Running head: EFFECTS OF GREEK LIFE LEADERSHIP ON STUDENT WELLNESS 1

The Effects of Greek Life Leadership on Student Wellness Mgan Bridges Matt Edwards Jamie Ondatje Giulana Zago Azusa Pacific University

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Literature Review Introduction There are many stereotypes associated with Greek affiliation, including issues of time management, binge drinking, academic performance, and social pressure, which brings up questions about the benefits and risks of being a member of a Greek organization. We have examined the research surrounding these issues in order to develop a foundation for our own study on how leadership in the Greek community at Pepperdine University impacts other elements of students lives, such as academics, social, mental, and physical wellness. For this study, we chose to examine the leadership and lifestyles of Greek chapter presidents and executive board members of the Interfraternity Council and College Panhellenic Council. Academics As students enter College they begin a new and challenging chapter in their academic career. Research has suggested that much of the learning done during the university years occurs outside the classroom (Kuh, 1995; Pascarella, & Bliming, 1996). This has been especially prevalent within the Greek Community. According to Kuh (1995), out of class experiences offered students outlets for developing personal and social skills, helped to foster critical thinking while examining academic and personal issues, and provided opportunities for integrating knowledge gained from coursework. One of the key outcomes of being involved in Greek leadership is that it gives students an opportunity for talent development beyond athletics. Their talents were nurtured within a culture of intelligent, well-rounded young men who respected academic achievement and continued selfimprovement in multiple ways (Hbert, 2006). It is this well-roundedness that allows leaders within the Greek community to excel in the classroom. Students can study as much as they want

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but, ultimately, it is the nurturing and supportive community of the Greek system that gives its leaders the freedom to become involved and help stimulate their intellectual curiosity that then translates to their academic performance (Hbert, 2006). Many studies done on Greek leadership have primarily focused on alcohol use (McGrath & Pace, 2002; Carey, Carey & Scott-Shledon, 2007; Asel, Pascarella & Seifert, 2009). However, recent studies have suggested that assisting students in improving their overall behavior can improve their overall effectiveness as a leader (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). The question that comes to mind is: how can involvement in the leadership of the Greek community help its students perform better within the classroom? Examining how leaders have performed and interviewing them about their experience is important. According to Hayke (2002) and Pike (2000, 2003), members who were a part of the Greek community appear to be more engaged in collaborative learning than that of non members. Despite these positive findings, institutions still need to be concerned with their Greek leaders performance in the classroom and continue to engage with these students by offering them resources to increase their productivity. Social As students experience college, they face numerous opportunities to develop the many facets of themselves. Literature concerning the social benefits of Greek organization membership is expansive. Many researchers highlight leadership development, networking opportunities and post-graduation preparedness (Boschini & Thompson, 1998; Warber, Taylor, & Makstaller, 2011). Students participating in Greek letter organizations tend to be more engaged with both the campus and external communities (Martin, Hevel, & Pascarella, 2012). One of the most prominent benefits of students belonging to Greek letter organizations is

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the development of leadership. This outcome is often woven into the fabric of the organizations mission (Harms, Woods, Roberts, Bureau, & Green, 2006). As leadership is discussed in various contexts, it is imperative to establish a definition of what leadership means. Research suggests that students participating as members of organizations, serving on campus boards, or those who are viewed as role models on campus can affect the definition of leadership, making it either subjective or objective (Martin, et al., 2012). The organizations mission and perspective of leadership, as well as the supervising institution, also have a significant impact on the groups lens on leadership (Boschini & Thompson, 1998). Such an ambiguity around a key aspect of Greek life can have an adverse effect when attempting to assess the impact of leadership on students in these types of groups. Literature establishing a clear definition of leadership within the context of Greek letter organizations is limited, thus this study hopes to add to the body of knowledge of clearly defining leadership. While it is important to review how students in fraternities and sororities become leaders, this study is interested in how students holding leadership roles within these Greek letter organization are socially impacted because of those specific leadership positions. Mental Health and Wellness College students face many transitions in the midst of entering into college that can affect their mental health and wellness. Recent studies have concluded that there has been an increase in the mental health needs of college students (Kitzrow, 2009). More students have sought out counseling services as a result of increasing psychological disorders, identity development issues, and stressors regarding life transitions (Kitzrow, 2009). Many reports have found that college student issues of psychological distress were positively "related to academic performance" providing higher education personnel with one idea of a specific stressor

