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29 | Growing in Student Affairs with Darius Woodfork
9 Plays5 days ago
Working in student affairs at your alma mater sounds like fun...right? Maybe; maybe not. Darius Woodfork is doing just that at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he was initiated into his fraternity and now serves as the assistant director of student engagement. Darius joined Ethocast to talk about what he has learned, the real deal about his work, and what kinds of leaders he would like to see his students become.
About the Guest
Darius Woodfork is the assistant director of student engagement for fraternity and sorority life at Southeastern Louisiana University (SELU), where he is dedicated to fostering meaningful and inclusive experiences within the Greek community. He holds both a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in strategic communication from SELU, grounding his work in a strong understanding of community, leadership, and effective communication. Driven by the belief in meeting students where they are, Darius centers his work on understanding individual journeys and empowering students to grow with confidence and purpose. His passion for student development guides his mission to create environments where every student feels supported, valued, and equipped to thrive. Darius was initiated into Omega Psi Fraternity Inc. at SELU.
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Transcript
Introduction to Ethocast and Guest
00:00:00
Speaker
Imagine working in student affairs at your alma mater. Sounds like fun. Yeah, maybe. don't know. Let's find out because my guest is new to student affairs and he was initiated into his frat at the campus where he currently works. It's not unusual, but it's an eye opener nonetheless.
00:00:30
Speaker
Welcome to Ethocast, a podcast about sound leadership practices to boost the life in college fraternities and sororities. I'm Eddie Francis, presenter of Followership to Leadership and the D9 Leadership Blueprint, presentations designed to help Greeks become more ethical and effective leaders. I'll share lessons learned from my college days, my career journey, and leadership research.
00:00:56
Speaker
This is Ethocast. Leadership. to the letter. Welcome to Ethocast, your fraternity and sorority life leadership podcast. I'm Eddie Francis. Ethocast is presented by Edify Ventures, publisher of the D9 Leadership Blueprint, Personal Leadership, Ubuntu, and Collective Impact. Get your copy today at d9leadershipplueprint.com.
Darius Woodforck's Journey and Influences
00:01:21
Speaker
This episode, I'm joined by Darius Woodforck. He talks about his being fresh into student affairs. The views expressed on Ethocast do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts, guests, or any entities with which this podcast's participants are affiliated.
00:01:39
Speaker
Questions, comments, email eddie at eddiefrancis.com. So you've heard me talk to someone who is seasoned when it comes to student affairs. I talked to dr Travis Martin a few episodes ago, but I wanted to talk to someone who is actually new to the space to get his impressions. And I couldn't think of anybody better than my man Darius Woodforque. who's at Southeastern Louisiana University. He's the assistant director in the Office of Student Engagement. And Darius, it is good to have you, my friend. How are you? I'm good. Thank you for having me. Thank you. Yeah, man. It was good. as it was And it was great working with you at SLU, speaking at the NPHC informational last year. um And so...
00:02:21
Speaker
Here you are, man. You're new to this space. You're doing it at your alma mater. So the first thing I wanted to ask you is you are a man of Omega sci-fi. so um What attracted you to Omega? um Most definitely it was um just the things that the guys that were Omegas in my life were doing. um Of course, I had high school coaches that were Omegas.
00:02:47
Speaker
And then around that time, my brother was also a student at Southeastern and some of his close friends were Omega. So they were around just seeing what those guys were doing. And for me, how those guys presented themselves, um I most definitely wanted to do the same thing um and the impact that they had in the community. Just growing up, I remember I had... um An incident that happened in my family all when my grandparents passed and my coaches were on the spot, either pick me up for practice see what my family needs. So um I definitely want to to to join this organization and also give that back to those that needed it the most and and those in the community that needed it the most.
00:03:30
Speaker
Hmm. So what about student affairs? I mean, here you are a recent graduate for the most part of Southeastern. What made you want to enter the student affairs profession?
00:03:41
Speaker
um so, of course, I was a you would call it a journeyman of professions, of course, went from teaching the law enforcement. Now, of course, student affairs. um I think my big the biggest thing for me is I want to give students that are here now that amazing experience that I had when
Role and Challenges in Student Affairs
00:03:59
Speaker
I was here. um I enjoyed campus life, of course, being a ah non-traditional student at the time. um But it was those in higher education that that put me in the the positions to excel at different things and take those um those transferable skills and apply them to life. So I want to make sure i I definitely want to give that back to the students that we have here now.
00:04:25
Speaker
um Really, i think that's a really important point to hit. You mentioned that you were non-traditional students. Talk a little bit more about your path to higher education and then your life after higher education.
