Fraternity leaders in UNC’s Interfraternity Council hope the newly proposed IFC executive director position will serve as their advocate — but the position has yet to be defined.
The position was proposed to the UNC Board of Trustees on May 27 as part of a review of the Greek system conducted by Jordan Whichard, a UNC alumnus and former president of Phi Gamma Delta who had been reviewing the system since hired by the University in January.
According to Whichard’s report, the “job will be to work closely with chapters, the undergraduate IFC and IFC Judicial Board (IFCJB), as well as the University.”
Though Whichard proposed the position, it’s unclear what the next step is.
“I have passed these recommendations to the University and the IFC and the Fraternity Alumni Association, and they are kind of working on that,” Whichard said.
“But my understanding is that they hope to fund and hire a full-time person who has a background and knowledge of fraternities and can be a motivator and mentor for young men who are engaged in this process.”
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life deferred all comments about the position to Winston Crisp, vice chancellor for student affairs, who could not be reached for comment.
According to Whichard, the position will be given a job description and salary by members of the IFC and alumni associate as early as this summer.
John Hughes, a UNC alumnus elected to lead the search for the position, could also not be reached for comment. But IFC leaders already know what they want the position to look like.
“This guy will be our adviser and not our boss,” said Wright Lewallen, IFC’s vice president of recruitment and a member of Phi Gamma Delta. “We’re employing him. He’s only here to help us and, when need be, he can be a father-like figure.
“We want this guy to be our official advocate between us and the University and the (Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life),” Lewallen said.
The office currently oversees the IFC, the Panhellenic Council, the National Pan Hellenic Council and the Greek Alliance Council. IFC leaders believe a separate director will work to their benefit.
“I like the idea of … someone we can go to who has actually been in the fraternity system who can give us guidance,” said William Decosimo, president of the IFC fraternity Chi Psi. “Because all the councils are different, to have one person in charge of all those is a really difficult job.”
Other council leaders have expressed concern.
“If they’re more separate from Panhellenic in the future, then I’m worried that connections may be weakened,” said Rhea Keller, president of the Panhellenic Council, which works closest with the IFC.
“I do think the position is a good idea and I’m interested in where it will go. Anything positive for them will have a positive effect on us, but I don’t know how it will affect Greek unity in the future.”
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
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