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(Brackney & Karabenick, 1995). Mental health and wellness issues halt positive growth in academic performance, resulting in poor retention, and low graduation rates, but what about students in leadership roles, specifically executive leadership roles within the Greek systems? (Kitzrow, 2009). According to Kessler, Foster, Sanders, and Stang (1995), psychiatric disorders have contributed to an increasing 5% of students ending their higher education career. It is important to note that very little research has been conducted in regards to the effects of fraternity and sorority membership in relation to mental health outcomes. Transitions during the college years provide formative development for young adults as a result of independence and growth in personal and professional networks (Vaez & Laflamme, 1990). The transitions from early adolescence into late adolescence and early adulthood may also prove to be significantly related to mental health wellness issues arising within college students (Monk, 2004). Pre-existing and arising mental health wellness issues in young adults arriving on college campuses can profoundly impact students at many levels including the individual level, the interpersonal level, and the institutional level (Kitzrow, 2009). The effects of mental health wellness problems at the individual level can affect a student's physical, emotional, cognitive, and even interpersonal healthy functions (Kitzrow, 2009). When examining college students who designate a significant amount of effort and time to extracurricular activities, research has found significant positive gains in personal, educational, and professional areas of growth resulting in lower levels of stress. According to Astin, Sax, and Avalos (1999) students who are heavily involved in extracurricular activities are more likely to make significant gains in educational outcomes. In a study conducted by Jacobs and Dodd (2003) low levels of mental stress, entitled "burnouts," were positively correlated with active participation in extracurricular activities and social support. Students actively involved in

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extracurricular activities gained valuable growth in areas of self-accomplishment and social interaction which related to reductions in issues of "burnout" (Jacobs & Dodd, 2003). Greek organization membership results both in positive and negative effects on students mental health development. Students involved in Greek organizations may experience a direct positive effect on their social involvement and cognitive development (Pike, 2000). However, negative effects on students' cognitive development, which in part can relate to mental wellness and mental health development,also correlate with Greek organization membership according to the results of the National Study of Student Learning (Pike, 2000). Despite the NSSL, a further study conducted by Pike (2000) reported that Greek organization affiliated students developed more positive gains in cognitive development abilities than their non-Greek affiliated counterparts as a result of their social involvement. The study did not specifically state whether social involvement directly related to Greek organization affiliation social involvement or other areas of social involvement. According to Martin, Hevel, Asel, and Pascarella (2011), fraternity and sorority membership may provide students with both positive and negative outcomes. In this study no significant correlation between fraternity and sorority membership on psychological well-being was discovered, resulting in a gap of knowledge on mental wellness and mental health issues arising from or impacted by affiliation within the Greek college system (Martin et al., 2011). Physical Wellness The most prominently researched topic with regards to the physical health of students who participate in Greek life is alcohol abuse (McGrath & Pace, 2002; Carey, Carey & ScottShledon, 2007; Asel, Pascarella & Seifert, 2009). Research has consistently showed a correlation between Greek affiliation and higher levels of binge drinking, but it is also worth examining the

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drinking habits of non-affiliated students to gain more perspective of this apparent trend in Greek life (Asel, Pascarella, & Seifert, 2009; McGrath & Pace, 2002). In the most recent compilation of the Core and Drug Alcohol Survey (1999), 40% of students met the criteria for binge drinking. More males than females indicated that they binge drink, and more Caucasian students than African American students indicated binge drinking. The percentage of binge-drinking students tended to decrease over the course of a college career, so that a smaller percentage of seniors were binge drinking than freshmen and sophomores. College students, whether they are affiliated or not, also tend to perceive other students as drinking more than they actually do (McGrath & Pace, 2002). This issue of perceiving the social norm as being supportive of binge drinking appears to be more prevalent in Greek organizations, as sorority members are almost twice as likely to be binge drinkers compared to non-sorority women and 75% of fraternity members binge drink compared to 45% of other male students. Furthermore, 85% of residents of Greek houses report drinking alcohol at least one to two times per week while only half of students living in the dormitories indicated drinking that frequently (McGrath & Pace, 2002). The odds of affiliated, first-year students binge drinking one or more times in a typical two-week period were 1.8 times greater than for their unaffiliated peers. For affiliated seniors, the odds of binge drinking one or more times in a typical two-week period increased to 2.4 times greater than those of unaffiliated seniors. There was also a tendency for affiliated students to be more likely to binge drink at higher levels than other students. The odds of first-year Greek members binge drinking between two and five times in a two-week period were about twice as high as those of their unaffiliated peers. Even more dramatically, the odds of senior members binge drinking twice, three to five times, and six or more times in a two-week period were respectively 3.0, 2.6, and 3.5 times

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greater than the odds of unaffiliated peers doing so (Asel, Pascarella, & Seifert, 2009). While there is a lot of research on the issue of alcohol abuse in Greek students, there is very little research focused on other aspects of their physical health, such as smoking habits, drug use, sexual norms, and other health behaviors like sleeping habits and caffeine use. Research showed that Greek members were more likely than non-Greeks to be frequent cigarette smokers, but they did not smoke significantly more cigarettes per day than non-Greek members. However, Greek members report more lifetime and past 30 day marijuana and other drug use (specifically, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, hallucinogens) than non-Greek members (Carey, Carey, & Scott-Sheldon, 2008). There were not as many differences between Greek and non-Greek students with regards to sexual habits. No differences between the two groups were found with regard to protection measures, and both groups reported an average of 11.51 sexual events in the past 3 months. However, Greek members reported more sexual partners in the past year and past 3 months than non-Greek members. Overall, very few students (8%) reported having sex due to the influence of alcohol or drugs, and perceived themselves to be at no risk to very little risk of contracting HIV. However, compared to non-Greek members, Greek members did have more sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs (13% vs. 7%) and perceived themselves to be at greater risk for HIV infection (Carey, Carey, & Scott-Sheldon, 2008). There were almost no differences found between Greeks and non-Greeks with regards to other health behaviors. Only 20% of students reported eating three meals per day. Students drank an average of 1.66 caffeinated beverages each day, exercised an average of 6.39 hours per week, engaged in vigorous physical activity at least once per week (70%), and slept an average of 7.3 hours per day. The only differences between the two groups was regarding the number of hours

