Serving as a graduate student or a new professional in fraternity or sorority life or student conduct is an exciting time! Your future is ahead, and you can make your career what you want. However, there is a necessity for fraternity and sorority life (FSL) and student conduct professionals alike to gain mutual experiences and knowledge. The work overlaps in many ways, such as investigating and supporting students through hazing investigations and other conduct violations, or providing risk management education like safe social practices for social programming. Yet, there is not always a clear opportunity for cross-training. The AFA Core Competencies Manual identifies governance, student safety, and collaboration with stakeholders as essential competencies in our field. Knowledge areas for the Association of Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) include education, internal and external partnership, investigations, and law & policy. When preparing for a career in student conduct or FSL, one should consider these competency areas and seek ways to develop across the siloes of individual offices.
Some opportunities are built into job responsibilities or classroom activities. For example, a graduate assistant for fraternity and sorority life will certainly have opportunities to develop advising and supporting skills, while a conduct graduate assistant will develop skills in conflict resolution, crisis management, and care and support. But how can practitioners in the early stages of their career craft opportunities to learn more outside of their specific role? How can newer professionals advocate for themselves and get the experiences they want and need to become fully functional, well-rounded practitioners? Two perspectives presented in this article serve as a starting point for new student affairs staff to explore direct, indirect, creative, and traditional ways of gaining experience and developing skills in conduct and fraternity and sorority life functional areas.
Audrey’s Perspective
Beginning my graduate assistantship position in student engagement, I knew very little about FSL. I had not been involved with FSL in undergrad nor had previous opportunities to work with fraternal chapters or members. However, through my work as a graduate assistant with student organizations, I fortunately worked with FSL professionals and graduate assistants and had the opportunity to learn more about the functional area. I volunteered to staff large-scale FSL events and took opportunities to ask questions about the culture, the functional area, and the various groups. It was all new and exciting to me, which is what I wanted from a graduate school experience. I wanted graduate school to challenge me and push me into spaces where I would be the person who knows the least about a topic in a room of colleagues. Watching my FSL colleagues discuss student organizations that I knew nothing about as the student organization graduate assistant, led me to understand that I possess only a sliver of knowledge compared to what goes into student engagement/campus activities on campus. It was the realization of how little I understood about other functional areas that motivated me to seek experiences that, at the time, seemed wildly outside of my realm of work in student engagement.
I was delighted in my first semester to learn that my graduate school program at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) encourages practicum experiences, a type of mini-internship with an office, department, or institution outside of one’s graduate assistantship placement for which students can earn course credit. I wanted the opportunity to seek out a practicum site in a functional area in which I had no prior knowledge or experience. I chose a practicum in BGSU’s Office of the Dean of Students, which houses conduct and conflict resolution. At the time of my inquiry, I had not considered if this role would help me in my assistantship position; I simply wanted to experience a different functional area. I quickly learned how helpful the skills I had developed in my assistantship would be in my practicum and vice versa. For example, in my assistantship, I could answer questions about organization policy more in-depth with a deeper understanding of the ‘why’ behind a policy through my work in conduct instead of just understanding the policy itself. In my practicum work, I could answer my colleagues’ questions about navigating student engagement resources they had not previously used. I also gained experience in organizing programs that focus on educational topics and awareness, whereas my previous experience in student organizations emphasized programs that focus on engagement and connection.
The most important takeaway from my practicum in conduct was learning firsthand how connections can be made across functional areas. I had not thought of transferable skills when I chose my practicum, but I understand now that the policy insight, communication skills, conflict mediation techniques, and advocacy skills I learned through working in a conduct role have applicability to any student affairs role in any functional area. Experiencing the skills I learned in distinct roles melded and incorporated into my work in both of my offices on campus and opened my perspective to understanding that any work I do, regardless of the functional area, will increase my knowledge and understanding of others. For folks who have worked in student affairs for a while, the knowledge of transferable skills is not new. Still, for a first-year graduate student who was just beginning to understand the complexities of higher education and student affairs, this realization entirely shifted my perspective. If I were explaining this epiphany to a first-semester graduate student (who may read this), I would use the following, admittedly very dorky, analogy:
Envision the different functional areas within higher education as areas on a map in a video game. In video games, you typically start in one beginner-friendly area, and the rest of the map is greyed out. You cannot access the other areas unless you seek out quests or tasks to level up and progress in the game. Some areas on the map may look very different from others, with different biomes, characters, and skills, but they come together to make up the larger world of a video game. As you complete quests and level up, you unlock new areas and gain more experience and knowledge of how the game works. Your knowledge of the entire game does not reset when you enter a new area of the map or begin a new quest. Instead, you take the skills you learned from previous quests in previous areas with you when you embark in a new area. You also know of different resources that may only exist in one area of the map, and you learn where to locate them when you need them, regardless of where you are on the map. However, you cannot move forward in the video game without seeking out and completing quests and tasks. That is how you get better at video games and progress through them. Experience in higher education is very much the same.
The benefits of cross-training and exposure to other functional areas for graduate students cannot be overstated. Graduate students are in a very special position to ask questions and seek out opportunities that provide new experiences to increase their knowledge of how higher education institutions operate. I appreciate my program’s built-in experiences of formalized practicums to gain this experience in conduct. I also appreciate the informal connections I can call upon to learn more about FSL. I had little to no knowledge of either functional area a year ago, but formalized opportunities and informal conversations have greatly improved my understanding of student affairs. I encourage other graduate students to seek out opportunities that further their knowledge of different functional areas in ways that make sense for them. If your program has formalized processes, take advantage of that and use those opportunities. If your program does not have formal processes, ask questions of your colleagues, ask to tag along to events, volunteer to help other departments with staffing events if they need extra support, or just reach out to a colleague and ask if you can talk to them about their role over coffee. My practicum in conduct and my connection with my FSL colleagues have been some of the most valuable experiences I have had in graduate school. My advice to fellow graduate students: do not be afraid to ask questions and explore as much as you can!
