42 GLO's form Genesis Group...
 

This is also posted in the Risk Management Forum, but since not everyone reads those posts, and since this is a potentially important movement, I'm posting it here as well:

From: "Chris Martz" <chris.martz@delts.net>
Subject: 42 fraternities and sororities form coalition to change campus alcohol attitudes

42 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES FORM COALITION
TO CHANGE CAMPUS ALCOHOL ATTITUDES



Forty-two national and international fraternities and sororities -
representing more than 60% of all undergraduates who are members of
Greek organizations - today announced the formation of The Genesis
Group, an historic consortium that will work together to implement a
Program For Change to modify the culture of high-risk alcohol
consumption that has manifested itself on college campuses across
America and within campus Greek organizations.



"The major problem on college campuses is high risk drinking, and we
want to make it clear that the Greek community wants to be part of the
solution," said Norval Stephens, co-chair of The Genesis Group and chair
of the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation. "While there is a great
deal of work underway now dealing with the relationship of the problem
with Greek letter organizations and their members, this coordinated
effort with the combined wisdom and perspectives of 42 fraternities and
sororities will effect positive change. We believe that the Program For
Change is the broadest program yet proposed, and the first one with
combined Greek participation and support."



The Genesis Group will begin its work by selecting one or two college
campuses as test sites and will actively participate with the
administrations in developing and executing a long-term program to
change student alcohol culture. Research by the Harvard School of
Public Health suggests Greek organizations are the only subset of the
student population in which high-risk drinking has declined in the last
decade.



"Our rate of alcohol consumption is still high, we recognize, but we are
showing progress when no other major student segment showed a similar
decline," notes Nancy Leonard, co-chair of the Genesis Group and interim
executive director of Alpha Chi Omega. "Greek units are making strides
in combating the problem because they are programming against alcohol
abuse. The per capita investment by fraternities and sororities in
alcohol counter-programming is, we believe, higher than that provided by
any college or university, and it has had a measurable effect."



Recent studies show that 44 percent of college students binge drink at
least biweekly and blame drinking by college students for 1,400 deaths,
500,000 injuries, 600,000 assaults and more than 70,000 sexual assaults
among students. The Genesis Group believes the issue of high-risk
drinking on college campuses must be attacked comprehensively,
persuasively and persistently. Its Program For Change is based on the
experience of Greek organizations, recommendations of those institutes
that research the problem, and the advice of experts in alcohol abuse.
The Program For Change is a blueprint to address this cultural problem.




Research conducted by the Newton, MA-based Outside The Classroom, which
involved approximately 15,000 first-year students at American colleges
last fall, found that more than 50% arrived on campus as "abstainers"
from alcohol, but by Christmas break of their first semester the
percentage dropped to 20%, approximately the level of abstainers among
all college students in the Harvard study. Outside The Classroom also
found that, over the same period, the percentage of heavy or binge
drinkers climbed from 24% to 63%. "This demonstrates a cultural problem
- drinking among underage students - one that is exacerbated in the
first months of college, a time when most of these students are in
college dormitories and not members of Greek organizations," Stephens
said. "This is a 100% problem, one not confined to the 10% of college
students who belong to Greek chapters," he added.



Later this year, the Genesis Group will begin the search for one or two
colleges that would want to participate in a five-year program to change
collegiate alcohol attitudes and behavior. "This is a deep and
pervasive societal problem, but based on our experiences in the Greek
system, we are confident that we can be a force for positive cultural
change. Fraternities and sororities are part of the problem, and I
believe we can be a large part of the solution," Stephens said. "This
will be a long haul, but, as the Chinese proverb says: Every journey
begins with the one step."



The Program For Change is comprised of three fundamental elements:
presidential leadership, student involvement and a long-range plan.
Programming elements include a student code of conduct, campus coalition
for change, review of the judicial process, attitude change programming,
a community coalition, increased social options, leadership education,
specific Greek programming, admissions programming, security
enhancements, campus health services, and research feedback. A synopsis
of the Program for Change is attached.



The fraternities and sororities participating in The Genesis Group are :
Acacia, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha
Kappa Lambda, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha
Sigma Phi, Alpha Tau Omega, Alpha Xi Delta, Beta Theta Pi, Chi Omega,
Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Upsilon, Delta
Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Order, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta,
Kappa Kappa Gamma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta,
Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Sigma, Phi Kappa Tau, Phi Sigma Kappa, Pi Beta
Phi, Pi Kappa Phi, Psi Upsilon, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma
Delta Tau, Sigma Kappa, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Theta Chi,
Triangle, and Zeta Tau Alpha.



Fraternities and sororities that wish to join the Genesis Group and
colleges and universities interested in more information on the Genesis
Group may contact Jim Russell, executive vice president of Delta Tau
Delta, (317) 284-0210; or Nancy Leonard, interim executive director of
Alpha Chi Omega, (317) 579-5050.







The Genesis Group seeks to bring together the leadership of the Greek
organizations

To create an initiative to change the culture of a high-risk alcohol
environment

That has manifested itself on campuses and within Greek organizations.



_______________________________________

Christopher Martz, Director of Communications

Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity

Sounds great. I don't think the problem is just with College attitudes though, it's the entire US culture. I don't think it's really more pervasive at college than anywhere else for 18-20somethings. Maybe more publicized, but I see alcohol problems everywhere in the US.

It's really interesting to see how different alcohol use is elsewhere in the world.

That may be true, but, assuming the research is correct (and it is usually questionable from one standpoint or another, but...), the following quote would indicate that there is, indeed, a problem in the college culture.

And, don't we really all already know that there is? Just read the Risk Management forum -- or the daily newspapers.

Research conducted by the Newton, MA-based Outside The Classroom, which
involved approximately 15,000 first-year students at American colleges
last fall, found that more than 50% arrived on campus as "abstainers"
from alcohol, but by Christmas break of their first semester the
percentage dropped to 20%, approximately the level of abstainers among
all college students in the Harvard study. Outside The Classroom also
found that, over the same period, the percentage of heavy or binge
drinkers climbed from 24% to 63%. "This demonstrates a cultural problem
- drinking among underage students - one that is exacerbated in the
first months of college, a time when most of these students are in
college dormitories and not members of Greek organizations,"

As is pointed out, this isn't an entirely Greek problem, but if we can help prevent any of those deaths, injuries or assaults, wouldn't it be worth it? And, I think we will all agree, again, that we are a highly identifiable group in this arena. Who better to take the lead?