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of sleep per day, as Greeks reported sleeping an average of 8 hours per day, while non-Greeks reported an average of 7 hours per day (Carey, Carey, & Scott-Sheldon, 2008). Conclusion The existing research on student involvement in Greek organizations indicates that there are both positive and negative outcomes associated with being a member of a Greek organization. Participation in out of class activities offers students opportunities to develop critical thinking skills, socialize with peers, and become more engaged with their college experience. However, Greek affiliation has also been linked to negative behaviors, such as drug use, alcohol abuse, more sexual partners, and lower levels of academic performance. While most existing research focuses on the prominent stereotypical issues within Greek life, our study will further investigate the more personal, everyday effects of being a leader within a Greek organization. Specifically, we hope to gather more information on the effect that these leadership positions have on other aspects of the students lives, including academic performance, social, mental, and physical wellness, in order to gain a better understanding of what sacrifices and benefits are associated with being a student leader, and the impact these positions have on their college experience.

Method Participants The participants of our focus group include the presidents of of Greek Organizations and Greek Council members at Pepperdine University, a small private Christian college in Southern California. This included a focus group that was composed of 4 females and 2 males, all Caucasian. The participants ages range from 20-22 years old. Our individual interviews were done with 2 males and 1 female, who are members of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) Executive

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board and the Panhellenic (PH) Executive Board and the President of Sigma Phi Epsilon. These participants were also Caucasian, and were all 21 years old. We intentionally chose this sample in order to analyze the leadership of the Greek community at Pepperdine University because of the lack of literature about small private christian schools with Greek Life. Materials For the purpose of this research, definitions of variables are key to contextualize the impact of these variables on Greek student leaders. First, we define leadership as someone holding the role of president within their chapter or as a member of the IFC and PH executive boards. Next, we define academic performance as the achievement and maintenance of mandated grade point averages in addition to the number of hours a student spends on academic behaviors (ie, studying, reading, completing assignments) outside of the classroom. Social well being is defined as the amount of time or interactions the target group spends with non-Greek affiliated individuals. Mental and physical wellness are defined in terms of the amount of attention that the Greek student leader pays to themselves. This can include: eating and sleeping habits, physical exercise, stress and spiritual management. We are examining how these variables of academic performance, social well-being, mental wellness, and physical wellness are affected by students leadership positions, according to their own perspectives. We also developed questions regarding the social lives of Greek leaders, and whether or not personal relationships were impacted by their positions, both inside and outside of their organizations. The literature offered little information on the impact of Greek membership on a students mental and physical wellness, thus questions were created to gather more information on these areas of students lives. Specifically, these questions asked if participation in Greek life causes students to develop and sustain healthy or unhealthy self-care habits.

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Participants were asked to respond to questions regarding their experience as a leader within the Greek community at Pepperdine University. A single staff member was selected as the moderator for all interactions with students. The person chosen as the moderator had direct access to our target research group. In addition, this individual had a positively established rapport with the students. Interviews were conducted privately inside of the Greek Life office located in the Howard A. White Center at Pepperdine University. Individual interviews were conducted during one on one meeting times and a focus group was conducted during the Greek organization presidential executive meeting time. All interviews and the focus group were conducted in private spaces and participants were informed that interviews were going to be audio recorded for accuracy and transcription. Data Analysis In order to analyze and validate the data the grounded theory method was utilized in correspondence with extensive reading and rereading of interview tapes and transcriptions recorded, coding methods, axial coding methods, and finally theme immersion methods. Data gathered was triangulated and coded amongst the research team resulting in four themes emerging contributing to the field of knowledge on the academic performance, social well-being, mental wellness, and physical wellness issues that affect Greek student leaders on college campuses.

Results There were four main themes that emerged from our research about the effects of Greek leadership positions on student leaders: key motivators for taking on a leadership role, balance, growth and development, Greek stereotypes, and university culture. Each theme contains subthemes that further elaborate on the topic.

