KINGSTON, R.I.-March 24, 2009 – The University of Rhode Island Greek community returned home from the Northeast Greek Leadership Association (NGLA) Conference last month as the conference’s top awards winner.

URI’s Greeks received six out of the eight programming excellence awards, more than any other college or university. Drexel University in Philadelphia was the runner up, taking home five awards.

URI won the Academic Achievement, Interfraternity Council Management, Pan-Hellenic Council Management, Leadership and Educational Development, Philanthropy and Community Service, and Risk Management and Reduction awards. Conference awards are given to “campuses whose entire Greek community exemplifies the ideals and values that NGLA has promoted,” according to NGLA’s website www.ngla.org.

This is not the first time URI has won awards. In 2008, URI’s Greek community *took home 13 out of a possible 17 awards. In 2007, they took home 11 out of a possible 17 awards.

“URI Greek leaders have begun to build a tradition of excellence,” said URI Director of Greek Affairs Steve Simo. “This year’s awards banquet really reinforces that.” Simo has served as director of URI Greek Affairs since 2005 when the position became a full time job.

“Our Greek system continues to focus on the principals on which they were founded: leadership, scholarship, and service. It is thrilling to know that others outside the university continue to recognize and reward the outstanding work of our URI student leadership,” said Tom Dougan, URI’s vice president of student affairs.

The conference is held each February and brings together student leaders of the Greek community from colleges and universities throughout the northeast. This year’s conference was held at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn. More than 550 students from 69 different schools between Virginia and Maine were in attendance.

The Interfraternity Council is the governing board of URI’s 12 fraternities while the Pan-Hellenic Council is the governing body of URI’s 10 sororities. The two councils work together to create programming for the Greek community, promote Greek life, and promote the Greek values of leadership, scholarship, philanthropy and community service, and fellowship. Council board members are undergraduate students elected by fraternities and sororities.

Pictured above

Board members of URI’s Pan-Hellenic and Interfraternity Council pose for a photo with their graduate advisor, Davida Robertson, (front row-far right) and Greek Affairs Director Steve Simo, (top row, far left). Photo courtesy of Greek Yearbook.