This document outlines a proposed research project on the impact of involvement in Greek life on career and life experiences after graduation from Arkansas Tech University. The project will survey recent Greek life-affiliated graduates using a mixed-methods survey to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The survey will assess skills gained from Greek life involvement in areas like leadership, teamwork, communication, and initiative and see how they relate to professional competitiveness after college compared to non-Greek peers. Insights hope to guide Greek life programming and assessment to better support career development and success.

1. GREEK LIFE
RESEARCH PROJECT
Brooke Boyd
Kevin Solomon, Site Host
Greek Life Office & Campus Life
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, Arkansas

2. Introduction
• Relevant Background of Information
• CAS Standards for FSL Advising Programs used to create survey
• Connecting with recent Greek-Affiliated graduates
• NACE has identified the top skills/qualities employers look for in
candidates—supplementary to academics
• Justification of Research Project
• Impact the program development in Greek Life as well as Campus
Life at ATU
• Learning objectives reflect the skills/qualities employers seek out
• Measuring effectiveness of current programs and experiences
Greek Life has provided to participants

3. RELEVANT
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
CAS Standards
Greek Life Experience
NACE Job Outlook

4. Relevant Background of Information
• CAS is the standard of measuring success in Student
Affairs assessment
• Fraternity & Sorority Advising Programs Mission
requires (Council for the Advancement of Standards in
Higher Education, 2014):
• Promote development in career, intellectual, physical, emotional,
ethical, civic, interpersonal relationships, leadership, group dynamic
• Promote sponsorship in community service
• Advocate success and opportunities for in-class and out-of-class
learning
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including undergraduates and
graduate/alumni members, faculty and other advisors, and
organizational staff and/or volunteers
4

5. Relevant Background of Information
• Connecting with Recent Greek-Affiliated Graduates
• Establishing connection early to increase likelihood of engagement
• Learning about their undergraduate and post-graduate experiences
and successes
• Greek Life provides students with skills associated with job success:
Are students more competent and competitive at ATU?
5

6. Relevant Background of Information
• Top attributes employers look for on a candidate’s
resume (National Association of Colleges & Employers,
2014):
6
0.
20.
40.
60.
80.
100.
Leadership Ability to work in a
team
Communication
skills (written)
Communication
skills (verbal)
Initiative Interpersonal skills
(relates well to
others)
Top skills & qualities employers look for on a candidate’s
resume:

7. Relevant Background Information
• NACE Categories:
• Leadership & Growth
• Working with Others
• Relationship Building
• Initiative

8. PROPOSED RESEARCH
QUESTION &
RESEARCH METHODS

9. Proposed Research Question
What is the impact of active involvement in Greek Life at
Arkansas Tech University on the career and life
experiences as reported by recent graduates?

10. Research Methods
• Nonrandom Convenience Sampling
• Greek students who have graduated in the last two years
• Mixed Method Survey
• Quantitative data gathered through Likert scales
• Qualitative data gathered through open-ended prompts
• Limitations
• Graduates who were highly active leaders might be more likely to
respond rather than general members
• Finding a method of staying updated on participants as time moves
forward
• Participants’ contact information may change
• Information is self-reported

11. THE INSTRUMENT
Procedures & Conditions
Development
Overview of Questions

12. Procedures & Conditions
• Location — QuestionPro survey, online
• Time — Fall, a few weeks before Homecoming
• Frequency — Data will be collected during the fall
semester each year for an undetermined amount of time
• Administration — Kevin Solomon will collect the data

13. Development
• Background Information
• Quantitative
• Qualitative
• Attribute Questions Divided into
“Greek Life Experiences” and
“Current Career and Life Experiences:”
• Leadership & Growth
• Working with Others
• Relationship Building
• Initiative
• Reflections
• Qualitative

14. Background Information
• Quantitative Questions:
• Semester and year initiated into Greek organization and graduated
from ATU
• Identify three student organizations, not including chapter affiliation,
in which the participant actively participated
• Rate involvement in chapter and student organizations and indicate
if leadership or executive positions were held
• Qualitative Questions:
• Identify the organization in which the participant felt had the most
impact on their development and rationalize

