steps for a campus should community-wide action need to be taken:

• If an incident happens, engage the Council leadership immediately to help them understand the gravity of the situation. Challenge them to take ownership, so they feel empowered—not forced—to make change. The rest of the community will respond better to change led by its elected peers.
• Engage the fraternity’s HQ and alumni right away. Yes, they may not be on the same page with you immediately, but trust me, collaborating with them from the start is worth the investment in the long-run. And if the HQ doesn’t call you back, let us know, as responsiveness is an NIC Standard adopted as a part of NIC 2.0.
• Call the NIC team. We are uniquely positioned to garner support from inter/national organization partners in your time of need. Our members are invested in your community’s health and want to do as much as they can to support it.
• If these steps don’t work, keep any blanket action imposed by the administration to a very limited time, and focus on resetting and/or clarifying expectations with student and alumni leaders. This should be done within a 10-day period to minimize unintended negative consequences outlined above. If students continue to not meet expectations following this period, hold them accountable and share the outcome in a public manner to further deter bad behavior. Better yet, involve students in the accountability process so they take ownership in the community’s standards!

I know that often blanket actions are being demanded by senior-level administrators even though you might be advocating for another solution. Here are some suggestions on how to handle this dynamic:

• Engage them in the proactive development of the community before the incident happens. They will be far more likely to trust your judgement and believe that student and alumni leaders are truly invested in moving the community forward.
• Establish response protocols before the incident. Make sure everyone up and down the chain of command understands how these stressful situations will be handled should something happen. Run practice drills with your staff, student and alumni leaders, so they are prepared should a crisis happen.
• If the first two don’t work, ask for them to speak with one of our team members. We will advocate for you by providing context for how other campus partners have handled similar situations by empowering, not disenfranchising, student and alumni leaders.

We remain committed to supporting your community. Your students are our members, and we all want to provide them a healthy, safe and positive fraternal experience. We know advancing communities takes strong partnerships, and we stand ready to assist you.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Interfraternally,

Judson A. Horras
NIC President & CEO

Indianapolis, Jan. 10, 2017—After five years as Sigma Alpha Epsilon Executive Director—during which he led the fraternity’s evolution in critical areas—Blaine Ayers will join the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) staff in the role of Vice President of Campus Operations, Southeast.

Blaine has been a change leader for Sigma Alpha Epsilon,” said NIC President & CEO Judson Horras. “His skills, experience, and approach with students and alumni makes him the perfect person to support campuses in the Southeast.”

Under his direction, Sigma Alpha Epsilon implemented the True Gentleman Experience, shifting from pledge education to a holistic member development program. He made diversity and inclusion a key priority for the organization, hiring a full-time director to oversee new initiatives—the first staff position of its kind for an NIC fraternity. Ayers also delivered record growth to SAE, all while overseeing the Fraternity, Foundation, and Financial & Housing Corporation.

Prior to his role as Executive Director, Ayers served as the fraternity’s Associate Executive Director of Chapter and Alumni Services, as well as a Regional Director. He also worked as Assistant Dean of Students at University of Kentucky, where he advised fraternities and sororities.

Ayers will join the NIC team later this year after guiding Sigma Alpha Epsilon through its executive transition. His roots as an undergraduate Interfraternity Council (IFC) President and his contributions to the larger fraternal movement create a strong foundation for his new role.

It’s easy for me to believe in what the NIC is trying to accomplish—I believe in the same principles and values,” said Ayers. “I am hopeful my experiences from my undergraduate time until now will benefit the fraternity communities I work with.”

At the NIC, Ayers will deliver campus support to colleges and universities in the Southeast. To increase alumni, undergraduate and IFC effectiveness, he will establish relationships with campus professionals and NIC stakeholders to coordinate an education and advocacy strategy. He will work alongside Will Foran and Rick Barnes, the existing VPs of Campus Operations, further strengthening the capacity and impact of the NIC’s Campus Support team.

Ayers joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon while attending University of Kentucky, and he earned his master’s degree from Spalding University. He looks forward to moving to Nashville, Tennessee, where he, his wife and four kids will be closer to family, and where he will work from home.

Indianapolis, Dec. 12, 2016—Exhibiting strong commitment to emerging and culturally-based fraternities, the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) welcomes Veronica Moore to its team.

As the Director of Emerging & Culturally-Based Fraternal Initiatives, Moore will develop educational programs for these NIC groups, as well as focus on their advocacy within higher education. She will advance collaboration, resources and services to support the continued growth and development of organizations in the Fraternity Growth Accelerator, an initiative established in the historic NIC 2.0 reforms.