00:04:38
Speaker
wow.
00:04:41
Speaker
So...
00:04:45
Speaker
and And being an undergraduate student, because I was enrolled at Southern University in Bat-Rouge, I had a little bit too much fun. Darius, you were like, so many people, man, in a lot of different colleges and universities. Yep, yep. Of course, I had a little too much fun. um Let my academics slip. Yeah.
00:05:04
Speaker
received that letter in the mail of course. Um, and then I went from there to just working and of course I found my love and coaching. So i was just like, you know what? Um, started doing that for a while and then got back into school here Southeastern. Um, and then from there, of course, like I said, I went into, I graduated in a degree in criminal justice.
00:05:27
Speaker
I went into teaching for a while. um Fell in love with that. And then i went to law enforcement, which um is essentially kind of across the board, just just the ability to help others. um And then from there, I got asked to speak at a NPHC retreat. I did that. And at the time, the director was the director that was here when I was here. um and she actually said, hey, what you doing? um There's a position open if you're interested. And I was just like, yeah.
00:06:00
Speaker
So through my name in a hat, um I'm here now. um But of course, like I said, while I was here, of course, I was president of my chapter. So I was working in and out of the office, seeing kind of like the background of the office. um And now life after student affairs. oh It's a whole lot different on this side.
00:06:22
Speaker
Yeah. There's lot that people don't see and there's lot that people assume. But to to be here and know, like, what really goes into the day-to-day is just a whole – it's eye-opening.
00:06:36
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I want to get into that in just a little bit. But – I wanted to get back to you being able to do this at your alma mater um and where you initiated it You were initiated into Omega at Southeastern. Yes, sir.
00:06:50
Speaker
So doing it at your alma mater, doing it at the university where you were initiated. um What is it like for you to do it at that place that became your home? It became your alma mater. What's it like doing it there?
00:07:05
Speaker
um I think it's ah it's a is a different type of love um and a different type of. um
00:07:13
Speaker
what's the word, a different type of motivation behind everything. Of Southeastern, like you say, being my my my second home and me being here, I really want to see our organizations here and our students here to succeed and become the best individuals that they can be. Um,
00:07:34
Speaker
i don't I don't want to see Greek life here go to the wayside. know i won't I personally don't want Greek life um in the administration's eyes, in the city's eyes to become a them thinking of it as, hey, this is too much of a risk. oh So I want to make sure that Greek life here is sustained and that we have longevity and put those students in a position to keep Greek life going even when I'm in another position or not here any longer. um And so I think it's my motivation is to ensure that the culture is a ah ah good a good culture here and so they can keep rolling.
00:08:20
Speaker
Yeah. And just so people who understand, at Southeastern, what what are the councils that you have at Southeastern? We we mentioned NPHC, National Pan-Hellenic Council, but which others do do you have so that folks can know? So we have our Interfraternity Council, which holds ah six different chapters.
00:08:37
Speaker
um We have our Pan-Hellenic Council, which holds five different chapters here. And of course, NPHC, which holds eight of the nine chapters. Oh, really? sir. Okay. All right. Oh, we're looking pretty robust over there in Lion Land. All right. Okay. And how many total fraternity and sorority life members do you have on campus there about?
00:08:57
Speaker
Oh, wow. Total members is, i want to say roughly, we're roughly around 800. Wow. wow Okay, that's a lot bigger than I thought, actually. Aiding some change, I want to Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I do remember when I spoke at the NPHC informational, that was late 24?
00:09:15
Speaker
four Late 24, I think, when I spoke there. So I remember that you had more interest than you thought you would have for the Divine Eye Fraternities and Sororities. So you actually wound up having a bit of an uptick in in membership in NPHC. Yeah,
Overcoming Misconceptions and Leveraging Experience
00:09:33
Speaker
yeah, yeah.
00:09:33
Speaker
Yeah. All right. So you're listening to Ethocast. I'm talking to Darius Woodfork, and he's over Southeastern Louisiana University, only about 60 minutes from me. And he um is the assistant director in the Office of Student Engagement. And so in in in looking at your experience, um what was an experience that gave you a new respect for the leaders who were at SLU when you were a student? So you sit in a seat.
