Skip to main content

Our Priorities

From that time forward, we have continued to refine these priorities and action steps as a framework to guide our fraternity and sorority community. We will highlight accomplishments throughout the year on social media and in our Greek Life Annual Report.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, the VU Greek community spent significant time reflecting on the purpose and outcomes for our community – considering our past and the changes that need to be made to align with our values and where Vanderbilt University, the country and the world is today

 

 

Community Priorities

  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
  • Member Experience Accessibility
  • Community & Civic Engagement
  • Sexual Misconduct Prevention
  • Health & Wellness
  • Personal & Professional Development

The Vanderbilt Greek Community will demonstrate their commitment to making the member experience more equitable and inclusive.

GOAL 1: Fraternity and sorority members will utilize on campus and inter/national headquarters provided resources to gain a better understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.  

  • Action Step 1:  All new members of the Greek community will engage in four core educational modules that provide foundational cultural competency knowledge, skills, and awareness.  
  • Action Step 2: All council officers and chapter presidents will discuss the ways that they can individually create inclusive and culturally responsive environment during Greek Leader Retreats.
  • Action Step 3: All DEIB officers/representatives will discuss the ways that they can individually create inclusive and culturally responsive environments through participation in the Greek Inclusivity Alliance.  
  • Action Step 4: Chapter members will participate in applicable programming offered by their respective national organizations related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. 

GOAL 2: Fraternity and sorority members will engage in meaningful action that is informed by the education provided by the Student Center for Social Justice and Identity and the Office of Greek Life.

  • Action Step 1: As part of the Greek Member Experience Program, all chapters will create and implement a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement and Plan that will outline their overarching goals related to inclusion.
  • Action Step 2: Each chapter will have representation in the Greek Inclusivity Alliance; specifically the diversity, equity, and inclusion officer where applicable.

The Vanderbilt Greek community will highlight their commitment to providing opportunities to access the fraternity/sorority member experience.  

GOAL 1: Fraternity and sorority members will create opportunities for prospective members to connect with active members to explore the possibility of Greek membership.

  • Action Step 1: Each Council will provide experiences for prospective members to meet and engage with active members. 
  • Action Step 2: Each Council will host pre-recruitment experiences that will provide education to prospective new members about membership criteria. 
  • Action Step 3: The Office of Greek Life will connect with campus partners supporting students with less exposure to fraternity/sorority life prior to joining the VU community (first-generation students, international students, etc.) 

GOAL 2: Fraternities and sororities will develop dues/fees models that support a financially inclusive Greek member experience. 

  • Action Step 1: Each council will continue to provide information about financial responsibilities for joining and sustaining membership.
  • Action Step 2: Councils and chapters, as able, will continue to provide dues scholarships to members in the fall and spring semester. 
  • Action Step 3: Each chapter will critically evaluate their budgets to determine what costs can be changed/eliminated in order to reduce financial impact to their individual members.
  • Action Step 4: Each chapter will evaluate opportunities to work with alumni or other external stakeholders in fundraising to subsidize the costs of organization membership as necessary.

The Vanderbilt Greek community will continue to build upon its strong commitment to service, philanthropy, and engagement. Educating fraternity and sorority members on the impact of their philanthropy and service will be central to these efforts along with the social justice connection to these initiatives. 

GOAL 1:  Fraternity and sorority members will prioritize civic engagement that centers an understanding of the populations being served in the Nashville community and elsewhere. 

  • Action Step 1: As part of the Greek Member Experience Program, all chapters will create and implement a Community Impact Plan that will identify a social issue and determine what types of awareness, community service and/or philanthropic programming addressing that issue.

GOAL 2Fraternity and sorority members will maintain organization-wide and individual connections to the larger Vanderbilt University community through campus engagement.

  • Action Step 1: All fraternity and sorority members will be encouraged to join at least one additional campus organization, which will be documented as part of the Greek Member Experience Program through the campus profile.
  • Action Step 2: The Office of Greek Life will promote campus-wide engagement events to fraternity and sorority members. 

The Vanderbilt Greek community will engage in ongoing education about sexual misconduct and develop response mechanisms for members who experience or are accused and/or found responsible of sexual violence. 

GOAL 1: In partnership with Project Safe, the Office of Greek Life will coordinate sexual misconduct and prevention education for all new members, active members, officers, and Project Safe liaisons.

