Professors & Their Attitudes Towards Greek Life

[ZetaLuvBunny]

Okay, get this, my Sociology prof is OBSESSED with talking about Sororities and Fraternities!!! Every other sentance that comes out of her mouth is about them. Don't get me wrong, she's a great teacher, and a nice one at that, but she is always saying somewhat negative things about Greek Life! There are I think only four of us in there (in sororities), and we're all in dif. ones, but we usually sit together. We feel like she's just targeting us to hold the attention of the class or something...it's irritating. She gives these mini-quiz, opinion, in class assignments every so often, and today the the quiz was on Social Status and "Total Institutions". The paper was basically divided into two sections to fill out: the top part if you're in a fraternity/sorority, the bottom if you're not.

So the paper says "If you're in a fraternity or sorority, how does this compare to a Total Institution as defined in the book". Then, "How has being in a fraternity/sorority affected your life at MTSU?" The bottom part says "If you're NOT in a fraternity/sorority how is your life NOT like a Total Institution." I mean, is that whole thing stereotyped or WHAT? It's not all-or-none, you know. She's basically telling the non-Greek students with that how we compare to Nazis or something! It wouldn't bother me so much normally, since I know that Greek Life is for me and has more positive aspects in my life than I could have without it; HOWEVER, it bothers me that POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS could be in the class and decide not to rush based on the teacher's stereotypical comments and assignments.

Another problem is that her comments have isolated the four or so of us, and we recieve unpleasent stares from the rest of the students when we're wearing our letters (I just happened to be decked out in badge attire today, and I was getting stared-down by a lot of people, and the other three girls were wearing letter shirts, so they got stares too). That's just not right. As I said, the assignment in general didn't bother me as much as how it was geared towards portraying Greeks as a "Total Institution" or almost cult-like.
I did my best to answer the questions to highlight only the POSITIVE effects my sorority has had on me, such as: "It has helped me to make friends, have better self-esteem, maintain a more lady-like image, develop better study habits and better behavior (etc.)" After class, two of the other sorority girls in there & I were all talking & complaining about her assignment. Sadly both of them said they couldn't think of how to word it to sound good, but at least they tried. Anyhow, I have had other professers besides her who had even worse attitudes about Greek Life, and who are always saying rude things like "I know you been out partying at the frat houses all weekend."

Has anyone else had this problem with Professors?!? If so, what did you do about it (if anything).

[GammaPhiBabe]

That doesn't sound fair to me. Why should students in GLOs have to answer different questions than students that are not in GLOs... what about students who used to be in GLOs and then dropped out? (Maybe they should have to answer both sets of questions...ha ha.)
If I were you, I would take a copy of the assignment and show it to the head of the sociology department. This sounds like discrimination. Maybe you could get some of the other students to join you.

[kristiAZD]

I know that greek life is not looked upon very highly at my school, but we are trying to change that. My chapter has a Teacher Appreciation Day and a Staff Appreciation Day where we bake cookies and set them out in the lounges, offices, etc. with a little table topper that says they are from Alpha Xi Delta and we wanted to let them know how much we appreciate all they do for us and other students. No one has done this before and we recieved very good comments from many professors and administrators. Try doing something like that. I know our consultant told us that one chapter goes out and washes all the car windows in the staff parking lot and leaves a little note on the winshield.

However, no one hates Greek Life here more than the coaches. My boyfriend is on the soccer team and his coach always tells the freshmen to stay away from greek life and don't go down to the houses. Several sisters of mine are on the basketball team and thier coach makes their lives living hell when she finds out. It is very unfortunate beacuse some of our best athletes are members of Greek Life.

All I can say is, it's up to you to improve your image. Something as simple as plates of cookies have made a difference for us, so it could for you, too!

[Parsifal]

A few years ago, the weekend after Presents, my French TA had everyone talk about their weekend. When it was my turn, I explained about the ceremony we hold for parents and friends, where we present our new members, and then talked about the semi-formal date party. My TA then tells the class that her school didn't have a Greek system, which was just fine with her because it's buying your friends! I only wish I had heard the comeback about not having paid enough back then.

[33girl]

ZLB,

That is one of the most unprofessional things I have ever heard of. Would she have black and white students, or male and female students, answer different questions? I doubt it. I realize it is sociology class but separating students like that is discrimination. If she said "name a total institution" and some of the students named fraternities that would be one thing, but she is not teaching, she is forcing her opinions on the class.

Definitely go to the head of her department - she needs a major ass spanking. If they won't listen to you, ask your advisor to speak up for you.

[KillarneyRose]

Some educators don't mind Greeks...

