6/23/2018
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National Data on Fraternities and Sororities: Examining Student Expectations, Participation, and Outcomes
Ellen Bara Stolzenberg, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Research, Higher Education Research Institute
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6/23/2018
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National Data on Fraternities and Sororities:
Examining Student Expectations, Participation, and Outcomes
Ellen Bara Stolzenberg, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Research
Higher Education Research Institute
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Presenter Information
Ellen Bara StolzenbergAssistant Director for ResearchHigher Education Research Institute at UCLA
Ph.D., Higher Education & Organizational Change, UCLA
M.A., Counseling & Student Affairs, UCLA
B.A., Spanish & Linguistics, Tulane University
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About The Program
• Introduction to CIRP Surveys• Overview/Research Questions• Learning Outcomes• 2017 CIRP Freshman Survey (TFS)
– Likelihood of Greek participation• 2013 TFS and 2017 CSS (matched sample)
– Who actually joined?• 2017 College Senior Survey (CSS)
– Variation in student experiences by Greek participation
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CIRP Student Surveys
College Senior Survey
(CSS)
Diverse Learning
Environments (DLE)
Your First College
Year (YFCY)
Freshman Survey
(TFS)
College entry End of 1st year 2nd or 3rd year Senior year
*Faculty Survey administered every 3 years*Staff Climate Survey, new for 2017-2018
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Overview
• Three Primary Questions
1. Upon college entry, who is interested in joining a fraternity or sorority?a
2. Among graduating seniors, who actually joined a fraternity or sorority?
A. How do students’ initial expectations align with their actual participation in a fraternity / sorority?a
3. How do Greek and non-Greek students’ college experiences and outcomes compare?
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Learning Outcomes
●Learn how data from a comprehensive, longitudinal survey program can be used by Greek Life administrators to understand the student experience.
●Understand how students’ background characteristics and high school experiences relate to their interest in joining a Greek organization.
●Learn how students’ initial expectations as entering first-year students compare to their actual participation in Greek life.
●Understand how the college experience varies between students who participate in Greek life and those who do not.
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Q1: Who Wants to Join?
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• 2017 CIRP Freshman Survey– 156,702 students from 213 institutions– Nationally representative of 1.5 million first-
time, full-time students at four-year institutions (based on responses from 121,136 from 168 institutions)
• Survey Item – “What is your best guess as to the chances
that you will: Join a social fraternity / sorority”
• 4-point scale– Very good chance, Some chance,
Very little chance, No chance
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Plan to Join Fraternity / Sorority
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11.4%
22.0%
28.3%
38.3%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Very Good Chance Some Chance Very Little Chance No Chance
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Plan to Join Fraternity / Sorority by Sex
12.9%
21.4%
26.1%
39.5%
9.4%
22.7%
31.0%
36.8%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Very Good Chance Some Chance Very Little Chance No Chance
Female Male
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Plan to Join Fraternity / Sorority by Race / Ethnicity(% Very Good and Some Chance)
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29.5%
48.3%
35.1%31.4% 32.0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Asian Black / AfricanAmerican
Hispanic White Two or More
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Plan to Join Fraternity / Sorority by Race / Ethnicity by Sex (% Very Good and Some Chance)
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27.8%
50.4%
35.7%32.5% 32.8%31.3%
45.1%
34.2%30.0% 30.9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Asian Black / AfricanAmerican
Hispanic White Two or More
Female
Male
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Points to Consider
• Overall likelihood to join
– 1/3 Very good or Some chance
– 2/3 Very little or No chance
• Very good/some chance to join by sex
– 34% of women v. 32% of men
• Black/African American (48%) & Hispanic (35%) students most likely to want to join
• Black/African American students: Biggest difference by gender within a racial/ethnic group
• Asian males more likely than females
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Plan to Join Fraternity / Sorority by Income(% Very Good / Some Chance)
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38.7%35.9% 35.7% 34.6%
32.3%29.4% 30.0% 31.4% 32.3% 33.0%
36.3%
44.0%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
< $15k $15K -$24,999
$25K -$29,999
$30K -$59,999
$60K -$74,999
$75K -$99,999
$100K -$124,999
$125K -$149,999
$150K -$199,999
$200K -$249,999
$250K -$499,999
$500K+
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Plan to Join Fraternity / Sorority by Region (% Very Good / Some Chance)
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28.5%
37.7%
47.3%
40.7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
East Midwest South West
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Plan to Join Fraternity / Sorority by Political Views (% Very Good / Some Chance)
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28.1%
32.8% 34.1% 32.8%
38.6%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Far left Liberal Middle-of-the-road Conservative Far right
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Plan to Join Fraternity / Sorority by Religion(% Very Good / Some Chance)
1828.0%
29.4%
33.5%
33.6%
34.6%
34.8%
35.3%
38.2%
48.6%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Muslim
None/Agnostic/Atheist
Roman Catholic
Buddhist
Hindu
Other Christian
Presbyterian
Baptist
Jewish
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Points to Consider
• Income
– Dip in middle income levels
• Geographic region
– Students attending institutions in the south are more likely to believe they go Greek (47%).
• Political views
– Far right most likely (39%)
– Far left least likely (28%)
• Religion
– Jewish students were most likely to report Very good/Some chance (49%)
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Q2: Who Actually Joins?
