When students take a seat in Roy Baker's office, they might be surprised by what he has on his desk.

Baker, director of fraternity and sorority life, is a proud owner of a Staples Easy Button.

"It's kind of a symbol that when students come in here with a problem I usually hit the

Easy Button and say, 'That wasn't so hard was

it?' " Baker said.

Last year Baker ob-served the greek community in his debut as the self-described adviser, mediator and educator for Penn State's more than 80 fraternities and sororities. But as he works with students to improve the quality and reputation of greek life this year, Baker finds sometimes he is the one in need of a quick fix.

"It's amazingly challenging," he said of overseeing so many organizations. "Sometimes I'll say, 'Boy, I wish I could just hit this button and it would become easy.' "

Baker was "blown away" last year by Greek Sing, Homecoming and the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, but this year he hopes to build on these positives by revamping aspects of the greek system that need improvement, he said.

He has already made waves by helping fraternities change the way they recruit; urging fraternity members to distance themselves from the stereotypical "frat boy" image and asking first-year students not to visit fraternities over the summer.

While his efforts to help may not always be popular with students, Baker insists the ability to change the greek system lies in students' hands

This summer he outlined a plan to restructure fraternity recruitment, an area both Baker and the Interfraternity Council (IFC) felt needed improvement, Mattison Ford, IFC vice president for communications, said.

"It wasn't his idea by any stretch of the imagination," Ford said. "We all wanted to change rush, but he did help with that."

The new recruitment system included alcohol-free recruitment events during designated time periods and required potential new members to wear wristbands to gain admittance when alcohol was served.

"They just didn't think it would work," Baker said of some Penn State fraternity member's reaction to the plan. "They didn't think all of the fraternities would do it."

However, more than 1,500 students registered for fraternity recruitment, and fraternities welcomed 667 new members, about a 62 percent increase from the 412 that joined last year.

One student came to Baker and told him he was "totally opposed" to the recruitment plan at first, but now sees he was wrong.

'That meant everything in the world to me," Baker said.

Baker's history of contributing to greek communities dates back to his days as a student.

As an undergraduate at The University of Virginia's College at Wise, a school with no fraternities, Baker was involved in the formation of the local Tau Beta Chi fraternity.

After graduation he became the founding chapter adviser for Tau Beta Chi, which affiliated with Pi Kappa Phi, and he was formally initiated as member of the Pi Kappa Phi International Fraternity while working at Georgia College and State University.

Baker was the associate dean of students for fraternity and sorority life at Bucknell University from 1996 to 2002, where he organized the standards and goals for greek life in a document called the Plan for Prominence.

"That document was the right document at the right time," said Chip Marrara, Bucknell assistant dean of students and director of fraternity and sorority affairs. "It definitely made a difference here."

The plan doesn't ask organizations to do anything more than what is expected of them by their alumni and national headquarters, but simply holds students accountable for what they say they will do, Marrara said.

"I'd put our system up against anybody's," Marrara said. "The Plan for Prominence is a big reason why."

In 2004, Baker became the director of fraternity and sorority life at Syracuse University and continued to stress the importance of students meeting expectations.

This included enforcing pre-existing rules, such as the Interfraternity Council's (IFC) unpopular ban on drinking games, that were not always enforced before Baker came, said Matt Abdifar, IFC president at Syracuse.

"He had his whole holding yourself up to a higher standard, living up to what you say you live up to, that was kind of his thing," Abdifar said. "It was perpetuated with people who had contact with him."

Baker also encouraged collaboration between the five different greek councils, Abdifar said.

"He left a good impact when he was here, and then we kind of took it and ran with it," Abdifar said.

When Baker heard Penn State was in need of a director of greek life in 2007, he sent an e-mail to former Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey, inquiring about the position.

"She wrote back in about 10 minutes and said, 'We would be really excited if you would consider it,' " Baker said.

Along with his experience at Bucknell and Syracuse, Baker brought along a vision for Penn State greek life.

"I have a vision as everybody does when they come to a new system," he said. "All I can do is share that vision."

Baker's vision includes increased membership, stabilized fraternities and sororities, increased accountability, significant alumni involvement, safe social events and a strong community presence.

However, Baker is powerless to improve the system unless students are motivated to achieve progress, he said.

"If this is not their vision then I don't want it to be my vision," Baker said, "The students have to say that's a good idea and let's do it."

One of Baker's tasks is helping students fulfill the Greek Pride Initiative, a 2004 document designed by Triponey to recognize the achievements of greek organizations and bridge the gap between the university and the greek community.

The ultimate goal of the Greek Pride Initiative is for Penn State to become the preeminent greek system in the country by 2014, Baker said.

It's a goal he thinks is attainable, but only at the hands of the students.

"There is no reason schools can't come to Penn State and say they are doing it the right way." Baker said. "But there's just simply no way you can bring change to a greek system this big without involving the students."

Baker realizes some students believe their only interaction with the greek life office will be in the form of a punishment, so he tries to change that perception through his meetings with students.

In the past he attempted to show students a different side of him by displaying PEZ dispensers in his office.

Though he doesn't have room to display them in his office at Penn State, Baker has collected more than 1,000 dispensers and buys and sells them from friends in Austria, Canada and Australia.

"I wrote a letter to PEZ and asked them why they don't make fraternity and sorority PEZ dispensers," Baker said. "They wrote back and said, 'That's a good idea.' "

Even without the PEZ dispensers, Baker's hands-on approach has been successful, Ford said.

"My approach today is more like your parent," Baker said. "Sometimes we don't like when our parents hold us accountable, but we know our parents love us. I just think that changes people's behavior a whole lot more than being a complete jerk with them."