Moore is joining the staff after completing her term as President of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) earlier this month. In her six years on the AFA board, she helped create and implement the organization’s strategic framework and led it to unprecedented growth.

As a member of a culturally-based sorority who has strong interfraternal leadership experience under her belt, Veronica is the perfect person to help us establish these programs,” said Judson Horras, NIC President & CEO.

In its first year, this will be a part-time position with the intention of expanding it to a full-time role as the initiatives evolve. Delta Upsilon International Fraternity recently hired Moore and is sharing her time with the NIC for initial program development.

“We are thrilled we have the opportunity to partner with our interfraternal friend, Delta Upsilon,” said Horras.

Moore has more than 10 years of professional experience in higher education. She most recently worked as Associate Director of Student Activities at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she developed a chapter assessment program, established a framework for community operations, and grew the community and its councils through intentional expansion. Additionally, in her five years as the Assistant Director of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs at Lehigh University, Veronica created valuable educational resources, helped grow the multicultural fraternal community, enhanced the chapter educational and assessment plan, and developed relationships with campus partners and faculty from multiple disciplines.

I’m excited for this opportunity because of the NIC’s intentionality to make sure allgroups are successful as it seeks to improve fraternal communities across North America,” said Moore. “It’s important for emerging and culturally-based organizations to have awareness of and access to resources, and through my role, I hope to help these fraternities increase their positive impact.”

Moore became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at Carthage College. She earned her master’s degree in College Student Counseling and Personnel Services at Western Illinois University. She will work from her home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and will begin her role with the NIC in January 2017.

Indianapolis, Oct. 5, 2016—The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) and four regional interfraternal leadership programs are partnering to bring council officer training to students in 2017.

In its pilot year, new Interfraternity Council (IFC) Academy curriculum will be facilitated at four regional conferences and new College Panhellenic Academy curriculum will be facilitated at two conferences. Programming will emphasize interfraternal leadership, establish a community mindset and goals, and take a deep dive into officer-specific training. Program collaborators are focused on recruiting seasoned content experts to deliver training. NPC will host its third annual College Panhellenic Academy in late January in addition to the regional program pilots.

By joining efforts and bringing our Academy programming to different parts of the country, we have a greater opportunity to provide current and consistent education to a broader set of student leaders,” said Dani Weatherford, NPC Executive Director. “Additionally, we hope this collaboration can model how fraternity and sorority communities can work together to solve challenges faced on many campuses today.”

The program will be piloted in several ways, allowing collaborators to assess which model is most effective. For this reason, logistics and registration will be unique to each conference, and the hosting organizations will provide information on their websites in the months to come.

This coalition is another example of the industry coming together to make a better future for all students,” said Judson Horras, NIC President & CEO. “While we are focused on College Panhellenic and IFC in year one, our vision is to continue to refine the program to include all fraternity and sorority councils in the future.”

Organization leaders are excited to introduce the new officer education at each of their regional events.

Northeast Greek Leadership Association (NGLA) Annual Conference

“This collaboration is important because it helps us elevate the training available to our students and fosters community-wide change conversations across the country,” said Emily Perlow, NGLA Chairman. “Such partnership helps build collaboration between councils, empowering leaders to steward change and place the values of their organizations at the forefront of decision making.”

Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV) Central and West

“We wanted to go to the source; the NIC and NPC are partners uniquely suited to provide clear expectations and training to the student leaders who serve on IFCs and College Panhellenics,” said Ryan O’Rourke, AFLV Executive Director. “As a new course is charted for interfraternal communities, it would be counterproductive not to connect students to those efforts and provide training on how they can use them to make the organizations more effective.”

Southeastern Interfraternity Conference (SEIFC) Leadership Academy

“Officer training has been the centerpiece of our program for the past 10 years,” said Gary Wiser, SEIFC Executive Director. “By transitioning the Victor Felts CORE Institute to the IFC Academy, this partnership will allow us to expand our programming opportunities and outreach to councils in various functional areas.”

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Founded in 1909, the NIC is the trade association representing inter/national men’s fraternities. The NIC’s member organizations boast more than 6,000 chapters located on more than 800 campuses in the United States and Canada, with approximately 375,000 undergraduate members and nearly 5 million alumni.

Indianapolis, Sept. 22, 2016–The North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) welcomes Beta Upsilon Chi as its newest member fraternity. Beta Upsilon Chi has joined the NIC to “align itself with the fraternal movement” and access advocacy and resources that will elevate its value in higher education, said Jason Hoyt, Beta Upsilon Chi President and Chief Operating Officer.

