As a fraternity/sorority professional, the impact of the work you do is much broader than you may realize. It’s a chance to instill and nurture the values we believe in and the principles we stand for in the young people who will lead our country, businesses, and communities one day.
The First 90 Days program helps new fraternity/sorority professionals acclimate to one of the most unique roles in higher education. Through a series of interactive virtual sessions, participants build their networks, understand their positions, and learn how to put their expertise into practice.
The program has been designed based on a needs assessment of fraternity/sorority professionals and stakeholders at every level of expertise. The result is a developmental experience that provides clear expectations about what it means to be a fraternity/sorority professional and helps participants transition into the role more effectively.
During the program, participants interact with a variety of colleagues to build a network of expertise that they can draw upon throughout their career. They integrate professional philosophy into daily practice, and they work with their supervisor to clarify what is expected of a fraternity/sorority professional. The experience also helps participants identify their continued professional development needs and aspirations beyond the program.
Whether you’ve just started, or are several months into your new job, the First 90 Days Program is designed for those who are eager to improve themselves so that they may better serve those they lead. The program is best suited for new fraternity/sorority professionals in their first year of practice, but can also be beneficial for any professionals who are new to the fraternity/sorority profession.
Facilitators
Stephanie Baldwin
Director of Sorority & Fraternity Life | Cornell University
Stephanie Baldwin (she/her), a committed fraternal advocate and change maker, currently serves as the Director of Sorority and Fraternity Life at Cornell University. Steph has almost 20 years of experience in Student Affairs supporting sororities and fraternities at public and land-grant institutions.
At Cornell University, she provides strategic leadership for the SFL community and overall direction to the SFL staff team. Prior to working at Cornell, Stephanie was the Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life at the University of Colorado Boulder where she built a robust fraternal program with strong ties to both the University and the surrounding community. She also served as Assistant Director for Leadership Development at Utah State University where she advised the fraternity & sorority community, the campus programming board and helped facilitate and organize a number of leadership trainings and institutes.
In service to the broader fraternal world, Stephanie is an active member of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) and currently serves as the Co-Chair for the Fraternity/Sorority Knowledge Community for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). She also facilitates (both as a lead and a small group) a number of leadership institutes for a variety of fraternal organizations and often participates in strategy conversations focused on the future of the SFL experience. Outside of work, Steph enjoys travel, crafts of all kinds, bowling in a local community league and spending time with her partner Ben, and her 9-year-old, Ted. Stephanie has earned a BS in Political Science from Southern Utah University and MS in Political Science Utah State University and is a member of the Theta Sigma chapter of Alpha Phi International Women’s Fraternity.
Christina Parle
Associate Dean of Students | Avila University
Owner | Social Responsibility Speaks
Christina Parle (she/they) is an equity, inclusion, and diversity (EID) educator and consultant with her company, Social Responsibility Speaks, and currently serves as the Associate Dean of Students at Avila University. Christina’s career experience is in student development, accountability, and fraternal organizations. Christina has served on the Association for Student Conduct Administration’s (ASCA) Board of Directors for six (6) years and is presently the Past President. Much of her work is rooted in unlearning, conflict resolution, and effective communication. Christina’s particular interest is in language and its impacts. Christina has specific experience in building effective systems, policies, and procedures, curriculum writing, and leadership education.
Christina is a Kansas City, Missouri native. Prior to her work at Avila University, Christina served as the Director of Chapter Services and Conduct at Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) Fraternity. She also previously served as the Assistant Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards at the University of Kansas (KU) where she was the Student Housing liaison and then transitioned to a focus on student organization misconduct. Before KU, she served as a Fraternity and Sorority Advisor at Western Carolina University where she advised the Panhellenic, Interfraternity, and National Pan-Hellenic Councils. Christina earned her bachelor’s in criminal justice and political science at the University of Central Missouri and attended Penn State where she earned her master’s in higher education with an emphasis in student affairs. While at Penn State, she completed a graduate assistantship in student conduct and served as the primary advisor for the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Council for a semester.
Supervisor Information
Supervisors, there is a small time commitment on your end with the First 90 Days program. We will provide you with reflection questions to utilize with your staff member completing the First 90 Days program during your one-on-one meetings. The hope is these discussions will provide a well-rounded experience where participants are learning from our program facilitators but also integrating the learning into their work with you and your community. The time commitment is approximately 2-3 hours a month.
“Thank you for keeping me in the loop of the bi-weekly sessions and discussions. My staff and I discuss this at their 1:1 and our weekly staff meetings. Their continued growth inspires me. I believe their participation in First 90 Days was an excellent investment not only for them, but our office, the university, and the greater fraternity & sorority life community.” – Fall 2020 Cohort Member Supervisor
Program Dates
First 90 Days sessions will take place weekly starting Thursday, August 22 through Thursday, November 21.
Sessions will be hosted online (via Zoom) from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET.
Registration
First 90 Days registration is open! Members and non-members are invited to register for the program via FSCentral.
Need help navigating to the registration? Click here for a step-by-step guide to how to access registration within FSCentral.
Register for the First 90 Days
Registration Cost
- AFA Members: $200
- Non-Members: $250
Registration Deadline
September 6, 2024
Questions?
Please contact AFA’s main email, info@afa1976.org, with any questions.
