Thoughts of a New Professional in the World of Fraternity & Sorority Advising

I went in to student affairs with the dream of becoming a fraternity & sorority advisor. After graduating with my Master’s degree in student affairs and securing my first position in the field in May as the new Coordinator of Student Life at Allegheny College, my dream finally became a reality. Now that my first semester as a professional is winding down, I’ve had some time to reflect on some best practices that have worked for me as a new professional in fraternity & sorority advising.

Build relationships with your team.

I’ve found this to be especially true in the area of student and organizational support. As a new professional, others on campus have probably had a lot of experience or history with the students and organizations you’re working with. I’ve found that having a good relationship with others in your division is beneficial, especially at a school with a longstanding history and tradition with fraternities and sororities. Some of my organizations have been on campus since the 1800’s and pieces of their history are incredibly important to understanding their individual organizational culture today. Additionally, build strong relationships with advisors. Whether on campus or not, advisors are just an extra layer of support for your organizations. Utilize them!

Set boundaries for yourself and make these boundaries clear to your students.

My students made it clear in my first few weeks of the semester that they thought I should be readily available to answer any and all questions or concerns at all hours of the day. While I am absolutely available to them in case of an emergency, within my first few weeks I had to let them know I would answer all emails, texts, messages, etc. during work hours, unless it required immediate attention. I would also recommend letting them know what your preferred method of contact is, because having them contact you on multiple platforms can be confusing and hard to keep track of. I’ve also found explaining why this is so important provides a great learning opportunity about professional and personal boundaries for them to use in their own lives, or for the future in their own careers.

Don’t be afraid to challenge or educate others on campus about fraternity & sorority life.

In my first few weeks on campus when my supervisor would introduce me to folks at the college as the new advisor for fraternity & sorority life, they’d often respond by saying things like “I’m sorry.” Over, and over, and over again. I started to think about how I could respond to this while educating others at the college about the students I advise when they made comments like this to me. Ultimately, I found the best response for me was a simple “Why?” Why are you sorry? Multiple times, this opened the door to having a conversation about their perceptions of fraternity & sorority life, why they felt that way, and what our fraternity & sorority community really values and represents on our campus.

Be honest with your students. 

In my first few months, I found I was continually feeling like I had to have an answer for everything on the spot when my students asked. This was an unrealistic expectation I was placing on myself. I started replying with “I’m not sure, but I’ll get back to you on that” and followed through with my promise. This change made a world of difference. It took the pressure off me and allowed my students to see that yes, I am still growing in this position and still have a lot to learn. I’ve also made a point to apologize when I’ve made mistakes or gave them wrong information- another learning moment for both myself and them.  A few students have mentioned to me that one of the things they like most about me as an advisor (so far) is that I’m not afraid to show that I’m human.

Be patient with yourself. 

Moving to a new town or city, meeting new colleagues and students, and setting up a new office amongst a host of other things is a lot for anyone to handle. I’ve found in the course of my adjustment that I have to be patient with myself. There’s a lot to figure out in the first few months of a new job, especially for a new professional straight out of grad school. I’m not a very patient person in general, so I remind myself in whatever ways I can that I have to give myself credit for taking on this new adventure. I keep two sticky notes on my computer monitor in my office; one that says “Be patient with yourself” and one that says “I have no idea what I’m doing but I know I’m doing it really, really well -Andy Dwyer.” These notes remind me that it’s okay to not know the answer, and that patience is a key piece of my puzzle as a new professional. Remember that this is all new to you and new to others, so you have to give yourself some time to adjust and learn about the culture of your office, your institution, and your students.

Casey Cole

Coordinator of Student Life

Allegheny College