Pledge Education
Best Practices and Policies
Presenters
Mike Corelli, Province Omicron Archon
Joshua Welch, Assistant Director of Greek Life, Elon
University
Jeff Hall, Dennis Regional Director, Director of
Extension
James Irwin, Director of Educational Programs
Intended Outcomes
Become familiar with best practices for pledge
education
Be alerted to potential pitfalls and bad practices and
how to avoid them
Understand what a pledge program should & must
include
Learn about the True Gentleman Model 8-Week
Pledge Program
A Pledge Education Program Should
Be well planned
A.C.E. Our Values
Be creative & interesting
Develop essential leadership skills
Be Well Planned
“Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail”
For each week of the Pledge Program answer the
following questions:
What are your intended outcomes? What do you want them to walk away
with?
What resources do you have access to that could help? (The NEW TGI,
Campus Staff, Community Partners)
Plan around important dates on the academic calendar.
Finals Week, Mid-Terms, Advising Days
A.C.E Our Values
“What does it mean to be a member?”
Achieve
What does a brother who achieves the values of Sigma Alpha
Epsilon look like – what actions, beliefs, or behaviors are
common among our best members from the past and present?
Communicate
Teach members how to communicate our values to people
outside of our organization. This doesn’t mean sharing the
meaning of Phi Alpha, rather teach members how to talk about
what it means to be a True Gentleman in today’s language and
society.
Expect
Explain to members the expectation of behavior that is
congruent with our values.
Be Creative / Interesting
It’s not an 8:00 AM lecture – Make it interesting!
Consider the different ways people learn things and find
appropriate ways for members to truly learn what you want
them to learn. (Example: University Challenge or Rope
Course to explore leadership styles and teamwork.)
Participate in activities your college or university has planned
that tie in with The True Gentleman. (Example: Attend a
campus speaker on Diversity and later facilitate a discussion
on what the TG says about diversity. “who does not make the
poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his
obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity”
Invite university staff members to facilitate educational
sessions. (Examples: Leadership Center discussing
leadership styles)
Develop Essential Skills
Interpersonal Communication Skills
Recruitment.
Working with other campus organizations / faculty / staff.
Working with Alumni members.
An individual’s personal endeavors.
Learn more about specific leadership roles in the
chapter that they may want to take on in the future.
Potential Pitfalls
Bid Nights
Big Brother Programs/Reveals
Phi Alpha Weeks
Interview Programs/Black Books
Potential Pitfalls – Bid Nights
Original Intent
Welcome new members to the chapter
Complete the formal pledging ceremony
Introduce new members, and their families, to members,
alumni and university officials
Pitfalls
Generally associated with social events, and specifically
alcohol
Blurs the purpose and meaning of membership when
associated with alcohol
Potential Pitfalls – Big Brother
Pairings/Reveal
Original Intent
Connect new members with leaders of the active chapter
Provide social, academic and emotion mentor
Facilitates assimilation into the active chapter
Pitfalls
Generally associated with social events, specifically alcohol
Relationships can be focused more on social connections, as
opposed to academic
In many cases, presents opportunity for hazing
Potential Pitfalls – Phi Alpha Week
Original Intent
Introduce/review values of our organization via ritual
Implement structured program that facilitates the transition
from new member to active member
Complete formal Initiation ceremony
Pitfalls
Associated with late night events with limited learning
outcomes
Focuses less on ritual, and more on “earning” initiation
through passing tests, completing tasks
In many cases, presents opportunity for hazing
Potential Pitfalls – Interview
Programs/Black Books
Original Intent
Facilitate interactions between new and active members
through a structured process of meaning Q&A
Pitfalls
Associated with questions ranging in relevancy and
appropriateness
Major emphasis on new members completing 99% of the
work, while active members passively permit interactions
In many cases, presents opportunity for hazing via the
addition of contingency factors in order to complete interviews
Carson Starkey OCP
Overview and Purpose
Provide foundational overview of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, its mission, purpose
and risk management polices and expectations
Developed in memory of Carson Starkey
Tenants of Program
Complete overview of the Minerva’s Shield, Crisis Management Protocol
and Good Samaritan Policy
Introduction to SAE mission and purpose
Review of SAE signature events
Introduction of the Supreme Council, Province Archons and FSC Staff
Explanation
Ensures all new members across the realm receive the same foundational
information prior to initiation
From the onset of affiliation, provides clear overview of what is expected of
all members with regard to chapter operations and social programming
Scope of Association (SOA)
Overview and Purpose
Overview of the expectations and standards of membership in Sigma Alpha
Epsilon (SAE)
Signed agreement of adhering to expectations of membership to SAE
Tenants of Program
Financial Expectations
Academic Expectations
Behavioral Expectations
Indemnification Expectation
Explanation
Provides a clear overview and understanding as to the expectations of
membership with Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Outlines the potential outcomes for acts that fall outside these clear
expectations
Required Components of Pledge
Program
Ritual/Pledging
Comprehension of The Phoenix
Learn and recite “The True Gentleman”
Learn names of Supreme Council, Province officers
Learn names and campuses of all SAE chapters in province
Learn names and insignia of all Greek-letter organizations on campus
Learn the songs of SAE used by the chapter and in the Initiation Ceremony
Fraternity Laws
Must be between 4-12 weeks in length (or meet university req’t if different)
Cease all non-academic activities that may take placed 7 days before the
first final exam and ending the day after the last scheduled final exam
Distributed written program to all new members
Required Components of Pledge
Program
Minerva’s Shield
Program must include that pledgeship is a dry process
Include alcohol awareness
Include information on We Stand Together
Event Planning if pledges required to plan an event
Crisis-Management
Include copy of SAE and college/university hazing policy
Miscellaneous
Include information about the Carson Starkey Online Pledge Certification
Program and Scope of Association
Calendar of all pledge activities, including content/description and start and
finish times
Is the program, as written, free of hazing activities
Does the program include the 1-888-NOT-HAZE hotline?
Introducing
The NEW
True Gentleman Initiative
Resources Available
The True Gentleman Initiative Library
Pledge Education Area
True Gentleman New Member Program
True Gentleman New Member Syllabus
Pledge Educator Online Certification Program
Question-and-Answer
Session
Do not forget to complete the post-webinar survey.