00:10:04
Speaker
and then you start going through this stuff and you're like oh okay this is the kind of stuff that they have to deal with this is the kind of stuff that they buy for me i think it's the like i said it's the assumptions um yeah people see greek life and they think it's just fun they don't understand i think a lot of people understand that the the totality of everything that goes into those programs or everything that goes into that bid day or that chapter being successful in what they are doing. i don't think people see the long hours. Yeah. um yet It says I get off at five 30, but you know, sometimes sometimes I don't, don't leave here until 11 o'clock at night. So think,
00:10:49
Speaker
um so i think I want to say when I came in, outie that i was fresh I was fresh right into the fire. it was a I came in and want to like a week later, it was it was a sorority recruitment for Pan-Lyndic women.
00:11:04
Speaker
Oh, goodness. So yeah, I was in a fire, you know, that that first that first, second week. so yeah I want to say from there, that that one experience changed the outlook on everything because I did not know that's what it took to...
00:11:20
Speaker
get that done. yeah i was i was here i was here for four days straight. it's it's is It was Labor Day weekend. i Oh, goodness. Oh, no. I could have been at home. right I was here seven in the morning.
00:11:35
Speaker
Seven in the morning to about eight o'clock, nine o'clock at night. Yeah. Yeah. ways You know, um and I think from that experience, i was just like, hey, whoever was in the seat when I was here,
00:11:48
Speaker
now I applaud you because say like people don't understand. They don't understand that. Yes. ah ah Yes. We advise these groups, but also they don't understand um the mental health checkups that you do with students or the therapy sessions you hold with students when they come to your office or those that are on the council. They the late nights are planning, make sure things are together. You may have something that slips. So now we got to readjust and.
00:12:15
Speaker
I don't think people get it. They they think it's the the fun office, of course, especially student engagement. They think it's the fun office. But all around, they don't see the the work that really goes into it.
00:12:27
Speaker
Yeah. But you you've got to have a bit of ah of an advantage. Having had law enforcement experience, I would think that that kind of helped you out a little bit. Well, think what really helped me was
00:12:43
Speaker
Being able to sit in that seat of president when I was here on campus. ah Oh, chapter president. Yeah, I think I think that really came in handy because it's really being at the same school. Yeah.
00:12:56
Speaker
You kind of know a little bit of this needs to be turned in. This needs to be turned in. They need to have this on as well as. um course, being voluntold to be Louisiana State Rep of your organization and just being on those seats to conduct business. I think my experiences within my organization, once again, those transferable skills that you learn, think that really helped me to be in a seat. Now, the law enforcement aspect, I think that more in helped me when it comes to any of our, of course, disciplinary things that we have to do.
00:13:31
Speaker
But also, it kind of the the discipline and the structure to everybody and everything's in place. I think that that law enforcement aspect want definitely helped me with that.
00:13:42
Speaker
Yeah, because I was thinking more in terms of like risk mitigation um and yeah being able to give some warnings to people, say, okay, if you make this decision, that could be the consequence. what level you you ah You always have to play like kind of devil's advocate. You sit there, you work it with them, and you say something and go, no, we do this. It's a possibility of X, Y, Z. So it most definitely helps with that. Yeah.
00:14:07
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you seem to, you know, in the in the times I've dealt with you, one of the things that does impress me about you is that you do seem to have a pretty even headed, even keeled character.
00:14:20
Speaker
you know, as calm as you can be demeanor, like you seem to approach everything as level headed as you possibly can. And I've got to think that with all of the activity, all of the personalities that you have to deal with, that comes in handy, you know, being able to take things down a peg or being able, like you said, when people have mental health issues, being able to pick them up in some way, I've got to think that helps out too.
00:14:46
Speaker
Oh, no, it it most definitely does. um And I think,
00:14:51
Speaker
The way I, I think we, people have to understand like you, you have to handle each individual student differently. Yeah. um Because the way I handle, um like there's a ah guy in a mega sci-fi and ah the way I have to handle him is a lot different than how I have to handle somebody else. Yeah. um So um I think that it definitely plays a part and it it helps just that understanding that, every student is different.
00:15:22
Speaker
And I think that's the best thing. You just got to keep that in mind. Yeah. so Do you think students would benefit from experiencing a day in the life of if they had to sit in your seat in student affairs, especially in fraternity and sorority life? Do you think they would benefit from having that kind of the experience a day in the life of?
00:15:44
Speaker
Most definitely, because, like I said, you have some that that that thing that I just sit here all day and just. you know i all of you do You do paperwork all day. Yeah. but No, they don't see the three, four o'clock in the morning phone calls because a situation just happened. Yeah.
00:16:04
Speaker
And, you know, me, I live approximately about 35 minutes away from the campus. So they they they don't they don't see um the late nights and the phone calls that happen that sometimes have nothing to completely do with you.
