Piazza Center | Penn State Student Affairs

The Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform empowers higher education to make the fraternity and sorority experience safer and more meaningful. The center produces actionable data to give practitioners the evidence needed to enact meaningful change on their campuses.

COVID-19 Fraternity and Sorority Members Readiness to Return to Campus Survey

The Piazza Center, in cooperation with a national team of consultants and academic professionals, has created a survey to gauge fraternity and sorority students feelings about returning to campus. The five-section survey provides information and insights into fraternity and sorority members' demographics and living situations, their opinions on COVID-19, how they imagine studying and living in the fall, their  thoughts about their fraternity/sorority chapter, and their overall well-being.  The summary report provides highlights from each topic area. This report will be updated the week of September 7.

Access the Report Now

Still interested in participating in the survey?

A sample of the COVID-19 Fraternity and Sorority Members Readiness to Return to Campus Survey can be accessed here. Institutions interested should contact Dr. Dawn Maynen at dmm7313@psu.edu to participate by Sept. 30.

Advancement through Research

The Piazza Center studies fraternity and sorority life, focusing on research to support positive educational outcomes, student safety, and the reduction of high-risk behaviors. Specifically, the center examines sound professional practice in fraternity and sorority advising and the impact of policy implementation. The center works to:

Publish the National Fraternity and Sorority Scorecard
Administer the Fraternity and Sorority Experience Survey
Improve policies and practices through research
Host national conferences

How Can Your Campus Participate?

Institutions support the critical work of the Piazza Center and ensure the delivery of high-quality independent scholarship by participating in selected research projects. In return, your institution gains access to valuable resources and research outcomes.

Your institution can participate in any of the following research:

Our Dual Funding Model

The Piazza Center’s dual funding model provides for original research as well as actionable data institutions can use to enact meaningful change on their campuses. Funding sources include:

Penn State endowment - Enables interdisciplinary faculty to conduct original research on fraternity and sorority life issues.
Campus participation – Enable campus-level assessment, consultation, and the delivery of actionable data for a fee.

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Piazza Center