Leadership

Successful Join Strategic Plan Meeting Held at 2024 Phi Kappa Theta Leadership Summit

The 2024 Phi Kappa Theta Leadership Summit brought together Phi Kaps from all over the country to take an important step forward in the Joint Strategic Planning (JSP) process and focused on strategic planning, visioning, and setting ambitious goals for the future of the organization. Throughout the weekend, several key themes and action items emerged, reflecting the organization’s commitment to addressing weaknesses, leveraging strengths, and engaging stakeholders in the strategic planning process.

One of the central elements of the summit was the identification of Key Result Areas (KRAs) that would guide the organization’s strategic direction. These KRAs included stewardship, growth, operations, member development, and communication. The document highlights the importance of these KRAs in aligning the organization’s efforts with its strategic objectives. Stewardship was emphasized as a critical area, reflecting the Fraternity’s commitment to responsible and ethical management of resources, including financial, human, and environmental resources.

The focus on growth as a KRA underscored the organization’s ambition to expand its reach, membership, and impact. This included discussions on strategies for attracting external resources, reducing barriers to entry for the Fraternity, and exploring educational grants and non-profit organizations for funding. The summit also emphasized the need to prioritize focus areas and allocate funding for chapter houses, reflecting the Phi Kappa Theta’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for its members.

Operations emerged as another key area of focus, with discussions centered on improving chapter operations, expanding chapter house capacity, and implementing programs to enhance older chapter houses. The emphasis on operations highlighted the Phi Kappa Thetas emphasis on ensuring efficient and effective management of its chapters and resources.

Member development was identified as a critical KRA, reflecting the organization’s focus on nurturing and empowering its members. The document outlines discussions on the Phi Kap Lifelong Member Experience, which aimed to design and implement programs that incorporate servant leadership precepts and training. The emphasis on member development underscored the organization’s commitment to providing ongoing support and opportunities for growth to its members.

Communication was another key area of focus, with the summit highlighting the importance of transparency in communications and the need to improve communication within the organization. The document outlines strategies for re-engaging inactive alumni and improving communication channels to ensure that all stakeholders are informed and engaged in the organization’s activities and initiatives.

In addition to these KRAs, the JSP session at the Leadership Summit also highlighted the organization’s commitment to addressing weaknesses, supporting strengths, and engaging alumni in the strategic planning process. It also aimed to prioritize addressing weaknesses such as the decline curve and the lack of natural presence and communication, which could significantly impact the organization’s future.

The SWOT analysis identified several key strengths of the organization, including its rich heritage, a dedicated network of alumni, and a commitment to servant leadership. These strengths underscored the organization’s solid foundation and the potential for leveraging its heritage and alumni network to drive future growth and impact. Additionally, the analysis highlighted the organization’s strong values and mission, which provided a framework for its strategic planning and decision-making processes.

Conversely, the SWOT analysis also revealed critical weaknesses that required attention. These weaknesses included a decline curve in certain areas, a lack of natural presence and communication, and the need to balance a wide variety of divergent religious & spiritual viewpoints amongst the Fraternity’s membership. The document emphasizes the organization’s commitment to addressing these weaknesses, recognizing their potential impact on the organization’s future and the need for strategic interventions to mitigate them effectively.

Furthermore, the SWOT analysis identified opportunities for the organization, such as increased support for local charities and veteran groups, the potential for partnerships with external organizations, and the opportunity to rekindle certain programs. These opportunities provided a roadmap for the organization to explore new avenues for growth, engagement, and impact, aligning with its strategic objectives and vision for the future.

In addition to opportunities, the SWOT analysis also highlighted potential threats that the organization needed to address. These threats included the risk of becoming an heirloom due to the status quo, as well as external factors that could impact the organization’s operations and growth. The document underscores the importance of developing contingency plans to address these threats and mitigate their potential impact on the organization’s long-term sustainability.

Overall, the work completed by the Joint Strategic Planning Committee at the 2024 Phi Kappa Theta Leadership Summit was a tremendous success. It has set up the JSP well for the next phase of work to move from the assessment phase into the planning phase. As always, you can find the latest information about the JSP Committee’s work on the Fraternity’s website at https://www.phikaps.org/jsp-committee.

Justin Sines accepts position with Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity as Fraternal Growth Coordinator

Brother Sines

Justin Sines (Duquesne University, '11) has accepted a position with Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity as Fraternal Growth Coordinator.

Brother Sines joins the professional staff after seven years of working in the English and Theater Arts Department at Duquesne University as the Technical Director. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Duquesne in 2011 and is currently finishing up a Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media.

Since 2009, Phi Kappa Theta has given me multiple opportunities for leadership roles and to grow professionally, and this is truly an honor to be able to pass those opportunities to undergraduates across the country within my work.

