Examines whether different levels of undergraduate racial compositions affect White student participation in social fraternities and sororities. Findings show that White students who attended nearly all-White campuses were significantly more likely to join a Greek social organization. Also notes that the role of Greek systems on the racial…

Campus environments easily impact the ability of higher education professionals to establish campus community. Campus buildings, settings, and environment are important aspects of the development and maintenance of community. This article provides an introduction to environmental impact and one institution's approach in redesigning their Greek…

Reviews recent court decisions revealing that, despite factual and jurisdictional differences, fraternities and institutions of higher education face increasing exposure to civil liability for accidental injuries, especially when alcohol is served to minors or intoxicated persons. (Author)

Introduces special edition of this journal on fraternities and sororities. Presents a series of questions for campuses to ask when deciding whether to have fraternities and sororities and when determining how such organizations should operate. Identifies areas of needed research. Concludes that student affairs professionals will continue to be key…

Discusses the role of higher education in determining values of students, and how that role is undermined by the way colleges and universities deal with fraternities and sororities. Focuses on how student personnel administrators should view recent resurgence of these organizations in light of the values they should be espousing, and that current…

Examines Black fraternities from historical perspective, focusing on their founding and the impact of social action and community service on their development. Concludes that Black fraternities are at crucial juncture and must adapt to environmental changes to survive. Notes that, historically, these organizations have developed service endeavors…

Investigated relationship between background characteristics of fraternity pledges (N=108) and alcohol consumption during first month of pledgeship. Found heavier alcohol consumption strongly correlated with positive view of its socialization value and with prior incidences of problems associated with alcohol use. Found lesser relationship between…

Examined relationship between student residence (on-campus university housing, on-campus fraternity/sorority housing, off-campus nonuniversity housing) and alcohol use by investigating how drinking patterns and irresponsible acts related to drinking vary with gender and with housing arrangement. Results from 1,097 college students revealed that…

Short pieces discuss employment opportunities for Hispanic college graduates at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, growth of Hispanic college fraternities and sororities, college scholarships for Hispanic women awarded by Mary Kay Cosmetics, participation by Hispanic college art students in renovation of a bank mural, and the sixth annual Tejano…

Study of Greek-letter social group members (n=321) at midwestern university found significant correlations between members' levels of involvement and their psychosocial development as measured by Student Development Task and Lifestyle Inventory. Differences in the relationship between involvement and psychosocial development were established by…

Assessed interpersonal values of college student volunteers (n=45) involved in community service activities. Found that students' interpersonal values differed relative to whether they were involved through religious, social Greek, or service organizations. Social Greek group was significantly higher on Recognition; service group was significantly…

Used Student Leadership Practices Inventory to survey fraternity and sorority presidents and executive committee members. Findings from 239 men and 389 women revealed that practices of effective student leaders did not vary according to gender. Effective leaders, both male and female, engaged in challenging, inspiring, enabling, modeling, and…

Participants were college fraternity men (N=155) who were in either a pretested and posttested rape-prevention program, a posttested rape-prevention program, or an untreated control group. Significant declines in rape myth acceptance and behavioral intent to rape were shown among program participants regardless of whether they were pretested.…

Greek-letter organizations can and should be vehicles for their members' ethical development. If fraternities and sororities examine the ethical challenges they face, they can enhance their contribution to the campus learning community. (Author)

"Paper" was the term created in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Black fraternities and sororities first began to shorten their pledge periods, subsequently abolishing pledging in 1990. Paper signified a person who completed the membership intake process without pledging. Essentially, they followed the rules of the national organization as…