Future Dependent on Changing Student Demographics

By Jacob Defassio (Valparaiso ’12), DEI Committee

Phi Sigma Kappa’s Mission Statement

“Phi Sigma Kappa is a lifelong brotherhood dedicated to the betterment of the individual, the university community, and our world, by giving its members opportunities to develop leadership skills, participate in service to others, achieve academic excellence, experience cultural diversity and practice personal integrity.”

Phi Sigma Kappa will celebrate 150 years as a Brotherhood in 2023. While we must look back over the last 150 years, we also look at what the future holds for our current and future undergraduate members. We are here to promote the traditions and programs of Phi Sigma Kappa, but to continue these traditions, we must understand the undergraduates who will carry on this legacy for the decades to come.

We Must Promote Brotherhood. As you can see in the graph below, the college student body has been growing more diverse regarding race and ethnicity over the past 20 years. This is a key factor as we continue to look at the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of Phi Sigma Kappa and how we can better ourselves as an organization to meet these changing student demographics.

Although universities are becoming increasingly diverse, fraternities and sororities maintain a significant presence of white/Caucasian members. As we recognize this dynamic, it becomes more and more important that Phi Sigma Kappa identifies ways to present the benefits of our organization to diverse types of students at all our local chapters. We Must Develop Character. In the graphs at right you can see the values of the undergraduate members and the factors that aid in deciding what colleges they may attend. As higher education continues to grow and adjust to the expectations of the next generation, we as a fraternity must also use this information to grow and develop the character of our Brotherhood. This includes making our chapters and fraternity spaces more welcoming and inviting to a broader slice of the ever-changing campus community.

As a fraternity, we need to demonstrate what we offer to prospective members. Identifying what the local chapter has to offer, and communicating this to the student population, will make more students interested in joining Phi Sigma Kappa. In addition, we need to ensure that Phi Sigma Kappa is ready to meet this changing campus community with a welcoming experience that promotes a sense of belonging.

We Must Stimulate Scholarship. You can see from the information at right that across the newest generation of brothers part of their academic achievements includes being “socially conscious, and activism inclined.” They will continue to make value-based decisions, and Phi Sigma Kappa should be a part of those values that these undergraduates look toward.

As higher education takes on new challenges, Phi Sigma Kappa will need to embrace these challenges with firm conviction as we continue to move #PhiSigForward #LifeLoyal.

Brothers, if you have interest in learning more about the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative that Phi Sigma Kappa has taken on, please reach out to Brother Darald Stubbs to discuss the topics and any interest you may have in joining the committee.

Students Coming from More Diverse Backgrounds

Enrollment Rates of 18 to 24 year-olds in colleges, by race/ethnicity: 2000, 2010, 2018

Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

National Snapshot of Fraternities and Sororities

Source: EVERFI survey database, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Students, 2020-2021

Meeting the expectations of Gen Z

86% 82% 70% 72%

It is important that colleges and universities provide students with safe and inclusive campuses. Safety, wellbeing, and inclusion are as important as academic rigor. Colleges/universities care about the wellbeing of their students. Colleges/universities need to be doing more for the wellbeing of their students.

Today’s students are socially conscious and activism inclined; they make values-based consumer decisions. Safer, healthier, more inclusive campuses have higher engagement, greater sense of belonging and improved academic outcomes.

Modest gains in prevention strategy result in higher retention rates; leadership visibility + commitment most strongly linked to persistence.

Non-cognitive skills strengthen workplace culture, increase skills and productivity, and reduce costs and turnover.

Credit: Images and information courtesy of the Vector Solutions and Zeta Tau Alpha webinar regarding “How Fraternities & Sororities Can Benefit from DEI Education.”