“Saving Fraternity and Sorority,” written by Tim Mousseau, was printed in Perspectives back in April 2015. The article argued that fraternity and sorority life was not simply experiencing incidents of harm but operating within a deeply flawed culture that often protects the status quo. The author challenged professionals to not defend the system but instead confront the realities that existed and investigate underlying root causes.
The call to action was to question everything, challenge common practices, admit when things don’t work, and innovate our thinking. It encouraged professionals to take risks, examine advising and other structures, and imagine new systems: to share the successes and failures so we, as a profession, can learn along the way and move away from the “that’s how we’ve always done it” mindset.
So, what has changed in the decade since this article’s publication? Unarguably, there have been some changes in many communities, such as exploring how we look at recruitment/intake practices, governing models, staffing, or other aspects of the work. Systemic issues are more openly discussed and challenged, though one could argue the progress has been incremental. As we reflect on the article a decade later, the real issue is what hasn’t changed in our communities and the industry as a whole. Many of the same patterns still exist, both in our chapters and in the work being done. The article could have been written today, as much of the topics it brings up are still ongoing challenges. It’s no surprise that change takes time and system-wide change is often slow. The work of cultural change remains unfinished, and Mousseau’s 2015 call for courage, creativity, and discomfort continues to be relevant today
– Andrew Hohn, Perspectives co-editor
“Saving Fraternity and Sorority”
Originally Published April 2015
by Tim Mousseau
The fraternity and sorority system is broken. No matter how pervasive across college campuses, in its current construct, it is badly damaged. While it is not the case for every person, organization, or campus, as a collective, our organizations are toxically flawed. For years the ugly results of the fraternal experience have reared their heads time and time again. The news is inundated with stories of harm, and events continue to spiral out of control. In the wake of these countless failings, it is time for professionals, members, staff, and advisors to make a decision. This decision cannot be one of if we will change, but instead a decision of how we will transform.
The issues overwhelming our organizations are well known. We stand unable to defend ourselves; yet we take offence when we are questioned. It is normal to feel offended by this reality – that the organizations we have dedicated ourselves to are inherently flawed. It takes time to comprehend that by being a part of the fraternal movement, we might be contributing to a dangerous and malformed entity. It is a harsh jolt, but the time for facing reality has long passed.
The time for change is now.
An entire article could be written detailing the deficiency with our defenses, the numbers alone provide a stark contrast on the reality of the fraternal movement. They speak volumes about our culture. It is in the face of these facts that there is no denying the fraternity and sorority experience needs to take a new direction. Energy must stop going toward defending the experience and instead toward fixing it.
In the process of fixing our organizations, campuses, and chapters it is important to recognize the difficulties that lie ahead in these efforts. There is nothing easy or safe about creating system-wide change. There is nothing secure about completely redefining tradition especially when our movement is so ingrained in history. There is no denying, however, that change is needed and there can be no more stalling.
If change is to be successful, it requires that we first face the cause of our situation. We must be intentional in defining the real issues, and how these are damaging our collective integrity. In the past few months, there has been a great push to address the four primary issues facing fraternities and sororities. Dubbed “The Four Horseman,” the idea is that alcohol, drug abuse, sexual assault, and hazing are the biggest challenges facing our organizations. In reality, these issues are only the visible symptoms of a much greater problem. While they manifest themselves in dangerous ways within our organizations, solving these problems will not actually address the real issue that is ingrained much deeper in our foundation. The true foe we must battle is the culture we have allowed to fester within our organizations that makes it okay for us – professionals, alumni, and undergraduates to go along with the status quo.
If fraternities and sororities are to survive the coming waves of change and remain relevant in the twenty-first century and changing college environment, we must eliminate the complicit culture that allows the status quo to continue.
In addressing the reality of the situation, and cultivating a healthy environment for students, there is a continued need to address symptoms as they manifest. Yet, curing these must not be our sole source of focus. Considerable effort must be invested in addressing the culture that has created them. We must challenge many things we hold sacred and much of the foundation we have built. If we are to change, it is going to be uncomfortable, and we need admit that many aspects of our organizations are not accomplishing what we had hoped.
Challenging the status quo means we must shift our mindset from “what do we do next” to “why are we doing this.” If we cannot identify the value in the systems we have in place, we must change them. The very process of examining these elements is going to scare people. It is going to offend, and it is going to rock us. There are going to be times where we will question and times where we will be questioned. Yet, until we are willing to act boldly and radically, we will continue to fail. We have reached the breaking point where there is no other option but change.