Alec’s Perspective
Navigating student accountability and conduct is something I have wrestled with throughout my career so far. Since grade school, punitive punishments never sat right with me. It seemed to me that rule-breaking was being punished for the sake of punishment – to exercise authority over students and maintain the integrity of the student code of conduct. Yet, I was an avid rule follower. I completely believed in the “system” and could not bear to consider that rules, policies, and expectations could be critiqued. I wrestled with this concept even more as I went through my undergraduate experience. This was my time, our time to be autonomous. We were encouraged to be individual thinkers, to take risks, and to make mistakes. Turning around and punishing students for those mistakes never made sense to me. I am still insecure in my stance on this issue. As I began my career in student affairs, now studying College Student Personnel (CSP) at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), I have been intentional about challenging my perspective on student accountability. I have been able to combine historical context such as the concept of in loco parentis, discussions with student conduct professionals, and my own experiences in the field to better understand where the field stands in terms of student conduct and accountability and use this knowledge to shape my perspective.
My first hands-on experience with student conduct came when I inherited responsibility for fraternity and sorority Life (FSL) at my first institution of employment. The change came quickly due to a shift in organizational structure and staffing resources, and while I was excited and thrilled about the opportunity, I knew that I had a lot of gaps in my knowledge and experiences that would cause me some anxiety about this shift. At this institution, the FSL advisor(s) is responsible for much of the initial stages of the student conduct processes, especially organizational conduct. I became faced with co-coordinating my first hazing investigation within one of our fraternities. I look back now and can appreciate what I learned from the experience, but it was hard. I wasn’t prepared and I was in an awkward position of being the organization’s advisor and charging party. This experience only encouraged me to continue down the path of better understanding student accountability and gaining what experiences I could to get the experience I wanted.
Formally, my role at my previous institution did not include student conduct. At BGSU, neither does my assistantship. However, I have been intentional in seeking out opportunities to learn more. One way I have worked this into my experience is by choosing to focus on student conduct and accountability in my classes, projects, and research. For example, I chose student conduct programs as my functional area exploration in my Foundations in CSP course. This allowed me to look deeply into the area’s origins and how it has evolved, including the development of models like restorative justice, which helped me clarify questions I have had all my life about why accountability is important. Additionally, when given the opportunity to connect with an alumnus of the CSP program during a professional development event, I requested to speak with a student conduct professional. The questions I asked him were centered around how he became interested in student conduct, his philosophy of working with students, how the field has changed during his time, and where he sees the field going in the future. Obtaining this knowledge and experience has allowed me to talk about accountability with my students. I serve as the advisor to six fraternal organizations at BGSU and during our monthly meetings I am sure to touch base on any ongoing investigations or behavioral or conduct concerns within the chapter. I challenge them on the decisions they make and help them see the implications of those decisions. I strive to empower them to make their own decisions and to be autonomous leaders but insist that they weigh the odds of their decisions. Finally, at both my previous institution and at BGSU, I have been involved in anti-hazing education programs for fraternal organizations. This experience has been exponentially helpful in informing my approach to student conduct and accountability as I have had to think strategically about how to reach students and convey the importance of the topic while also encouraging and exciting them for their future in FSL. This opportunity also allowed me to collaborate with campus partners such as student conduct administrators and upper-level student affairs staff from whom I have been able to learn.
I have been very intentional about implementing these experiences to get the training I want. I look forward to continuing to be creative and claiming my education by designing an experience that meets my needs. Graduate students and new professionals who do not have formal student conduct responsibilities but who are looking to gain experience in the area can consider the options presented here.
Many graduate students are in a unique position to explore across functional areas before committing to a full-time role that may encompass only one (or two) areas. Whether graduate students gain experience through formalized channels such as internships or practicum, or through informal conversations or volunteer opportunities, it is crucial to get out there and explore. Alec gained his conduct insights through less formalized opportunities and was able to connect them to his role in FSL. On the other hand, Audrey gained her conduct insights via a channel built into her graduate program and her FSL insights from less structured opportunities. Both of us see the value of these functional areas in our work as student affairs professionals and have been able to incorporate what we have learned into our academic settings and broader understanding of student affairs. Our experiences in both FSL and student conduct have been highly impactful to our development as rising student affairs professionals, even though we did not begin our journeys with the intention of seeking out these skills. We encourage other graduate students to seize opportunities to gain experience in FSL and student conduct through the resources available as graduate students.
About the Authors
Alec R. Arnett (he/him) is a graduate assistant in the Office of Student Engagement & Residence Life at Bowling Green State University, with an anticipated completion in 2026. Arnett’s interest areas include fraternity & sorority life, student conduct and accountability, first-year experience, college men’s health and wellness, concepts of masculinity and men’s development within fraternities, and sexual assault prevention in fraternities. Arnett holds bachelor’s degrees in vocal performance and music history and literature from Otterbein University, and is a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
Audrey M. Costanzo (she/her) is a graduate assistant in the Office of Student Engagement & Residence Life at Bowling Green State University, with an anticipated completion in 2025. Costanzo’s interests include student organizations and involvement, student conduct and conflict resolution, policy and governance. expressive events and institutional response, and equity and inclusion for students with incarceration histories. She hold’s a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and literature from Capital University.