I’m here to pass on the values of Phi Kap to a new generation of college men. I hope this position allows me to make a fraction of the positive impact our previous leaders had on me.
— Justin Sines (Duquesne University, '11)

Justin lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his partner Tony and their three dogs, Rosco, Harry, and Cyrus. Outside of work, Justin is a board member of the Gemini Children's Theater and volunteers his time with countless theater groups across the Pittsburgh region.

Iowa Delta chapter earns "IFC Chapter of the Year" from the University of Iowa

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The 2020 - 2021 academic year has been immensely tough for everyone, including those involved in Fraternity life.

Remarkably, members of the Iowa Delta Chapter found ways to remain engaged on campus. As a result, the Fraternity & Sorority Life (FSL) office within the University of Iowa's Division of Student Life recognized Iowa Delta as the "Interfraternity Council (IFC) Chapter of the Year" for their commitment to upholding their values and responsibilities.

"Since we had so much time free with fewer opportunities for social events, we chose to look inward and focus on growing ourselves as men and brothers. We worked hard to put on virtual events, recruitment, and philanthropies such as our 24-hour live stream and Buffalo Wild Wings profit-share, which contributed funds to Children's Miracle Network," said Jacob Olson, current Chapter President for Iowa Delta.

The chapter identified ways younger members could accelerate their leadership experience and sought assistance from campus resources.

"We encouraged younger brothers to take on leadership positions as our executive board received all but one new member. We also worked closely with the FSL office and IFC to get through the pandemic and engage in activities within our community. We worked hard as brothers to not lose focus on our goals even during the most challenging times," Olson added.

Brothers of the Iowa Delta chapter safely attending a Brotherhood event.

Brothers of the Iowa Delta chapter safely attending a Brotherhood event.

How our chapter at Arizona State transformed their new member experience for the better

Written by: Brendon Albert (Temple University, ‘13)

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Phi Kappa Theta’s new member education is the cornerstone for any successful chapter. This past fall, Connor Leary, a sophomore education major from the Arizona Alpha Zeta Chapter at Arizona State University, was tasked with reconstructing the chapter’s new member education plan. With the chapter’s Performance Coach, Leary got to work, ensuring that new member experiences could be a potential model for other chapters and ensure it was sustainable and repeatable year after year. 

First, Leary made sure to update the chapter’s new member program to reflect CDC, University, and local guidelines to keep members safe during the COVID pandemic. Connor worked not just to update the chapter’s new member program but to ensure that the brothers utilize Phi Kappa Theta’s new e-learning modules. The modules, released last year, provide a unique curriculum designed to help members pursue the Five Areas of Development with greater clarity and purpose. The interactive content is mobile-friendly and includes downloadable workbooks for convenient reading and note-taking.

While adopting the Fraternity's latest curriculum, the chapter leadership was able to identify ways to incorporate some of their own ideas. Arizona Alpha Zeta’s new member program is not merely a generic lecture format; fostering leaders and new ideas are at the core of their new member experience. These two elements combine in a new initiative within the new member program. “Shark Tank” is a unique member experience where the new members are broken up into teams, tasked with developing an engagement opportunity for the whole chapter (for example, a philanthropic fundraising event or brotherhood retreat), and pitch their plans. When all teams have presented their pitches, each brother votes on which idea the group should execute. 

I’m most excited about the new “Shark Tank” method of choosing pitches that our new members develop. I think it will lead to better and more creative ideas our brothers can engage in every year.
— Connor Leary, New Member Educator (Arizona State University, '23)

Connor also received some inspiration thanks to the Washington Alpha Delta Chapter at Washington State University. Without hesitation, WA Alpha Delta shared their new member education plan with Connor. He soon discovered details that could improve AZ Alpha Zeta’s internal communication processes and camaraderie among new members. What jumped out to him was WA Alpha Delta's use of Member Evaluation Boards (MEBs), to which Leary applied small tweaks to fit his own chapter’s needs. MEBs are essentially evaluation meetings that serve as a welcoming and beneficial opportunity for each new member to privately express their thoughts and opinions on the new member education process in a secure, positive, and inclusive environment with chapter leaders. 

I think it’s great to see AZ Alpha Zeta review our new member program to brainstorm. It just goes to show how we as brothers can rely on others outside of our own chapter to improve our programs…
— Lane Harlan, Chapter President (Washington State University, ’23)

Together with the Chapter Performance Coach, Leary built a new member experience whose foundation is grounded in personal development and enhanced engagement with Phi Kappa Theta brothers. A critical aspect of this collaborative effort was constructive criticism. Being open to feedback, listening intently, asking important questions, and doing so with an open mind helped Connor put aside societal expectations of what joining a fraternity looks like and approach the new member experience through a Phi Kappa Theta mindset. Arizona Alpha Zeta is proud of its revised new member education program tailored to meet the chapter's needs.