Prompt: How do you think the needs of workers in the fraternity/sorority
profession will change in the future, and what is one way our work environments will need to evolve to meet those needs?
Brian Joyce, Ph.D. Dartmouth College Director of Greek Life
Fraternity/sorority life is becoming increasingly complex. Professionals in our field manage significant liability for ourselves, our students, and the institution. Sometimes it seems as though much of the work I do on a daily basis requires more of a law degree than a student affairs degree. Our commitment to holistic student development and student learning often conflicts with a pressing need to be more knowledgeable about federal, state, and local laws. As fraternity/sorority professionals, we often find ourselves managing and balancing any number of compliance issues for the institution. How do new marijuana laws affect fraternity/sorority housing? How do town zoning ordinances dictate institutional rules with unrecognized fraternities living on private property? How do First Amendment freedom of association and freedom of speech laws affect our work? These are only a sampling of the hot button issues currently associated with fraternities and sororities. These issues are complex. Our colleagues and work environments need to recognize the expertise of fraternity/ sorority life professionals in navigating these difficult and overlapping challenges. At the same time, fraternity/sorority life professionals need increased training in applying relevant laws and ordinances (building upon the governance competency in AFA’s Core Competencies). The legal landscape is evolving. Our work environments must significantly invest in our professional development in new and different ways as we are the frontline for applying and interpreting compliance within these evolving expectations.
05 PERSPECTIVES Issue #3
Melissa Kish Zeta Beta Tau
Chief Operating Officer
I believe two of the biggest shifts we will see in the future are: 1. Continued high turnover and the need for positions aligning with passions. We need people to stay in positions to learn and grow in the work, and we need to provide coaching and training that builds resilience in staff. Employers need to better define what the work will be. Employees need to listen and make choices based on what the job is, not on what they hope it will be. 2. A lot of our work in this field is very reactionary ‌ and sometimes short-sighted. As we continue to gather meaningful data, work in partnership, and aim for high expectations, I hope we start to see a shift allowing for more proactive work to occur. This shift will create a need for those doing the work to have a stronger skill set in both strategic and tactical thinking. The greatest way we need to evolve to meet these needs is to move toward a culture of design thinking. This is done by creating a balance between technology and economic viability, as well as environments that focus on the people we serve first — who they are, what matters to them, and how they learn. Only then can we think differently and create experiences that truly add value for our students. Design thinking allows staff to be creative and innovative while also balancing organizational priorities.
