DZ's Train Volunteers About Mental Health

Delta Zeta Implements Online Program to Assist Student Mental Health Issues

MentalHealthEdu™ designed to assist students with mental health concerns

FEBRUARY 6, 2008 – Oxford, OH – Delta Zeta Sorority announced today that it will implement an online program, MentalHealthEdu, which will serve as a resource for Delta Zeta chapter advisors.

The sorority is the first Greek organization in the nation to offer the program as a training vehicle to its volunteers.

“Delta Zeta is dedicated to the health and well-being of our members, and we know that early intervention with mental health concerns is one of the best ways to ensure their ongoing success-academically and personally,” said Michelle Smith, National President of Delta Zeta.

“This step recognizes the unique role that our volunteers who advise collegiate members can play in assisting students who may be experiencing difficulty.”

The initiative is the result of direct feedback from a number of Delta Zeta volunteers, who, in a recent survey, reported that they did not feel adequately prepared to deal with certain mental health issues encountered while advising collegiate members, including self-injury and eating disorders.

In response to this feedback, Delta Zeta decided to implement the program as a training vehicle for its official volunteers, including its College Chapter Directors (CCDs), and employees such as House Directors and Educational Leadership Consultants, who interact with the college-age women on a regular basis.

The sorority will also offer MentalHealthEdu to its Regional Collegiate Coordinators (RCCs) and members of its National Council and National Chairmen. This year, approximately 250 volunteers will be invited to take the online program, which is now a part of Delta Zeta’s core training curriculum.

Delta Zeta’s approach towards mental health is essential in stemming the impact on both campus culture and graduation rates.

From 1989-2001, Kansas State University found that the number of students with documented cases of depression doubled, and the percentage of students taking psychiatric medications rose from 10% to 25%. Further, in 2006, the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment found that during a 12-month period, 42% of college students felt so depressed at times that it was difficult to function and 9% had seriously considered suicide.

MentalHealthEdu engages an entire campus community in the campaign for overall student wellness. The program provides participants with the information and tools they need to identify and assist distressed students. Participants learn about the increasing number of mental health issues on college campuses and the leading causes of distress in students.

Suggestions for approaching distressed students and exercises that present realistic situations help administrators, faculty, and staff play an effective role in health promotion by giving them the skills to feel confident in offering support and directing students to appropriate campus resources.

The program was developed by Boston-based Outside The Classroom. Delta Zeta plans to use MentalHealthEdu to empower its volunteers by helping them understand their unique opportunity to assist students with mental health concerns.

“We’re proud to offer MentalHelathEdu as a resource for our volunteer leaders,” said Smith. “We’re confident that this program will assist our advisors in guiding women to appropriate help when needed.”

From the home office - SPRI partner

Another partnership deal announced by HQ.

SigEp SPRI Partnership
11/19/2007 8:39:23 AM

Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp), a national fraternity committed to “Building Balanced Leaders for the World’s Communities,” Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp), a national fraternity committed to “Building Balanced Leaders for the World’s Communities,” has partnered with SPRI Products as their sole provider of rubberized and core equipment.

The partnership will grant over 270,000 lifetime and undergraduate SigEp members with direct access to the latest in health and fitness information, products, news, and events. SigEp members can also receive favored pricing on featured SPRI products.

The mission of Sigma Phi Epsilon is based on the Balanced Man Ideal of Sound Mind and Sound Body. Members do not simply participate in intramural sports but are encouraged to sponsor annual physicals that measure cholesterol, blood pressure, and screen for different types of cancer. Members are empowered to live their best life… a large component of which is developing a healthy lifestyle through strength training, proper nutrition, and cardiovascular fitness.

SPRI is well known in the fitness industry because of quality and their focus on helping people aspire to healthier lives. SPRI has been the pioneer in the areas of rubber resistance training by utilizing medical technology to introduce the stability ball and rubberized tubing to the fitness industry over 25 years ago. Products are designed with all people in mind, young and old from amateur to professional athletes.

Adam Zwyer, SPRI’s Marketing Manager, states, “SPRI has a commitment to continue to improve our products as technology allows. We intend to continue to lead the industry by producing new and innovative products to help people achieve their health goals allowing them to live healthier, happier, and more mobile lives. SPRI does not simply produce fitness accessories; we produce solutions.”

Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but what is it exactly that we are getting out of this deal? Other than being a target audience, I mean. The various partnerships and associations may well be good for all concerned, but would it hurt to have just a bit more transparency?

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity • News Release

Just graduated? Looking for a job?

SigEp HQ has announced another partnership arrangement, this time with JobBound.

