Delta Epsilon Mu Retreat Co-Facilitation 1

Delta Epsilon Mu Retreat Co-Facilitation

Abigail L. Terry

University of Rhode Island

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Retreats for extracurricular organizations at the University of Rhode Island led by the

Student Organization of Leadership Consultants are taken seriously by students and staff. It is

certainly a privilege to facilitate them, but it is even more of a privilege to participate in them.

Retreats and experiences such as these can only be found at very few universities nationwide and

at the University of Rhode Island, they are offered for organizations who consider bettering

themselves as individuals and as a group an important task that is to be carried out professionally

and thoughtfully.

Delta Epsilon Mu is an academic co-ed fraternity at the University of Rhode Island for

students pursuing a pre-med degree or something in the health sciences. When they contacted the

Student Organization of Leadership Consultants (or SOLC) to lead a retreat for them and their

new members, they told SOLC that because they only meet once a month, they have an intense

need for team building and member bonding. The brightest shining achievement at this retreat

was watching individuals within the group, but certainly the group as a unit, slowly coming out

of their shells. These are pre-med and health science majors who were told to show up at school

early in the morning on a weekend for an organization theyre in that only meets once a month,

so you can imagine their unimpressive initial energy levels and how disengaged they were

originally. Through some fun name games and energizers, we were able to rally their attention

and after we gave them the serious task of writing a full value contract, there was a noticeable

enthusiasm increase. Watching this happen was both satisfying, and a valuable learning

experience.

The disrespectful, unprofessional, and uncalled-for behavior from the Delta Epsilon Mu

leadership, senior members, and new members was by far the most glaring issue at this retreat.

Never ever in my experiences with SOLC have I come across a group so dethatched from the
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very program that they requested. More than once, members got up during initiatives and left to

take their time getting coffee or food. Beyond this disrespectful act that was enough by itself,

their president interrupted our facilitation to offer suggestion or his input. While these were well-

meaning gestures, it undermines our planning, credibility, and authority as facilitators.

It was my strengths in command and communication that allowed me to politely, but

effectively and sternly approach Delta Epsilon Mus president and ask him to either participate

or not to participate, rather than interject occasionally from the sidelines. I explained to him that

we think of every single detail and possibility at SOLC when we plan these retreats, and we

chose our words wisely to ensure participants understand us the way we want them to and when

outsiders, especially their president, starts to give them conflicting information it throws us all

off track and messes with our deliberate planning. He was responsive to this, and followed our

directions for there on out. I also credit my activator strength for helping draw participants

attention back to the facilitators after interruptions like with their president, and when people

came back from getting coffee.

The inclusive model of leadership closely relates to the journey of Delta Epsilon Mu in

my eyes. This group only meets once a month, and new members have attended only one

meeting prior to the retreat, so the need for team bonding and increased inclusiveness throughout

was evident. Through careful planning of activities, facilitators set participants up to be

confronted with the disconnects in communication within their organization. With the help of the

challenges from the initiative named Caught or Not, we were able to help participants become

aware of the unfair culture in their organization where senior members make all the decisions,

with the voices and suggestions of newer, younger members being overlooked. During the

debrief of this initiative, we heard these senior members describe how they now believe they are
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doing a disservice to their organization by not being open to the ideas of newer members. Further

on in the debrief, they came to an agreement that as a group they will make a stronger effort to

listen to these previously overlooked members and reframe how they approach open discussion

to be more inclusive.

At this retreat, I experienced for the first time that not every organization who requests a

retreat will treat it with the respect it deserves. Participants self-sabotaging was something that I

didnt realize I had to be prepared for. Even though the requirements of participants are made

clear to them, from this retreat I learned that even though they sign a contract with SOLC, it

doesnt necessarily mean that they will adhere to it and so as a facilitator I must be ready for this

possibility. At future retreats, from the very beginning, I will be on the lookout for the signs I

have come to learn could mean this organizations attention and enthusiasm might derail and

attack the issue before it has too much time to grow into something out of control, because

SOLC works too hard for groups for their work to go to waste.

Retreats teach students invaluable lessons about themselves, critical thinking, group

conflict, and creative problem solving. It is for all these reasons previously mentioned, and more,

that make retreats so special and important that Delta Epsilon Mu will be put on probation and

barred from even requesting a retreat with the Student Organization of Leadership Consultants

for a full academic year. It is SOLCs hope that upon reflection of their most recent retreat

during their time on probation, Delta Epsilon Mu will see the error in their ways and conduct

themselves differently in the future.