NPC Update

Adaptations Sparked from the Pandemic Allow NPC to Strengthen Focus on Safety, Diversity and Research

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Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the 2020 National Panhellenic Conference Annual Educational Conference and Annual Meeting was postponed to 2021; however, work within the organization continues forward.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The NPC Board of Directors met for a virtual retreat, February 12–14. Discussions ranged from board education and pipeline marketing to discussion of reports from the Panhellenic Recruitment and Access & Equity Advisory Committees.

The board also approved a new NPC Position Statement on the Commitment to Offering Equitable and Accessible Membership Opportunities. The new statement affirms NPC's condemnation of all forms of discrimination and its commitment to welcoming all women—regardless of age, ethnicity, race, religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, body type, sexual orientation and ability—to the Panhellenic sisterhood. The board also heard from the NPC Marketing Team regarding plans for several spring and summer campaigns to promote the sorority experience and encourage recruitment participation.

ACCESS AND EQUITY

In January, NPC announced the launch of a new year-long initiative aimed at reducing or eliminating costs associated with Panhellenic recruitment and sorority membership. This announcement builds on other NPC efforts aimed at creating a more inclusive sorority experience, including the creation of the Access and Equity Advisory Committee. “We know the cost of recruitment and membership can be a barrier to entry and create a systemic hurdle based on socioeconomic status. NPC and our member organizations have an opportunity and an obligation to take a close look at how we can minimize financial barriers while continuing to deliver a rewarding, transformational sorority membership experience,” said NPC CEO Dani Weatherford.

The NPC Board of Directors consists of five directors elected to service by the Council of Delegates and two appointed by their member organization on a rotational basis. This includes Past International President Rie Gerah Hoehner (front row, far right), Epsilon Nu–University of Central Oklahoma. NPC’s Chief Executive Officer serves on the Board of Directors ex-officio without vote. The NPC Chairman is elected by the Council of Delegates. With the support of designated representatives from each NPC member organization, the NPC initiative will also review costs associated with membership, including housing, inter/national dues and chapter-specific fees. This review will seek to identify best practices and opportunities for greater uniformity in disclosing membership costs to potential new members.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

NPC’s strategic plan encompasses the following priorities which broadly define the key approaches NPC volunteers and staff will use through 2022: • Champion the sorority experience • Cultivate strategic growth of Panhellenic communities. • Leverage the collective strength of member organizations.

PROJECT 2029

Though the pandemic forced the NPC board to quickly shift focus from Project 2029, a focused effort to imagine the sorority experience by the year 2029, to protecting sorority members and the sorority experience in an ongoing crisis. As planning for Project 2029 resumes, the work of the NPC Access and Equity Advisory Committee remains a critical component.

RESEARCH

Prior to the pandemic, NPC staff and volunteers worked on projects in the 2019–22 NPC Strategic Plan, including updating the message framework regarding how we communicate about the sorority experience. Research regarding the relevancy of women’s-only organizations and sororities in the eyes of rising undergraduate women and their caregivers took place last summer and was managed by VOX Global. While the NPC marketing team is using the research results to inform their near-term work, the board outlined messaging they believe NPC can use too play a role in changing perceptions about and removing barriers to the sorority experience. This messaging involves recruitment and perception of the sorority experience, the rising cost of membership which has created a number of barriers to entry into sororities and issues of safety. NPC recently announced a partnership with the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform to launch two companion research studies that will evaluate cultural competency and diversity, equity and inclusion within NPC-affiliated sorority chapters. The two studies will measure the level of cultural competency among sorority women at both minority-serving institutions and at predominately white institutions. Researchers will also identify best practices for strengthening competency and enhancing inclusion within sorority chapters and communities. Each of these initiatives all fit into the larger whole of visioning the sorority experience in 2029. NPC also partnered with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education on a demographic study of college bound students. The report highlights higher education student demographic trends.

COLLEGE PANHELLENIC ACADEMY

The annual NPC College Panhellenic Academy was held online and was attended by nearly 850 virtual participants in late January. Collegiate officer breakout sessions were offered for chapter presidents, as well as judicial affairs, marketing, recruitment. Advocacy Building Block sessions focused on citizenship and service, health and safety, scholarship and freedom of association. These sessions opened a space for participants to reflect on the advocacy efforts of NPC and develop actionable steps for engaging in advocacy in the future. The 2021 Annual Educational Conference and Annual Meeting is scheduled for September 22–26 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Collegian Opportunities

The NPC Foundation offers scholarships to outstanding Panhellenic women. Applications are due March 15. Learn more and apply here.

NPC is also accepting applications for the 2021–22 Student Advisory Committee. This group of collegiate sorority women ensure the collegiate perspective is included in all initiatives, campaigns, programs and more. Applications are due April 14. Learn more and apply here.