Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access

About DEIA

The boards and staff of the Sorority, Foundation and NHC remain committed to examining ourselves, our policies and practices to determine whether we are contributing, actively or passively, to social inequity. Sigma Kappa is devoted to providing a welcoming and meaningful experience for all members. While we have made organizational progress, we know there is still much work to be done. Sigma Kappa’s success is dependent on the support, feedback and actions of our members.   

Sigma Kappa will do what is necessary to assure our Members of Color and other underrepresented members feel welcomed, included and empowered in our organization. While words matter, our actions matter more. To demonstrate our commitment to action, national council, the Foundation board of trustees, the National Housing Corporation board of directors and the staff of all three entities have been working collaboratively to weave DEIA into all that we do as we make diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA) a priority throughout the organization.  

We want our members to be proud of their association with Sigma Kappa and all that it stands for. We are confident that we can improve aspects of our organization that might prevent us from being fully equitable, inclusive and accessible. This work enriches the membership experience for everyone and ensures that Sigma Kappa continues to thrive for generations to come. 

If you are interested in investing in DEIA work, please click here to make a gift to the PULSE annual fund which will help underwrite the programs and resources to support Sigma Kappa DEIA initiatives.  

If you have questions or would like to provide feedback or share your stories, please email us at inclusion@sigmakappa.org.

DEIA Committee & Charge

About the Committee

The DEIA committee is responsible for researching and making recommendations on key DEIA focus areas identified by boards and staff to ensure that the organization is aware of emerging trends. The committee will also provide feedback and advice to Sigma Kappa volunteers and staff on specific DEIA issues or projects as requested.

Work alongside the Sigma Kappa Sorority, Sigma Kappa Foundation, and National Housing Corporation to ensure the boards and staff are aware of emerging issues and trends related to DEIA so Sigma Kappa understands how those developments impact the organization.
Work in partnership with entity leadership and staff and engage in meaningful conversations to advance DEIA and support Sigma Kappa as a welcoming and respectful organization.
Study and make recommendations on key identified DEIA focus areas critical to the future of the Sorority experience and its relevance to new generations.
Provide feedback and advice to Sigma Kappa volunteers and staff on specific DEIA issues or projects, as requested.
Attend and actively participate in monthly meetings of the DEIA committee.
Recommend ways to engage and support underrepresented groups in Sigma Kappa.
Follow up on projects and research between meetings as necessary.

DEIA Consultant

Marlon Gibson, Ph.D., has served as a DEIA consultant to Sigma Kappa since August 2021. Marlon is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and a seasoned higher education professional. He recently completed his doctorate from the University of Georgia in College Student Affairs Administration. He currently serves as the director of community engagement for Kappa Alpha Order. where he develops and facilitates the curriculum for educational initiatives related to fraternal values alignment, diversity, and inclusion.
Marlon previously he was the Director of Greek Life at Emory University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English, creative writing, and a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Toledo. He has worked extensively with members of sororities and fraternities across the country. He is married to Dr. Sheree Williams Gibson and they have a son, Adam Patrick.

If you are interested in having Marlon facilitate a workshop for your chapter, please email inclusion@sigmakappa.org for additional information. DEIA chapter grants continue to be available through the Sigma Kappa Foundation. Chapters can request up to $500 to conduct educational programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and access. More information and the grant application can be found here.

DEIA Resources

People First Language

People-First Language is the most commonly accepted standard in speaking to or about people with disabilities, in order to acknowledge the person first, then the disability.

For example:

Instead of saying this...	Say this.
Disabled person	Person with a disability
She's disabled	She has a disability
Wheelchair-bound	Uses a wheelchair
Autistic	Person with autism
Hard of hearing	Has a hearing impairment

Note: While this is the current standard, it is important to recognize the preferences of the specific person you're speaking to! If a person with autism says, "I would like you to refer to me as an autistic person," then do that going forward. This goes for all terms/labels, not just disability-related!

When in doubt, ask the person how they would like to be referred to.

Check out disabilityisnatural.com for more information on people-first language!

Media

The lists below have shows, podcasts, and movies that either have a focus on DEIA themes or a focus on the most under represented groups in the media.

