Join NIC President and CEO Judson Horras for just 10 minutes to focus in on the primary things you should be doing to prepare for the fall term.
A fresh look at food service, Spring 2021
At College Fresh, we share your concerns about the immediate future of Greek Life. Like you, we are awaiting answers from universities as to what the learning and living environment will be for students in the fall. There may be a lot of unknowns, but what we do know is that we are in this with you – for the long haul.
While COVID-19 has presented many challenges, it has shown us how adaptable and innovative our Greek community is during uncertain times. It has also shown us how much we value and miss our partners and the members we serve. The linked informational packet below contains planning initiatives and solutions we are working on and will have in place for you for fall start-up – so we can get back to being at your service.
Statement on deaths at BGSU and VCU
We join members the Bowling Green State University and Virginia Commonwealth University communities in expressing our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Stone Foltz and Adam Oakes. While the circumstances surrounding these deaths are still under investigation, we must be clear that hazing is a betrayal of the fraternal vows to which every member commits and has no place on campus. When hard alcohol is added to the mix, it is a formula for tragedy.
The North American Interfraternity Conference is partnered with parents of hazing victims and other organizations to educate about hazing and advocate for stronger laws. Our efforts include advancing the END ALL Hazing Act in Congress and making hazing a felony through state legislation including Collin’s Law now before the Ohio State Legislature.
Additionally, the NIC will host a National Town Hall Tuesday, March 9, at 9 p.m. EST for Interfraternity Council presidents and advisors, fraternity staff and volunteers, and fraternity chapter presidents to discuss these developments and critical steps that every fraternity community should be taking to assist in preventing hazing. A recording will premiere shortly after the conclusion of the town hall via Facebook at facebook.com/nicfraternity.
March 7, 2021
Media contact:
Todd Shelton
Campus Support:
Will Foran
7 Keys to Crushing Your Virtual Fundraiser
Philanthropy is one of the most uplifting and unifying aspects of fraternity/sorority life, and it is needed now more than ever. Join us as we discuss 7 proven strategies to help you raise more money, increase engagement, and inspire your team, even if you have to do it all in a virtual environment. We’ll also look into some examples of virtual events that you can host safely and successfully, and we’ll have an interactive discussion about your own events where you can share experiences, learnings, and questions.
Keys to Virtual Recruitment: From Those Who Have Done It
Join the NIC team for a panel discussion with students and advisors well as students and advisors who have successfully hosted virtual recruitment along with President and co-Founder of Phired Up, Matt Mattson. We will focus on what has worked, what hasn’t, and what we have learned that can help you have a more successful recruitment this spring.
DOWNLOADS:
Preparing for Spring Recruitment: Get Phired Up For A New Approach to Growth
We’ve learned a lot about virtual (and hybrid) recruitment over the past few months, and have seen many success stories. Join Matt Mattson (President and co-Founder of Phired Up and TechniPhi) and Kenny White, an IFC Growth Expert for Phired Up & TechniPhi) in an engaging session on planning for virtual recruitment this spring. No matter the size of your community or structure of your recruitment, this webinar will provide you with tools and resources to help your council and community prepare, strategize, and get “Phired Up” for an important recruitment season.
Fraternity members report higher levels of positive mental health and support
As college students deal with more anxiety, depression and feelings of social isolation, a new report from the Postsecondary Education Research Center (PERC) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, found fraternity affiliated students report higher levels of positive mental health along with lower rates of depression and anxiety.
“One of the impacts of public health restrictions meant to keep people safe is that many students feel distanced and alone this year,” said Judson Horras, president and CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference. “Fraternities are helping students cope, and they have always played an integral role in helping new students successfully transition to college life.”
The ability of students to succeed in higher education and beyond is dependent on their physical and mental well-being, and the nation’s higher education institutions are seeing increasing levels of mental illness, substance use, and other forms of emotional distress among their students according to a study published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Fraternity and sorority members believe that good support systems exist on campus and are more likely to seek therapy or counseling at some point in their lives, according to the PERC report. Members have a lower chance of being diagnosed with depression throughout their lives. This is important at a time when a survey of more than 300,000 students finds 60 percent of college undergraduates are having an increasingly difficult time accessing mental health care, even before campuses closed and instruction moved online due to the pandemic.