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Motivation Students that we interviewed spoke of their first impressions of Greek life as well as their motivation to join the community. The initial transition into college was unique for each individual and, likewise, the motivation behind their joining Greek life was diverse. The first sub theme that we discovered in our research was: the college experience. Our participants wanted to experience all that college has to offer and believed that the quickest way to do this was by joining a Greek letter organization. John described his reasoning for joining in this way: I thought it was a great way to connect to the community, um, I thought you know itd be, you know, what better way to go through college than with a close group of guys that you get to do a lot of fun events with. Several of the students within our study described finding and developing their community within the Greek system and within their respective chapter. Members of our study discussed how they found authentic community within their chapter and how Greek life was the quickest path towards campus involvement, but they all also talked about how they did this with a group. This touches on the second facet of motivation: brotherhood/sisterhood. Students wanted that shared experience with a tight knit community within the larger university context, and it is with this brotherhood that they developed authentic relationships. John described it this way, Thats just being brothers and being friends, you know looking out for one another, you know, responsibility and accountability. Several of the students also described the community developed within Greek life. Michael described it this way: Thats the thing too, there are so many things that we do together and we have a lot of shared experiences its really easy to build friendships within the Greek community, whether it be with your own chapter or any of the other ones, just because you go through

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so much together its easy to spend more time with those people. This sentiment of shared experience was echoed throughout the interviews. It became apparent that our participants invested their time and resources into these organizations and friendships, and this helped them build that brotherhood and sisterhood. The third and final sub theme of motivation was: the students passion for the organization. Each participant in their own words all expressed having a passion for the organization and this being a key contributor to their further involvement as well as taking on leadership position. Stu articulates his passion for the fraternity this way: I just got right involved, so I jumped on our Standards Board right away and then the following year I was on E-board as Chaplain and so I realized that through my E-board experience there were a lot of things that I wanted to change and at the same time like my passion for the fraternity was growing a lot higher because I was getting so involved and so I kind of realized that president would probably be the best role for me to kind of do like the ultimate dedication to the fraternity and I was prepared to put all the extra time that I had into this one position Participants expressed how they had a desire to make their chapter or the system better and it was this desire or passion that drove them towards involvement. Sally put it this way: Its what Im most passionate about on campus and I, um, it really helped my freshman year and my college experience and so I did want to be a mentor to young girls and invest in the chapter cause the girls above me invested and I thought I should give back by investing my time. It is this passion that not only drove Sally, but also many other participants to take on their leadership position. Overall, the key motivations for joining a Greek organization

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manifested itself in the desire for the college experience, a longing for brotherhood/sisterhood, and ultimately led to a passion for the organization. The sense of community experienced within the Greek community directly relates to the participants desire to take on a leadership position within the organization. Balance Participants in this study reported an almost unanimous consensus on issues related to balancing time, academics, relationships, self-care, and the pressures of being a leader. One participant cited faith as a clear foundational form of guidance in relieving stress and balancing all areas of his life. Another participant claimed that one reason he joined the fraternity was because of the balance that was stressed by the chapter. The participants reported balancing their time as a difficult task during the beginning phases of their leadership positions. Time management emerged as a sub theme. Through their experiences several participants cited learning to adapt, planning ahead, and prioritizing all aspects of their lives in order to ensure staying on top of priorities: Its all a balance...I dont think I can stress that enough, at least for me, when it comes down to school and social, and you know the leadership, and the chapter and all of that, its been a balance in just learning to manage all different aspects of it and allot enough time to each one where youre not completely overwhelmed by another. Its just time management, and if you can do it well, you do the job fine. One participant even reported utilizing technology, in the form of an app, as assisting with her time management skills. Finding a balance between academic and extracurricular aspects like Greek life was not of high concern to several of the participants. The sub theme of academic balance emerged as a

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result. For most of the participants, balancing their academics did not fall to the wayside. Rather, many reported academics as their number one priority and that their focus and ability to balance school and their leadership role had not been affected negatively. Although one participant cited feeling as though he had less time to focus on academics, he did report dedicating himself wholly to the time he did set aside with intense focus in order to complete said academics tasks: Only having a little bit of time causes you to be a lot more efficient with the time that you actually do have, so like opposed to having like four hours to do this one homework assignment, its going to take you four hours to do this one homework assignment, but sitting down and being like I have an hour and a half to crank this out, I would crank it out, and it just happen to be quality because I was fully focused on what I had to do in front of me, so in that regard [the leadership role] helped me. A third sub theme, balancing social relationships, emerged from the data. For several participants balancing time in their relationships with friends, both fellow Greeks and nonGreeks, and their family was not a huge concerning issue and in one case even attributed to aiding in lowering stress levels. This participant even cited that the individuals with whom he spent the most time were not part of the Greek organization. For most of the participants, balancing their social relationships with Greek members and their roles as Greek leaders proved to be an easy task. One student cited the overlapping components of work and play within the fraternity setting: I think once you kind of learn to manage your time better, and then also I was never treating the events that I was having as actual social time as well...so I kinda learn to like, oh okay, I can do a happy medium...so [events] started to kinda overlap time of being in a leadership role and having a little bit of a social life...

