Not Slated for Leadership: Barriers and Unclear Leadership Development Pathways in Panhellenic Sorority Members - JCAPS Vol. 5 Issue 1

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities promote leadership development and student learning as membership benefits. However, many women may not gain these experiences if they are not selected or placed on the leadership slate to be collectively voted into an executive position because the emphasis is on positional development. There is little research that nuances the different ways in which sorority women experience leadership development within their chapters. This qualitative study explored the leadership experiences of NPC sorority women who obtained leadership experiences to nuance to what extent sororities facilitate these experiences. It was found that not all members have equal access to these leadership opportunities, as there are structural barriers and unclear pathways for leadership development. Members sought non-traditional forms of leadership development without the context of connecting their own member experiences. Implications for practice are included to integrate findings from this study to inform practice for student involvement professionals, which may help improve programming and the experience provided to their student leaders.