Here at Samford, we have been working this year to establish a formal council for the NPHC affiliated chapters on our campus. We have had three active chapters for some time, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority,Inc; and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc..
As we made word of this effort public a great many questions spawned about the logic, need, etc. for this third council to be created. In an effort to add more information to the discussion the next several paragraphs I'd like to offer some follow up here, and I'll offer it in several formats, please bear with me on that.
To understand the need for three councils you must first look at the organizations management and some of the differences. While I cannot hope to cover all the ins and outs in a blog, I hope that some of these will illustrate the differences.
*Membership recruitment for IFC, Panhellenic and NPHC are dramatically different. IFC and Panhellenic both permit the recruitment and membership of first semester students. NPHC, as a part of their national standards, asks that students have an established, college, gpa. As such, the earliest a member can think about joining an NPHC based organization is the spring semester of their freshman year. IFC and Panhellenic are consistently looking for new members within the framework of their national guidelines (Panhellenic has a maximum cap per chapter on membership). NPHC organizations must follow a strict set of guidelines beginning with securing permission from their overseeing graduate chapter (alumni chapter) to have a new member class. So as you can see, where IFC and Panhellenic are pretty much open ended with recruiting, NPHC organizations may not necessarily be that way.
The longevity of chapters on campus in the NPHC community ebbs and flows. It’s not unusual to see edicts from somewhere in an NPHC organizations’ hierarchy such as moratoriums on recruitment. These are typically in response to challenges the organizations face around the country. This process often kills undergraduate chapters that may have been operating well within appropriate parameters simply because, at most campuses, NPHC member numbers are very low. Based on what I know about Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at Samford, I believe this may have been one example of this type of chapter closure. NPHC organizations, typically at any institution, aren’t “housed” and this actually helps them in that it is one less business operation for them to manage. IFC organizations and Panhellenic organizations typically don’t close unless the chapter has “fizzled” or there is a significant problem that could create liability issues or endanger the health of the membership.
There are also issues of retention and recruitment to consider. On the retention side, it is noted often in student development literature that students seek out mentors that frequently come from similar backgrounds. These students often seek mentors and organizations engaged in activities that acquaint them with not only the greater community but with their own ethnic communities as well. These connections are often made very early in a student’s academic career. Having these organizations that facilitate this process, if we are managing them effectively, can prove the chapters to be very valuable in the retention of ethnic based populations. We also have to work continuously to be in appropriate partnership with their alumni, headquarters, parents, as well as other constituencies. Additionally, the family lineage that exists within these organizations may play significant roles in students choosing colleges to attend, or the interest to stay in one (for better or worse, it can play a role). It is not unusual to see third, fourth and fifth generation family members within the NPHC organizations and that it has played a significant role in their lives. As an example, at the last fall preview day this past semester, a female student asked about an NPHC chapter and that she was looking for that organization at the school she attended because of her families involvement with it. Right or wrong again, that was a priority in that student’s college search.
The IFC and Panhellenic governance structures are not equipped for NPHC chapter issues. All of our chapters are a part of one of three national governance bodies. IFC, represents largely the member organizations of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), Panhellenic represent the members of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) and the National Pan-Hellenic Conference (NPHC) are the need for a third council. As a few examples of management differences existing between the three bodies, are the recruitment processes for new members, advisory structures on the alumni side of the partnership, event management, and more. In fairness, we have had NPHC chapters on campus for some time, but have done them a disservice by attempting to lump them into councils that aren’t built for their operational frameworks. Creating a third governance body has raised the organizations profile on campus and put all of our chapters on an equal playing field.
I hope this adds a bit of background for all of you to the creation of the NPHC here at Samford. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Greek Life at greeklife@samford.edu for more information.
