2020-2021 Listening Sessions

Tri Sigma’s Executive Council recently hosted a series of listening sessions to hear the lived experiences of members with marginalized identities, specifically Black, Indigenous, and members of color, as well as queer and trans*. The main objective of the listening sessions was to bring greater intention to the approach of cultivating a more inclusive and equitable Tri Sigma member experience. The listening sessions were hosted on Sept. 30, 2020, focusing on Black, Indigenous, and members of color experiences, and Mar. 23, 2021, for queer and trans* experiences. Each listening session was facilitated by the Executive Council of Tri Sigma, who served as listeners, the executive director and director of Education and Training, who served as moderators, and the recently formed Inclusive Excellence Committee, who served as notetakers. The sessions began with a brief welcome and overview of the session structure, followed by small break-out groups for sharing. Each small group was asked a set of reflection questions by their listener, from which the most common themes were derived from individual responses. Following small group reflection, all participants returned to the larger group to hear the three most common themes from their small group, as identified by their designated small group notetaker.

The Sept. 30 session focusing on the experiences of members with Black, Indigenous, and members of color identities had a total of 12 participants, including nine alumnae and three collegians.

The most prevalent themes from the alumnae group included: 1. Lack of non-performative, non-tokenizing representation at the national level, particularly in decision making roles (Executive

Council and staff) and in publications (social media). 2. Disdain with how implicit bias shows up in the Honor Council and recruitment processes and how sorority policies reinforce isolation or marginalized and minoritized members. 3. Unaffordability of sorority experience and unawareness of how socioeconomic disparities promote classism and limit leadership opportunities of those often already marginalized.

(Retrieved from Listening Session Report, 05/05/21)

The most prominent themes from the collegiate group included: 1. Need for required educational programming for all members, particularly focused on beginning and sustaining challenging conversations. 2. Members are contributing to exclusive, even racist, ideology by liking insensitive posts on social media that are not aligned with the organization’s values. 3. Support for LGBTQIA+ members and education surrounding gender and sexuality.

(Retrieved from Listening Session Report, 05/05/21)

The Mar. 23 session focusing on the member experiences of those with queer and trans* identities had a total of 17 participants, including 12 alumnae and five collegians.

The most common themes from the alumnae group included: 1. Recognition of the progress that has been made to create space for queer and trans members and foster belonging that extends beyond college life. 2. Need for education to combat the emotional labor our queer and trans* members are navigating, including ways to continue these sorts of conversations to bring other folks along and address the disconnect among members. 3. Need for members to have a platform to share their experiences and for their visibility to be supported through messaging from the national organization.

(Retrieved from Listening Session Report, 05/05/21)

The most prevalent themes from the collegiate group included: 1. Belonging means shared values, and these have instilled a sense of motivation and perseverance in pursuit of success within college, interpersonal relationships, and academic experience. 2. Need for more inclusive, accessible, and adaptable resources that meet members where they are and empower members with equitable and inclusive language and knowledge for developing authentic relationships, engaging in critical work, and pursuing life-long learning beyond the Tri Sigma college experience. 3. Need for greater visibility of queer and trans identities, including uplifting and celebrating of experiences as well as specific attention to intersectional identities, especially of members who identify with marginalized and minoritized identities.

(Retrieved from Listening Session Report, 05/05/21)