Peek through the windows at Montana State’s Residential Learning Community and you won’t see an average fraternity house. You will see studying around a large kitchen table; challenge meetings in the chapter room; committee meetings in the library; ping pong, pool, or working out in the basement; and brothers gathered around a piano singing and playing the guitar or ukulele.
Montana State rechartered in 2010 and earned its Residential Learning Community (RLC) accreditation just four months later. They had wasted no time in going after the accreditation, and today are one of 48 accredited chapters.
Supported by volunteers
Like all SigEp RLCs, Montana State is supported by a strong Alumni and Volunteer Corporation (AVC). AVC President Bill Schell, ’97, said that in planning the facility, they wanted to create something different than the typical fraternity house. Chapter volunteer Steve Liebmann, ’77, had conceived the idea with his wife and spearheaded the project. With RLC programming underway, he feels that the chapter “couldn’t be running any better.”
As the AVC recruited new volunteers to support the rechartered chapter, they began to look outside the chapter’s alumni ranks. “I knew we had to provide something students couldn’t get somewhere else,” said recent alumnus Dustin Stoltz, ’10. “We needed to cultivate a culture for the gentleman scholar, and we wanted to recruit an expert and a good role model to help achieve this.” Recruiting a faculty fellow was a crucial next step.
Programmed for success
Today, brothers meet with Faculty Fellow Brian Kassar each semester to check in and set academic goals. Mid-term, they complete a progress report to assess performance, allowing the chapter to intervene early on any issues. This helped sophomore Bryan Kilcrease, ’16, recover after a tough semester of engineering courses. He worked with Kassar to build an academic success plan and received additional mentoring from the standards board. Kilcrease credits the in-house support for helping him improve his study habits and time management.
Challenging brothers to reach a chapter GPA of 3.5, Kassar initiated an incentive program focused on personal development and academic success. This quickly created a culture where brothers helped each other succeed, regularly celebrated accomplishments, and provided extra guidance for those who fell short.
Within two semesters, the chapter reached their goal by achieving a 3.54, placing them second among all SigEp chapters. Matt Sherick, ’14, a 2013 Goldwater Scholarship winner, felt the program “added an extra level of motivation to work harder and help each other when needed. When we achieved our 3.5, there was a huge amount of pride among the brothers.”
Partnered with faculty
Life in a SigEp RLC revolves around faculty engagement, and Montana State set out to invite campus faculty into their facility through a SigEp Lecture Series. Faculty served as guest speakers, and the chapter opened lectures to the campus community. Topics ranged from ancient Greek philosophy to conflict management.
In addition to providing brothers with a more balanced education, the lecture series helped break down negative stereotypes about fraternities. Guest lecturer Emily Edwards lauded the chapter, saying, “The SigEps are the best of what a fraternity can be. It’s evident that they appreciate the chance to gather in positive, healthy ways, and their lodge creates a perfect environment for a rich, vibrant community that is a model for active learning and engagement.”
Strengthened through environment
While people and programs help define Montana State’s chapter experience, it all comes together in an environment that is conducive to academic success. “The big tables, quiet hours, and all the brothers there made it perfect for group study,” reflected Marshall scholar Bryan Vadheim, ’13.
Since the facility opened in 2009, alumni-volunteers have worked to “ensure that the lodge remained a space that would foster continued academic success,” said AVC President Schell. And Liebmann—whose vision and hard work made the RLC a reality—is impressed with how the brothers have such respect for the property: “Alumni mention how clean it is every time they visit, and it certainly helps recruit new members.”
Chapter leaders and volunteers plan to take the RLC even higher with the help of a Pay it Forward grant they received at the 2013 Conclave from SigEp’s RLC at Illinois. They will add smart-classroom technology to enhance lectures, add classroom instruction, and expand programming.
What has come of the vision of providing members with a unique experience so far? Recent graduate Ethan Haug, ’13, said: “The RLC has been an amazing part of my fraternal experience. Having a place that supported my academics was, without a doubt, the reason for my success throughout college. Our RLC was also a great catalyst for ideas and experiences that I would not have undertaken on my own.”
Montana State brothers
In their own words:
“Having a place that supported my academics was, without a doubt, the reason for my success throughout college.” ~ Ethan Haug, ’13
First-year member Wesley Hogue, ’16, felt that the one-on-one academic meetings helped him to “work through personal worries and keep an eye out for things that might impact academics. Plus it’s just nice to talk!”
Patrick Tate, ’14, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, felt that the mentoring and role modeling were assets for him: “I can attribute many of my academic successes to the guidance I received from SigEp.” Tate valued seeing the Balanced Man Ideal modeled by other brothers, and the ability to, “surround myself with like-minded individuals who prioritized academics but balanced that with athletic and social activities. I found this encouraging throughout my undergraduate career.”
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