To finish his doctorate in education leadership at Clemson University this past June, Brian Joyce, the new director of the Office of Greek Life, authored a dissertation that examined how membership in traditionally white fraternities can shift notions of identity in minority students. This research has crystallized into Joyce’s aim to make the Greek system at Dartmouth more inclusive for those who have been marginalized.
Joyce was appointed to his position this May, replacing Wes Schaub, who left the position in October 2015.
Eric Ramsey, who served as the interim director, said Joyce’s strong Greek background helped push him to the top of the candidate list. As Director of Student Activities and Greek Life at Wofford College, a small liberal arts school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Joyce was responsible for overseeing Greek councils, meeting with chapter presidents and the general day-to-day operation of Greek organizations. Before Wofford, he was the assistant director of Student Activities at the University of Texas at Arlington. In addition, Joyce remains an active member of the fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha, which he joined as an undergraduate at Eastern Kentucky University.
Joyce’s long-term plan is to identify and address the issues surrounding Greek life in the Dartmouth community because he wants Greek life to remain a presence on campus.
“I’m proud to be a member of the Greek community here at Dartmouth. I think we’re doing great things, and I look forward to improving us moving forward,” Joyce said.
Joyce’s hiring in May concluded the search for a new director that commenced in December. Ramsey, who led the search committee, determined which qualities to look for in a candidate largely by soliciting feedback from the student leaders of Greek councils and houses. Throughout this process, students voiced their desire for someone who would not only lead their Greek careers on campus, but also help them navigate college as a whole, Ramsey said.
Another contributing factor to Joyce’s appointment was his focus on inclusivity, Ramsey said. In his interview for the position, Joyce stated his commitment to all fraternities and sororities, including gender-inclusive houses, Panhellenic houses, Interfraternity Council houses and the multi-cultural houses.
“A lot of students are bringing these issues [of inclusivity] up to me,” Joyce said. “They want to address these areas of exclusion. I think this is an ideal time for us to advance discussions about how we can be an inclusive community.”
Joyce said he wants to be an advocate for students. In addition to increasing inclusivity in the Greek system, Joyce aims to make Greek membership more affordable, educate both affiliated and non-affiliated students about sexual assault and speak with students regularly. He does this in part by maintaining a relationship with student representatives, such as chair of the Greek Leadership Council Austin Welch ’17, with whom he speaks weekly. Joyce and Welch have similar goals — both said they are committed to combatting sexual assault, improving the affordability of Greek membership and encouraging dialogue between Greek members, the office and Greek student leadership.
