“It’s Time.” In a February 2 letter to all Betas, parents and friends in the higher education and interfraternal communities, General Secretary Wayne Kay, Virginia Tech ’73, announced the Board of Trustees’ new strategic plan, including the continued denouncement of hazing and adoption of a fraternity-wide substance-free housing policy.
Brothers and Friends:
T “More is needed from all fraternities and the universities they call home. So, it is the basis for Beta’s courageous leadership now.” — Senator Richard G. Lugar, Denison ’54 (Ret.), Men of Principle Spokesman
his year will mark the 20th anniversary of Beta alumni and undergraduates launching the Men of Principle initiative to advance Beta’s position of interfraternal leadership. Hailed across the higher education community as one of Greek life’s most successful cultural change efforts, one need look no further than our Fraternity’s historic performance in leadership programming, GPA, recruitment, volunteerism and accountability to understand the thoughtfulness that has gone in year after year to support our undergraduate chapters and the adult men and women who mentor them. The impact of the Fraternity’s policies and programs undertaken since Men of Principle’s formulation is truly remarkable. Despite the Fraternity’s achievements on so many fronts, however, Greek life across North America continues to grapple with serious issues that run diametrically counter to the founding principles and values upon which our organizations were founded. From the outside looking in, many argue a common thread in these ongoing campus concerns is the role fraternities and sororities play, notably in the social arena related to drugs and alcohol, as well as in matters of hazing and sexual assault. Most objective minds find it difficult to disagree. Not surprisingly, as our own Fraternity confronts the heartbreaking and tragic death of Penn State New Member Timothy Piazza ’20, fraternities and sororities everywhere find themselves at an important crossroads in both the eyes of their host institution’s boards of regents and the administrations charged with carrying out their directives – not to mention fraternity and sorority alumni and parent bodies who are watching closely for meaningful action. For this Fraternity’s leadership, two questions – among many – certainly rise to the top: “Will Beta deal with the challenges before it?” And, if so, “How?”
32 | STRATEGIC PLAN
THE BETA THETA PI | SPRING 2018