Session 3 Recap: A Panel Discussion with Sorority and Fraternity Members
#FCAAnnual looks a little different this year, but we are grateful to still be offering educational sessions for our members!
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our organizations have had to quickly rethink our member communications. Communicating with our current collegiate members has never been more important but are we reaching our members? Three sorority panelists fielded a variety of questions about what has worked and what they would like to see from their member organizations during this uncertain time.
Here are five key takeaways from the educational session: A Panel Discussion with Sorority and Fraternity Members.
1. How can member organizations make their communications stand out among all the other communications?
Don’t overwhelm your members with unnecessarily frequent, redundant, and irrelevant communications. Only communicate when you have new information to share! They are all frustrated by the excessive amount of email from their respective universities.
Convergent media is important! They want to see magazine articles on the various social media channels so they can easily share this information.
Do NOT text them!
30-minute podcasts that highlight members or discussions of diversity-related topics seem most interesting to them.
2. The biggest communications challenge facing collegiate sorority chapters is how to effectively communicate the value of sorority membership when most experiences will be online-only.
Sororities are social organizations so how can our chapters showcase the social aspects of membership in a virtual environment?
How can our chapters demonstrate the meaning of sisterhood only through technology?
Collegiate chapters need help explaining the “why” of sorority membership.
3. They have some thoughts about social media…
Instagram and Twitter are the most popular platforms
TikTok is used strictly for humor
Snapchat is used for fun filters, NOT stories
Facebook is used for updating their families and browsing items on The Marketplace
4. Keep in mind that the member experience varies from chapter to chapter and members are engaged at different levels, so a one-size-fits-all approach does not work.
While it is great to celebrate seniors, do not forget about the members who should be returning next school year.
Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors all have different needs so tailor your messages accordingly.
5. Transparency is KEY.
These women all indicated that they are willing to continue paying some dues, at a reduced rate, even if the chapter experience is completely online.
Collegiate members want to see a clear breakdown of what these dues are paying for (i.e. salaries, technology improvements, etc.) and why these things matter to them
Collegiate chapter officers are fielding questions from members and parents – it is essential for our member organizations to share information with them so they can be prepared.
Click here to view the recording on Tuesday, May 12, 2020.
This wouldn’t be possible without the credible and resourceful speakers, thank you for your time and expertise!
Victoria Mescall
A Panel Discussion with Sorority and Fraternity Members
Mescall is a graduate student at Syracuse University pursuing a master’s degree in Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Women and Gender Studies. She is a young alumna of Alpha Delta Pi sorority from the Theta Rho chapter at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. And while she is studying at Syracuse she serves as a sorority house director for another NPC group.
Tajahnaé Stocker
A Panel Discussion with Sorority and Fraternity Members
Stocker is a senior at Wichita State studying Ethnic studies with a minor in communications with certificates in Strategic communication and the Tilford Diversity certificate. She is currently a diversity intern for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Wichita State as well as a content writer for HerCampus and a columnist for the campus newspaper, The Sunflower. Stocker has experience in diversity and inclusion, facilitating, public speaking, event planning, program coordinating, and presenting.
Laura Thompson
A Panel Discussion with Sorority and Fraternity Members
Thompson graduated in May 2020 from Wingate University with her Bachelor of Science in Communications and Public Relations. She is a member of the Chi Omega Fraternity and has held the positions of Recruitment Director and Member Educator. She also served her University as Student Body President and Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Student Government Association. And in April 2019, she served as a student lobbyist for the Fraternal Government Relations Coalition for the 2019 Capitol Hill Visits, lobbying for Greek organizations.
