Sigma Frater Zachary Shirley New adviser aims to improve Greek Life image
New Greek Life Adviser Zachary Shirley can boast of an accomplishment no one else can — he brought fraternities to Texas Women’s University (TWU).
“Two percent of the students at TWU are undergrad males, that is enough for a fraternity,” Shirley said.
Shirley said it wasn’t easy, but after he received sorority approval and attracted interest from two national fraternities, he was able to help charter Phi Beta Sigma and Kappa Sigma at TWU.
Shirley is a Phi Beta Sigma brother himself, but he said it does not affect his ability to advise.
“If a guy came to me and needed to be persuaded to join Phi Beta Sigma, then that isn’t the fraternity for him,” Shirley said.
Shirley said he wants Greek Life at UTD to appeal to everyone, even those who never previously considered it.
Graduate student Nick Hinojosa and Chi Phi brother said he is excited about bringing new fraternities to UTD.
“When Fiji came to campus, (Chi Phi) got the best recruitment numbers ever,” Hinojosa said, “The competition really helped us out.”
Shirley said he completed his undergraduate degree at Paul Quinn University, continued to Texas A&M Commerce where he received his masters and currently he is finishing his doctorate in counseling at the University of North Texas.
Shirley said he expects to expand Greek Life at UTD while overcoming some negative stereotypes fraternities are associated with.
“I expect the fraternities to live their rituals and to be a shining example of what Greek Life is,” Shirley said.
Part of expansion is compromise, Shirley said. Recruitment is an important part of Greek life and sometimes advisers and fraternities do not see eye to eye with what is an appropriate recruitment event.
Shirley said should he run into disagreements with fraternities regarding recruitment events, he will not directly veto them, but try to find an alternative.
“I’m looking at it from the school’s perspective, and they are looking at it from the fraternity perspective, and I want to meet somewhere in the middle,” Shirley said.
Interfraternity Council (IFC) recruitment rules prohibit fraternities from throwing non-sanctioned parties, starting freshmen move-in day and until bid day on Sept. 4.
Hinojosa was initially against the rule when it was put in place under the previous Greek adviser, Trapper Pace, but said he now feels it has given fraternities a better quality recruitment.
“TWU has the same rule, it is in place to protect the integrity of the fraternities,” Shirley said.
Shirley will have his first experience IFC recruitment experience on Aug. 28, when the IFC fraternities host events until Sept. 4.
