Fraternity as “Enabling Environment:” Does Membership Lead to Gambling Problems?

Researchers have suggested that fraternity membership is the most reliable predictor of gambling and gambling problems on campus. The purpose of this study was to determine if problematic gambling could be linked to specific aspects of fraternity membership. Though the null hypothesis (no enabling environment) failed to be rejected, descriptive analysis confirms that moderate rates of problem gambling are exhibited by subsets of fraternity members (officers, younger members, those who live with other members). Further, predictive analysis revealed that gambling online and betting on skill games, such as golf or pool, increased the likelihood of problem gambling among fraternity members. Recommendations included a discussion of initiatives at another campus, as well as action steps for developing education and awareness programs

A Ten-Year Study of Individual Outcomes From a Fraternity Central Office Leadership Program

Fraternities promote leadership development as a benefit of membership. Researchers examined fraternal commitment and engagement of participants attending a leadership program offered by a fraternity central office. This study was designed as an outcomes assessment and included 2,065 cases, the total number of fraternity men attending in the ten-year span from 1999-2008. The following data were examined: attendance, undergraduate leadership, alumni/volunteer involvement, and donor rosters, as well as post-program survey evaluations. Descriptive statistics and significance tests revealed that (a) 63% of participants took a formal undergraduate leadership role, (b) 8% of participants took a volunteer advisory role, (c) 8% became donors, and (d) some years were more developmental for participants than others