Office of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs

Courageous Conversations:

• OFSA Website: Courageous Conversations strives to enhance student's understanding of societal constructs, privilege and to increase student's belief in their ability to engage in difficult conversations, address intolerance successfully, and positively affect cultural and climate change. The current framework is developed around topics including heterosexism, genderism, and racism.

• New Member Academy (Previously: New Member Orientation Sessions): presented by the Assistant Directors to all new members at some point during their new member education period.

• Intervene: Intervene is a one-time, 60 minute, bystander intervention initiative with curriculum borrowed from Cornell Health presented in August to Sophomore Greek-affiliated students. Attendance is mandatory. One component is intervening when someone is being racially discriminated against.

  • This program is being used with the permission of The Skorton Center for Health Initiatives at Cornell Health, in collaboration with the Cornell Interactive Theater Ensemble, which developed the bystander intervention video and workshop called Intervene © 2016.

• STAR (NEW): For far too long, OFSA education and curriculum has focused too heavily on "social event" risk management and alcohol and other drug use and misuse intervention and education and not enough on essential learning objectives that are essential to membership in a fraternity and sorority. Since April, OFSA has been working on developing a core curriculum for fraternity and sorority members. We are in the early stages of planning but at this time we are considering calling it STAR. The STAR curriculum would be a sequenced educational initiative that all members of the Greek community would participate in. Different topics would be introduced during intentional times of their membership experience. Topics we are considering including in the sequence include:

  • Diversity & Inclusion (Partnership: OMA, DPE, CGE, Pride Center, Greek Allies, DSS)

  • Hazing Prevention Education (Partnership: Hazing Prevention Coalition)

  • AOD (Partnership: HAPS)

  • Sexual Misconduct, Title IX & Healthy Relationships (Partnership: GVHS, BTS, OGC)

  • Mental Health Awareness (Partnership: UCPS)

• Greek Life 5x10 (Previously: Greek Recruitment PREGAME)

• Council Curriculum

  • General Body Meetings: part of the advisor toolkit, at least one meeting a semester will be focused on DEI initiatives

  • Executive Officer Transition Retreats: one session will be focused on DEI

  • Recruitment Orientation (Panehellenic & IFC)

• CGC Residential Experience: OFSA will explore a co-ed residential experience for CGC members on the hill.

• CGC Expansion: OFSA is in the process of revising our CGC Expansion Policy to ensure that it is written in a way that offers open new opportunities for culturally-based fraternities and sororities to exist at Lehigh. In January, Devore sent a mass email to multiple headquarters of culturally-based fraternities and sororities and has heard back from a few. It is our intention to create more opportunities for culturally-based fraternities and sororities to exist and thrive at Lehigh.

• Additional Student Education/Programming Initiatives: The following Education Initiatives will include DEI educational requirements and are being revisited and audited to ensure they are purposeful and intentional in doing so.

  • All-Greek Council

  • IMPACT (Previously: Base Camp)

  • GEM

  • Greek Allies

  • AFLV Delegation Attendance

  • Accreditation

  • UIFI

  • Recruitment Chair and New Member Educator Institute

  • Partnership with Harbor Institute (NEW)

  • Summit on Greek Excellence and Innovation (NEW)

  • Live-In GA Training (NEW)

• Staff Training and Ongoing Professional Development

  • Sessions at Annual Meeting, Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA)

  • Sessions at AFLV Central, Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV) + National Black Greek Leadership Conference (NBGLC)