Delta Gamma Winter 2011 : Page 8

npc beat Advancing sorority Together Leaders at NPC annual meeting stress need to adapt in order to thrive By Jennifer M. Siler, Alpha Delta Pi, editor of the Adelphean T he National Panhellenic Conference delegation members, executive directors, inter/national presidents, editors, NPC office staff members, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and guests gathered at the Hilton Austin Airport in Austin, Texas, October 14-16, for the 2011 annual meeting. Throughout the three-day event, groups and committees discussed the business of the Conference, learned from guest speakers and planned for the future. “Advancing sorority Together” was the theme of the annual meeting. In her opening remarks, NPC Chairman Eve Riley, Delta Delta Delta, told attendees, “the Conference is doing very well in our vision, mission and value statements and in our organizational effectiveness.” she added, sorority women are telling their stories effectively, and that can be measured by the increased number of women participating in formal recruitment—up by eight percent this year. NPC member organizations are also doing a better job retaining their members. “We must adapt to changing times but hold fast to the principles that have gotten us this far.” Jane Sutton, Alpha Xi Delta NPC Chairman 2011-13 Important accomplishments during this biennium include a total review of the NPC bylaws, a partial review of the Unanimous Agreements and a report on the results of the Measurable Outcomes Committee. still, “the world has fundamentally changed,” Riley observed, “and we must adapt, for our future depends on it.” For the sorority experience to continue to be relevant, local alumnae advisers must be trained to serve as role models and work with our collegiate members to get more done, she continued. “We have to step out of our comfort zone [yet] make sure the experience we provide is true to our founders,” said Riley. “I’m excited about the possibilities.” Friday evening, Dr. Lori s. White, sigma Kappa, vice president for student affairs at southern Methodist University, discussed the future of higher education in the 21st century, shifting demographics and the impact on NPC. Reports in higher education project growth primarily in the number of Hispanic, African American, Asian and international students and less growth among Caucasian students. “students will be more diverse with different aspirations and expectations. They will be more employment-oriented,” said White. “Colleges will be more expensive, and students will have less time and money for extra activities.” White said NPC organizations need to widen their nets to be viable to the diverse student population. A changing student body will not have as much exposure to fraternity/sorority life. “With different economic and ethnic backgrounds, it will be important to make sure Greek life is a value-added experience by offering a greater focus and positive impact on a person’s career goals. Pay more attention to women’s self-esteem and address gender-related issues,” she advised. saturday morning featured a town hall meeting with presentations by Kyle Niederpruem, Kappa Delta; Erin Nemenoff, Theta Phi Alpha; and Anne Emmerth, Chi Omega. Niederpruem, owner of Kyle Communications, a public relations and social media strategy firm in Indianapolis, addressed “The Brand Promise.” For successful branding, ask your audience what is important, and rank the list; do research and get feedback; ensure each message speaks to your most important brand requirement, and continue to check your relevance. “A solid and reputable brand backed by key messages—a memorable, easy-to-repeat, strong and simple, fact that is incontrovertible—weathers most media crises,” she said. Niederpruem then detailed what she’s doing next for NPC: updating the brand message and platform; creating FAQs for use by member groups; producing a fill-in-the-blank crisis communication plan for member groups; and conducting media training refresher courses for groups. Nemenoff, chairman of the Measurable Outcomes Committee and a doctoral 8 Save a tree! Save a buck! THE ANCHORA OF DELTA GAMMA Winter 2011 Read this online! Email anchora@deltagamma.org. PhoTos: greekyearbook

