Virginia Tech's Panhellenic Council wins Sutherland Award
During the 2011 Central Fraternal Leadership Conference/National Black Greek Leadership Conference in St. Louis, Mo., Virginia Tech received the Sutherland Award in the Panhellenic Council Division III from the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values.
The Sutherland Award recognizes the Panhellenic Council with the highest percentage of achievement in eight programming categories: Academic Achievement, Council Management, Leadership and Educational Development, Membership Recruitment, Philanthropy and Community Service, Public Relations, Risk Reduction and Management, and Self Governance and Judicial Affairs. The award is named after Shelley Sutherland, the founder of the Mid-American Panhellenic Council Association.
Virginia Tech’s Panhellenic Council competed against 11 other councils from across the country for this prestigious award. Ryan Elizabeth Hilperts, director of awards and assessment for the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values, said, “We have had a dramatic increase in award applications this year and the fact that Virginia Tech’s Panhellenic Council won this award really says a lot about the great things they are doing to move their Panhellenic community forward. They should be very proud of their accomplishments.”
Heather Evans, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said, “Virginia Tech currently has 13 National Panhellenic Council chapters on campus and the Panhellenic community at Virginia Tech encompasses approximately 1,800 women. Through a focus upon aspects such as scholarship, service/philanthropy, leadership, and friendship, this award places great spotlight upon their hard work and devotion to the interfraternal movement.”
Virginia Tech’s Panhellenic Council sororities are part of the robust Greek community at the university. Currently, there are 56 organizations overseen by Fraternity and Sorority Life, encompassing more than 14 percent of the undergraduate population. The four councils that govern the fraternities and sororities are the Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and the Panhellenic Council. Virginia Tech’s fraternities and sororities make a major impact on the university and the community through their numerous philanthropic efforts, including projects such as Greeks Giving Back and participation in the Big Event.
The Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values is a 501 (c)3 organization that exists to stimulate the growth and development of fraternity/sorority council and chapter leaders by promoting leadership, educational, and values-based experiences and resources for student leaders, their advisors, and the larger fraternal market. The Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values is the showcase for cutting-edge Fraternity/Sorority programming, technology, thinking, and concepts.
