This winter, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) at the University of Michigan partnered with the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) to host a day-long leadership consultation focused on strengthening the fraternity community. The event brought together IFC executive board members, chapter presidents, recruitment chairs, and university stakeholders for a collaborative conversation about the future of the community.
The consultation began with a welcome and context-setting session between the NIC facilitator, the IFC Executive Board, and the council’s advisor. This conversation outlined the goals of the day, established shared expectations, and emphasized the importance of transparency, collaboration, and partnership in supporting a strong fraternity experience at Michigan.
Throughout the day, IFC executive officers met individually with the NIC consultant to discuss their specific roles, leadership goals, and challenges within their portfolios. These conversations helped officers identify opportunities to strengthen their work and align their responsibilities with broader community priorities.
A working lunch brought together university partners from across campus, including staff from Fraternity & Sorority Life, the Dean of Students office, Student Life leadership, and several campus support units. The discussion focused on community trends, campus partnerships, and ways the university and IFC can continue working together to support student success and well-being.
Later in the afternoon, chapter presidents joined the IFC Executive Board for a collaborative session aimed at identifying the most pressing challenges facing the fraternity community. Through small group conversations and collective discussion, students explored issues such as recruitment, accountability, community image, and engagement across chapters.
Building on those conversations, the group participated in a problem-solving workshop designed to turn ideas into action. Students worked together to develop strategies that support a stronger, more unified fraternity community. Topics included recruitment and member engagement, chapter health and accountability, IFC visibility, and strengthening relationships with alumni and campus partners. The session concluded with the development of a draft community action plan to guide priorities moving forward.
The day concluded with a focused session for chapter recruitment chairs and the IFC Vice President of Recruitment. Together with the NIC consultant, they reviewed recruitment trends and discussed strategies to enhance the recruitment experience, strengthen marketing efforts, and continue promoting the value of fraternity membership to prospective students.
For alumni, events like this highlight the continued commitment of Michigan’s fraternity leaders to thoughtful leadership, collaboration, and the long-term health of the community. By engaging in intentional conversations and planning for the future, today’s student leaders are working to ensure that the fraternity experience at Michigan continues to evolve while remaining grounded in the values that have shaped generations of members.
Go Blue!