The Chapter Advisor
Chapter Advisor Description
The mission of the Chapter Advisor is to maintain the collegiate Chapter’s existence as outlined by the
Fraternity’s Constitution and Bylaws. The responsibilities and tasks to achieve that end can be grouped
into three categories:
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II.
III.
I.
Assisting in the continual growth and development of the collegiate Chapter
Collegiate Chapter Relationships
Collegiate Chapter Operations
Assisting in collegiate Chapter growth and development: Includes activities related to Brother
education, individual education, individual Brother skill-building, chapter quality assurance activities
and community service programming and volunteering.
Promote respect of the Fraternity’s constitution and bylaws
Mentor the collegiate Brothers regarding to scholarship and professionalism
Support chapter participation in Fraternity regional and national meetings
Provide problem-solving expertise to Chapter
Encourage Chapter to participate in quality activities worthy of Thurston Cup recognition
Participate in Chapter Excellence and Quality (ChEQ) visits and ensure follow-up actions to
resolve deficiencies
● Meet and communicate regularly with chapter’s Executive Council
● Attend chapter meetings on a regular basis to accomplish the above
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II.
Collegiate Chapter Relationships: Includes activities related to working with chapter officers to
support chapter needs, serving as liaison between local chapter and the college/school of
pharmacy faculty and administration including the Dean, alumni, Regional and Grand Officers and
the National Office.
Provide Fraternity’s historical perspective
Provide continuity between the chapter’s officers year to year
Serve as link between faculty and college/school of pharmacy administration
Assist Regional and Grand Officers to assure the Chapter’s attendance at the Fraternity’s Regional
Conferences and Grand Councils.
● Facilitate Regional Conference workshops when possible
● Facilitate the creation of an alumni Chapter where one does not exist, working with collegiate
Brothers and or alumni
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III.
Collegiate Chapter Operations: Includes activities related to the day to day operations of the
Fraternity, officer maturation and turnover, Ritual observance, fiscal and risk management
according to approved policies and procedures.
● Facilitate setting mutual advisor/chapter expectations
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Provide an “Open Door Policy” to allow the Chapter to express needs
Attend Formal Meetings and chapter initiations regularly
Attend other chapter functions as requested and as scheduling permits
Possess knowledge about the day to day operations of the Fraternity
Sponsor strategic planning and team building chapter retreat at least annually
Generally understand the National Office operations
Assist with Brother recruitment
Encourage full participation in Fraternity programs such as the Achievement Award programs
Assist Chapter with conflict management and resolution
Possess intimate understanding of the Risk Management policies and procedures of the Fraternity
Report risk management incidents to the GVPCA immediately
Assure chapter adherence to disciplinary action outlined by the Executive Council when necessary
Knowledgeable about budget creation and implementation
Collaborate with the Regional Director for Collegiate Affairs and the Grand Vice President for
Collegiate Affairs to manage outstanding debt
Qualifications to serve as Chapter Advisor include being in good standing within the Fraternity. At least one
advisor should be selected from the faculty of the host college or school of pharmacy. Advisors can be
Alumnus, Graduate or Honorary Brothers.
Roles and Responsibilities of
Phi Delta Chi Chapter Advisor(s)
Serving as a Phi Delta Chi Chapter Advisor can be a rewarding challenge. The Chapter Advisor plays a critical role
in the success of each Phi Delta Chi Chapter. Chapter Advisors are the vital links between each group of leaders
and chapter Brothers and should be Brothers in good standing of The Phi Delta Chi Fraternity.
The Chapter Advisor is the “constant” from year to year at the individual Chapter. Turnover in membership in a
student organization makes it difficult to maintain continuity. Chapter Advisors are the stabilizing factor for Phi Delta
Chi. The Chapter Advisor serves as the primary resource to help chapter Brothers plan their activities and set
priorities each school year, and should be aware of all activities of the organization. Chapter Advisors should attend
chapter meetings, officer meetings, their region’s Phi Delta Chi Regional Conference, Leader Development Seminar
and Grand Council so they can offer the guidance required of their position.
