Panelists discuss how membership in Greek organizations can be beneficial on resumes at IMC Connect on March 25. Photo Courtesy: Carleigh Holt Harbin.

It is no secret that the University of Mississippi has a large Greek life presence. UM Fraternity and Sorority Life reported that more than 7,900 students are members of Greek organizations, and this number grows every year as each freshman class breaks the record for the largest at UM.

According to statistics provided by Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Jess Turuc, as of spring 2024, 53.9% of full-time, undergraduate women are affiliated with either a College Panhellenic or National Panhellenic Council sorority, and 40.7% of full-time, undergraduate men are affiliated with either a Interfraternity Council or NPHC fraternity.

For most people, the social aspect of Greek life is the first thing that comes to mind. And at a cost of $2,000 to $4,000 a semester, each student is paying a pretty penny to be involved.

However, some argue that Greek life can open more opportunities for students than just friends and parties.

IMC Connect, sponsored by the School of Journalism and New Media, held a panel discussion on Monday, March 25, entitled, “Greek Life Beyond Campus: The Return on Investment on Greek Involvement and Strategies to Maximize Your Greek Experience.” The goal was to give students information about how to draw more from their experience than just listing “Greek member” on their resume.

The panel was led by Instructional Associate Professor of Integrated Marketing Communication Chris Sparks. Speaking on the panel were various professionals — some are in the marketing world, others are professors at universities — who were associated with Greek life at their schools.

“You never know when the relationships from Greek life could actually help,” Amanda Bradshaw, assistant professor of IMC and a member of Alpha Omicron Pi while she attended the University of Alabama, said. “I think people underestimate the power of these connections.”

The group shed light on their experiences to discuss the many ways that Greek affiliation can be beneficial for students in the professional world. The high turnout conveyed the popularity of this topic among students, as the Overby Auditorium was filled with students eager to hear advice on how to make their sorority and fraternity dues worth it.

Jeffrey Young is vice president of marketing and communications at the National Hot Rod Association, drag racing’s sanctioning body, and a Sigma Nu while at UM. He said Greek Life helps students gain confidence through socialization.

“How do you convey your message and develop friends? What goes a long way is the confidence you get when you go into the workplace,” Young said.

Others gave examples of how relationships formed in Greek life have helped them throughout their careers.

“My fraternity brothers, who I remain really close friends with today, all have incredible careers, and I’m able to draw from their expertise and connect my students and other friends with them,” Brett Robertson, journalism and communications professor at the University of South Carolina and a member of Delta Tau Delta at Chapman University, said.

“(Greek life) is a powerful tool of connectivity. … It’s not just a commitment for four or five years of college. It truly is for life,” Phillis George, chair of UM’s Department of Higher Education, said.

Other speakers on the panel, including Lisa Houghton, noted that Greek life is an opportunity to build leadership skills.

“Whether it’s just a small committee, president of your sorority or fraternity or it’s within a volunteer group, it’s really how you are leading people,” Houghton said. “You’ll be leading people for your entire career in one way or another, formally or informally, and this is an opportunity to really start that.”

The panel emphasized how students can effectively include their Greek affiliation on a resume.

“If students are actually getting leadership experience, doing the fundraising or doing these different things, highlighting that on a resume is really key. … None of that is reflected when it just says ‘Greek life member,’” Bradshaw said.

The panel also discussed how it is important for students to explain what they did in their role in their fraternity or sorority instead of simply listing it on the resume for it to be overlooked.

“Just listing 100 things on a resume is like, ‘Great, you were busy, but where did you grow?’” Tiffannie Hedin, corporate communications manager at Toyota Mississippi, said.

Additionally, the panel members mentioned the importance of having a well-organized and thoughtful LinkedIn profile and maintaining connections from Greek affiliations.

“One of the things that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated has enabled me to do is expand my network into other professional organizations,” George said. “I was able to tap into many other existing organizations because of my affiliation and active engagement with my organization.”

So, are students really getting the bang for their buck? It seems that it is up to the individual.

“I pay about four grand a semester,” Owen Land, sophomore IMC major and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity, said. “I think it’s worth it because it brought me close to people I wouldn’t have ever met, especially being out of state. And even if my employer isn’t a Sigma Pi, I feel like they would recognize the value of being a part of and contributing to something bigger than myself.”

Caris Miller, sophomore IMC major and member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, related to Young’s comments about confidence.

“Being a part of the Greek life community has definitely had its benefits when looking toward my professional career,” Miller said. “I have made a lot of bonds with people solely from having that Pi Phi connection, and there are a lot of opportunities to grow in the professional world because of all the experiences you get out of it.”