SigEp Job Guide
10/18/2007 9:41:10 AM

Sigma Phi Epsilon has partnered with JobBound to offer members a guide to landing their first jobs. The Job Guide offers advice on resume writing, cover letters, interviewing, networking, and other job search activities. Additionally, the Job Guide offers guidance on how to excel once you've landed your job. JobBound taps into the experience of Brad Karsh, a nationally recognized recruiting expert. One of the qualities that sets JobBound apart is the fact that all of our resume writers are former Recruiting Directors. Resume and interviewing advice is plentiful, but nowhere else will you gain the perspective of the Recruiting Director-the actual person responsible for making the hiring decision. You really can't beat that. JobBound offers individual job prep services to job seekers to help them land the job of their dreams. In addition, Brad shares his insider advice in dynamic presentations and workshops that he gives to colleges, student organizations, and companies across the United States. Check out the SigEp Job Guide at: http://www.sigep.org/memdev/resources.asp. Scroll down and click on SigEp Job Guide.

...or, just click here to get straight to it: Job Guide

"SigEp Inc." Marches on

Just in time for Conclave - the wonderful folks at HQ are showing their, er, 'assets' by announcing yet another partnership deal. This time they are linking up with Veritas, a test prep company that seems to specialize in the GMAT.

Fair warning: Even with a 10% discount these courses are not cheap.
The operative phase here is "Caveat Emptor". By the way, did we mention that Veritas will have a vendor booth at Conclave?

Where in the world is... SigEp Travel?

In the words of Forrest Gump: "Whenever somebody says 'I am here to help you,' hold on to your wallet."

In the last week or so we have received at least two mass-generated emails touting "SigEp Travel" as the way to get good deals and also help fill the coffers at HQ. As a practical matter, this travel venture may very well be a way to 'brand' travel services that are competitive, if not always lowest priced. But some questions and considerations and considerations came to mind as we were looking over the proposals, and the deeper we went, the more concerned we got.

These mailouts were sent over the signature of our executive director, so it is reasonable to assume that he is at least aware of, and probably supports, this use of the fraternity email list. The first question that came to mind is "who authorized using the SigEp trademark for a commercial venture"? The fraternity is aggressive in making sure that providers of "Greek-ware" pay a license fee when using one of our trademarked words or symbols. Is there any potential for conflicts of interest? Was there any oversight for this venture? Did the NBD know of it and approve? "Inquiring minds want to know."

The SigEp "Privacy Policy" states, in part:

Your personal information is never intentionally shared outside the organization without your permission,...

Not only was there an apparent disregard for the written privacy policy, but there was no way to opt-out of future email solicitations, as required by law (CAN-SPAM act of 2003). This member is very concerned that these apparent legal and ethical shortcuts were taken.

How well does this particular venture fit with the Fraternity mission statement: "Building better leaders for the world's communities"? We fail to see how partnering with a travel service (or a credit card company for that matter) furthers the mission of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Rather, with all the convoluted payment schemes (see the paragraph on "MLM schemes" below) you have to wonder if we will need to dedicate a wing of "Zolly House" just to keep up with the nickles and dimes.

In one of the emails our esteemed executive director notes he has been using the service and "has found it to be cheaper than other services in many cases." That is interesting in itself since the engine behind the service is Travelocity.com, as interpreted by "YourTravelBiz.com", and they presumably are not using the service as a loss leader. But I digress (see next paragraph). If this is such a wonderful service then put a link to in on the HQ web site. In fact, for a small "click thru" charge I'm sure we can arrange to have the "Junkster" put an ad on the S&P site (it would get more eyeballs there!).

In fact, "YourTravelBiz.com" looks suspiciously like a Multi-Level-Marketing scheme, aka Pyramid. A testimonial on the website declares:

"One of YTB’s goals is to create more millionaires than any other company in the world. I am convinced 100% that YTB will also make my dream of becoming a millionaire a reality."

One wonders exactly where individual members of SigEp are on the pyramid? Presumably, there is someone 'up-line', as well as "SigEp Inc.", who is benefiting from travel booked on the site. Are they paying back a license fee? Again, this raises questions of disclosure and conflict of interest. Ultimately, is this something that we really want to be associated with?

The points above are more about disclosure and oversight than whether an action is permitted. To put it another way, it may be legal, but is it right?

Enough of a rant. Now for a call to action. We have a Conclave coming up where legislative action may be taken for the good of the Fraternity. There are some items of legislation that could come up as a result of this travel scheme, e.g.:

• A definition of exactly what constitutes an appropriate use of the fraternity email list.
• A definition of how the fraternity trademarks are (or are not) to be used in furtherance of a commercial venture.
• A requirement that NBD, paid staff, and other officers disclose any significant interests in companies the National fraternity does business with.

There are probably more, but that is a start. Let's see if someone wants to write some proposals and have some fun in Hot-lanta.

From an undisclosed location, I am Diogenes and I approved this message.