While attending the Southeastern Interfraternity Conference (SEIFC) in February, the Georgia Tech Interfraternity Council (IFC) earned seven awards for its notable work in scholarship and service during the past year.

Among the awards earned included the Academic Achievement and Scholarship Programming Award, credited to the work of scholarship chairs from each chapter throughout the year. 

“By the end of 2011, every chapter on campus had a scholarship plan in place versus the two-thirds that did at the start of the year,” said Mason Elledge, a third-year business administration major and vice president of communications for IFC.

Other honors bestowed upon Tech’s IFC included an Educational Programming Award, Outstanding Education Program Award, Campus and Community Relations Award, Community Service Award, Outstanding Philanthropy Award and an honorable mention for the Risk Management and Judicial Procedures Award.

IFC earned the Outstanding Educational Program Award for its development of the Greeks Advocating for the Mature Management of Alcohol group, or GAMMA. The Campus and Community Relations Award came in part from IFC’s collaborative efforts with other student organizations for “I <3 GT Week” and “Keep the T in Tech,” as well as its collaboration with the Georgia Tech Police Department to form a Police Liaison Program.

“To me, the most notable awards recognized new initiatives that were created by IFC,” said Tanner Marcantel, assistant dean of students and director of Greek affairs. “The Police Liaison program, a partnership with GTPD, assists with communications between the officers and fraternities. The liaisons also serve as educational resources for fraternity leaders.”

IFC’s service efforts include spearheading events such as Run ‘n’ Hide, which gives local elementary children a safe place to trick or treat, and raising more than $65,000 for childhood cancer research. 

“We were proud to represent our institution and to show the entire Southeast the implementation of Georgia Tech's motto, ‘Progress and Service,’ in our Greek community,” Elledge said.

Members of fraternity councils from across the Southeast, including all ACC and SEC institutions as well as many other private universities, attend SEIFC to learn techniques and services that will improve their respective councils. 

“It's great to know that the IFC at Tech is excelling programmatically, and surpassing their peers in the region,” Marcantel said.