Artificial intelligence (AI) is embedded in the daily work of fraternity and sorority life (FSL) professionals. It is being utilized by staff, students, and different functional areas across student affairs. FSL work centers on interpersonal relationships, leadership development, and values-based decision-making. As AI continues to evolve, it presents both an opportunity and a responsibility to keep FSL work centered on its values while adapting to these new practices (Holmes et al., 2019; Selwyn, 2019). FSL professionals are in an interesting position to help students engage ethically with this technology, making sure it enhances students’ fraternal experiences rather than diminishing the field’s core values and tenets.
AI in Daily Practice
AI is redefining how administrative and programmatic work is done in FSL. It can complete tasks such as drafting emails, generating reports, and supporting recruitment efforts. Using AI for these tasks can increase efficiency and reduce administrative burdens. Professionals can now redirect saved time toward relational work, including mentoring students, facilitating meaningful conversations, and addressing complex community needs and dynamics (ACPA & NASPA, 2015).
This can be of great relief for FSL professionals, but there are ethical considerations that should be considered when utilizing AI. Authenticity is crucial to the work, and overusing AI can threaten it. Students can often sense when interactions feel scripted and impersonal.
Professionals can be excellent models for intentional AI use for students by using it as a support tool rather than a substitute for critical thinking and human engagement. Professionals should be transparent about their AI use, review AI-generated material, and confirm that it aligns with community values.
Defining Appropriate and Inappropriate AI Use for Students
Students are already using AI in multiple aspects of their lives outside of FSL, including academic assignments and job applications. Within FSL, students use AI to create flyers, risk management plans, and recruitment materials. Some AI use can benefit students, while other use raises concerns about skill development and integrity (Cotton et al., 2023). Some examples of appropriate use of AI in FSL may include:
- Receiving feedback on speeches to help improve public speaking and writing skills.
- Revising a first draft of a communication or chapter bylaws for grammar, tone, and clarity.
- Enhancing accessibility by summarizing materials or clarifying complex concepts.
- Brainstorming event ideas and initiatives.
Examples of inappropriate uses may include:
- Submitting AI-generated reports without disclosing the use of AI.
- Automating leadership responsibilities that require personal reflection.
- Using AI-generated scripts to replace meaningful conversations.
The goal of setting expectations is not to punish students but to treat questions about AI use as educational opportunities. Students don’t just need rules around AI. They also need to understand why responsible use matters.
Keeping Critical Thinking and Leadership Development at the Forefront
One of the primary critiques of AI is its potential to erode critical thinking skills, and a concern that students may bypass the cognitive processes that underpin leadership development if they become too reliant on AI utilization to generate ideas and solve problems. FSL has long emphasized experiential learning (Kuh, 2008). AI should enhance, rather than replace, those experiences.
Examples of this in practice may include:
- After using AI to generate event ideas, have students engage in critical evaluation of the ideas and how they align with their organization’s values
- Use AI-generated case studies as discussion starters that prompt deeper analysis rather than provide answers.
- Use reflective activities, such as asking students to share their thinking during a program, to help them compare their reasoning with AI outputs and identify gaps or biases.
Presenting AI as a tool that supports, rather than replaces, learning can help students develop analytical and leadership skills.
Understanding the Environmental Impact of AI
An often-overlooked aspect of AI is its environmental impact (Strubell et al., 2019). The power required to train and operate large AI models consumes a significant amount of energy and water resources (Strubell et al., 2019). Colleges and universities are placing greater priority on sustainability, creating an educational opportunity for FSL communities.
FSL communities already engage in philanthropy and service. Digital sustainability offers another opportunity for education and action. Topics may include:
- The environmental footprint of data centers and large-scale computing.
- The trade-offs between convenience and sustainability. Consider finding resources to help evaluate when to and not use AI, such as The Pennsylvania State University’s guidance around responsible use.
- Ways to practice mindful technology use (limiting unnecessary queries or using AI intentionally).
When AI usage is connected to sustainability values, students can better understand that their digital footprint can have a real consequence.
Prioritizing Human Connection in an AI-Driven World
FSL centers on relationships, belonging, and shared values. The experiences FSL gives to students can’t be replicated, and the role of human connection is more vital than ever (Harms & Brummans, 2019). AI cannot replace:
- The vulnerability of a conversation between members.
