Diversity in Sorority Life

How do we foster diversity on a college campus?  How do we give students more freedom than they’ve ever experienced and then force them to befriend someone who is different?  Throughout our institutions, we see student organizations made up of predominantly one race.  Students identify with one group and tend to congregate with students who have similar experiences and lifestyles. 

            In a 2011 court case, it was ruled lawful for the University of Texas to take race into consideration when selecting students for admission.  Some critics of this decision question the necessity of such policies.  Why force diversity and admit minority students who might be less qualified in order to reach quotas for certain student populations?  Instead, why not focus on quality education for ALL students and accept them based on achievements rather than race?

            At the University of Alabama, a school rich with tradition and history, the school’s historically white sororities remain just that—white.  In her book, Pledged, Alexandra Robbins notes that the only time (as of 2005) that a minority woman was given a bid to a white sorority it was by mistake.  A student whose mother was Caucasian and her father was bi-racial was granted membership into a traditionally white sorority, her family’s race unbeknownst to her new sisters.  During Greek recruitment in 2001, an African American student with a stellar GPA, extensive volunteer experience, and a padded resume didn’t make it to the third round of recruitment.  Although she had made many friends before and during recruitment, these relationships were not enough to secure her a bid.  After completing the recruitment process twice and not receiving a bid, the young woman created her own group.  She was looking for sisterhood and lifelong friendships and decided to create a sorority of her own to meet those needs.  Rather than focus solely on social events and upcoming philanthropies, her organization participates regularly in service activities and engage in intellectual conversation.

            Many critics of the Greek system claim that overbearing advisors and mothers run Greek houses, living vicariously through the lives of their daughters and holding on to memories of their college days.  To effectively change the environment of institutions and the Greek system, we must put leaders in place who are advocates for facilitating diversity.  If we force groups to accept members based on their race are we really teaching students anything? Without a change in adult and student leadership and supervision within these organizations we will never see a change in the demographic layout of Greek organizations on our campuses.

As student affairs professionals, we should work with Greek letter organizations to develop programming that will encourage diversity within these groups and teach students and advisors to be accepting and willing to change.  Programs should focus on what an individual has to offer regardless of their skin color or family history, teaching students to place value on other characteristics.  Chapter members would initially be taken out of their comfort zone, but eventually these changes would become the norm and multicultural organizations would thrive on campuses.  Who knows what potential these organizations would have if they didn’t discriminate based on race? 

Sources: 
Pledged: The Secret Life of Soroities
No Time for Complacency
Powerful Greek Systems
How to Handle Racist Practicies in Sororities and Fraternities

Helicopter Parents Aren't Going to Fly Away

                "How to begin to educate a child. First rule: leave him alone. Second rule: leave him alone. Third rule: leave him alone. That is the whole beginning."  

-D.H. Lawrence, 1918

 

Helicopter parents, we’ve all heard of them, and many of us have had some interaction with them.  Parents who demand that their students be awarded certain privileges or accommodations, or request special treatment for their child.  It seems that parents are becoming increasingly involved in the lives of their college students.  Hovering parents expect constant communication with their student and immediate access to school officials and professors.  From life on campus to career decisions, parents are pressuring their students to live life according to the standards set forth for them by mom and dad.  How do institutions of higher learning deal with overly involved parents who insist on micromanaging the lives of their college students?    

                The Millennial Parents are the ones guilty of “hovering,” and since the Millennials will be enrolled in undergraduate institutions until at least 2020, schools are designing programs and procedures to deal with difficult and needy parents.  According to Eric Wills article The Parent Trap, The University of Vermont has established a team of individuals called “parent bouncers” to keep unwanted parents out of certain orientation activities, discussions, and class registration.  But rather than “bouncing” parents, most of these student employees direct parents to coffee tents, parent programs, and answer other questions the parents might have.  Clemson recruits parents who had a positive orientation experience to return the following year and share with new parents.  Clemson’s Jeanine Ward-Roof, director of student-development services says, “We can no longer think about just the student, it’s the whole family that is involved.”  Recently, we’ve seen family involvement here at Ole Miss involving one of our biggest football recruits.  Robert Nkemdiche’s mother was very vocal about the “family” decision that would be made regarding her son’s college football career. 

                In her article, The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting, Nancy Gibbs addresses the extreme measures parents take in protecting their children.  She also points out that statistically, children are much more likely to be harmed by a family friend or relative than they are to eat poisoned Halloween candy or be kidnapped by a complete stranger.  Gibbs suggests that parents view college admissions as a sort of report card on how well they raised their children.  If a student is accepted to a notable university and is awarded scholarships, parents feel as if they’ve succeeded. 

Claire Potter, a history professor at The New School for Public Engagement in New York has developed a list of skills that students should have before they begin college.  She also suggests that professors should give assignments that allow students to use these skills and work with their students to improve upon them.  Skills on her list include: learning to communicate clearly and effectively with professors and other professionals via email and in person;   managing schedules and prioritizing assignments and other commitments; and communicating to parents that as a college student he or she can handle problems as they arise and do not need daily assistance.  Imagine if every college student arrived on campus with formal communication skills and the motivation to problem solve without a parent holding their hand?  Student Affairs professionals would be blown away and their jobs would probably be much easier. 

