University News
Fraternity and Sorority Community at WIU Sets Strategic Plan for the Future
March 6, 2008
MACOMB, IL -- To coincide with Western Illinois University's strategic plan initiatives, Western's fraternity and sorority community has created the strategic plan "A Return to Higher Values in the Fraternity and Sorority Community" at WIU to enhance its future on the WIU-Macomb campus.
According to Assistant Director of Student Activities Will Foran, three years ago Western was one of 27 schools to participate in the Association of Fraternity Advisors (AFA)/Educational Benchmarking (EBI) Greek Life assessment, which is a tool that measures the perceptions that members have of their fraternity or sorority experience. Foran said Western's participation in the study showed that Greek life at WIU was doing well in several areas, but also highlighted the need for improvement in several key areas related to the fraternity and sorority experience. This data, as well as continuing assessment ,led to the formation of the Fraternity/Sorority Advisory Council, which was charged with developing a comprehensive strategic plan that focused on the longterm enhancement of the fraternity and sorority community at Western.
"While leadership opportunities stemming from Greek life at WIU are numerous, and the assessment processes revealed that the community is still playing a significant role in developing excellent leaders, some parts of the foundation of the fraternity and sorority community at WIU have been eroding over time. This erosion has manifested itself in several areas including academic success, social responsibility and relationships within the community and more," Foran explained. "The fraternity and sorority community at Western should -- and can -- be the singular best opportunity for any student looking to improve him/herself, gain critical life experiences, and become connected to a smaller community. The stated and implicit values of each fraternity and sorority on this campus parallel the values of the institution. In order for the fraternity and sorority community to fully realize their collective potential, there is a need for a recommitment and reinvestment in the community by all stakeholders."
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GREEK PLAN … ADD 1
The six focus areas of the strategic plan are: enhancing intellectual development; integrating fraternal and institutional values; developing leadership skills and abilities; developing positive relationships; developing citizenship through service and outreach; and developing purposeful and appropriate levels of positive advisement and support. In order to continue with this charge, the fraternity and sorority community will be participating in the 2008 version of the AFA/EBI Assessment, which will allow the community to benchmark its progress since 2005 and compare the outcomes of fraternity and sorority membership at Western Illinois to the outcomes experienced by other fraternity and sorority members across the country.
"It's essential that the fraternity and sorority community at Western refocus on the values and goals set forth by their individual chapters and by the University as a whole," Foran explained. "Western's four core values – academic excellence, educational opportunity, social responsibility and personal growth – should be reflected and nurtured in the Greek community. The goal of the student leaders of the fraternity and sorority community, the Fraternity/Sorority Advisory Council, and WIU is to make the vision set forth in the strategic plan a reality. This is an exciting time for the institution as well as for the fraternity and sorority community as the fraternal experience at Western is repositioned as an experience that truly is relevant and based in the values and principles of each organization and WIU.
For more information about the Fraternity/Sorority Community Strategic Plan, visit osa.wiu.edu/greeklife/strategic.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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