Renee DuBois doesn’t hesitate for a second with this assertion about her career: “This is my dream job.”

And so it begins for DuBois, who in July was named director of Fraternity & Sorority Life, and for Stetson, which commences a new concerted effort to heighten Greek life among both students on campus and fraternity/sorority alumni throughout the university’s community. 

DuBois, arriving at Stetson in July 2019, just before COVID-19 spread worldwide, most recently had been associate director of Fraternity & Sorority Involvement and Student Organizations. In turn, she has the blessing of Stetson’s administration to fulfill a personal quest. 

“Working with fraternities and sororities is what I knew I wanted to do as soon as I started graduate school. It’s my passion, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” said DuBois, an alumna of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority at Midwestern State University (Texas) who received a master’s degree in higher education from the University of North Texas. 

DuBois is now the first-ever official director of Greek life at Stetson.

The timing is no coincidence. 

At present, members of Stetson’s nine fraternities and nine sororities represent 18% of the student population. The goal is to increase that total to 30% by 2030. Notably, with the fall semester, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc. becomes that ninth sorority. 

“It’s the university’s commitment to grow our fraternities and sororities, and they realize how much they add to campus,” DuBois comments, pointing first to student retention. 

“Those students are more likely to remain at Stetson. They feel a ‘belonging.’ … And so, the more we pour into them, the more [Greek life] is going to keep growing and exceeding. We’re very optimistic and hopeful,” she said. 

Social and Philanthropic Organizations

DuBois has firm plans, too, with accents on social settings and philanthropy — two historical mainstays of Greek life on campus that will be broadened. 

“What we would love to see [from these groups], and what it is now at Stetson, is they’re social organizations. This is all about providing students with opportunities to meet other people in a fun, safe environment,” she explained. “Our fraternities and sororities will host socials with one another and with other student organizations, just to do fun activities, to hang out, get to know people, and just be in an environment to network and to interact with new people.” 

Between move-in day (residence halls open to new students Aug. 17) and the first day of Greek recruitment (Sept. 3), at least 10 events are planned. 

On the philanthropic front, during the 2023-2024 academic year, Stetson fraternities and sororities raised nearly $80,000 for local and national philanthropies. “That’s huge. They’re doing amazing work. We love to see that, and we’ll continue to see them doing that this next year. And continuously,” DuBois said.

Meanwhile, among a batch of new initiative is the introduction of a new-member leadership series, geared for students who join a fraternity or sorority this fall semester. In October, a six-week leadership series will begin to help those students gain leadership skills, not only for their organizations but also for life.

Alumni Engagement

As for Greek alumni, in 2023 the Office of Alumni Engagement started a Greek e-Newsletter, now being sent out to the more than 6,000 Greek alumni once each semester, as well as once over the summer. The hope is that by sharing information more frequently, alumni can see how their chapter is doing, gain more information about the Greek Community as a whole and find ways to become more involved.

“Our alumni are constantly giving back to the university. They’re very invested within our fraternities and sororities. … They’re a part of our Hatter community, too,” DuBois. “It definitely doesn’t stop once you leave campus.”

Not surprisingly, the Office of Alumni Engagement is headed by Executive Director Amy Dedes ’04, a member of Stetson’s Alpha Chi Omega chapter as a student. 

“I am excited to see all the effort being put into the Greek experience at Stetson,” Dedes said. “I personally know how much that experience means to our students and to our alumni. … That Greek organization that they become a part of stays with them throughout their lifetime. The bonds that are formed, the memories made, all remain with them, just like their time at Stetson does.”

Earlier this year, the Office of Annual Giving added Greek organizations to its lineup of Giving Challenges, enabling alumni and others to donate directly to a chapter on campus. Also, the Greek Leadership Fund was established to help send Greek students to leadership conferences. 

“We’re definitely enhancing student life,” DuBois concluded. “But we’re also providing an opportunity for students to feel a sense of belonging and affinity, not just to the university but to a group. So, being a part of Greek life, you get brotherhood and sisterhood. As soon as you join that organization, you instantly have 20 to 30 on campus brothers or sisters that are going to be there for you.”

For more about Greek life on campus, read “Bands of Brothers and Sisters” in the Summer/Fall issue of Stetson University Magazine.