I understand the criticism we do not need is challenging, but we need solutions. Challenge is necessary, but without substantial answers, no progress is made. By that same token, we cannot just give answers. What we need is a process to help each of us form our own solutions. Any one person cannot be responsible for providing all solutions. If we want to solve the issues, we must address them by changing our thinking. Once we have challenged our individual thought processes, we can then challenge our systems, and in turn our results.
When looking at the current dilemma of operating within the status quo, the mindset we must adopt is one of innovation. Innovation, however, cannot become just another industry buzzword. It cannot be the thing we start slapping onto resumes, email signatures, and Twitter bios in hopes of making it true. If we are to adopt innovation, it must be a commitment. The idea of innovation can be difficult for organizations that celebrate founders who created our organizations when slavery, racism and sexism were socially accepted constructs. How do we reconcile the mission of our founders when they ask us to operate in the past?
The solution of becoming more innovative is making small changes in our daily practice. This is not to say these small changes are the answer to our dilemma, but instead they can become the pathways necessary for cultivating change. The growth of innovative practices begins with our ability to question everything. Every single thing we are seeking to build, create, or practice. Every method of advisement, every policy we enforce, and every structure we support. This questioning becomes much simpler when it becomes a habit. Where the act of questioning is simple, the questions we ask become more critical.
Start with a simple activity. Carry around a notepad, or create an inventory on your phone as a log. Whatever you are doing professionally, whether it lies in attending a council meeting, meeting with a chapter president, or enforcing a sanction, log these interactions and ask the following questions:
- Why are you doing this?
- Is this achieving its intended results?
- What is working and what is not?
- What would you change about this practice if you could?
Think critically about each of these. It is not enough to say that a meeting, policy or event is flawed. Articulate specifically what it is about them is or is not working. Once you have the issues diagnosed, you can become empowered to begin creating change.
The next piece is where risk starts. Having identified the failing pieces, you must come up with proposed solutions. Knowing what is broken, you must act. This can become cumbersome, but in these difficult moments you must not shy away from obstacles. The changes that emerge will vary depending on campus or organization. For some, this means realizing your IFC is an ineffective structure that need not exist, or that your traditional Panhellenic recruitment is failing. For others, this is admitting your community undervalues the NPHC or multicultural experience. For many institutions, this means considering removing negative traditions or events. Some may recognize they must change how they are advising and spending their time.
The challenge lies in our willingness to push the boundaries of our status quo. There is a fear that comes from recognizing the need for change. It is not easy to challenge the traditionally held precepts of our industry. It is very lonely to feel as though you are the only one above your pay grade that what they are reinforcing needs be evaluated. It is far too easy to wait for solutions to be delivered by outside entities. It is even easier stagnating in current systems while bemoaning the lack of movement, paralyzed by the need for assessment so we wait to act, never following through until far too late.
If change is to occur, we must be willing to examine every aspect of our current reality. Once examined, we must be willing to take risks. These risks can be controlled. By identifying what does not work, we can construct ideas for proposed solutions. We must be honest and thorough in our assessment. Sometimes this means we must sacrifice the things we love most or constructs that make us comfortable. If we want our organizations to survive and retain relevancy, these sacrifices are essential.
Once we are willing to challenge, we can then begin forming something new. After we have gone through the gauntlet of trial and error in identifying new practices, we must share them. Ideally, we should also share our failures so others can learn from our mistakes. In these moments, we must act as a community, strengthening one another through both our successes and failures. Above all, we cannot fear changing the “normal” methods of advisement, structure, or governance because only once we step outside these constraints will we create the necessary actions.
This process of questioning is going to be difficult. We will hear, and find out, things that we do not want. We will be faced with solutions that push us beyond our comfort zones. If our community truly buys in to this process, we will discover that as we evolve, the fraternity and sorority experience will transform far beyond our current realm of thought. Faced with the failing reality of our organizations we have little choice. We can pay lip service to innovation, or we can actually change. The status quo and the acceptance of our current path is our greatest threat. If we are to become the idealized version of ourselves that we sell to the public, we must question, challenge, offend, and trim away tradition. The end result will be something we can firmly be proud of, if only we willing to question everything upon which we currently cling.
About the Author
Tim Mousseau is currently a doctoral student in cognitive neuroscience at George Washington University. Over the past few years, Tim has worked in the fields of sexual violence prevention and masculinity to move the needs on these critical topics at over 300 keynotes across the country. Throughout his work, Tim has been featured in Men’s Health, a SpokesMo for the Movember Foundation, and a past board member of the nonprofit, 1 in 6. Professionally, Tim received a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga and a Bachelor’s in Communication from the University of New Mexico. Tim is a writer, currently working on children’s books, and an artist, having a hand in the design of all 30 plus of his tattoos based on personal life experiences.
