The Tightrope program by Plaid (the learning platform we use) is an online safety and risk management program designed for college students, which covers real topics and realistic experiences in Greek life and more across the holistic university experience. It provides education on alcohol and substance abuse, hazing prevention, mental health, and sexual assault awareness.
The program is meant to help students navigate common risks and landmines they might come across. Tightrope provides students with relevant and important information needed to make better decisions and to keep themselves & others safe.
It is REQUIRED that every Associate Member access Plaid (in the Phi Tau Portal) and FULLY COMPLETE THE TIGHTROPE PROGRAM.
The curriculum is split into several short modules, and ALL must be completed by every Associate Member.
Modules include:
Tightrope Introduction
Alcohol and Substance Use Survey
The Facts About Alcohol and Other Drugs
The Culture of Drinking
Mental Health and Hazing Survey
Hazing and Being a Safe Student
Healthy Relationships
Mental Health
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HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS (Interpersonal health & sexual misconduct prevention)
POINT OF DISCUSSION:
Consent and healthy relationships are important topics. What's a common myth or assumption about consent that you think a lot of guys your age still believe, even without realizing it?
What does "healthy relationship" mean beyond romantic partnerships — does it apply to how brothers treat each other, or how the chapter treats female friends and guests at events? How?
If you saw a brother behaving in a way toward someone that made you uneasy — pressuring, disrespecting boundaries, making someone visibly uncomfortable — what would make it hard to intervene? What language could you use that doesn't require a confrontation? How might you get additional support and/or handle it?
What does "safe social event planning" actually look like in practice — not as a policy on paper, but as specific things the chapter can do before, during, and after a party?
Bystander intervention is often taught as a concept. What's one specific action (not a vague "I'd step in") you could take if you saw a situation escalating at a social event?
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Health & Safety costs continue to rise, and can have a very real impact on how much your chapter pays...which means it has a real impact on how much each member of the chapter pays in their total dues. When members of the fraternity are well-informed, they have a better chance of being safe and avoiding health & safety violations that could put the chapter at risk of surcharges. Completion of Tightrope is mandatory, it is important for every member's safety, and it is also an important way to help ensure your chapter's costs remain as controlled as possible...which impacts every brother.