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Work Underway to Make Greek Life Even Better at Penn State

By Karen Trimbath, Student Affairs Writer

For thousands of students, participation in Greek life is an integral part of the Penn State experience. That’s why work is underway in "Greek Pride: A Return to Glory," to explore the benefits provided by Greek life and how to make the relationship between it, Penn State and the community even better.

The process is called appreciative inquiry, or AI, and it creates sustainable change by focusing on positive aspects of an organization and building on them to provide goals for the future. It was adopted through the initiative of Dr. Vicky Triponey, vice president for Student Affairs. Since joining the University last year, Triponey has wanted to strengthen relations between Penn State and the Greek community.

“ As we explored ways to develop a relationship statement between the University and fraternities and sororities, we determined that we needed a collective vision for the future first. AI is a superb means of helping us create that vision for the future and to cultivate shared ownership in the implementation of positive change,” says Triponey.

“ We want to discover what’s right about the system, and go from there,” adds Gail Hurley, chair of the appreciative inquiry core group and assistant vice president for Housing and Residence Life.

The work will unfold in a series of meetings and retreats involving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. In the first retreat, held April 2-3, participants developed vision statements by discussing positive experiences with the Greek system. In the second retreat held April 22-23, they worked on a plan to make these visions a reality. Implementing this plan is expected to take place throughout the next academic year, according to Hurley.

Some of the students in the core group have expressed enthusiasm over the opportunity to create a legacy for future generations. Wole Adegbonomire, president of the National Panhellenic Council and a member of Phi Beta Sigma, believes that AI will play a major role in shaping the future of Penn State’s Greek community.

“ So many aspects are taken into consideration, and so many details are carefully analyzed to improve the quality of the end results,” adds Adegbonomire. “People are putting hours of hard work for the unselfish improvement of those around them.”

Andy Hackett, president of the Interfraternity Council, adds, “There is so much that the Greek community has to offer students as well as the University at large. That’s why the AI process is so necessary. It’s helping me gain a stronger idea of all the possibilities.”

The primary theorists and creators behind AI are David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western University. The method is used by businesses and other organizations, including the State College Area School District. Its success lies in letting people understand the qualities that make an organization successful and to build relationships between those who care about the same issues, says Ray Wells, one of the independent co-consultants assisting Penn State.

“ We’re discovering the great moments that made participants feel proud of Penn State and the Greek community,” notes Wells. “Telling these stories has more impact than data crunching in developing a vision statement.”

To learn more about this initiative, visit Greek Pride: A Return to Glory.

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