I bought my 4 year-old daughter a T-shirt that says "Delta Zeta Legacy" on it and she wears it to pre-school with a little pair of pink leggings. So cute! When my husband and I went in for the parent-teacher conference last month, the new headmistress rushed up to me and said, "I always see Caroline wearing her legacy T-shirt and I've been wanting to meet you!" Turns out she was a DeeZee at UVA.

99% of the negative feedback greeks get is from people who for whatever reason were never part of the system. I don't even bother trying to explain what they missed out on; it's their loss. I'm happy with the decision I made; I hope they're just as happy with theirs!

[ZetaLuvBunny]

Thanks everyone! I am not sure if I have the nerve to do anything quite that drastic about it (like going to the head of the dept.). I really think I might just talk to the prof. one-on-one about it to start with. Maybe I'll just tell her politely how it bothered me as well as the other girls. I really want to avoid a big confrontation if possible.

[lifesaver]

my freshman english professor was way anti-greek. i could sort of understand why, she lived in a small house on West-Campus at UT (where a lot of greek houses are) in the heyday of parties in the 80's while she was doing her PhD work. She was a hippie chick, hard core and was very anti-establishment. Combine that with her neighbors....

She would make her freshman read articles against greek life, and write papers on why fraternities and sororities were bad. I actually became good friends with her and was able to convince her that all greeks werent like the ones she lived next to, and at our university they werent an eliteist system, but fostered a sense of home for many of the students. I think she still has the freshman write those papers, but at least she is a little more informed.

[mrblonde]

I had an Anthropology professor that had very strange conceptions of Greek life. First day of class, her class was filled up with students looking for overrides. She looks at the filled seats and the fifteen or so kids standing up, and her first words addressing our class were: 'So, is this some kind of frat prank? What frat?' The fact that I abhor the word 'frat' notwithstanding, I found this remark reprehensible. Lucky I wasnt wearing my letters, because a Kappa Alpha friend of mine was, and the KA president got a call from the office of Fraternity/Sorority life with a complaint from a professor about flooding a classroom for no reason.

Later in the semester, we were to watch two videos in a week. The first, she forewarned us not to judge them, because it was their way of life, and ours was no better than theirs, the kind of objective disclaimer you could expect from an Anthropology professor. Before the second video, she advised some students to leave the room if they wanted, because this video was so terrible. The video was about a fraternity event. I was wondering whether this tape was about hazing or a date rape incident or something else terrible that are some truly immoral things of fraternities or other collegiate groups. The video was 'Salamander', a tape from the late 70's/early 80's about a Phi Delt chapter who dipped salamanders in beer and ate them. Not a shining example of Greek life, but certainly nothing to leave the room about. I only say this because the truly squeamish video came first. The topic, which was oh so objectively defended? Female circumcision (sp?) with rusty razors and broken glass in Third World countries. During that tape, many students left the room to vomit.

Now that Ive thoroughly disgusted you all ...doesnt that sound more than a little biased?

[ZetaLuvBunny]

Yum, those salamanders sure sound appetizing!!! j/k I'm a vegetarian---I wouldn't be able to watch that! That's awful about the 3rd world women...I don't think I would have been able to watch that either.

I hate it when people say "frat". I always correct them, but they give me a mean look about it. Like I said on another thread here...a prof. or anyone else can be ignorant no matter how intelligent he/she is.

[carnation]

I was lucky enough to have professors who didn't care one way or the other! It was just a non-issue at my universities.

Now as a professor, I care enough about Greek life to try to get the sucky locals out of my college because due to their intense hazing, they're giving Greeks a bad name. Other professors who are national Greeks agree.

However--if your professor is being that ugly about
greeks and won't listen when you go in, please take it to the department head! Whether she's against someone because they're Greek, another race, gay, hippie, whatever!!--her personal feelings have no place in the classroom, especially at a public university.

[shadokat]

One of the professors at my university, I think in the Sociology department wrote a scathing article on Greeks for the campus newspaper calling us a waste of time and space in the University's scheme of life. It was lovely. Some presidents responded, but this was after I graduated. The Greek Life Advisor didn't respond to any of it, nor did Student Life. Nice to see the support

[GammaPhiBabe]

I think you should definitely see the department head about this. It's not "drastic." They see students all the time who have complaints and most of these complaints are a lot less vaild than your own! I used to work for the dean's office at my school and I heard some crazy stories!! If you are worried about facing the department head on your own (and you really shouldn't be...he/she is really just another professor who may or may not do something about the situation), perhaps you could just telephone him/her or send them an email? Don't worry...the dept. head is not going to get you in further trouble with your teacher and the teacher isn't going to get fired over this. But I do think it is a valid discrimination complaint. I think you would have better luck going to your teacher's superior than you would talking with her one-on-one. If she is THAT anti-greek, she will probably only take it out on you more.
Good luck!!!!