The Research Initiative-Social Capital: What do Fraternity and Sorority Members do Best?

They Give Back!

By Maureen Sweeney Syring, Assistant Development Director and Chairman of the Alumnae Panhellenic Committee for National Panhellenic Conference.

Early in 1996, the leaders of two major sorority and fraternity organizations, the National Panhellenic Conference and the National Interfraternity Conference, decided that it was important to answer questions about the long-term impact of Greek affiliation in college. The University of Missouri was awarded a research contract to start the initiative with a comparison of Greek-affiliated and non-Greek affiliated alumni. The results of the first part of the initiative series are in and the findings tell us a lot about Greek behavior in the area of service, charitable giving and quality of life-social

A research study conducted by the Center for Advanced Social Research at the University of Missouri showed that men and women who have had a Greek experience are far more likely to actively volunteer and participate in community activities. They are significantly more active in their religious and neighborhood organizations and show stronger financial support for non-profit organizations that do non-Greek

The Research Initiative examined the impact of fraternity and sorority membership on college and university graduates, and was jointly funded by members of the National Panhellenic Conference and the National Interfraternity Conference.

More than 2,200 Greek and non-Greek alumni from 10 schools across the United States were surveyed through direct phone conversations. The pool of alumni were half non-Greek affiliated, one-quarter sorority members and one-quarter fraternity members. The target years for the survey were the graduation years of: 1965, 1975, 1985, 1990, and 1994.

The Greeks ranked high in what is known as "social capital", a concept where men and women in their communities invest their time, energy and treasure to improve the quality of life in their areas.

Other findings in the research showed:

• Greeks not only participated in their own fraternity or sorority chapter leadership, but were also involved in the same extra curricular activities as non-Greeks.
• Membership in a fraternity or sorority helped boost university recruitment at one's alma mater.
• Greek alumni were more satisfied with the social and cultural aspect of the college experience than were non-Greeks.
• Greek affiliated alumni said there was a greater match between what they studied in college and their first job, when compared with non-affiliated alumni.
• Greek affiliation had a significant impact on the current income of alumni.
• Greek alumnae and non-Greeks were more satisfied with their academic performance than were Greek alumni. Greek women were very satisfied with the relationship they had with faculty, counselors and university administrators.

This is the first time such a comprehensive study has been done on alumni of any kind, and the results have shown that fraternities and sororities are continuing to positively impact the lives of members in college and after graduation. But with any research, additional questions are raised which need to be pursued. The long-term goal of the Research Initiative Committee is to do exactly that in the very near future.

For more information about the Research Initiative contact:

NPC/NIC Research Initiative
Maureen Syring, Co-Chairman
(317)289-2644

Brian S. Brooks, Co-Chairman
(573)882-7426

Center for Advanced Social Research
Dr. Esther Thorson, Director
(573)882-9590

National Panhellenic Conference
Jean W. Scott, Chairman
(510)376-3344

National Interfraternity Conference
Jonathan J. Brant, Executive Vice President
(317)872-1112
Brian S. Brooks, President
(573)882-7426

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