The PERC report continues to reinforce the benefits of fraternity membership. In fall 2020, a study by Dr. Gary R. Pike of Indiana University supported his previous findings that fraternity and sorority membership is associated with significantly higher levels of engagement on a number of measures including high impact practices, collaborative learning, student-faculty interactions, perception of a supportive campus environment and discussions with diverse others—including people from different races, ethnicity, economic backgrounds, religious beliefs and political views.
“There have been several studies, including mine, that find positive relationships between fraternity/sorority membership and student engagement and student learning. While specific findings on a scale differ from study to study, the overall results are consistent about fraternities and sororities having this positive effect on students’ engagement in college,” said Dr. Pike.
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February 22, 2021
Full report: Mental Health Study Grant Report from the Postsecondary Education Research Center (PERC) at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, by Assalone, Grace and Biddix | DOWNLOAD
Statement regarding formation of Durham Interfraternity Council
February 15, 2021
We support Duke University student leaders’ in forming the Durham Interfraternity Council to focus on a safe and healthy fraternity experience while ensuring students have the opportunity to join fraternities, or any student organization, at the time that they feel is best for them. As research shows, fraternity members benefit from engagement significantly more than non-members, particularly in first-year students, and report higher levels of positive mental health along with lower rates of depression and anxiety which is important during the current pandemic.
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Media contact:
Todd Shelton
IFC Awards Program
The IFC Awards Program honors those who advance the movement and have a direct, positive impact on fraternity.
We look forward to continuing to celebrate student success through the IFC Awards Program, recognizing campuses, councils and individuals that exemplify NIC Standards and aim to align with IFC Standard Operating Procedures.
Please direct any questions about the awards process and the development of this program to awards@nicfraternity.org.
Please note, these awards recognize the Council itself, not the organizations/chapters comprising the Council. Individual awards are given to Outstanding IFC President and Outstanding IFC Advisor.
Outstanding IFC
The Outstanding IFC Award recognizes Interfraternity Councils (IFCs) that excel in operations and positively impact their member chapters, their fraternity/sorority communities and host institutions.
- Goes above and beyond to establish fraternal values that are woven into multiple facets of the experience, community and group attitude.
- Holds high standards for all chapters on their campus.
- Demonstrates excellence in all aspects of operations, service and interfraternalism.
Outstanding Community Service
This award recognizes Interfraternity Councils that participate in and provide opportunities for meaningful service within their campus community.
- Committed to actively participating in service opportunities on their college campus as an IFC.
- Provides information and service opportunities for their member organizations to participate in community service locally and/or on campus.
Outstanding Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
This award recognizes Interfraternity Councils that actively practice adherence to the NIC DEI Position Statement recognizing that human diversity and embracing differing points of view allows for innovation and growth.
- Illustrates commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion educational opportunities for the IFC, member fraternities and/or campus community at large.
- Actively engages campus and community partners to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in the fraternity experience.
Outstanding Peer Governance
This award recognizes Interfraternity Councils that excel in operations and adhere to the IFC Standard Operating Procedure: Governance.
- Illustrates commitment to their IFC Code of Conduct and Judicial Code.
- Implements officer structure inclusive of the nine functional areas provided by the SOP.
- Provides opportunities for IFC officers to educate the fraternity community on areas related to their position and duties.
Outstanding IFC President
The Outstanding IFC President Award recognizes IFC Presidents whose leadership has been a driving force for growth, positive change and interfraternalism on their campus. Must have completed their role as IFC President in the past academic year.
- Illustrates clear leadership that has shaped the future of their peers and the campus community.
- Deeply committed to the advancement of the fraternal experience and lives the highest standards of fraternity.
Outstanding IFC Advisor
This award recognizes campus-based professionals working in fraternity/sorority life providing exceptional support to an Interfraternity Council in a manner that contributes to overall Council excellence, enhances peer-governance among students, exemplifies interfraternal values and models effective partnerships. Must have held the role of IFC Advisor on the campus in the past academic year.
- Exemplifies fraternal values, mission and purpose.
- Shows collaborative leadership in addressing critical problems and affects systemic change for good.
- Inclusively committed to the personal development of all individuals, challenges students to be the best they can be and encourages progressive change within the Council.
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