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Front Matter & Table Of Contents, Oracle

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Lessons From Team Science, James P. Barber Ph.D.

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Race And Fit In The Recruitment Process Of Traditionally, Predominantly White Fraternities, S. Brian Joyce

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

This study was constructed as a qualitative case study to explore racialized definitions of fit and how those perpetuate White supremacy within fraternity systems through a critical examination of participants’ lived experiences on race. Lived experiences from seven participants were presented to identify two major themes for analysis: (a) the minimization of race and racism and (b) normalizing Whiteness. This study used a social identity theoretical framework to deconstruct the ways in which Whiteness is perpetuated in hegemonic White spaces.

Tweeting In Greek: How National Fraternities And Sororities Use Twitter, Zachary Taylor, Arianne Mcardle

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

No extant research examines fraternity and sorority use of social media. This study examines official Twitter accounts of national fraternities and sororities (n=135) and their Twitter usage from July 2016 - July 2017 (n=47,705 tweets). Findings reveal fraternities are less likely to use hashtags, user tags, and URLs to engage their followers than sororities, while both fraternities and sororities rarely release official statements promoting positive behavior of their members or condemning negative behavior of their members, potentially contributing to a sense of “constant media scrutiny” suffered by Greek organizations (Kingkade, 2015). Implications for advisors and future research are addressed.

Increasing Survey Data Quality Using Screening Validity Questions, Lucas Schalewski, Jamie Utt, Bryant Valant

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Self-report surveys are used frequently in fraternity organizations to collect information from students. A lack of thoughtful or truthful answers on survey instruments threatens the validity of results. The current study evaluates if identifying and omitting invalid responders using screening validity questions improves data quality on two scales among fraternity men: the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance and the Conformity to Masculinity Norms Inventory. Results indicate invalid responders bias results suggesting using screen validity questions improves data quality. This strategy can help fraternity professionals ensure their programming responds more closely to their member perceptions, attitudes, and experiences.

Sorority And Fraternity Attitudes Towards Initiation And Hazing, Keith Tingley, Loni Crumb, Shelly Hoover-Plonk, Wes Hill, Crystal R. Chambers

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

This study assessed students’ attitudes towards fraternity and sorority intake processes at a regional Mid-Atlantic University (MU) to gain an understanding of overall attitudes and discern whether students distinguish differences between hazing and initiation procedures. Study results indicated that students understand the general purpose of initiation and the dangers of hazing; however, a general understanding may not translate to an understanding of the specifics activities involved in new member initiation processes. Study results specified differences in understanding initiation and hazing are greatest by gender and fraternity/ sorority council. Implications for higher education research and student affairs practice are discussed.

Progress For Low Income Students, Johann Ducharme

The William & Mary Educational Review

This essay argues in favor of Mike Rose's assertion that funding cuts to education have a detrimental effect on numerous factors, including stunted job growth in America, not remaining innovative and competitive in global markets, as well as attaining the college graduation goals set by Department of Education. In agreeing with Rose, the author provides comprehensive reasoning and data from numerous national centers: Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, American Council on Education (ACE), The College Board, and American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The author also examines the weaknesses of Rose’s arguments as he neglects to define …

Hark Upon The Gayle: A Depiction Of The Experiences Of The First Women Students At William & Mary, Yi Hao, Lisa Milne

The William & Mary Educational Review

As William & Mary celebrates the 100th anniversary of admitting women students as the first public college in Virginia to institute a co-educational system, this paper explores the life and times of the women who have shaped the College’s legacy for future women students. In researching the first women at William & Mary, we have found historical documentation, such as personal papers (letters and surveys) from both women students of the class of 1918 and a prior researcher; the Flat Hat, a student-run newspaper at the College; meeting minutes from the College Board of Visitors; William & Mary President Lyon …

Using Research To Defy Expectations, James P. Barber Ph.D.

