Greek Life

As anecdotal evidence shows, the well-being and success of a fraternity or sorority is directly linked to the amount of support and guidance it receives from its alumni, mentors, and advisors. It is for this reason that the Cashen Mentors were created and has evolved over the years.  

Operated out of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, the program employs recent graduates who were active in Greek life as students (many while at Cornell) and uses their skills, talents, and experience to provide our chapters with the necessary tools to thrive. The fellows support the self-governing spirit of the Greek community by working with the chapters and their respective leaders to make positive change. Their age and familiarity with Greek life allows them to understand the needs of the community and work within it to find practical solutions.

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What do Cashen Mentors do?
Greek fellows meet one-on-one regularly with Cornell’s fraternity and sorority chapter leaders. In their role as mentors, the fellows help our Greek leaders identify and set goals for the year, provide year-round staff support, and assist with chapter management and program planning. Recent fellows have focused their energies on such projects as improving chapter recruitment efforts, creating co-sponsorship opportunities for chapters, recruiting additional advisory support among faculty and alumni, and teaching leaders how to navigate the many offices, departments, and services available to Cornell students.

One of the leadership lessons membership in a fraternity or sorority teaches is the importance of collective action to accomplish any task. At their best, fraternities and sororities can be powerful vehicles to support community change or rally action around a particular cause. It is the leaders within the Greek community who learn to harness this energy with a special finesse.

Funding the Cashen Mentors is a case in point of collective action. One alumnus has stepped forward with the expectation that others within the Greek community will follow suit. This donor has generously offered to match, on a one-to-one basis, up to eight $125,000 gifts from other Greek leaders who step up to the challenge. Of the $250,000 total gift, $200,000 will completely endow one fellow and $50,000 will support the program fund.

Our goal is to endow a total of nine Cashen Mentors—each of which present its own naming opportunity. We will call upon our experienced Greek leaders to leverage their ability to rally around a cause and financially support the Cashen Mentors. A gift of $125,000 will endow a Cashen Mentor as well as provide a source of unrestricted funding to cover program costs, offer chapters programming grants, and supplement staff salary.

Questions?

For more information about the Cashen Mentors, the challenge, and how to give, please contact:

Page Content

• Vision
• CCE Program Assistant History
• Greek Health Project Coordinator History
• Recruitment Specialist History
• CCE Program Consultants History
• Near Peer Volunteer History

• To support the self-governing spirit of our Greek community by providing opportunities for newly graduated Greek leaders to continue to serve the greater Greek system as role models, near peer mentors and program consultants. 
• To create opportunities for personal growth and professional development to graduate students and Greek leaders by fostering an appreciation, understanding, and commitment to the philosophy of CCE. 
• To facilitate the continued improvement and health of the Cornell Greek community, to serve as the catalyst for experiential learning. 
• To further develop the leadership skills in our Greek leaders that will allow them to succeed in a dynamic and diverse world.

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• Created in December 2004, this position was developed to support the preliminary roll out efforts of the CCE initiative. Former Panhellenic Association president Stephanie Wedekind was hired to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of this position in January 2005 while beginning her graduate coursework in the accelerated degree program in engineering. The position required an average of 20 hours per week. 
• Basic purpose: To provide support for and assist in the creation of materials, staffing and training for the launch of the CCE program within the Greek Community. The Program Assistant worked with the Assistant Dean of Students to develop, enhance and implement the CCE Program Consultant model and the EBI assessment data.

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• Developed in December 2004, this position strengthened the partnership between the OFSA, Gannett and the undergraduate Greek Community around issues of hazing and alcohol abuse. Former chapter president, Nick Linder was hired to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of this position in January 2005 after having graduated in December. During his appointment as a causal/temporary employee, Nick was able to conduct research on Greek social behavior and develop initiatives to address the issue. This position required an average of 20 hours per week, a large portion working directly with/in chapters.
• Basic purpose: To work with students, staff, alumni and faculty to develop and implement strategies aimed at reducing hazing and alcohol abuse among students, primarily those within the fraternity and sorority system. Under the supervision of the Assistant Dean of Students and with support from the Director of Alcohol Policy Initiatives, the coordinator provided leadership for the establishment of peer-based anti-hazing efforts and conducted educational programming related to hazing and alcohol abuse.

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• Created in spring of 2005, this position provided an opportunity for a leader in the community, who was unable to commit 20 hours per week, to contribute to the Greek system by developing and utilizing skill sets in position marketing, employee recruiting and “peer” training. The position required 5 to 10 hours per week during the fall with an expectation of 20 hours per week in January.
• Basic Purpose: To work with the Assistant Dean of Students to coordinate the marketing and logistics of the graduate student search and develop a comprehensive training model for newly hired graduate students. To co-advise the Panhellenic Association recruitment process and assist in the creation of all recruitment related publications.

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• Created in the spring of 2005 after the two-year pilot phase, as part of the roll out of the CCE program and in response to the increase in the number of participating chapters. These two 20 hour positions provided CCE chapters with additional staff support and mentorship. 
• Basic Purpose: To provide participating CCE chapters with additional staff dedicated to the programmatic, organizational and self-development needs of the leadership of the chapter and the Neighborhood Association. The primary charge of the Program Consultant includes working closely with seven Greek-letter organizations with their chapter operations, coordinating the Greek Neighborhood association, and the development of quality programs that align themselves with the principles of CCE.

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• Created in January of 2005 as a volunteer opportunity for a former IFC officer. This position provided the opportunity to get reconnected to the Greek system in a less formal structure. The current volunteer, Dave Chalenski, serves between 5 to 10 hours on various OFSA projects and programs. 
• Basic Purpose: To work with the Greek Community, council leadership and the OFSA on special projects. The position is tailored to the specific interest and experience of the volunteer.

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