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However, one participant cited spending less time with her family during the month preparing for recruitment: I was, during recruitment, I was in another world and didnt talk to my family as much as I usually do, but I told them ahead of time that it was going to happen. And I knew that it was going to happen because all my time was devoted to recruitment and school. But it didnt negatively affect any of my relationships. The sub theme, balancing self-care and physical wellness, emerged from the data. For participants issues of self-care and physical wellness were reported as average and typical to the college lifestyle. Sleep, eating, and exercise schedules were mostly reported as being average and not erratic. Balancing these areas of self-care were not jeopardized in normal circumstances. However, one event, Greek member recruitment, did impact the balance of self-care within the areas of sleep, eating, and exercise. Several participants reported eating less, sleeping less, and working out less because of the amount of time required for the week long event. Balancing the pressures of being a leader in a Greek organization was an area of concern for most participants interviewed and emerged as a sub theme. Issues of difficult group motivation and finding the balance between being an authority figure and leader versus a friend and brother/sister proved to be a struggle for several of the participants. One participant feared that fellow members would equate the decisions being made on the behalf of the fraternity to the leaders personality: Like, I know one of the, we talked a lot about this at the national conference, that one of the hardest things to do is to feel like youre still going to have friends afterwards. That youre not going to make decisions that just piss people off to where theyre like they

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cant think of you the same way ever again and it makes making decisions a lot harder all the time because of that. But, yes, I have been put into situations where I had to make calls that had really ticked a lot of people off, and that in itself is really scary. Youre afraid that they are going to attach that decision to your character, not because its something that you have to do as a leader. Lastly, one participant reported faith, emerging as an important sub theme, as being a critical component to providing a sense of overall balance within his life. He shared: And then, also, something that I did last year, that like, I dont think I would have survived last semester if I hadnt done this, but, really started focusing on my faith, so I took 30 minutes, um, before I went to bed, and then thirty minutes to an hour when I woke up before class, and I sat down, and I read certain passages out of the bible, and then prayed, and then just listened to worship music for close to an hour, and one that I really grabbed onto was the book of Job, just because it was like trials and tribulations, and it just, and it was just amazing how I felt like I directly apply those principles to my life, so having, starting in the morning, it put me on the right track, and then, before I went to bed, it would kind of like calm me down so I could actually sleep and go to bed, and then same thing when I would wake up again. Growth and Development As participants spoke about their experiences as student leaders, they all referenced different areas of personal growth that came as a result of holding their position. Many of them talked about the stress that came with their new responsibilities and said they were a bit overwhelmed when they started the position, but they also talked about how they learned to

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manage the stress and overcome it. This discussion revealed the subtheme of stress management. Stu described his growth in this area: I find myself now, um, starting to become a less stressed individual overall[...]. Its all about putting things into perspective. You actually learn what deserves to be stressed about [laughs] and what youre just like, Well, theres nothing really I can do about that now, and kind of move on. Many of the student leaders said the extra demands on their time made them more disciplined with the time they did have and helped them to become more organized and more focused on their academics. They also felt that after having the position, they better understood how to manage their stress and how to prioritize all of their responsibilities. Stu made reference to Greek lifes role in helping him get to this point: These were a group of guys that I felt that could like actually make me better in a lot of different ways in life, they stressed balance in all areas, and its something I felt like I already did kind of embody but I knew I still needed work on, and I felt that they were best suited to help me along that path, and I felt like I definitely ended up making the right decision [to join Greek life]. On the surface, it appeared that these students added stress was due to the additional duties that their position gave them. What we found, however, was a deeper theme of responsibility and accountability to the organization that fueled these leaders to do their jobs well. This sense of responsibility is what seemed to help them develop in their leadership the most, knowing that the stakes were higher than just their own well-being. John reflects on this sense of responsibility in his role as Recruitment Chair: I want it to go well, you know, if we didnt get solid guys, even though others would say

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No, its not all your fault, I would feel really responsible for it, if that makes sense, because I am the Recruitment Chair. Stu noted that it was more difficult for him to admit mistakes because he felt that he was not only accountable to himself, but to a whole chapter of people who count on his leadership: It gets hard cause not only are you doing it for one person, like you have a whole chapter to answer to, and so you know if I mess up, usually I dont have a problem being like, Yeah, I messed up, but standing up in front of 70 guys, and being like, I messed up; this is hurting all of us, was really difficult to do. In addition to helping them develop ways of coping with a lot of responsibility, the students in these leadership roles were able to begin developing valuable professional skills that can help them in their post college life. Skills they gained from their positions included communication techniques, group leadership, event coordination, time management, and interpersonal skills. John described why taking a leadership position appealed to him: I thought it would be a great experience for running organizations in the future. You know, you learn how to manage teams of people and get things done while having to work in a group environment and rely on other people to give you the information that you need. And I think especially going into the real world this was, you know, fantastic experience because [...] it gets you in that leadership, you know, working with people role and managing an organization. Its a good experience for the future. Chapter presidents and Executive Board members must often interact with faculty, staff, advisors, and other community members on behalf of their organization. Michael noticed that his leadership role helped to build his professionalism with regards to his interpersonal skills: I think this position has helped me out, socially you get to meet with a lot of different

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people and kind of act professional, maybe a little bit more than some kids our age do, and I think that has definitely helped me in a lot of different ways because you get to meet so many different people at so many different levels and I think, you know, it kind of makes you realize how to act like a professional a little more and socially it makes me feel better going out with friends as well too. Despite the added stress and pressure of taking on a leadership role, all of the students said they had no regrets in taking the position, and many said that the growth and learning that occurred from the experience was worth it. They made reference to not only the social connections they made through their involvement in Greek life, but also the real-life skills they attained as a result of their leadership roles. Stu discussed his development in this area: I think that it has forced me to grow in ways that I would have never imagined that I would have grown at this point in my life as being a 21 year old still in college. I see effects in my life, like, for example, like the stress handling weve talked about. I could have never imagined me ever being a peaceful or not stressed out person. Its not that Im not, its not that I am that person, but like taking on a role like this has taught me how to handle stress in a much better and healthier way than I think I could have learned in any other area in life. All of the student leaders shared in the feeling of being overwhelmed and unprepared when they first took on their leadership role, but through the course of their time in these roles, they began to see the growth and change in themselves and appreciated the transferable skills they gained through the experience. Many of them expressed the idea that taking on more responsibility actually made them learn how to prioritize and manage their time better so that they became more balanced individuals. Furthermore, they felt more prepared for their futures in

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professional environments because of their experiences as student leaders. Greek Stereotypes Participants were asked about behaviors that could be considered stereotypical in Greek life, particularly alcohol consumption and sexual health. Their responses resounded in acknowledgement of these behaviors on campus. When asked about attitudes toward alcohol consumption, John offered, "...Guys are gonna drink, underage guys are gonna drink...there are non-Greeks that drink, so its not a Greek thing, it's a college thing." This seemed to be a common theme amongst the students we interviewed, with no differences in responses between the males and females. Furthermore, Sally shared that drinking seems like an expectation, "Obviously girls do drink...we know that coming to college that girls are going to drink. Because drinking is a behavior that is perceived, or stereotyped, as an innate college behavior, students in our focus group noted that it was not a priority issue for their groups. Michael said, There are definitely guys that drink. Craig echoed the idea that it is an assumption that students will drink in college. He said, Yeah you know we are in college and people drink but, um, its not a big issue. Greek leaders also shared a sentiment of responsibility when it comes to drinking. This responsibility may present itself in multiple forms. Sally explains: We try to encourage safe drinking. Of course we try to not have them drink if they are not legal age, but we know its going to happen, so we try to promote safe drinking knowing that we are here for them if anything happens. Another way for chapters to endorse responsibility when drinking includes selfenforcement through rules and education. In the focus group, Michael shares how his chapter promotes responsible alcohol consumption, All our members are required to do an alcohol e-d-u

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thing by Pike national. Lastly, Greek student leaders responded that their position influences their decisions to fraternize or abstain from drinking among particular groups. John shared during his interview, I dont get like black-out drunk...I dont think that would be very good to represent IFC that way. Stu echoes this sentiment about the impact of risky behaviors on the position, Its hard to be in a leadership role like this and not worry about your friendships taking a hit for it. On the subject of sexual health and safety, students seemed to have a change in tone when asked about the chapters attitudes on the topic and did not offer much information that differs from the attitudes toward alcohol. Sally shared just how quiet the issue is in her sorority, No, we dont talk about that. I don't think that with our girls that that's even an issue that happens. Just as with alcohol consumption, students expressed their desire that those who chose to engage in sexual behaviors are practicing safety. John summarizes, Its not something we really ever talk about...if they are sexually active, I would hope its safe. In addition to practicing safe sex, one student in the focus group, Michael, added the value of education. He said, There are guys you know that have sex, so better off educating them and then at least the guys who are having sex, at least they have education. For every behavior assumed to be a part of the Greek system, there are always students who choose not to exhibit those behaviors, such as drinking and having sex. Individuals choosing to combat stereotypes by abstaining from these behaviors are not perceived as outcasts of their Greek organizations. John expresses his chapter's attitude, There are guys that don't drink at all and that's fine, we respect that.

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University Culture In conducting interviews and a focus group, it became clear the themes that have emerged in this study indicate key indicators of growth in Greek student leaders. Across the board, students seem to have a positive disposition of self care. What is interesting is that students recognize that being a leader in their organizations is reliant on their abilities to find a balance between the academic, social and wellness facets of life as James shares: You need to put blocks of time to do things whether its homework or sleep, going to the gym and then that ends up building efficiency in those areas. So I have found myself putting aside time and saying this chunk of time is going to go towards going to the gym or Im going to get 7 hours of sleep...so I think having a leadership position has been beneficial. It is also apparent that drinking and sex are not significant matters in the larger landscape of Greek life at this institution. The majority response on the quietness of these issues speak to the influence the university mission and standards have on these Greek organizations and their campus culture. Greek leaders understand and acknowledge that Greeks and non-Greeks are adults and will make their own choices. The impact of the institutional mission, values, and strategies may have a stronger bearing on the reasons hot button college topics are not discussed openly. Michael sums up the campus climate on sex and alcohol, There just isn't a culture here to talk about it because the culture here is that so many people are against it or dont even consider it because of the Christian influence or whatever. In conclusion, the Greek student leaders at this University recognize the existence of stereotypical behaviors on their campus, such as drinking and sex. These students have demonstrated their campus is not like the typical college environment for Greeks. As a result, they tend to focus on behaviors that best represent their organizations, the institution and their

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faith while not dismissing the the few that may deviate from the campus behavioral norm. Discussion The intent of our study was to determine how having a leadership position affects other aspects of students lives, including academic performance, social, mental, and physical wellness. The themes that emerged from our research were: key motivators for taking on a leadership role, balance, growth and development, Greek stereotypes, and university culture. Some of these themes coincided with what we found in our research of other studies, but others were unique due to the culture of Greek life at a small private, Christian institution. The desire to join Greek life seems to be linked to our respondents desire to belong on campus as well as engage with the university community. This is consistent with research done by Hayke (2002) and Pike (2000, 2003), who noted that students within Greek life are more likely to be engaged in collaborative learning outside the classroom. Upon entering the university setting, the participants already had an idea of what Greek life was going to be like because of family members who had attended the university and held leadership positions previously. This may have been one of the motivations for our participants to hold a leadership position. Because they had siblings who held positions before them, they felt the need to give back to the Greek community in the same way. Our participants discussed brotherhood and sisterhood as a key motivating factor for them joining the Greek community. Out of this brotherhood and sisterhood came a unique sense of belonging on campus and a place where they had shared experiences with other members. This is consistent with the research done by (Williams II, 2008) where he describes how men in a Greek letter organization demonstrate greater emotional ties with their brothers. Several of the students in our study discussed not only this brotherhood/sisterhood as a key motivating factor

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for joining but also their belief that these relationships will last much longer than just their college years. Wellness issues, like lack of sleep and poor eating habits, did not seem to negatively impact the participants interviewed in a consistent manner. It is believed that because these leaders have developed adequate ways of managing their busy lives, eating and sleeping factors are incorporated into their schedules. For the most part, the participants claimed to be able to manage their leadership and academic responsibilities so that it did not impact their wellness in dramatic ways. However, events like recruitment required a lot of preparation and time commitment, and as a result, were one factor that did lead to negative impacts on wellness issues. One student cited that during events like recruitment, managing sleeping habits was an important factor in trying to stay healthy. Being a leader, managing multiple responsibilities, and being held accountable for a large group of young men or women has aided in the development of skills endorsing efficient time management. Through this research, gains in educational outcomes were definitely noted. To echo the research conducted by Astin, Sax, and Avalos (1999) on extracurricular involvement and gains in educational outcomes, the participants in this study cited making strides in their academic endeavors as a result of their leadership positions. We believe this was the case because of the high importance placed on academics at Pepperdine University. Students wishing to be in leadership positions are required to maintain a certain GPA, and doing so requires a level of academic commitment shown by the participants interviewed. Unfortunately, as a result of our limitations in research methods, clear and conclusive data on mental health wellness was not gathered. As more information is gathered and analyzed on other wellness issues facing Greek leaders, researchers should develop more clear methods of

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obtaining valid mental health data through means of follow up interviews over the duration of participants academic calendar years and psychoanalytical research. Doing so may result in findings that can provide both mental health awareness of this specific population of students and provide opportunities for proactive reaction on the part of higher education personnel in terms of supportive communities. Hbert (2006) noted that Greek leadership gives students an opportunity to develop personal talents in a group of students who respect continued self-improvement. The responses of students in our study have confirmed that this environment within the Greek organizations does allow for a lot of personal growth and leadership development. Perhaps taking a leadership role within an organization where students already feel a sense of belonging and support makes them feel like it is a safe space to explore leadership without as much fear of failure. Greek organizations often have older members in leadership roles when younger members come in. It is not uncommon for these older members to mentor the younger members and encourage them to take on leadership positions as well. This idea of setting an example and fostering leadership in younger members could also be a possible explanation for the leadership development we see in Greek members. Our participants discussed personal growth with regards to developing professionalism and interpersonal skills as a result of their leadership roles. This reflects the findings of several other researchers, including Boschini and Thompson (1998), and Warber, Taylor, and Makstaller (2011), who highlighted leadership development, networking opportunities, and post-graduation preparedness as some of the benefits of joining Greek life. Several students in our study discussed not only the growth and development they gained through their leadership positions, but also the transferrable skills they attained, which they believe will help them in their future

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careers. One of the consistent themes we saw in the results was the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed. While this may appear to be a negative outcome of taking on a leadership role, the end results of personal growth, a sense of accomplishment, and a greater sense of balance were all very positive for the individuals in the leadership positions. This confirmed the trend found in research by Astin, Sax, and Avalos (1999), which stated that students who designate a significant amount of time to extracurricular activities have significant positive gains in personal, educational, and professional areas of growth resulting in lower levels of stress. It is clear from our research that there is a period at the beginning of the leadership position that students feel overwhelmed by their new responsibilities, but it appears that during their adjustment to the new role, there is a great amount of growth and development that ultimately results in them feeling more in control of all of their responsibilities, including those outside of their Greek life role. There was also a sub theme that emerged in the research which showed that the students felt a sense of accountability to their organization with regards to succeeding in their role. While this is initially an added area of stress, it appears to be a primary motivator for the students to push through the challenges that come in this initial phase of their leadership position. We believe this also contributes to their sense of accomplishment and personal success in managing their position. Although Pepperdine is a religiously affiliated institution with firm positions discouraging alcohol and sexual consumption, these behaviors exist on campus, as they would at most colleges. Information gathered from students in Greek leadership positions show that students seem to engage in these behaviors at much lower levels than expected, but that means it is happening. To this degree, the stereotype of student drinking is confirmed. School policy does

