Pillars of Lafayette’s FSL
Intellectual Development (Academic Excellence)
As the primary focus of college attendance, academic excellence is at the forefront of everything our community does. Our community actively works within their chapters, together as a community, and with the general campus to emphasize academic excellence and ensure that each member feels empowered and supported. This is most evident through their study sessions, engagement in tutoring, and partnering with faculty to host programs to enable the pursuit of academic excellence. As a result of this, our members are more likely to be involved in academic honor societies and consistently top the campus GPA records.
- Host faculty and departmental programs
- Group study sessions
- Workshops on study skills, test-taking strategies, time management, stress relief, and resume building
- Faculty advisors offer support and expertise
- Academic standards and member improvement plans should a member fall below the chapter GPA requirement
Leadership Development
A key component of being a part of a fraternity or sorority is leadership development. The community utilizes the space and resource to empower each member and push them to their fullest potential. Not only are our members leaders within the fraternal community, but they are also leaders across campus through engagement in a multitude of student organizations. Becoming a member of the fraternity and sorority community is the easiest way to expand your involvement on campus and enhance your collegiate experience. In addition to what is offered on campus, our students are regularly sent to conferences around the country and locally to aid in their personal growth and skill development.
- Hold a leadership role within their chapter
- Serve as a chapter resident advisor
- Participate in our Interfraternity or Panhellenic Council
- Become a recruitment counselor
- Serve on college-wide committees
- Participate in local, state, regional, and national conferences
Community Development (Philanthropy and Servant Leadership)
The fraternal community at Lafayette prides itself on their connection to the local and global community. Each member is involved in community service efforts, from LaFarm to the Lehigh Valley Humane Society. There is more than an expectation of servant leadership, but a passion and excitement to engage within the Lehigh Valley and provide any support that they can. As well, our community hosts some of the most inventive and exciting philanthropy events, from health and wellness sessions on the Quad during the day to large-scale concerts into the night. The students find a way to make philanthropy fun and appealing to the general student body. Not only do they focus on raising thousands of dollars annually, but they emphasize the need to spread awareness about the causes that are important to their membership.
- Organize, volunteer, and host community service and philanthropic initiatives each year
- Organize chapter events to raise money and educate the campus
- Host and support other student organizations’ educational programming about issues of civic engagement
Chapter Development (Organization and Operations)
When you read “Chapter Development” you might think it as the operations of the organizations themselves. However, it is much more than that. The community looks at chapter development as what is needed consistently, in relation to educational and development goals. Examples of this could be building partnerships with Kaleidoscope, our Lafayette social justice team, or PASA, our team of students that educate the community on sexual assault, abuse, and stalking prevention efforts. Each of our chapters routinely host opportunities for other departments and teams to share their wisdom and empower their members to utilize that information to make their chapters safer, more accepting, and more prepared to be a source of aid and support to the Lafayette community.
- Engage with the fraternal community and the Lafayette community, as a whole
- Work as a team to build a cohesive and strong organization and community
- Establish partnerships across student organizations and academic departments
Personal Development (Professional and Social)
Last, but not least important, is the promotion of personal development. Each of our members come into their chapters with a set of skills, strengths, and areas that could use some growth. Our chapters function as a true siblinghood and the members take their responsibility to each other seriously. Not only do the chapters empower the strengths that are already present, but they work with each other to build on the areas of improvement. An example of a desire large-scale personal development is their desire to learn and their passion to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion understanding and strengthen activism within their community.
- Emphasize the education of diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Be a change agent on campus
- Post-grad preparation
- Make friends
- Have fun