The standard role of staff advisors in our office is to actively support fraternity and sorority life through advising, advocacy, and education efforts. We define and develop our efforts utilizing the Council for the Advancement of Standards Guidelines for Fraternity and Sorority Advising Programs (FSAP), the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Core Competencies for Excellence in the Profession, and institute-based, as well as Board of Regents system-wide, policies, procedures and guidelines for student organizations and activities.
Fraternities and sororities can be powerful forums for learning and development. It is the responsibility of those who work with these organizations to apply practices that, and engage stakeholders who, enable success at the student and organizational level, while supporting the holistic development of fraternity and sorority members and promoting the positive and enduring principles of fraternities and sororities in higher education.
AFA Core Competencies
Governance
Collegiate fraternal organizations are subject to various sources of authority, each with their own expectations. Fraternity/sorority professionals must accurately identify, interpret, navigate, and support compliance with these expectations.
Fraternity/Sorority Systems
Collegiate fraternal organizations have many unique operating practices, and they operate across a variety of functional areas. Professionals must be familiar with, provide accurate advice about, and be able to navigate all relevant functional areas and operating practices.
Student Safety
Collegiate fraternal organizations present both challenges and opportunities to enhance student safety on campus. Fraternity/sorority professionals must be familiar with the nature of these issues, the campus partners who work to prevent them, and research-supported strategies for addressing them.
Student Learning
College students make significant gains in learning and development in college, and fraternity/sorority membership influences their outcomes. Fraternity/sorority professionals must be able to explain and apply theory, research, and good practice in student learning and development to their advising, training, and educational efforts.
Program Administration
Fraternity/sorority professionals are responsible for contributing to the core functions of an organizational unit. They must be capable of identifying, managing, planning, and executing the basic duties of a departmental program.
Navigating Complexity
Supporting collegiate fraternal organizations involves multiple functional areas and complex issues that have multiple causes and contributors with no perfect or obvious solutions. Fraternity/sorority professionals must be able to acknowledge, navigate, make quality decisions, and lead through these complex issues.
Operating Strategically
There is no shortage of work to be done in supporting collegiate fraternal organizations, and not all work is equal in importance or urgency. Fraternity/sorority professionals must be able to coordinate multiple competing priorities, consider long-term implications of their work, use limited resources intentionally, and organize work in a way that produces the best results.
Driving Results
Universities and fraternal organizations are being called to demonstrate measurable progress in the many issues they face. Fraternity/sorority professionals must be able to deliver on institutional/organizational outcomes and demonstrate effective use of institutional/organizational resources.
Working across Differences
College fraternal organizations serve a diverse population of students and are supported by various stakeholders with contrasting viewpoints. Fraternity/sorority professionals must be able to engage productively with those who have differing experiences and views to create environments where people are valued, respected, treated with dignity, and given the opportunity to participate fully in the community.
Collaborating with Stakeholders
Fraternities and sororities are supported by a network of stakeholders who each have their own authority, perspective, priorities, and interest in the community. Professionals who work with these organizations must take personal responsibility for working collaboratively with each stakeholder group in order to capitalize on shared interests and navigate conflicting priorities.
Driving Vision and Purpose
Facilitating continuous improvement in fraternity/sorority life requires interpersonal skills to align stakeholders around shared aspirations for the future. Fraternity/sorority professionals must be able to dream, create, articulate, design, and champion a vision and milestones for fraternal organizations that support their mission and values.
CAS Standards
Student development theory is widely applied in student affairs to aid in the explanation of how students learn and grow during the college experience. Organizational theory can also guide FSAP practice. When practitioners intentionally apply the theoretical foundations of student affairs, they can create an environment that supports student learning and development, as well as organizational development. FSAP professionals must be purposeful in their support of the healthy development of students who are members of fraternities and sororities.
In addition to understanding theories, FSAP professionals can be most effective in their roles if they understand the frameworks that guide good practice. One effective framework is that of assessment, which helps student affairs professionals to be intentional in how they conduct their work. If FSAP professionals aspire to be more aligned with higher education priorities, it is particularly vital to place the assessment of student learning and development as a top priority in the FSAP’s overall agenda. The Core Competencies of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors provide a critical foundation for professionals seeking to assess their practice and ensure intentionality in this work.
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Anyone wishing to discuss issues related to the advisement of fraternities and sororities, or to voice concerns or grievances in this regard are encouraged to contact Dr. Jamison Keller, Assistant Dean and Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life. All concerns will be handled respectfully and responded to in a timely manner.
Our Advising Efforts Include
Challenging and supporting
organizations and individual members.
Guiding and facilitating
the work of chapter officers, their alumni advisors, and governing councils, as well as their respective national organization leadership in striving for student and chapter excellence.
Advocating
for the advancement and support of the Georgia Tech fraternity and sorority experience within the campus community.
Our staff communicate regularly and clarify the Institute's high expectations for chapters as values based organizations hosted by Georgia Tech and challenge members and organizations to be accountable for their actions. This includes advising fraternity and sorority members regarding adherence to organizational and campus-based policies and community relations in general.
As a unit, our office maintains accurate and comprehensive records on membership statistics, scholarship achievement, and matters of conduct in partnership with the Office of Student Integrity. This information is utilized to encourage and influence positive change and promote recognition of accomplishments by fraternity and sorority members within the Georgia Tech Greek community.
Our staff implements educational programs that will benefit members and positively impact their fraternal experience. They also conduct program evaluation and learning outcomes assessment to guide future best practices.