The process of sending a student off to a college or university can be stressful, and there are many negative stereotypes surrounding fraternity life throughout the United States. However, at ZBT UW-Madison, we stand as a brotherhood committed to raising gentlemen on the four pillars of our credo: Intellectual Awareness, Social Responsibility, Integrity, and Brotherly Love. When students join ZBT, they make a conscious decision to enter into a brotherhood that holds its members to the highest of standards in academics, social life, and collegiate life in general. Here are just some initiatives that ZBT has taken nationwide to combat the negative stereotypes that surround fraternities:
- Partnering with the Sigma Delta Tau Sorority through “Safe Smart Dating,” a program implemented nationwide to prevent and discuss dating abuse and sexual assault on campus.
- Teaming up with Jewish Women International to pilot the “Green Light Go” program, which uses social activities to further understand the concept of consent and how it pertains to campus life.
- Committing to understanding our Jewish Heritage, present with us when Professor Richard J.H. Gottheil founded Zeta Beta Tau as the world’s first Jewish fraternity in 1898, through involvement with Hillel, Chabad, StandWithUs, AIPAC, ADL, and many more Jewish organizations.
- Our myriad of philanthropic events, which take place every semester.
Additionally, the concept of fraternity has been integral to the growth of men who are leaders throughout U.S. History. Here are just a few statistics that stand to illustrate this point:
– Total Undergraduate Fraternity Membership: 372,090*
– Number of Men Initiated in 2013-2014: 98,561*
– 6136 Chapters on roughly 800 campuses*
– Community Service Hours: 3.8 million hours*
– Philanthropic Dollars Raised: $20.3 million*
– All-Fraternity GPA: 2.912 versus All-Male GPA: 2.892^
– Greeks in 112th US Congress: 42 Senators (42%), 101 Congressmen (23%)
– Greeks in 113th US Congress: 39 Senators (39%), 106 Congressmen (24%)
– 50% of the Top 10 Fortune 500 CEOs are fraternity men; 15% of Fortune 100 CEOs are Greek
– 44% of all US Presidents have been members of a social fraternity
– 31% of all US Supreme Court Justices have been fraternity alumni
(*) Compiled from Member Fraternities in the NIC Standards Compliance Report for the 2013-2014 Academic Year
(^) Compiled from campuses submitting the NIC Academic Report form for the 2012-2013 Academic Year
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