Educational opportunities support our mission of creating healthy, safe, inclusive and supportive environments within the sorority and fraternity community. Our staff is focused on creating educational opportunities that support leadership development and behavior change. We ensure that all educational initiatives focus on promoting our Standards of Excellence and developing our Core Membership Outcomes of:
An expectation of membership in the IU sorority and fraternity community is completing relevant and timely programming that supports individuals’ knowledge and skills that promote and maintain supportive environments. Programs are based on the length of an individual’s membership in their organization:
Required programming
Online, self-paced course in Canvas required before participating in recruitment or membership intake. The program covers the history of sorority and fraternity life, expectations of membership, education on hazing and upholding a safe and healthy sorority and fraternity community. Prospective Member Orientation should take approximately 45 minutes to complete
Online self-paced program required each year for all members serving as Event Monitors at social events. The training covers OSFL’s Social Events Policy, strategies for intervening in emergency situations and resources available for support and assistance. The training also covers best practices for risk management, being mindful and aware of unsafe incidents that could take place at a social event. Additionally, all chapters must hold a chapter-specific risk management presentation at the beginning of the school year.
In-person program focused on alcohol and substance use safety, including strategies for intervening in situations related to high-risk behaviors. Party Smarter, Not Harder is expected to be completed during the first semester of sorority/fraternity membership. Students who join MGC and NPHC organizations will complete Party Smarter, Not Harder during Neophyte Retreat. Chapter leaders for IFC and PHA organizations will work with OSFL staff to schedule Party Smarter, Not Harder during each semester in which they accept new members.
In-person program focused on bystander intervention in potentially harmful situations, including situations related to mental health, substance use, bias incidents, hazing, and sexual violence prevention. Students who join MGC and NPHC organizations will complete Step UP! IU during Neophyte Retreat (alongside Party Smarter, Not Harder). Chapter leaders for IFC and PHA organizations will work with OSFL staff to schedule Step UP! IU for their second-year members.
Onboards the newest members of the MGC and NPHC communities. Neophyte Retreat covers several health and safety programs (including Party Smarter and Step UP! IU) and leadership programs within one day. Neophyte Retreat happens each semester and is facilitated by a mixture of council advisors and peer educators.
Programs available by request:
In-person hazing prevention workshop available to chapters in all four councils. Hoosiers Not Hazers uses healthy relationship-building as a foundation for engaging students in discussions surrounding hazing prevention in the sorority and fraternity community, as well as IU policies governing hazing prevention and response.
This workshop builds on the basics of hazing prevention covered in the Hoosiers Not Hazers workshop to take a deeper dive into connections between interpersonal relationships and hazing in sororities and fraternities. Specifically, Hoosiers for Healthy Brotherhood explores how organizational structure can lead to both healthy and unhealthy power dynamics and in turn play a role in preventing or promoting hazing and other unhealthy behaviors that can limit strong relationship-building in fraternities.
The It’s On Us Bystander Intervention Workshop coordinated by the Office for Sexual Violence Prevention and Victim Advocacy engages students in discussions about consent, IU’s Sexual Misconduct Policies, resources, and bystander intervention. This workshop is required for all first-year and transfer students at IU Bloomington. You can read more about this workshop and related programs here.
Leadership programming
Providing organization leadership educational opportunities allows our student leaders to learn the knowledge and skills to influence their environments to foster safe and meaningful experiences within their organization.
Greek Leadership Academy (GLA)
Chapter presidents and council leaders from all four councils come together to facilitate community building, leadership development, and goal setting. GLA is typically a day long program that occurs in late January or Early February.
Officer Specific Training
Timely and topical education programming tailored to specific cohorts of elected and appointed officers to develop position specific skills. Examples include: new member education, standards/accountability boards, mental health chairs, event planners/social chairs, etc. Expectations about each program will be communicated with chapter leaders directly.
Programming tailored towards newer members of a Greek organization that prepares them to be thoughtful, informed and effective leaders in their organization and community. Execution of this programming may differ from year to year.
Based on your chapter membership, learn what programs are required and when they must be completed by.
Before joining:
During first year of membership (at Neophyte Retreat):
During each year of membership:
Scheduled upon request:
Before joining:
During first year of membership:
During second year of membership:
During first and/or second year of membership:
Scheduled upon request:
Before joining:
During first year of membership:
During second year of membership:
Scheduled upon request:
In addition to individual programming and leadership programming, chapter leaders can request a program to meet their organization’s educational programming needs and/or requirements. We’re happy to tailor an already existing program or partner together to build a new one.
Programs that are currently available include topics such as:
