Once your group has reached consensus, record your group's rank and identify a spokesperson to briefly explain your rankings to the rest of the training participants.

My Rank	Group Rank	Adviser Role
______	______	Make sure chapter members comply with Fraternity policies.
______	______	Meet individually with chapter officers.
______	______	Attend chapter meetings regularly.
______	______	Intervene if a chapter decision is likely to result in negative repercussions.
______	______	Be present during initiation and ritual.
______	______	Stop by and/or participate in a few chapter activities each year.
______	______	Ensure that the chapter sets goals each semester or each year.
______	______	Speaking up during chapter or exec. board discussions when you have relevant information.
______	______	Regularly audit the chapter treasurer's efforts.
______	______	Take the initiative in creating teamwork and cohesion among the chapter officers.
______	______	Other:

Hints for Working with Students

1. Both advisers and students are human beings who make mistakes, follow their own value systems, and work in their own individual, professional and personal styles.
2. Follow through on your commitments to each other, to the fraternity and to your projects.
3. The responsibility for building the relationship must be shared between the adviser and the student. Share your needs, responsibilities, and expectations with each other. Be prepared to negotiate roles and responsibilities.
4. Accept the responsibility of providing continuity to the chapter. Advisers can help new members and leaders remember how things have been done in the past.
5. "Everyone is a learner and everyone is a teacher."
6. Remind students that they are alumni members a lot longer than they are undergraduate members. Continue to nurture and recruit outstanding alumni volunteers to replace YOU!
7. Meet the students where they are at developmentally and intervene in ways which will help them progress to more advanced stages.
8. Listen more than you talk. Distinguish between tangible observations and intangible inferences about what you have heard or seen.
9. Don't underestimate the ability of students to make good decisions ... challenge them to do so and support them when they do.
10. Wear your values on your shirt sleeves. We should never hide our values from students. We are in positions of serving as role models. Similarly, however, we should never force our values on others.
11. Involve students in the design of any educational programs you will be facilitating. This will help build ownership and ensure your design is appropriate for their needs.
12. Set personal goals for what you hope to learn from working with students and then seek out those conversations and opportunities that will fulfill your goals.
13. Make sure you have informal interaction with students as well as formal interaction at meetings, conferences, etc. Some of your best influence will come from conversations after dinner, hanging around the house, etc.
14. Always try to think about three months ahead of the students. This will allow you to help them plan in advance.
15. Develop your own defined level of failure you will knowingly allow to occur in the chapter. People need to learn from their mistakes ... how great a mistake will you allow?
16. Our most powerful learning comes from reflecting on our experiences. Do take the time to ask students what they are learning from their fraternity experience.

Triangle Fraternity Volunteer Training Presented by Karyn Nishimura Sneath and Jeffrey Cufaude at Triangle Fraternity's Herbert F. Scobie Leadership School, August 1996
like minded people - PO Box 78282 - Indianapolis, IN 46278
Phone/FAX: 317-267-0047 E-Mail: Likeminds1@aol.com