As we look ahead to plan parent programs, we should consider the involvement that many of these parents have had in their child’s life for the last 18 years.  They aren't going anywere anytime soon.  Letting go will be difficult, especially when moms and dads have controlled soccer games, school musicals, and the Homecoming parade for years, but it is possible.  By providing parents with other ways to get involved on campus and teaching them effective ways to communicate with their students, we can help them fly away.  With parent support and clear communication between the institution and the parents, students can learn to become independent adults and eventually (hopefully) be hard working citizens making positive contributions to society.    

Sources: 

Parent Trap

Managing Millennial Parents

Want Helicopter Parents Gone? Teach Your Students To Fly.

The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting

Photo: Hugh Kretschmer for TIME 

Education Majors—the Future of American Schools

“Why do you want to be a teacher, you’re so much smarter than that.”

“You should consider medical school or law school; you are far too intelligent to be a teacher.”

These two statements are heard far too often in today’s society.  Regardless of where they come from, be it a well meaning relative or a peer with dreams to become the next great researcher.  According to New York Times journalist, Nicholas Kristof, schools in the United States are not doing their jobs in preparing students for the future.  He refers to the educational system as a “broken elevator.” A system that at one point, provided the necessary skills and knowledge to move up in socioeconomic status now acts more as a steep set of stairs than an escalator. 

As an undergraduate student, I received confused looks when I returned to my hometown and announced that rather than pursuing a career in accounting, I would be studying education.  Thankfully, one of my former teachers and family friends was incredibly supportive.  Since teaching me, she has moved into a principal position and oversees teachers, new and old, on a daily basis.  She told me that the brightest students always make the best teachers, and that it was a shame more students were not encouraged to pursue careers in education.  As a student, I heard remarks belittling the education program at Ole Miss and the students enrolled in the School of Education.  Even some of my friends made comments regarding my coursework and the classes I was required to take.  To the disbelief of many, I completed multiple 400 level history classes about everything from the Cold War to drug wars in Latin America, to the Huns in early China.  I enjoyed many of these classes, just as many students on a pre-med track enjoy biology and chemistry classes, but they were by no means easy.  Just as accounting students struggle to understand theories in Intermediate Accounting, I was challenged when researching the history and laws of ancient China. 

In the world of undergraduates, there is a certain stigma surrounding education majors.  Most might agree that anyone studying Elementary Education is simply attending college to complete an “MRS Degree,” preparing to be a wife and mother while taking easy classes and spending hours coloring pages and playing with kids.  Those studying Secondary Education are the former high school football stars who want to coach their hometown team to a State Championship while teaching a few drivers ed classes along the way.  But what about the people who, are you ready for this, want to teach!?  Crazy, I know.  But can’t you remember at least one teacher in your educational career who honestly loved his or her job?  Someone who worked after hours planning lessons that would spark your interest and hold your attention?  Just one teacher who loved students so much that on Friday nights, rather than being with family, her or she was at the football field cheering for the players, cheerleaders, and band members who sat in their classes every week?  If these teachers are the ones making a difference in our schools and preparing students for life after high school, why don’t we have more of them?  There are so many answers to this question.  The pay is too little, the parents are too involved, teaching to the test isn’t really teaching, paperwork is overwhelming, students have no respect, facilities are not up to date, there is no support from school administration, and there are no opportunities to move up from here; the list goes on and on. 

Vartan Gregorian, in his article Teacher Education Must Become Colleges’ Central Preoccupation, states that “higher-education institutions, in fact, must accept much of the responsibility for the dismal state of public school teaching today.”  He goes on to say that schools of education do not provide adequate training for prospective teachers and do not ensure they are properly equipped in their subject area before they are licensed to teach.  This is the disservice we are doing, as institutions of higher learning, to our students.  By failing to prepare them for what they will face in a classroom, we are setting them up for disappointment, frustration, and little success in the future.  Arthur Levine blames the failure of teachers on the expectations placed on them by employers.  He points out the lack of on the job training in teaching, citing doctors, lawyers, and businessmen as examples.  What hospital will take a doctor straight out of medical school and have him perform open heart surgery?  Why do we expect the same of our teachers? 

Before we can recruit solid students to enroll in schools of education, we must work to change the stereotype of education students and teaching as a profession.  Recently, Mississippi has taken a huge step in attracting bright students to become teachers.  The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program will provide 20 students with a full scholarship to attend either Mississippi State University or The University of Mississippi and enroll in education programs.  Upon completion of their degree, students must commit to teaching five years in Mississippi schools.  The requirements for this scholarship are high, requiring a minimum score of 28 on the ACT test and take part in a competitive interview process. 

Hopefully, in the coming years, we will see increased funding towards education and an increased interest in becoming an educator.  With more educators interested in enriching the lives of their students, perhaps we will see higher graduation rates and an even higher completion rate at colleges and universities. 

Sources:
The Clarion Ledger
Expectations for Our Teachers Are Misplaced
Teacher Education Must Become Colleges' Central Preoccupation
Our Broken Escalator