Phi Delta Theta recently announced that it has entered into a four-year partnership with Dyad Strategies, a consulting firm that specializes in applied research and assessment. As part of this partnership, Dyad Strategies will conduct an annual assessment of the entire Phi Delta Theta undergraduate membership. The goals of this assessment will be to help Phi Delta Theta better understand: the culture of its undergraduate chapters, the impact that membership in the Fraternity has on student learning, growth and development, and the long-term impact of participation in Phi Delta Theta leadership and education programs.
As part of the partnership, Dyad Strategies has built a personalized member assessment tool for the Fraternity. This assessment tool maps a variety of measures to developmental constructs associated with the Fraternity’s values, including measures of personal responsibility, resilience, and openness to diversity. These constructs will be measured at the individual level over time in order to better understand how membership in Phi Delta Theta impacts the beliefs, values, and behaviors of its members.
“Phi Delta Theta is a trailblazer in the fraternal industry,” said Dyad CEO Dr. Gentry McCreary. “As the first international fraternity to move to substance-free chapter facilities, Phi Delt has proven that you can offer a different kind of fraternity experience and not only survive, but thrive. Having a chance to work with them to better understand chapter culture and the impact of the membership experience is an incredible opportunity for Dyad Strategies. We are thrilled to welcome Phi Delt to our growing family of fraternal partners.”
Phi Delta Theta Chief Operating Officer Sean Wagner stated, “As the Fraternity’s decision-making becomes more rooted in assessment and data, partnering with Dyad Strategies will allow Phi Delta Theta to better understand its members, their experiences, and how the Fraternity needs to further adapt to provide the greatest possible value to today’s college students. Both Gentry and Josh have tremendous knowledge of fraternity men, and we’re excited to see how their assessments positively affect Phi Delta Theta.”
Execution of the initial Dyad assessment will occur during the fall 2019 semester. Phi Delta Theta undergraduates will be expected to individually complete a survey related to the assessment. More details about the initial execution will be communicated leading up to the fall semester.
Dyad Strategies LLC is a consulting firm specializing in applied research and assessment, working in partnership with colleges/universities and fraternal organizations to measure and improve the impact of their work. Partners Gentry McCreary, PhD and Joshua Schutts, PhD. are widely recognized as leading scholars in areas related to the fraternity/sorority experience and have published scholarly research related to fraternal brotherhood/sisterhood, the psychology of hazing, and moral/ethical development of fraternity/sorority members. To learn more about Dyad Strategies, visit www.dyadstrategies.com
Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity was founded at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, December 26, 1848. In over 170 years of its existence, the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity has expanded to over 250 campuses and initiated more than 267,000 men. Today, Phi Delta Theta has 190 chapters and colonies and approximately 179,000 living alumni and 98 alumni clubs in the United States and Canada. Recognized for its leadership in the fraternity world, Phi Delta Theta has had an alcohol-free housing policy since 1997. The Fraternity’s founding principles are Friendship, Sound Learning, and Rectitude.