15. Leadership & Growth
• Greek Life Experiences:
• Attend a conference for fraternity or governing council
• Rate level of experience and understanding in the following:
• Creation and implementation of workshops, collaboration with
other members, transparency in decision-making, mentorship,
delegation, incorporating values into everyday life
• Current Career and Life Experiences:
• Rate likelihood of participating in the following:
• Participate in professional development (conferences,
certifications), create and implement a workshop, encourage
others to further professional development, find and serve as a
mentor, collaborate with others, volunteer for chapter event or as
an advisor

16. Working with Others
• Greek Life Experiences:
• Rate level of experience and understanding in the following:
• How individual members are motivated and work with others,
personal motivation and ability to work with others, participation in
physical fitness activities with other members
• Current Career and Life Experiences:
• Rate likelihood of participating in the following:
• Advocating for co-workers or employers, understand group
dynamics, choose healthy habits

17. Relationship Building
• Greek Life Experiences:
• Rate level of experience and understanding in the following:
• Stay connected to and promote chapter through written and
verbal communication, explain and reflect fraternity’s values on
social media and to non-Greek students, recruit new members,
and professionally communicate through emails, minutes,
meetings, and with advisors and university staff
• Current Career and Life Experiences:
• Rate likelihood of participating in the following:
• Attending or planning networking events, meeting new people,
finding and making time for new places, hobbies, and interests,
find healthy outlets for stress, discuss the values of your
workplace to others

18. Initiative
• Greek Life Experiences:
• Rate level of experience and understanding in the following:
• Identify problems and find solutions, volunteer to assist and
support other members without being asked, speak up about
issues affecting the group during meetings, mentor members not
following standards, volunteer for tasks such as tabling, setting up
or breaking down at events
• Current Career and Life Experiences:
• Rate how often you participate in the following:
• Openly communicate with HR, your employer, and/or co-workers
about questionable policies or situations as well as your goals
and your approach to work, participate and promote volunteer
opportunities and community service projects and events

19. Reflections
• Qualitative Questions:
• Explanation of how Greek involvement has affected individual
career and professional development
• Identification of key areas that have been developed as a result of
participating in Greek Life. Justification required.
• Belief of whether or not Greek Life has positively or negatively
impacted the professional competitiveness and experience of
participants compared to peers at work.
• If given the opportunities to go back and relive the Greek Life
experience, participants will decide if they would change anything
about their experience, including the decision to affiliate with a
fraternity or sorority.

20. PERSONAL
REFLECTIONS
Personal Thoughts & Suggestions
Personal Growth & Takeaways
References
Acknowledgements
Questions

21. Personal Thoughts & Suggestions
• Divide the Survey and Add a New Member Survey
• Seniors to take Greek Life Experiences
• Graduates to take Current Career and Life Experiences
• Develop instrument for New Members = Control
• Another Pilot of the Instrument Before the Fall
• Analyzing the Data
• Meeting the CAS Standards?
• Effective development for career success?

22. Personal Thoughts & Suggestions
• My Hopes for This Project
• Data is used to guide the assessment used to create an effective
programming model
• Data and suggestions are shared with all departments within
Student Affairs and incorporated into programming
• Participants will gain better understanding of personal strengths and
weaknesses in order to continue growing after graduation

23. Personal Growth & Takeaways
• Utilizing the CAS Standards
• NACE Attributes in Learning Outcomes
• QuestionPro & Developing Research Instrument

24. References
• National Association of Colleges & Employers. (2014). Job
Outlook: The Candidate Skills/Qualities Employers Want,
the Influence of Attributes. NACE. Retrieved from
http://www.naceweb.org/s11122014/job-outlook-skills-
qualities-employers-want.aspx#sthash.fDzFFTdr.dpuf
• Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher
Education. (2014). Fraternity and Sorority Advising
Programs. CAS Standards. Retrieved from
http://standards.cas.edu/getpdf.cfm?PDF=E86B4AB0-
F173-3390-D037EC8471C252D5

25. Acknowledgements
• Kevin Solomon—Providing this opportunity and his
guidance, mentorship
• Dr. Joelle Carter—Supporting and encouraging me
throughout the semester
• Dr. Susan Underwood—Critiquing my survey questions
and presentation PowerPoint
• Bekah Hickman—Giving feedback on my survey questions

26. ANY QUESTIONS?