  • Action Step 1: All potential new members will participate in effective consent, prohibited behaviors, and campus resources programming.
  • Action Step 2: All new members will participate in bystander intervention training.
  • Action Step 3: All members will participate in bystander intervention tactics training. 
  • Action Step 4: All chapter and council officers will participate in training with Project Safe and Title IX. 
  • Action Step 5: All Project Safe liaisons will participate in ongoing training provided by Project Safe. 

GOAL 2: The Office of Greek Life will facilitate connections between individual fraternity and sorority members members Project Safe resources. 

  • Action Step 1: Each chapter will appoint at least one liaison who will serve as a connection between their organization and Project Safe, specially to support members who have been impacted by sexual misconduct. 
  • Action Step 2: Project Safe Liaisons will receive information about Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming to share with members in their organizations to encourage participation.
  • Action Step 3: All Project Safe Liaisons will review the Vanderbilt Sexual Misconduct Prevention policies each semester.

The Vanderbilt Greek community will continue to engage in education about important topics that impact  their health and wellness with a focus on inter/national and Vanderbilt community support resources. Fraternities and sororities will examine their role in providing and participating in low risk environments that seek to do no harm. 

GOAL 1: The Office of Greek Life will provide education to all community members regarding risk/harm reduction policies and best practices, particularly related to alcohol/drug use, social events and hazing prevention.

  • Action Step 1:  All new members of the Greek community will participate in an online module annually about the risks and responsibilities of being a member of the fraternity/sorority community.  This will include risk management education on participation in social events and applicable University policies and Tennessee state laws.
  • Action Step 2: The Office of Greek Life will provide training to all chapter and council officers about expectations in planning social events, mitigating risk, and responding to different type of risk.
  • Action Step 3: All intake chairs/new member educators will participate in a training to discuss expectations for intake/new member education programs and ways to prevent hazing practices. 
  • Action Step 4: The Office of Greek Life will provide risk management reminders to all community members at least once a semester. 
  • Action Step 5: The Office of Greek Life will facilitate connections between the Center for Student Wellbeing, End Overdose, and other campus resources related to alcohol and drug use education.

GOAL 2The Office of Greek Life will facilitate connection between individual fraternity and sorority members and mental health support and resources on campus.

  • Action Step 1: The Office of Greek Life will provide advisory and financial support for the  Greek Community Mental Health Collaborative.
  • Action Step 2: The Greek Community Mental Health Collaborative will provide information to all fraternity and sorority members outlining available mental health resources and highlighting the student of concern form.
  • Action Step 3: The Office of Greek Life Instagram page will continue to feature weekly mental health tips and resources.

 

The Vanderbilt Greek community will support the personal and professional development of all students by connecting them to different educational opportunities with various campus partners. 

GOAL 1: The Office of Greek Life will actively partner with all fraternity and sorority advisors in support of their organizations. 

  • Action Step 1: The Office of Greek Life will host chapter advisor training by early August for all advisors with content on supporting the current Vanderbilt student population, advising expectations, chapter expectations, and campus resources.
  • Action Step 2: The governing council advisors will host regular meetings with their respective council’s advisors. 

GOAL 2: The Office of Greek Life will promote engagement of all organizations in leadership training offered on campus and from their respective inter/national organizations.

  • Action Step 1: The Office of Greek Life will connect fraternity and sorority members to the Office of Student Organizations, Leadership, and Service to learn about and participate in various leadership development opportunities. 
  • Action Step 2: The Office of Greek Life will provide leadership education to chapter officers around topics relating to the success of fraternities and sororities.  
  • Action Step 3: The Office of Greek Life will deliver position-specific training to house managers, new member educators, social chairs, recruitment officers, and treasurers.  
  • Action Step 4: Chapter leaders will share their participation in educational and leadership engagement events hosted by their respective inter/national organizations. 

GOAL 3:The Office of Greek Life will encourage fraternity and sorority member engagement in experiential learning critical to success at Vanderbilt and beyond.

  • Action Step 1: All fraternity and sorority members will achieve 300 points per academic year in the VandyPASS program.
  • Action Step 2: All chapter and council officers will complete the Clifton Strengths assessment and participate in a coaching session.