Greek life looking for new advisor

Delta+Zeta+sorority+takes+pictures+together+with+their+Bigs+and+Littles+after+its+Reveal+Night+on+Oct.+18%2C+2017.+Jewell+Paine%2C+Kelsee+Davis+and+Lindsey+Purviance+are+pictured+above.+Photo+from+Lisa+Kitchen.

Delta Zeta sorority takes pictures together with their Bigs and Littles after its Reveal Night on Oct. 18, 2017. Jewell Paine, Kelsee Davis and Lindsey Purviance are pictured above.
Photo from Lisa Kitchen.

Alexis Montgomery, Culture Editor

Greek life is hiring a new program manager for Fraternity and Sorority Life at Lindenwood after the previous advisor, who was hired in January 2019, left this semester.

The hiring process has narrowed down the selection to three candidates.

Angie Royal, director of Student Involvement, said the process began with candidates filling out an online application. The top three were then brought to campus, where staff and Greek life students interviewed and evaluated them.

The Greek life program manager is in charge of growing fraternity and sorority life on campus, knowing risk management policies, overseeing changes and initiatives, connecting with Greek life students, creating educational programming workshops, and serving as an advisor for each organization and council.  According to the previous advisor’s Linkedin page, Fraternity and Sorority Life has a budget of $25,000 for community programming.

The position has been on campus for just under ten years, and the staff has a deep list of skills and qualities they are looking for in an advisor. Link up with us. Sign up for Lindenlink's weekly newsletter.“The fraternity and sorority life area is one that takes a very special person to be able to oversee it,” Royal said. “There are so many different policies and risk management things that you have to think about, and every organization has a different policy.”

The position on Workday, the university’s online human resources portal, says a Bachelor’s degree and one year of professional experience in Greek life are required. However, Royal said other qualities include a commitment to diversity, a student-centered outlook, and a desire to not only develop the chapters but also their individual members.

There are seven Greek life chapters on campus: three social fraternities, three social sororities, and one co-ed Latino organization, Alpha Psi Lambda. There are also two student-governing councils for fraternities and sororities and a city-wide option for historically African-American Greek life.

The numbers and goals of Greek life will only expand in the future, Royal said.

“We want to take on some more culturally-based Greek organizations,” she said. “We’re taking on a fourth men’s organization next year, so that will be up to eight, and we have city-wide involvement as well.”

All three of the interviews have been open for current Greek life affiliated students to attend. Students have taken an active role in the process, with as many as 15 showing up for the first interview.