Phi Kappa Theta Brothers, Mentors, and Volunteers –
Doug Dilling, National President
Like you, we have been closely monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation. The most difficult part is knowing when to act – not to be an alarmist but not to act too late. We are taking our cues from the updates provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the State Departments of Health, local authorities, and our host institutions.
At this time, the Leadership and staff of Phi Kappa Theta believe it is our role and responsibility to focus on two priorities:
1. the health and safety of our members and staff and;
2. ensuring ongoing service to our members and chapters as we all maneuver our unique local circumstances.
Phi Kappa Theta staff already are primarily working remotely, and those who report to the office regularly have worked out remote policies. The staff will remain accessible during published office hours to serve the needs of our members and chapters.
We recommend chapters and housing corporations to closely follow the guidance of their respective host institutions and local authorities. Chapter meetings, housing board meetings, even new member education, can be held virtually. We also have an innovative and cutting-edge member development curriculum available online for those members electing to engage in these courses.
We encourage chapters to think creatively about recruitment and ongoing chapter operations. Even one term of no recruitment can result in long term damage, so explore new ways to reach out and connect virtually or in small groups with potential new members. Keep existing conversations going and utilize the online new member education program to move existing member classes forward. If you decide to postpone the formal initiation ritual due to local group gathering guidelines, let us know so we can note this in your chapter file.
We have the technology in place; it just isn't our usual way of meeting. Until further notice and as a precautionary step, we are canceling, postponing, or utilizing video conferencing for all scheduled board and national activities and events. We all expect this to be temporary, so at this point, we are not canceling the National Leadership Summit scheduled for July 17-18 in San Antonio. We will closely monitor the situation, so check back periodically for updates.
We appreciate your understanding and support, and we will continue to provide updates as this situation is ever-evolving. Phi Kappa Theta will continue to post updates to our website at www.phikaps.org.
For additional information, please review the updates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, your local host institution, and our resource guide for chapters and volunteers.
Sincerely,
Doug Dilling
National President