Pronouns

Pronouns matter

Working through Difficult Conversations

DEIA Priorities

National council, the Foundation board of trustees and the National Housing Corporation board of directors continue to review our progress toward the overarching goal of modeling a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible membership experience among women’s fraternal organizations. Below are the focus areas that Sigma Kappa will prioritize based on the action steps outlined in the Sorority’s strategic plan and the 2020-2021 DEIA committee’s additional recommendations. Making these our focus will ensure we achieve the next phase of our DEIA growth and development.

Create clear expectations for the incoming DEIA committee through written position descriptions and a calendar of work with clear objectives for each topic prior to the formation of the next term of the committee in September 2021.

- Complete – see the DEIA Committee & Charge accordion for details

Continue our consideration of a non-binary inclusivity policy and make clear in Summer 2021 updates to the National Policy Handbook that members who now identify as non-binary are welcome, valued members for life.

- Complete – Added language to NPH IV.A.2 "Changes in gender identity do not impact membership status."

Continue a critical examination of the purpose and strategy of our social media and other communications to align with our values and commitment to DEIA by Spring 2022.
Conduct a DEIA membership assessment to learn more about our members and what they are looking from Sigma Kappa. The assessment will assist us in making data-driven decisions, guide our work and measure progress moving forward.
Finalize and recommend Bylaws amendments designed to eliminate barriers to membership at the point of entry and throughout the membership experience for consideration in Summer 2022. 
Implement recommendations of the Ritual Inclusivity Task Force by Summer 2022 with reprinted Ritual books distributed at convention.  
Publish the findings of our History Task Force to acknowledge Sigma Kappa's past as it relates to organizational discriminatory behavior and practices, as well as acknowledge the steps taken by the Sorority and the workgroup to address our inclusion efforts.

Implement our new volunteer appointment process for Fall 2021 and transition the national council to a governance board in Summer 2022, all designed to open leadership roles in Sigma Kappa to new voices and perspectives. Following this, we will analyze the outcomes to make continuous improvements in the process.
Work with an outside expert to provide additional staff support and training for DEIA to align with our organizational goals.
Build on the foundational DEIA training already provided to staff and boards during 2020-2021 and provide DEIA training to our nominating and personnel committees for the volunteer appointment process that begins in 2021.  
Examine Foundation emergency grant applications and vice president of philanthropic service materials with a DEIA lens and make necessary improvements.

- Complete – Information on considering event themes to make them inclusive and welcoming were added to the vice president of philanthropic service materials

Review Foundation trustee and volunteer expectations to increase access to these roles.

- Complete - the board of trustees focused heavily on the financial obligations of a trustee and has made significant changes to this area to reduce the financial barriers to serving in this role.

Investigate possibilities for the Foundation to defray membership costs through tax-deductible gifts that can directly support chapters' educational costs.
Provide Sigma Kappa volunteers with resources that support having welcoming and inclusive living-learning environments.
Conduct a comprehensive assessment of all Sigma Kappa facilities focused on inclusivity and accessibility.

Ritual Inclusivity Work Group

Charge:

The work group will continue the work regarding inclusivity of Ritual ceremonies and education including identifying the commitment statement signed by new initiates during Initiation, reviewing comments and questions from webinars to ensure all have been vetted and making recommendations on opportunities for members to engage in ritual more consistently.

The objectives of this task force are:

To make specific recommendations to national council about language and information in the Sigma Kappa Ritual that is non-inclusive or marginalizes members and can be modified while preserving the items adopted by the Founders. The task force’s recommendations may also include strategies for obtaining feedback and buy-in from the membership about the recommended changes.
To show why any proposed changes do not compromise the integrity of our Ritual, recommendations should be accompanied by a historical timeline and context for items that were added to our Ritual over time.
After the recommendations are presented to national council, the council will appoint a work group (which may include members of the task force) to educate the membership on any modifications that are adopted and the rationale. That work may include focus groups and surveys on how to explain any changes, and training that empowers our members with information to understand why any adaptations are appropriate and will ensure the longevity of Sigma Kappa.

SIGMA KAPPA