Greek life is sometimes associated with negative connotations, but Sigma Phi Epsilon is attempting to change that view.
The LSU Sig Ep chapter has signed on to take part in the Residential Learning Community program. The program provides an office — fully equipped — for a University instructor and also supplies a computer lab for the chapter house.
“You hear so many complaints about Greeks and Greek life. This is a great example of them taking a proactive stance on becoming better students, better scholars and better people,” said Danielle Sarver, a mass communication graduate student and the current faculty fellow at the Sig Ep house.
This is the first semester Sig Ep has participated in RLC, and Sarver has yet to see the new office. She has been out of town for the last couple of weeks and has not started working in the house as faculty fellow, Sarver said.
Next semester mass communication instructor Nicole Smith will be taking over for Sarver, who is leaving to pursue other job opportunities. Sarver nominated Smith to take over her post as faculty fellow.
“I believe that being a faculty fellow will allow me to promote academics and educational relationships outside of the classroom. I am also looking forward to working with students from other colleges at LSU,” Smith said.
LSU’s Sig Ep chapter wanted to take part in the program to give members a faculty adviser who they could talk to about all issues. The chapter asked members to nominate teachers to develop a list of possible candidates.
Once the house produced a list of candidates, it gave it to Assistant Director of Greek Affairs Hagi Bradley for recommendations.
Bradley knew Sarver and thought she would be great for the program, said chapter President Christopher Hudson.
Sarver met with members of the fraternity and came to the conclusion the members were really sincere about their goals to better themselves and the house, Sarver said.
Sarver said when she was an undergraduate student, she found it very hard to approach instructors with questions about career decisions, and she hopes this program will close that gap.
Hudson and the chapter applied for the RLC program “to build a stronger relationship with the University and the University faculty,” he said.
The newly renovated office is equipped with a new computer that has high-speed Internet access. There is a private phone line and lots of bookshelves, Hudson said.
RLC also provided money for a new computer lab in the house. The lab is located across the hall from the office and is open to all Sig Ep members.
The program is “good to help with IFC regulations, but it’s not good for people living there because they have to worry about a teacher in the house,” said political science sophomore Summer Strickland.
The chapter applied for a grant from the national chapter’s education foundation to afford the program.
Fifty percent of the total costs to renovate were covered by the Education Foundation and the rest was paid for by the house, Hudson said.
There are about 30 to 40 other Sig Ep chapters that take part in this program, Hudson said.
“Any time you can get faculty and students involved outside of the classroom is a great thing,” Sarver said.