ASU sororities earn national Panhellenic Excellence Award

Arizona State University’s Panhellenic Council recently received the College Panhellenic Excellence Award for 2017-2018, a national honor that recognizes their efforts to advance the sorority experience in academics, programming, recruitment and more.

Along with 25 other college Panhellenic associations, ASU was presented the award by the National Panhellenic Conference, one of the largest advocacy and support organizations for women. ASU is one of 670 NPC member organizations at colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The NPC Excellence Award recognizes associations that have excelled in all areas of Panhellenic operations and core competencies within seven criteria of value: academics; communication with their NPC area adviser; judicial procedures; Panhellenic community impact and relations; Panhellenic programs; Panhellenic structure; and recruitment.

“The Panhellenic Council at ASU is committed to academic excellence, service and supporting issues of importance to women at ASU,” said Gary Ballinger, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at ASU. “We are extremely proud of their achievements and the impact of their efforts to advance the mission and vision of NPC on behalf of undergraduate women. The honor is richly deserved,” Ballinger said.

Mary Flora, a senior studying history (secondary education) in the College Of Liberal Arts and Sciences, serves as president of ASU’s Panhellenic Council. Flora said that receiving the award means that the hard work and dedication of preceding executive boards is finally being recognized.

The Panhellenic Council at ASU is the governing body providing oversight to the 14 National Panhellenic Conference sororities and two associate member sororities at the university. Within the ASU Greek Community, the Panhellenic Council is responsible for planning programming events, holding chapters accountable for their actions and coordinating recruitment.

“As a Panhellenic community we hold high standards for our chapters and their members so that the sorority experience is beneficial for all members on this campus,” Flora said.

This standard is applied throughout their work on philanthropic efforts, community service, academics, health and wellness and sexual violence prevention, Flora said.

She noted that the benefits of joining a sorority are multifaceted and long-lasting.

“It’s an incredible experience in which a young, empowered woman will gain lifelong membership and receive consistent networking and social connections, academic support, leadership skills, sisterhood and an unforgettable collegiate experience,” Flora said. “When a woman goes through recruitment, she is not just joining her own chapter — she is joining a community across the world that is not only for four years, it is for life.”