Greek Life Diversity and Inclusiveness Education Initiative

Overview

The Lehigh University fraternity and sorority community is one of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, religious practices, and all of these individuals come together to creates our own Lehigh fraternity and sorority community culture.  But part of bringing so many different people together is the charge of helping those individuals develop skills to assist them in learning to understand one another and work together.  The ever-changing demographic of the Lehigh University student population, and the fraternity and sorority community making up almost 40% of this population, makes it a must for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs to take the lead in working with chapters represented at Lehigh to ensure they are leading the charge in creating a more accepting and inclusive atmosphere for everyone at the university.

History of Lehigh’s Inclusivity and Diversity Initiatives

In 2004, the Strengthening Greek Life Initiative proposed a number of action steps in order to work towards the advancement of a more diverse Fraternity and Sorority Community, to develop and implement opportunities for chapters and councils to understand and appreciate differences, and to foster a more inclusive environment by seeking opportunities for programming partnership and education. From this stemmed the following results, among others:

• Panel discussions on inclusivity and culturally-based chapters
• Co-sponsored events between the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Interfraternal and Panhellenic Councils
• Conversations on Race program
• Creation of the Campus Relations Chair for both the Interfraternal and Panhellenic Councils
• Included  diversity initiative in the partnership section in Lehigh’s accreditation process

Furthering the Vision

In 2008 and 2009, the initiatives of Inclusivity and Diversity were readdressed with the following completed action steps:

• The System Wide Assessment Committee’s  asserted their commitment to growing the culturally-based chapter community. Expansion of the culturally-based chapter community included two new culturally-based chapters: one historically-based Latino fraternity and one historically-based Latina sorority
• The Creation of the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) was completed, consisting of three  existing culturally-based chapters. The MGC is a new council to the Lehigh community which serves as a governing council that serves the needs of culturally-based chapters
• Incorporation of personal responsibility and the importance of community  nto various educational programs offered by the OFSA

Student Resources, Optional Involvement and Educational Opportunities:

• Culturally-based chapters
• Kappa Alpha Psi – historically African American fraternity
• Lambda Sigma Upsilon – historically Latino fraternity
• Lambda Theta Alpha – historically Latina sorority
• Greek Allies
• The goal of the Greek Allies program is to provide a communicative outlet for current Greeks who struggle with LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Ally) issues, to support students who identify as LGBTQIA who are interested in Greek Life at Lehigh, and to offer educational programs and panels for students who want to learn more about what it means to be Out and Greek.
• Programming offered by OFSA staff:
• Intake strategies for culturally-based chapters
• History of Greek Life (with or without special emphasis on culturally-based chapters)
• Greek Life and the  LGBTQIA community
• Spirituality in Fraternity and Sorority Life
• Social Justice topics
• Customizable topics of choice
• Unity Programming between the Interfraternal, Panhellenic and Multicultural Greek Councils
• The IFC, Panhel, and MGC executive board members are always looking for opportunities to co-sponsor activities that support community, inclusion, and understanding within the fraternity and sorority community

For more information about diversity and inlcusion programming, please contact Christa Wessels at caw408@lehigh.edu