Research and the Fraternal Experience
Those of you who know me know I spent many years working on college campuses, with my final role as a vice president of student affairs at a campus with the majority of students participating in Greek life. While considered a “Greek friendly” vice president, those conversations that one often hears on campuses, “The school is trying to get rid of Greek Life,” continued to swirl on my campus – even though, from a Student Affairs perspective, we definitively supported the experience.
When advocating for the Greek experience, the one talking point I would hear again and again from Greek alumni and students was, “Greeks give back more to their college than all other graduates.” While true, I often replied, “To help you advocate for the experience, I need more data. Those who call for the extinction of Greek life simply don’t care that these graduates give more.”
To the advantage of all Greek-lettered organizations, Sigma Nu Fraternity was among the leaders in the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) calling for better data to advocate for the fraternal experience, and it’s been my pleasure to join in this effort as an advisor to the NIC in this endeavor.
Through fine-tuned research questions and partnerships with well-known higher education researchers, the NIC’s effort has armed national organizations with a war chest of valuable data that support the value of a fraternal experience.
Need an elevator pitch of outcomes from the first five years of the NIC’s research effort? Try this on for size:
Peer-reviewed, published data tell us:
When compared with non-affiliated men, fraternity men are:
- More likely to be retained
- More likely to graduate
- More likely to be engaged inside and outside the classroom
- More likely to have had an internship
- More likely to have had an advisor who has served as a key mentor
- More likely to be engaged in their communities when they graduate
- More likely to give back in both time and treasure to their alma maters
- Less likely to experience depression or anxiety
- More likely to be thriving in every aspect of wellbeing as alumni – career, community, financial, physical, and social wellbeing
And,
- More likely to intervene in bystander intervention in the following areas:
- A friend/peer was behaving in an unsafe manner
- A friend/peer was violating campus policy
- A friend/peer was breaking the law
- A friend/peer was engaging in hazing behaviors
- Related to a friend/peer’s health and safety
- Related to a friend/peer’s use of alcohol or other substances
- Related to a friend/peer’s professional goals
- Related to a friend/peer’s academics
- Related to a friend/peer’s dating or romantic relationships
- Related to a friend/peer’s sexual relationships
All of us involved KNOW fraternity does so much for young men, and for the men who support the experience after graduation. These data back it up. While the first five years of the research initiative have focused on asking questions and pushing the study of fraternity, the next five years will focus on ensuring we’re getting the word out (this doesn’t mean the research efforts are stopping). Sigma Nu’s leadership in this effort cannot be understated – from fundraising for these studies to serving on NIC’s Research Committee. At a time when much of higher education is under attack for high tuition, restrictions on speech, and activism resulting in the firing of major university presidents, fraternity is shining.
About the Author
Dr. Dawn Wiese is a researcher, strategist, and writer. She's the recipient of Sigma Nu's 2023 Regent's Medallion of Merit Award in recognition of decades of support of the interfraternal community. Dr. Wiese advises the North American Interfraternity Conference on its research agenda. She lives in beautiful Lexington, Va.
Works Cited
Corprew, C. S. III, & Mitchell, A. D. (2014). “Keeping it frat: Exploring the interaction among fraternity membership, disinhibition, and hypermasculinity on sexually aggressive attitudes in college-aged males.” Journal of College Student Development, 55(6),
Gallup. (2021). Fraternities and Sororities: Understanding Life Outcomes. At: Fraternities and Sororities: Understanding Life Outcomes | Gallup
Grace, M. Assalone, A., Johnson, H., Svoboda, B. and Biddix, J. P. (October 2022). “The Role of Fraternity/Sorority Affiliation in Supporting College Student Mental Health and Wellness.” Journal of Fraternity and Sorority Research and Practice.
Grace, M. Wiese, D., and Foran, W. (in press) “Perspectives and Practices of Peer Accountability Among College Men.” Journal of Campus Activities and Practice.
Pike, G. and Wiese, D. (2024). “The Fraternity/Sorority Experience Revisited: The Relationships between Fraternity/Sorority Membership and Student Engagement, Learning Outcomes Grades, and Satisfaction with College.” Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship, v6 (1).