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• 2017 College Senior Survey
– Administered to students at the time of graduation
• Matched Sample
– Responded to both the Freshman Survey and the College Senior Survey
– 8,938 graduating seniors from 63 institutions
– 16.1% of students participated in fraternity / sorority (n=1,375)
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Fraternity / Sorority Participation by Initial Expectations (Matched Sample)
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67.4%
34.6%
13.8%
3.1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Very Good Chance Some Chance Very Little Chance No Chance
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Fraternity / Sorority Participation by Initial Expectations by Sex
22
67.9%
39.6%
13.7%
2.9%
66.2%
26.3%
14.2%
3.4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Very Good Chance Some Chance Very Little Chance No Chance
Female Male
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Fraternity / Sorority Participation by Initial Expectations by Race / Ethnicity(% Participated among Very Good / Some Chance Respondents)
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32.6%
25.8% 23.8%
51.1%48.3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Asian Black / AfricanAmerican
Hispanic White Two or More
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Points to Consider
• Data are not nationally representative, so findings depend upon which institutions participate in the survey.
• Fraternity / Sorority participation is highly correlated with incoming expectations
• Female students slightly more accurate in their predictions
• Black/African American & Latino students had lowest participation compared to expectations (Few HBCUs participate in CSS)
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The Matched Sample: Longitudinal Analysis
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Self-rated Leadership Ability by Fraternity / Sorority Participation (% Above average or Highest 10%)
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67.5%
70.1%
72.0%
76.3%
62%
64%
66%
68%
70%
72%
74%
76%
78%
TFS CSS
Non-participant
Participant
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Self-rated Emotional Health by Fraternity / Sorority Participation (% Above average or Highest 10%)
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57.1%
48.1%
53.4%
49.0%
42%
44%
46%
48%
50%
52%
54%
56%
58%
TFS CSS
Non-participant
Participant
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Points to Consider
• Attributing student outcomes to participation can be tricky. First step is knowing where they started.
• Similar rates (slope) of growth for self-rated leadership ability, though Greek students start off higher and end higher.
• Decline in self-rated emotional health for both groups but non-participants show sharper decline.
• It is important to consider what other activities and experiences may impact this.
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Q3: How do experiences and outcomes differ between Greek / non-Greek Students?
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Q3: Samples
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• 2017 College Senior Survey
– 16,656 students from 65 institutions
• Fraternity / Sorority Participants
– 17.8% participated in a fraternity / sorority
– 2,833 graduating seniors
• Non-Participants
– 82.2% did not participate
– 13,039 graduating seniors
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Q3: Fraternity / Sorority Participation
• Participants (n= 2,833)
• Racial /Ethnic Demographics
– 28.2% Students of Color
– 71.8% White
• Sex
– 66.7% Female
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College GPAs by Fraternity / Sorority Participation
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55.6%
47.7%
58.1%
49.7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Major GPA (A- or Better) College GPA (A- or Better)
Participants Non-Participants
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Academic Experiences by Fraternity / Sorority Participation
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42.3%47.6%
71.2%78.3%
41.8%38.2%
68.5%
76.5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Worked on a professor'sresearch project
Studied with other students(freq)
Discussed course contentoutside of class
Spent 6+ hours / weekstudying
Participant Non-Participant
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Faculty / Student Interaction by Fraternity / Sorority Participation
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51.6%45.5% 45.0%
69.4%
46.1%40.5% 40.6%
59.1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Communicate Regularlywith Professors
Faculty provide help inachieving goals
Feedback about youracademic work
Ability to find a faculty/staffmentor
Participant Non-Participant
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College Experiences by Fraternity / Sorority Participation
35
59.5%
40.7%48.0%
53.5%
84.5%
49.2%
33.8%38.1% 36.5%
58.4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Club, IntramuralSports
Study abroad Racial / CulturalAwarenessWorkshop
LeadershipTraining
Held a leadershipposition
Participant Non-Participant
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Points to Consider
• Non-participants had slightly higher Major and Overall GPA
• Participants were slightly more engaged with faculty
• Greek students are more likely to participate in a number of academic and extra-curricular experiences
• Largest differences in leadership-related activities
• We don’t know if these activities are required of participants in a Greek organization.
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Career Preparation and Plans
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Career Preparations by Fraternity / Sorority Participation
38
69.3%
32.9%
65.8%
24.9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Internship Program Frequently met with an advisor/counselor aboutcareer plans
Participants Non-Participants
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Career Choices by Fraternity / Sorority Participation
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23.0%
13.5%
7.8%6.7%
5.3% 4.4% 3.9%
26.0%
10.5%8.2%
5.7%7.6%
4.6% 3.8%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Business HealthProfessional
(IncludingNurse)
Education (K-12)
Doctor (MD,DDS)
Artist Engineer Lawyer
Participant Non-Participant
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Career Concerns by Fraternity / Sorority Participation
40
76.3%
64.2%
80.3%
51.5%
68.0%
59.5%
76.0%
53.9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Leadership Potential High Income Potential Availability of jobs Working for Social Change
Participants Non-Participants
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Future Plans by Fraternity / Sorority Participation
41
72.7%
29.3%
60.6% 60.1%
7.3%
74.7%
26.3%
57.9%53.1%
6.9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Employment (Full-Time)
Graduate School (Full-Time)
Travel Volunteer Work TFA, Peace Corps,etc.
Participants Non-Participants
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Points to Consider
• Greek students may be more forward-thinking (internship and utilizing career advising)
• Participants are more interested in careers in health professions and law
• Participants are more likely to want a career that offers high income potential and leadership opportunities
– But their immediate postgraduate plans also include volunteer work and public service
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SUMMARY
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• Fraternity / sorority participation relates to initial expectations
• Data from national surveys are insightful, but cannot provide the full picture (e.g., reasons for non-participation)
• Important for campuses to explore and understand “true” effects of participation in Greek Life
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Questions & Answers
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Thank you for Participating