Officer Leadership Training Goes Virtual

OfficerLeadership TRAINING

Goes Virtual in 2021

Officer Leadership Training (OLT) has always been about two things: providing opportunities for chapter leaders of our organization to grow into the best version of themselves and fostering lifelong bonds with members from across the country. Now, even in 2021, that goal hasn’t changed, but our approach has.

Presenting a silver lining, COVID-19 allowed OLT to go virtual. A virtual conference presented unique opportunities, such as the ability to partner with a keynote speaker and have professionals from other organizations facilitate our officer tracks, offering diverse perspectives. Going virtual also allowed expanded opportunities for chapters to network with people outside of their regions, while maintaining the consistency of the content that was offered.

Officer Leadership Training saw Presidents, Treasurers, Recruitment Officers, New Member Educators, and Chapter Advisors receive specific training in best practices for their respective areas, as well as education furthering their journey to be inclusive leaders. Rising to the commitment of Grand Council’s Strategic Initiatives, we were pleased to have Tara Fuller present her keynote, “The ABCs of Inclusion.” Through her keynote, collegians and alumnae learned:

• how to distinguish their own identities and how those relate to their peers and community;

• how to define privilege and recognize the impact institutional and/or organizational history plays on social identities;

• the responsibilities of a making a positive impact and being a contributing member of their communities; and, • the ways to incorporate inclusive language into their collegiate and/or membership experience.

Following the keynote, breakout sessions were held to dive deeper into diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA). Participants were challenged to think about how we can take responsibility for being intentionally inclusive in both our personal lives and creating an inclusive chapter and organizational culture. Cross-chapter collaboration even led to some chapters creating new positions, while others considered how the language of their bylaws and codes of conduct may impact access and inclusivity.

The positive impact of addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access cannot be overstated. Of 193 attendees surveyed, 96% agreed that Tara’s keynote gave them a deeper understanding of DEIA issues, and another 93% agreed that the DEIA breakout sessions allowed them to create tangible action items to be more inclusive. The survey responses also indicated that there is a hunger for more of this kind of training – from both alumnae and collegians. Theta Phi Alpha has a history of striving to be inclusive in our national policies, and this January, Tracey Liphardt, AN, National President, reaffirmed that commitment wholeheartedly when she addressed our membership at OLT.

Officer Leadership Training has been completely transformed, from teaching just the operational aspects of a position’s role to empowering our women with the tools they need to be successful leaders. We are revolutionizing OLT by inviting industry experts to share their experiences in topics like diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, and addressing the most pressing issues collegiate women face, such as self-care, career development, self-identity exploration, chapter management, and more.

When asked how the event impacted them, here is what some members had to say:

• “The ABCs of DEIA made me very aware of the biases I had and how I can acknowledge them.”

• “Everything feels significantly less overwhelming than it did at the beginning of the day. This is a stressful thing, but I feel so much better.”

• “It helped me feel like I was not alone, and even through a pandemic, we have a wonderful support system who is still trying.”

• “It was really interesting to just learn more about DEIA issues and how to overcome them in different situations. I think that right now, and in the future, this is an important topic that needs to be talked about; I was very happy that this was the topic for today. It definitely made me take a step back and think about how I handle situations and how I will change the way I handle them in the future. I look forward to bringing the ideas that I learned today to not only my chapter but to my overall college community.”

• “The event really opened my eyes to the fact that being the president is much more than just a title.”

• “This event greatly influenced how I will treat future educational programs for my chapter so all members are informed about diversity and inclusion.”

• “It was definitely reassuring to know that other presidents do feel nervous about taking on this position. The way that everyone was so ready and willing to support each other with advice and suggestions was very impactful.”

We are excited to expand upon these opportunities and experiences in our upcoming Officer Leadership Training. Not only are we providing training to specific officers, we have opened registration to any member who believes they would benefit from the conference. We know that empowered women empower women and creating the opportunity for every member to engage in this experience will lead us into a brighter future.

This summer, Officer Leadership Training will be held virtually July 15-17. Besides the required chapter officers, additional collegiate sisters, Chapter Advisors, and other alumnae are invited to attend at a discounted rate. Please visit https://my.thetaphialpha.org to register.

OLT Keynote Speaker – Tara Fuller

Tara Fuller has been passionate about understanding others who are different from her for as long as she can remember. Tara was adopted as an infant, has been challenged by mental illness, and identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community. She is grounded by her ability to build relationships and sees this as the foundation to making a big community impact. Tara has worked in higher education and student affairs on a number of campuses for almost ten years. Currently, she serves as the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. Her experiences continue to show her the importance of relying on the support of others. She believes all people are on lifelong journeys to belong.