November 2009
GreekLifeEdu... The FAQ's...
Theta Xi introduced GreekLifeEdu in 2008 as a new, web based, risk management education resource for all initiated and Associate Members. We hope you find this dialogue helpful. Please contact Fraternity Headquarters if you have additional questions or to request more information.
Along with being a valuable information to our members, completion of GreekLifeEdu provides a way to reduce a chapter's Risk Management Assessments each year.
We receive many questions each semester about the program and wanted to take time here to respond to some of those.
Q: Why did we add GreekLifeEdu to Theta Xi's Alpha Nine Core Education Program?
A: As part of the most recent updating of the Alpha Nine Core Education Program, we recognized that the alcohol education program “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” and the game “TX Jeopardy”, were not being used by most chapters. While searching for alternative programming, the staff was introduced to GreekLifeEdu and learned that over 20 men’s and women’s fraternities across the country were using the program. Additionally, a recent study conducted by Alpha Tau Omega showed that the original alcohol component of the program (AlcoholEdu) is having a positive impact on member behavior regarding the use of alcohol. The addition of new hazing and sexual abuse components to the original program along with the updated alcohol curriculum made the program even more attractive. To keep our programming as effective as possible, comments and opinions received from chapter members are valuable input. We felt that removing a program not being used (such as "Tell Me Something I Don't Know") and replacing it, when possible, with another one showing positive results makes sense and is in the best interest or our members.
A: Associate Members should successfully complete Part I of the program. If he prefers, the AM can finish the course by completing Part II following his initiation and the chapter will still comply with Theta Xi’s maximum Associate Member period requirements. To begin the course, visit www.greeklifeedu.com and register as a New User with the code "9GTX". A: When your chapter's Risk Management assessments are calculated for the school year, it is based on a range of factors. One of those is the percentage of your returning members that have completed the program. If more than half of those members have completed GLE, you will receive a discount on your assessments of up to 10%. If less than half of your members have completed the program, you will be charged a surcharge of up to 10%. It's not too late to have returning members complete the program. Have them visit www.greeklifeedu.com and register as a New User with the code "9GTX".
Q: Does GreekLifeEdu have to be completed before an Associate Member is initiated?
Q: How does completing GreekLifeEdu have a financial effect on my chapter?
Q: I'm an Officer. How do I know if my members have completed GreekLifeEdu?
A: Although each indiviudal's repsponses to questions in the program are confidential and not accessible by anyone, chapter officers and all advisors have access to how members are progressing. Visit www.outsidetheclassroom.com. To receive your chapter's or colony's log in ID and password, contact Amy Collins at amy@thetaxi.org.
Q: Why complete the program if AlcoholEdu, or another alcohol program, is already required of incoming freshman?
A: Risk management violations continue to occur in the areas of alcohol, hazing and sexual abuse. These violations occur as the result of the actions of one brother, a small number of chapter members, or at events and activities supported by the entire chapter. Knowing this, we work to educate our members to provide a safer environment for our brothers and their guests. Various campuses place a greater or lesser priority in addressing these issues. Unfortunately, Theta Xi’s Headquarters staff is not in a position to track which programs each campus requires of its incoming freshman or offers as ongoing educational programming to all Greeks. Theta Xi is providing GreekLifeEdu as one of our Fraternity’s good faith efforts to address behaviors we know have caused problems for individual members and entire chapters. Also, we recognize that there are advantages to repeating information. In doing so, we are able to reach a larger percentage of members than might have received similar education from other sources.
A: Members report times that range from 2 to 3 hours to complete the program. It's important to know that you can work on GreekLifeEdu in sections as time permits over a period of several days or weeks. You can log off and log back in without losing the work you have completed. (Make sure you use the same email address each time you log in.) One way to look at the program is to consider it similar to a one to two day workshop/seminar, but you can set the time aside to take the course based on your own schedule.