- The growth that comes from navigating interpersonal conflict.
- The sense of belonging that is fostered through shared rituals and traditions.
- The mentorship that occurs through human relationships.
FSL professionals have a responsibility to preserve these elements of the experience. This may include setting boundaries around AI use, such as requiring in-person meetings and original reflection during leadership programs.
Strategies for FSL Professionals
Develop Clear Guidelines
Take time to establish expectations for AI use that align with institutional and organizational values. Consider focusing these on ethical use, transparency, and accountability, not restriction.
Integrate AI Literacy into Programming
Offer workshops, discussions, or leadership modules on AI literacy, including ethics, environmental impacts, and critical evaluation skills. Use campus resources that address these topics (Chan & Hu, 2023).
Model Responsible Use
Staff members should demonstrate thoughtful AI use and show students how to use the tools responsibly.
Facilitate Open Dialogue with Your Students
Give space for students to talk about their usage and experience with AI, including what they like, where their concerns lie, and how it aligns with their values.
Emphasize Reflection
Incorporate in-person reflection into leadership development so students engage with the experience rather than rely on AI.
Stay Adaptable
AI is constantly evolving, and as practitioners, it is our duty to stay curious, informed, and willing to adapt approaches as new technologies and challenges emerge.
Evolving Innovations and AI Usage
Current AI practices offer examples of both success and failure. Some organizations are seeing success in enhancing recruitment strategies and creating more personalized outreach, while others face challenges related to students trying to bypass the learning process, leading to gaps in leadership readiness and ethical-decision making.
Emerging AI tools, such as coaching platforms and virtual leadership simulations, may offer new possibilities for FSL. Professionals should use these tools cautiously so they complement student learning rather than replace human connection and experiential learning.
A Values-Based Approach to AI
The integration of AI into FSL was inevitable, but its impact was not predetermined. If we can ground our approach to AI use in the values of FSL – leadership, service, integrity, and community – we can help enhance the experience as opposed to undermining student development.
It is okay to feel like you don’t have all the answers. Our role as educators and practitioners is to help students ask the right questions. Critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and human connection are vital in a world that is being shaped by AI. FSL has long focused on creating meaningful experiences that extend beyond students’ college years. If we can thoughtfully integrate AI into our work, the fraternity/sorority experience can remain just as impactful – and as human.
Works Cited
American College Personnel Association, & National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. (2015). Professional competency areas for student affairs educators. ACPA & NASPA.
Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2008). Three elements of self-authorship. Journal of College Student Development, 49(4), 269–284.
Chan, C. K. Y., & Hu, W. (2023). Students’ voices on generative AI: Implications for higher education. Education Sciences, 13(3), 1–15.
Cotton, D. R. E., Cotton, P. A., & Shipway, J. R. (2023). Chatting and cheating? Ensuring academic integrity in the era of ChatGPT. Innovations in Education and Teaching International.
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Harms, P. D., & Brummans, B. H. J. M. (2019). Leadership development in college fraternities and sororities. Journal of Leadership Education, 18(3), 1–12.
Holmes, W., Bialik, M., & Fadel, C. (2019). Artificial intelligence in education: Promises and implications for teaching and learning. Center for Curriculum Redesign.
Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Lubin, G., & Jones, N. (2023). The environmental costs of AI and data centers. Nature Climate Change.
Parks, S. D. (2000). Big questions, worthy dreams: Mentoring young adults in their search for meaning, purpose, and faith. Jossey-Bass.
Selwyn, N. (2019). Should robots replace teachers? AI and the future of education. Polity Press.
Strubell, E., Ganesh, A., & McCallum, A. (2019). Energy and policy considerations for deep learning in NLP. Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics, 3645–3650.
About the Author
Camryn Wade serves as the assistant director for community development and belonging in The Pennsylvania State University’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, where she advises the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) and Interfraternity Council (IFC). She is passionate about creating inclusive, growth-centered communities through leadership development, student support, and prevention education. Camryn earned her M.S.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University in spring 2025 and brings experience across a variety of student affairs functional areas. She is an active member of Theta Phi Alpha and volunteers with her organization. Outside of her professional and volunteer work, Camryn enjoys reading and spending time with her two cats, Dwight and Jim.