00:16:18
Speaker
But guess what? Now you're in it. yeah And now they're asking for a solution or a best solution because you probably have
Vision for Leadership and Greek Life Impact
00:16:25
Speaker
experience in it. um They don't see the calls with nationals or,
00:16:31
Speaker
the the the conduct and disciplinary issues that come across so i think just just sitting here for a day i think that will help a lot because then i think they'll understand really the ins and outs how important certain things are that yeah i know i send an email 50 times a day um but i send it because those things are important and i think being in the seat they'll see how important things are And what and what it'll mean of, hey, if you want to turn this in, what could really happen on the back if things aren't submitted? So, yeah.
00:17:03
Speaker
Yeah. Other times this question, am so wildly curious about this. Are there times when you have conversations with alumni, especially as it regards student issues or issues with a fraternity or sorority? And are there times when you talk to alumni and you ask yourself, wait a minute, which one is the alumnus and which one is the college student? Because. Oh, no, it's most definitely time.
00:17:29
Speaker
Most definitely. Most definitely. I have had a like, and just, you had those conversations and when it hits you, you're just like, what are we doing? What are we doing?
00:17:42
Speaker
And I especially ask that because I've been a campus advisor before. Mm-hmm. and i can't And I remember a couple of times I would talk to the brothers in the alumni chapter and say, well, listen, when you go to this campus, this is what you need to be aware of. This is how things work.
00:17:58
Speaker
And, you know, brothers will say, no, no, no, that's how we're going to do. And I'm sitting there going, no, I'm telling you right now, if you approach it this way, you are not going to get the result that you think you're going to get. This is not, you're not, you're not going to campus to talk to the undergrads. You're going to talk to administrators. Yes. You can't make the administrators do anything that they can. Or is the conversation, on well, we're going to do this well in the bylaws and the policy, it says this.
00:18:27
Speaker
Well, we're not going do that. Well, you have to do it. Yes. Yes. and that And that's the thing that kills me sometimes about the alumni chapters is it's like, yo, the university does not have to have this chapter on campus.
00:18:44
Speaker
that that is that it If they get rid of your chapter, they're going to be all right as an institution. They will still exist. i think a lot of them I think a lot of them don't understand it, but that is a part of your charter.
00:18:59
Speaker
Yeah. Part of the charter is to abide by the policies of the school. oh I had an incident like that a while back where they was like, well, no, this is this is what our organization says. I said, well, I understand what the school says.
00:19:18
Speaker
Yeah. This is what you have to have. So some of them don't understand it. Some of them just think that, you know, we here. Yeah. we know this this way. oh But, yeah.
00:19:29
Speaker
Oh, man. So as you continue to do your work and as you continue your journey as a student affairs professional, um especially dealing with fraternity and sorority life, what kinds of leaders would you like to see your current students grow into?
00:19:46
Speaker
Oh, I would like to see my current students grow into leaders that. Are always coachable. Um, and I tell them all the time, like, Hey, I don't know everything. I'm, I'm consistently and always learning as well. And when you have that mindset and to be open to criticism, um,
00:20:08
Speaker
Like those are the leaders i want them to turn it to. i want them to be open-minded just because you are a leader in the leadership position. Doesn't mean that you know everything. Sometimes to be a leader, you have to take a step back and open your ears and listen. I want them to be leaders that are very much ethical and leaders of honesty.
00:20:31
Speaker
And I think that's going to get them very far. and con when it
Conclusion and Future Engagement
00:20:37
Speaker
comes to life. So, yeah. that that you You have this really interesting combination and i can see why i can see why you are you are starting to trend upwards because in the conversation I had with you at SGLA, you know it was really cool to hear that you're experiencing growth in in fraternity and sorority life at SLU.
00:20:57
Speaker
um But that combination of someone who is number one at his alma mater, But then also you've had some professional experience in ah law enforcement, but then you have experience as a student athlete at some point. And so you were in coaching at some point as well. And I'm hearing all of those pieces work together. And I think that's really, really cool, man. So um I really appreciate your diaries, man. Thank you for coming on Ethocast and spending some time with me. Look forward to running into you again one of these days, my brother, and keep doing your thing.
00:21:31
Speaker
Yes, sir. Thank you. Appreciate you so much. Ethocast is a four-hour edification limited series. If you like what you heard, like, follow, and share this podcast for more leadership insights for your fraternity or sorority chapter. To find out how your campus or a campus near you can book followership to leadership or the D9 Leadership Blueprint, contact me today, eddie at eddiefrancis.com. Until next time, spread brotherly and sisterly love everywhere you go.