Membership in the NIC will allow Beta Upsilon Chi to learn from the collective experience of dozens of other fraternities while maintaining our unique identity and our strong commitment to a Christian brotherhood, which reflects our purpose, values, mission and goals,” said Hoyt.

The NIC advocates for young men to have the opportunity to join fraternal experiences that best reflect their core values for lifelong membership.

We are thrilled Beta Upsilon Chi has joined the NIC family, which represents a large cross-section of students from diverse backgrounds and interests including historically black, multicultural, religious and emerging organizations,” said Judson Horras, NIC President & CEO.

Since its founding at The University of Texas at Austin in 1985, Beta Upsilon Chi has had tremendous growth to include 2,500 undergraduate men in 34 chapters on campuses in 16 states. The fraternity brings powerful programs to its members, like the COR Leadership Retreat, which over 10 days, provides students with professional development, mentorship, outdoor experiences and team building.

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Founded in 1909, the NIC is the trade association representing inter/national men’s fraternities. The NIC’s member organizations boast more than 6,000 chapters located on more than 800 campuses in the United States and Canada, with approximately 380,000 undergraduate members and nearly 5 million alumni.

At this year’s Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual Meeting in Boston, the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) will host a special pre-conference program:

THE FUTURE OF FRATERNITIES

Wednesday, November 30, 2016 | 1 to 4:30 p.m.

The meeting will feature both presentations and small-group conversations that:

• Provide an update on the progress of NIC 2.0
• Explore what our priorities and initiatives mean for you as a campus professional and how they can positively impact your community
• Provide an update on the progress of the NIC Presidential Commissions on alcohol, hazing and sexual assault
• Gather input to explore how together, we can chart a course for the future of fraternities

This program is presented at NO COST for attendees thanks to the sponsorship of Sigma Phi Epsilon and the partnership of AFA. Those interested in attending can reserve their spot when registering for the AFA Annual Meeting. The online form will prompt attendees to choose any special programs they plan to attend. Select “The Future of Fraternities.”

Click here for more information. AFA early-bird registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 30.

If a registered attendee for the Annual Meeting would like to add this program to their registration, simply email Kyle Moyer, AFA Membership & Client Service Associate.

Indianapolis, Aug. 8, 2016—Fraternities have reached out to the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) for insight around inclusion as the needs of transgender college students have recently received increased attention. The NIC has established a working group to review the student development and legal perspectives in this area.

We have heard from fraternities that they would like more education in this area,” said NIC President & CEO Judson Horras. “They are listening to their members and constituents and seeking out greater information around potential policy options and their implications.”

The Transgender Inclusion Working Group will:

• Conduct a scan of existing membership inclusion and/or anti-discrimination policies of fraternal organizations, higher education associations, universities and other such groups.
• Survey interests and concerns, interviewing experts and constituents.
• Obtain legal insight around impact on the Title IX exemption of single-sex fraternities and sororities, as well as exposure to discrimination-based claims.
• Outline leading practices and provide member fraternities with a report enabling them to make informed policy decisions.

The charge of this group is not to recommend a specific policy or set an industry-wide standard. Each NIC fraternity is a sovereign organization that selects its own members based on its guidelines. The group will provide information and leading practices to fraternities to support their members.

Many organizations across society—from campuses to businesses to government entities—are currently working through these same policy questions,” said Horras. “Fraternities are selective organizations that get to choose their members, and we have an opportunity to be more inclusive.”

We welcome input on this topic. Please reach out to Patrick Jessee, Executive Director of Delta Sigma Phi and Chairman of the work group, or Heather Kirk, NIC Chief Communication Officer, to provide information or your perspective throughout August.

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Founded in 1909, the NIC is the trade association representing inter/national men’s fraternities. The NIC’s member organizations boast more than 6,000 chapters located on more than 800 campuses in the United States and Canada, with approximately 375,000 undergraduate members and nearly 5 million alumni.

(updated) Indianapolis, July 6, 2016—After Harvard University announced May 6, 2016, that it would sanction students who are members of single-gender organizations, fraternal organizations came together to urge the university to reconsider its policy. Today, Campus Pride, the leading national educational organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups, joins the organizations to advocate for student rights and ask Harvard to refocus on effective strategies to further campus safety and inclusion.