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Deconflating Buffoonery And Hazing: A Two-Factor Model Of Understanding Maladaptive New Member Activities, Rodney W. Roosevelt

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

The current conceptual model of hazing is based on an assumption that low-grade hazing (buffoonery) serves as a gateway to severe acts of hazing. Consequently, the range of acts regarded as hazing is broad in scope and estimates of the rates and nature of hazing may be inflated. In the present study, the gateway assumption was tested and not supported. Further, in this study students clearly differentiate between buffoonery and hazing. The data supports reframing hazing reduction efforts, emphasizing potential for harm and educational efficacy in new member education. This approach aligns with student understanding and promotes internal regulation while …

On Greek Row: Diversity, Socially Responsible Leadership And Fraternity And Sorority Membership, Eugene T. Parker, Ernest Pascarella

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

This study uses the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education to examine the relationship between diversity experiences and socially responsible leadership among college fraternity and sorority members. Results suggest that college diversity experiences are positively associated with socially responsible leadership for these student groups.

A Document Analysis Of Anti-Hazing Policy, Cristobal Salinas Jr., Michelle Boettcher, Jennifer Plagman-Galvin

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Every year students are physically, mentally, and/or emotionally injured due to hazing. Some injuries are so significant they result in student deaths, yet “hazing is an issue that has been largely overlooked and under studied” (Allan & Madden, 2008, p. 5). Hazing is institutionalized by organizations, clubs, and groups, as well as within campus policy. Student hazing experiences are different for the individual(s) involved, and institutional experiences vary as institutions have their own hazing definitions and policies. Through document analysis, we examined and critically analyzed the ambiguous anti-hazing policy at the state and federal levels.

A Positive Spin On A Negative Narrative: How The Media Portrays Fraternities And What Fraternities Can Do About It, Zachary Taylor, Jennifer Zamora, Arianne Mcardle, Mario Villa

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

As research on fraternity men largely focuses on misbehavior and criminal activity, no research examines the types of stories reported on by media outlets and whether these stories include fraternity voices or statements. Employing quantitative content analysis, this study examines 100 fraternity-related stories published by the ten newspaper websites most frequently visited by people in the United States. Findings suggest 12% of fraternity-related publications are positive in nature and tone, 36% of publications include official fraternity-issued statements, and 69% of all publications include official university-issued statements. Implications for practitioners and future research is addressed.

College Didn’T Prepare Me For This: The Realities Of The Student Debt Crisis And The Effect It Is Having On College Graduates, April Perry, Cassandra Spencer

The William & Mary Educational Review

Student loans are like a dark cloud looming above 41 million Americans (Perna, Kvall, & Ruiz, 2017). Through young adults’ personal accounts and relevant literature, we aimed to explore how student debt has altered the lives of college graduates and what can be done to educate students before they graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. To provide context, we first discuss a brief history of student loans and address what we know from the literature about the burden of student debt. Next, we address the factors that contribute to the student debt crisis and the effects of …

Integration Of Learning In Counselor Education, Sean Newhart

The William & Mary Educational Review

Integration of learning (IOL) has been defined as an essential learning out- come in higher education. The IOL model describes the process of learning through three types of integration: connection, application, and synthesis. This manuscript applies the IOL model to counselor education in order to examine how counselor education programs implement the model. Andragogic approaches in counselor education programs are highlighted utilizing the three types of integration, illustrating how these programs exemplify integration. Implications for future research are also discussed.

Reflection On A Narrative By Faculty Of Color, Marian Stordahl, Keonghee T. Han

The William & Mary Educational Review

The experience of a woman faculty of color (WFOC) teaching in a traditionally homogenous, rural American community college reveals the presence of racialized attitudes among students, educators, and administrators. Individuals’ orientation to White Identity is revealed in the encounters of a culturally diverse professor and American colleagues working in her institution. In the absence of meaningful reflection, Caucasian American students and faculty – themselves participants in the lives of local communities – reproduce institutional discrimination.

Keywords: academic freedom, discrimination, prejudice, social dominance theory, White Identity development