NPC Annual Meeting

Jennifer M. Siler

Advancing Sorority Together Leaders At NPC Annual Meeting Stress Need To Adapt In Order To Thrive The National Panhellenic Conference delegation members, executive directors, inter/national presidents, editors, NPC office staff members, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and guests gathered at the Hilton Austin Airport in Austin, Texas, October 14-16, for the 2011 annual meeting. Throughout the three-day event, groups and committees discussed the business of the Conference, learned from guest speakers and planned for the future. “Advancing sorority Together” was the theme of the annual meeting. In her opening remarks, NPC Chairman Eve Riley, Delta Delta Delta, told attendees, “the Conference is doing very well in our vision, mission and value statements and in our organizational effectiveness.” she added, sorority women are telling their stories effectively, and that can be measured by the increased number of women participating in formal recruitment—up by eight percent this year. NPC member organizations are also doing a better job retaining their members. Important accomplishments during this biennium include a total review of the NPC bylaws, a partial review of the Unanimous Agreements and a report on the results of the Measurable Outcomes Committee. Still, “the world has fundamentally changed,” Riley observed, “and we must adapt, for our future depends on it.” For the sorority experience to continue to be relevant, local alumnae advisers must be trained to serve as role models and work with our collegiate members to get more done, she continued. “We have to step out of our comfort zone [yet] make sure the experience we provide is true to our founders,” said Riley. “I’m excited about the possibilities.” Friday evening, Dr. Lori s. White, sigma Kappa, vice president for student affairs at southern Methodist University, discussed the future of higher education in the 21st century, shifting demographics and the impact on NPC. Reports in higher education project growth primarily in the number of Hispanic, African American, Asian and international students and less growth among Caucasian students. “students will be more diverse with different aspirations and expectations. They will be more employment-oriented,” said White. “Colleges will be more expensive, and students will have less time and money for extra activities.” White said NPC organizations need to widen their nets to be viable to the diverse student population. A changing student body will not have as much exposure to fraternity/sorority life. “With different economic and ethnic backgrounds, it will be important to make sure Greek life is a value-added experience by offering a greater focus and positive impact on a person’s career goals. Pay more attention to women’s self-esteem and address gender-related issues,” she advised. Saturday morning featured a town hall meeting with presentations by Kyle Niederpruem, Kappa Delta; Erin Nemenoff, Theta Phi Alpha; and Anne Emmerth, Chi Omega. Niederpruem, owner of Kyle Communications, a public relations and social media strategy firm in Indianapolis, addressed “The Brand Promise.” For successful branding, ask your audience what is important, and rank the list; do research and get feedback; ensure each message speaks to your most important brand requirement, and continue to check your relevance. “A solid and reputable brand backed by key messages—a memorable, easy-torepeat, strong and simple, fact that is incontrovertible—weathers most media crises,” she said. Niederpruem then detailed what she’s doing next for NPC: updating the brand message and platform; creating FAQs for use by member groups; producing a fill-inthe- blank crisis communication plan for member groups; and conducting media training refresher courses for groups. Nemenoff, chairman of the Measurable outcomes Committee and a doctoral research fellow with the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, reported on the 2010-11 NPC survey compiled by the committee. Survey results show organizational, operational and programming information, as well as some bragging points. Highlights from the NPC member groups included: 4,292,824 initiated women into 3,031 collegiate chapters, including 67 newly chartered chapters; A 90.2 percent retention rate (new member period to Initiation); and An average new member GPA of 3.09 (fall 2010). Emmerth, formerly the executive director of Chi Omega, reported on the Measurable Outcomes Committee retention pilot study that measured Panhellenic-wide retention at six target campuses. The campuses were selected based on the following criteria: at least three NPC sororities in the system; a variety of campuses (large, small, private and public) and each NPC group would contribute data for at least two campuses. The data collected tracked all new members pledged in a single academic year (2006-07) , from the new member period to graduation. Emmerth explained the study showed NPC member groups do a great job of initiating their members, but retention through graduation varies significantly by campus. Although a blanket statement about NPC member groups’ contribution to campus retention wasn’t clear, a case could be made on individual campuses that sororities help schools retain students. Emmerth suggested the next steps for this pilot study could be to identify campuses for additional analysis. Nicki Meneley, Alpha Chi Omega, NPC executive director, showcased the RecruitmentPREP toolkit that will help prepare women for recruitment. Developed in conjunction with Interactive Collegiate solutions (www.icsmg.com), this interactive website allows women to learn about the recruitment process in general and offers campus-specific recruitment information, resulting in a personalized handbook for the potential new member. The soft launch of RecruitmentPREP was in November. The tool will be available for all campuses and NPC member organizations next fall. The alumnae awards luncheon saturday featured guest speaker Jan Langbein, Chi Omega. Langbein is executive director of Genesis Women’s shelter in Dallas and held a presidential appointment as a senior policy advisor to the director of the U.s. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women. She encouraged everyone to make the world a better place. “We are empowering young women everywhere, and what they leave behind will be a light burning brightly,” she said. “sorority is the idea of excellence for women.” During the closing banquet saturday night, Pete smithhisler, president and CEO of the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), received the Executive Committee Interfraternal service Award. Lissa Bradford, Kappa Alpha Theta, received the Executive Committee Distinguished service Award. After the new Executive Committee was installed, Jane sutton, Alpha Xi Delta, NPC chairman for the 2011-13 biennium, closed the meeting with these words: “We must adapt to changing times but hold fast to the principles that have gotten us this far. When it comes down to it, look to the sister on your left and your right and ask how they will strengthen your potential.” in brief The National Panhellenic Conference is steeped in the rich traditions of its 26 member groups, but its leaders are committed to adapting to changing student populations and their needs. Founded in 1902, NPC represents more than 4 million women today. It exists to promote the values of and to serve as an advocate for its member groups in collaboration with those members, campuses and communities.

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