Harvard’s policy will not fix the serious campus problems of sexual assault or discrimination—much less classism and racism,” said Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer. “It will only drive them further underground. Blocking access or restricting rights is never the answer to complex issues. Simple solutions only end up hurting more people in the long term. Instead, we encourage Harvard to reconsider its policy and take a more complex, strategic ownership and responsibility in directly addressing the concerns at heart by all its student populations.”

Read Campus Pride’s full statement. Read the updated joint statement from Campus Pride, the NIC and other fraternal organizations below.

FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS RESPOND TO HARVARD POLICY ON SINGLE-GENDER ORGANIZATIONS

Indianapolis, May 9, 2016—Officials from the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO), the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA), and Campus Pride, issue the following statements in response to the policy announced Friday, May 6, 2016, by Harvard University that would sanction students who are members of single-gender organizations, beginning with the class entering 2017. At Harvard, fraternities and sororities—which are private organizations—are not affiliated with the university.

JOINT STATEMENT FROM DANI WEATHERFORD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PANHELLENIC CONFERENCE; FRANCISCO LUGO, COMMISSIONER OF MEMBER SERVICES FOR THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS; JUDSON HORRAS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERFRATERNITY CONFERENCE; MARK KOEPSELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO OF THE ASSOCIATION OF FRATERNITY/SORORITY ADVISORS; AND SHANE WINDMEYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS PRIDE

While we understand and share Harvard’s goals of creating a safe and equitable environment for students, we are discouraged and disappointed by the policy announced Friday, as it mistakenly assumes the way to achieve those ends is to punish students for participating in single-gender organizations. We urge Harvard to reconsider this policy. Not only does it deny students the basic right of free association, it penalizes them for involvement in fraternities and sororities—experiences that foster leadership, personal growth and the very sense of engagement college is designed to create.”

Additional Statement from Weatherford, National Panhellenic Conference

“Sorority membership calls on women to empower each other and provides powerful spaces of support, something as important today as it has ever been. We strongly encourage our Harvard colleagues to consider the ramifications this policy shift will have on programs and opportunities for women on campus. While we support efforts to forcefully address sexual assault on every campus, punishing women for being members of single-gender organizations is not the answer.”

Additional Statement from Lugo, National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations

“Students in culturally-based fraternities and sororities are also punished by Harvard’s policy. Our organizations provide a powerful experience for underrepresented students, and if Harvard is seeking to make campus more inclusive and equitable, removing opportunities for these students goes directly against that goal.”

Additional Statement from Horras, North American Interfraternity Conference

“This policy not only violates student rights, it takes focus off real issues around campus safety. Our organizations and the university need to get back to the problem at hand—reducing violence. The NIC represents a diverse range of fraternities—including historically black, multicultural and emerging organizations—and our member groups stand ready to come to the table as willing partners to improve campus communities.”

Additional Statement from Koepsell, Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors

“Harvard’s long-held intentional decision to not recognize or support fraternities and sororities has been a disservice to students in those groups. Harvard’s proposed solution to control these students through top-down policy rather than mentorship and professional support completely misses the mark on how to improve campus safety and inclusivity.”

Additional Statement from Windmeyer, Campus Pride

“Harvard’s policy will not fix the serious campus problems of sexual assault or discrimination—much less classism and racism. It will only drive them further underground. Blocking access or restricting rights is never the answer to complex issues. Simple solutions only end up hurting more people in the long term. Instead, we encourage Harvard to reconsider its policy and take a more complex, strategic ownership and responsibility in directly addressing the concerns at heart by all its student populations.”

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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 approximately 380,000 undergraduate members and more than 4.5 million alumnae.

About the North American Interfraternity Conference
Founded in 1909, the NIC is the trade association that represents a diverse range of inter/national men’s fraternities, including historically black, multicultural and emerging organizations. NIC’s 69 member organizations boast more than 6,100 chapters located on more than 800 campuses in the United States and Canada, with approximately 375,000 undergraduate members and nearly 4.2 million alumni.

About the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
Established in 1998, NALFO promotes the advancement of Latino fraternities and Latina sororities. NALFO shares a commitment to fraternal unity, family values and empowering Latino and underserved communities.

About the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors
Through programs, publications, networking opportunities and other resources, AFA represents the community of campus-based fraternity and sorority advisors and is the leading voice in aligning the fraternity/sorority and higher education experiences.

About Campus Pride
Campus Pride is the leading national educational organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups building future leaders and safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. The organization provides resources and services to thousands of college students and nearly 1,400 campuses annually. Learn more online at CampusPride.org.