The Chapter Advisor serves as a resource person. The advisor can also help foster relationships between the
Chapter and alumni Chapters. The Chapter Advisor is the liaison between other Brothers of the faculty and
administration and the Phi Delta Chi Chapter. Faculty and administration support is essential for achieving success
with organizational activities. The Chapter Advisor should keep the faculty and administration informed of Phi Delta
Chi activities, while encourage faculty Brothers to become involvement as much as possible. The advisor should
also inform chapter leaders of faculty and administrative policies that affect chapter activities. Assurance that the
Chapter adheres to fraternal policies and procedures is a fundamental role, as well.
The Chapter Advisor is a role model for Brothers of the Chapter. The advisor exemplifies professionalism,
leadership and integrity. The Chapter Advisor should also strive to identify, encourage, and nurture potential student
leaders.
The Chapter Advisor is ultimately responsible for the fiscal accountability of the Phi Delta Chi Chapter. The Chapter
Advisor supervises budget planning for the Chapter, approves expenditures involving Phi Delta Chi revenues, and
ensures that required financial reports and tax forms are accurately executed.
The chapter officers’ report of the Achievement Award has an area designated for the Chapter Advisor. It is
imperative that the Chapter keeps the National Office abreast of the current advisor(s) demographic information.
Your Role as a Phi Delta Chi Chapter Advisor
Additional considerations are listed as follows:
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Make yourself readily available for officers, chairpersons, and chapter Brothers to assist them with problem
solving. Many faculty advisors post specific office hours for student advising.
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As part of the chapter's retreat, assist the Chapter in discussing their expectations of you as an advisor. Share
with the officers, your expectations of them. Discuss each others' needs and decide on how you will interact
with one another.
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Attend as many chapter meetings and functions as possible. This is the best mechanism for making sure that
you are fully informed of chapter activities.
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Use resources provided to all Chapter Advisors by Phi Delta Chi. This includes the Chapter Operations Manual,
The Communicator, the national web page at www.phideltachi.org, correspondence from Phi Delta Chi staff,
Grand and Regional Officers, and Chapter Advisors workshops provided at the Phi Delta Chi Regional
Conferences and Grand Council.
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Review with officers projects and activities that have been conducted previously (successfully or unsuccessfully)
by the Chapter.
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Encourage creativity and innovation. Don’t allow your position of continuity to cause you to fall into the trap of
encouraging the Chapter to attempt only projects and activities that have been done before.
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Consider providing a leadership development workshop for students interested in becoming chapter officers and
chairpersons.
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Serve as a resource person, but don’t do all the work for the students. They benefit from your guidance, but
they learn significantly from actually doing a project themselves.
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Learn when to speak up and learn when it is better to remain silent. For example, you should step in when the
Chapter embarks on an activity that may be against university policy. However, you might choose to remain
silent while chapter Brothers are expressing their opinions on a policy proposal.
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Assure officers and chapter Brothers understand the Fraternity's Risk Management policies.
management workshops to facilitate the Chapter's embrace of such policies.
Host risk
Always remember that your role as Chapter Advisor is critical to the success of your Phi Delta Chi Chapter.
Selecting a Chapter Advisor:
The Chapter Advisor is generally appointed by the Dean or elected by the chapter Brothers to provide guidance and
assistance. The process employed to select a Chapter Advisor should be handled with the same professional
responsibility as chapter officer elections.
Many factors are important in selecting a Chapter Advisor:
Attitude: The position of Chapter Advisor requires time and patience but has many rewards. The Chapter
Advisor should have a sincere interest in students and enthusiasm for the profession.
Motivational skills: The Chapter Advisor should strive to motivate chapter Brothers and leaders. The
Chapter Advisor should be respected by students and have a good rapport with Brothers.
Organizational and leadership skills: The Chapter Advisor must be able to instill these important qualities
in student Brothers. The Chapter Advisor should be familiar with the organizational structure of Phi Delta Chi
and an active Brother of the Fraternity.
Workload: The workload of many faculty Brothers can prevent them from being effective Chapter Advisors,
despite their genuine concern for students and desire to serve as Chapter Advisor. Some Chapters do not
require day-to-day interaction, where others would benefit from consistent participation. Setting mutual
expectations at the outset of each year is beneficial for both parties and strengthens ties.
Co-Advisors
Serving as Chapter Advisor is a very big job. Many Chapters have co-advisors to help distribute the workload and
offer additional chapter support. Phi Delta Chi encourages the use of co-advisors to help advisors manage
their responsibilities.