Making the Most of UIFI
The Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI) has been a highlight and necessary part of my summers since 2013 (except for years when the program was not held). I have served as a small group and lead facilitator through different iterations of the program and worked with hundreds of undergraduate members from a variety of organizations, councils, and campuses across North America.
There’s something special each summer about making my way to Indiana University and temporarily moving into a facility, and it’s a privilege to watch learning and growth occur. I asked past participants what advice they would give to incoming UIFI attendees, and their advice came up in four different areas:
Have an open mind and trust the process: Not all the kernels pop in bag of popcorn at the same time – UIFI is like the microwave, and participants are like the kernels. Everything in the curriculum is built to get to the moment where it will “pop” and make sense for you. Sometimes that may even be after the program has ended and you are heading back to your campus. Be open to meeting and interacting with every participant and facilitator and trust that you will be where you need to be to continue growing.
Ask questions by seeking to understand, and then listen: This is an opportunity unlike any other in the fraternal community to meet and interact with individuals from numerous councils and organizations. Listen to the lived experiences and stories that everyone tells and share your own. UIFI is a chance to not only see the bigger picture of the fraternal world, but also to get a deeper understanding about the important differences and similarities between our organizations. It is through this experience that we can receive meaningful input and ideas, and better understand and embrace our own chapters.
Be open and authentic with whatever types of challenges you are facing within your chapters and communities: Everyone is coming into UIFI at a different place in their membership journey – but everyone is also coming in with some ideas about what is and is not working well within their organizations. The idea of UIFI is to challenge the conventional wisdom you’ve been told about what it means to be a member of our organizations, and to grasp a deeper understanding of how you can embrace the call to action of being a member. To get to this point, you need to be honest about your reality, no matter what it may be.
Take off your “cool cap” and say yes to the silly and fun moments: UIFI is not the time for you to feel like you are “too cool” for a teambuilder, a random card game, or a silly dance party. UIFI can show you the best sides of what it means to be a member, brother, sister, or sibling – by embracing the fun!
I have seen this experience have a profound impact on the lives of those who attend, in ways that I never could have dreamed. I have gone on to hire past participants as graduate assistants, written recommendation letters as they apply for a staff role with their headquarters and re-connected with students at conference events because they have been empowered to step up to bigger roles within their chapters and communities. Small group members have served as one another’s bridesmaids, opened small businesses together, and supported one another through life’s future struggles. You truly never know the relationships that may form at UIFI, and the deeper and meaningful connections that can be created if you open yourself up to the possibilities. UIFI is an experience unlike any other in the fraternal world, and one I am thrilled to continue to be part of every summer as a reset and reminder that our organizations matter.
kristen kardas
Kristen is a passionate advocate for the fraternal experience. She spent 10+ years as a campus-based fraternity and sorority advisor and now works as the Director of Education for Delta Chi fraternity international headquarters. kristen regularly volunteers with the association of fraternity/sorority advisors and the association of fraternal leadership and values. in addition, kristen is a lead interactive workshop facilitator with campuspeak, inc. kristen is a proud life loyal member of delta delta delta and volunteers as a panhellenic coordinator for region 6. she lives ins terre haute, indiana with her husband, stepdaughter, and cat - but you can find her this summer at hte first session of uifi!