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not seem to deter behavior. Students still make the choice to drink, which puts added stress on Greek students and the leaders of those organizations in particular. Even though literature suggests that Greek affiliated students drink at higher levels, our interviews challenge existing research, suggesting these students consume alcohol at much lower levels than would be expected. This finding adds to the body of knowledge concerning Greek affiliated students at religious institutions. Greek leaders also mentioned the need for some sort of education on both issues. Because Pepperdine is a religious institution, sex and alcohol are not frequently discussed on campus and, as one student said, are demonized. It could be assumed that Pepperdine has what could be a dont ask, dont tell policy when it comes to sensitive issues. As a result, amicable space for discourse and education is not available. Therefore, what you do is viewed as your private business and should remain private. Greek chapters that do not have formalized training on alcohol and sex at Pepperdine do seem to govern themselves according to the guidelines set by the institution. In addition, these students keep each other accountable for their behavior as they are a representation of themselves, their Geek organization, and Pepperdine University. It can be concluded that sex may not be discussed as often as alcohol for a few reasons. First, alcohol consumption is attached to legal regulation beyond the realm of campus.This leads to the question: Is education for responsible alcohol usage influenced more by the law or campus necessity? Next, except for the legal age for consent, or harassment, sex is not a crime, but could cause a major moral dilemma for some students. Lastly, Pepperdine contextualizes sex within the confines of marriage, and behaviors outside that context constitutes grounds for sexual misconduct sanctions. Thus, the campus climate in regards to sex challenge the research presented by Carey, Carey, & Scott-Sheldon (2008).

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Working with these subjects adds a great deal of pressure to students in Greek leadership positions. They serve as role models for their Greek organizations and the campus in general. Enforcing chapter and university guidelines supplements their Greek and non-Greek relationships with a large amount of fragility. Additionally, Greek student leaders expressed the importance of education and training in both safe alcohol consumption and sexual health, whether initiated by the institution or from within their own groups.

Recommendations for Practice Because this study was concerned with the individual, personal effects of a leadership role on students, there is not an extensive amount of recommendations for practice for student affairs professionals. However, there are a few initiatives that could be taken to potentially alleviate some of the pressure on student leaders. One suggestion would be to have a stressmanagement or time-management workshop for all new student leaders. All of the participants in our study discussed the stress in the initial transition phase of their positions as a result of not being prepared for the amount of new responsibilities they had to manage. Although they all ended up growing from the experience and learning to manage their time, the transition may have been less stressful if they had more knowledge of what to expect in their new roles, and also some guidance on how to handle all of their new responsibilities. Coordinating leadership conferences for these students could also help them further develop their management skills and give them ideas to make them more effective as leaders. Another thing that would be beneficial for Greek chapter presidents would be to have regular one-on-ones with the Greek Life advisor so he or she could make sure that the student leaders are doing okay with managing their positions and not getting overwhelmed. This would also give students a dependable resource to go to for help when they feel that they are overwhelmed, or need help working through an issue.

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The other issue that became apparent in our study is the need for alcohol and sexual health education. We do not know if this would actually happen at a Christian school, but they are issues that are prevalent on many college campuses, and should be talked about to students. Perhaps the sexual health topic would reach beyond the mission of a Christian college, but alcohol is still very much a part of the college environment at any university, including those that are religiously affiliated. We believe it would be beneficial to talk to students about safe drinking practices while still honoring the universitys mission. This is especially crucial for Greeks because of the stereotypes that exist with regards to alcohol abuse within Greek communities. Having knowledge of safe drinking practices could help Greek leaders to better manage their chapters and combat these stereotypes.

Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research The qualitative exploration of this study has revealed multiple limitations. The researchers recognize that the data collected and analyzed is only a small representation of Greek student leadership at one particular institution. The sample group was selected conveniently and is not meant to be a generalization of all Greek-affiliated students in leadership positions. The goal of this study was to identify multiple ways that a students wellness was impacted by being a leader in a Greek letter organization. Additional interviews, focus groups, observations and cross-institutional analyses by the researchers over a significant period of time may potentially produce different results. Therefore, this study provides an opportunity for further research on the impact of academic, social and wellness on students in Greek leadership. It is important to note that very little research has been conducted in regards to the effects of fraternity and sorority membership in relation to mental health outcomes. Additionally, we have identified a gap in the body of Greek student leadership addressing the reasons for a lack of

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discourse on sex, alcohol and other sensitive topics at religious institutions. Replication of this study at other religious institutions similar to Pepperdine may help to determine if the themes that emerged from this study are found to be true among a larger culture of students in Greek leadership positions; while adding to the existing body of knowledge and literature concerning students in this specialized group.

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