Two semesters after beginning a leadership class for sophomores, the Interfraternity Council and its board of advisers say the program is helping sophomores develop a strong vision for the future of fraternity life at the University.
The weekly class-which was organized by John Hawkins, president of Leadership Edge, Inc. and a member of the IFC Board of Advisers, and immediate-past IFC president Lex Wolf, Trinity '96-focuses during the fall semester on developing a common understanding of leadership philosophy. During the spring semester, the focus shifts to developing skills needed to practice that philosophy.
Leaders point to high attendance as evidence of the program's success. "Getting Duke students to do anything else other than their school work in itself is something of a feat," said Trinity junior Tom Sowers, IFC vice president for rush. Every IFC fraternity except for one has been represented by sophomores at every weekly meeting, he said.
Like any other student organization, IFC constantly faces the challenge of student turnover, said Sue Wasiolek, assistant vice president for student affairs and adviser to IFC. The program "provides the fraternity system with the opportunity to discuss and develop a common values-centered vision," she said. This, in conjunction with leadership training, allows the organization to establish greater continuity.
The program is effective because it prompts underclassmen to actively prepare for future leadership, Wasiolek said. "It will help the younger, newer members of fraternities develop leadership skills that will enable them to think about assuming leadership positions earlier than they may have otherwise."
In its seven sessions this semester, the class has discussed diverse topics-including the housing policy, the alcohol policy, the Faculty Associates Program and common perceptions of fraternities. For each session, knowledgeable members of the University community are invited to participate in and help facilitate discussion. This structure allows for flexibility in choosing those topics most relevant to the University community, Sowers said.
Trinity sophomore and Sigma Nu fraternity member Chris Keir, who has attended each of the weekly sessions this semester, praised the program.
Keir, who plans to seek a future leadership position both within his own fraternity and on IFC, said he found some of the issues discussed to be immediately relevant and useful.
Keir cited a session that focused on the alcohol policy as an example of a particularly informative class. Held the week before Homecoming Weekend, the class helped sophomores bridge the gap between alumni-who experienced undergraduate life under a much different alcohol policy-and current fraternity members, he said.
Engineering senior Chris Kelly, president of IFC, said that IFC will continue the program indefinitely. There are no restrictions on how many sophomores can participate from each fraternity, he said.
Kelly added that he and Sowers plan to modify the program slightly for next semester, however, "Tom [Sowers] and I felt that we almost overwhelmed them with too big of an issue each week," he said. The goal for next semester, he said, will be to narrow the topics and give sophomores something more concrete on which to focus.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.