This is a part of the Strategic Plan 2025 series, zooming in on each of the pillars of the plan and going into further detail on their importance. For the full Strategic Plan click here.
Strategic Plan Pillar: Provide Differentiated Value of Membership Through Personal and Professional Growth and Engagement.
Why: Many students today ask themselves “Why should I join a fraternity?” And even more so, for students that decide to go Greek, we need a compelling answer to “Why should I join Phi Kappa Tau over every other fraternity?”
Chapman University Phi Taus hosting a philanthropy event.
When we surveyed our membership about the value that Phi Tau provides to individual undergraduate members, we heard repeatedly of the long-term interpersonal relationships that are facilitated by the Phi Tau experience. Also mentioned was the hands-on leadership experience that prepares our membership for professional success, which cannot be learned solely in the classroom. In research from Gallup, it was shown that Greek life has a number of benefits to the well-being of college graduates. “...fraternity and sorority members are more likely than all other college graduates to be thriving in each of the five elements of well-being (purpose, physical, social, financial, and community).” (Gallup, 2014). After a member joins or a chapter is established, we must continue to deliver unique and valuable experiences and support to justify the time and financial investment in the organization. This is true both at a national and at a local level. This will be a major focus of the organization going forward, as it impacts recruitment, retention, chapter success, alumni engagement, and many other goals of the fraternity.
How: The first step is to provide quality experiences. We will be evaluating the Borradaile Challenge and making any needed adjustments to ensure it is aligned to the needs of the fraternity today and how we defined chapter success. We will also be evaluating areas to increase support to chapters in achievement of the Borradaile Challenge, including educational and other resources, coaching, and proactive engagement with chapters who lag the organization’s standards. Our goal is that fewer than 20% of chapters score “Needs Improvement” each year on the Borradaile Challenge
Education is the second step, with the goal of 75% of undergraduates participating in an impactful Phi Kappa Tau educational program prior to graduating. For this we will be evaluating the fraternity’s education strategy and investing in the reach and impact of our educational programming. This will likely include modified or new educational programs, expanded online learning opportunities, and enhanced strategies to maximize participation and outcomes delivered through all our educational programs.
New Members at Alpha Rho, Georgia Tech.
Putting an emphasis on service learning, philanthropy, and leadership, we will launch recruitment strategies and other programs that align the Phi Tau experience with student majors and career goals. We have a unique opportunity to better connect the Phi Kappa Tau experience to our member’s career interests and aspirations. For example, Phi Tau’s partnership with SeriousFun Children’s Network can provide hands-on experiences for healthcare and education majors (supported by travel grants from the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation) that can help them stand out from other job applicants upon graduation. We will be creating new resources, starting with new recruitment resources, that build on this theme.
The final, and crucial need is risk management—less than 5% of chapters per year have a risk management or safety incident. Risk management and safety incidents represent perhaps the greatest threat, not only to the achievement of the Strategic Plan, but to the health and existence of the fraternity overall. Every member, officer, advisor, volunteer, and staff member must do their part in ensuring that the Phi Tau experience is one that represents health, wellness, citizenship, respect of others and oneself, and compliance with policy and law. The fraternity will continue to evaluate and implement additional ways to minimize and eliminate risk management and safety incidents. These will include development of an enhanced investigation and adjudication process, increased focus on prevention in chapter success and educational interactions, and collaboration with interfraternal peers.
What can you do? Incorporate the Borradaile Challenge into your planning and review progress with your entire chapter at least once each month. Set goals and discuss ways to improve your results with your BOG and chapter success manager. Ensure your chapter is well-represented in each educational program that the fraternity offers. Encourage attendance beyond just officers. Take advantage of your Chapter Educational Grant fund to increase your chapter’s attendance at in-person educational events. Create a culture of safety and responsibility in your chapter. Do not tolerate activities that run counter to the fraternity’s risk management policies.
If you have suggestions on how we can best support chapters in accomplishing these goals, please contact communications@phikappatau.org.