Zeta Beta Tau - Chapters of Excellence

Dear Brother:

Welcome to the 1st edition of the Chapters of Excellence (COE) Implementation Guide. At the summer 2006 meeting of the Supreme Council, a proposal was passed to implement this program for all chapters effective Fall 2008. The ultimate goal of this program is to shift the focus of our undergraduate chapters from simply meeting standards to exceeding expectations and becoming a true "Powerhouse of Excellence."

The idea of naming this program the "Chapters of Excellence" follows the description of our Fraternity's badge. While our brothers may be scattered to the four corners of the earth, we should all share the common trait of the pursuit for excellence. The goal of this program is to not only create a way to follow through on that vision, but also to create a step-by-step process for our chapter leaders to follow.

COE should be used as a strategic planning tool in evaluating where a chapter stands in terms of brotherhood, programming and in relation to other chapters.

This guide will outline all of the categories that will be part of the program and supply you with the reporting forms that need to be turned in throughout the year. It will be important that you keep a copy of all forms turned into the office in your chapter files. Those chapters who are deemed to be Chapters of Excellence will be recognized as gold or blue chapters throughout the year.

This information will be of good use to you for any campus awards programs that are in place in addition to our accreditation process.

Should you have any questions about this program please contact us in the National Office at (317) 334-1898.

We look forward to your active participation as we build better chapters.

Cordially, Fraternally & Sincerely,

Jesse P. Blum
Coordinator of Chapter Services

How to effectively use the Chapters of Excellence Guide

The areas included in the guide are:

1. Academics
2. Alumni Communications
3. Athletics
4. Bonding
5. Campus Involvement
6. Community Service
7. Comprehensive Calendar
8. Conclave and Convention
9. Education
10. Finances
11. Greek Relations
12. Philanthropy
13. Recruitment
14. Retention
15. Risk Management
16. Website

Bonus Points:

1. President's Academy

Best Practices to Excel

1. Have the Vice-President oversee COE. The responsibility of meeting or exceeding the 16 areas, as set out in this program, shall be the responsibility and assigned to the appropriate officer and/or chairman.
2. Be intelligent with your programming. Programs can count for two or more areas. The goal is to effectively program in all areas. You don't want to overwhelm your chapter.
3. Develop a set of Minimum Brotherhood Standards that are specific to your chapter.
4. Submit program information to campus, community newspaper. Refer to the S.O.P. manual.
5. In developing your programming, ZBT's Ritual, Mission Statement and Credo should be incorporated so as to bring these to life.
6. Allow your chapter to work in conjunction with any university standards program.
7. Have your chapter, faculty advisor and staff liaison participate and help plan your of the program so they can assist with different areas specific programming areas of the COE guide should serve.
8. Conduct the Semi-Annual Brotherhood Review Vote each semester/quarter. This will help maintain the standards of the chapter.
9. Contact the National Office Staff with any questions you have regarding Chapters of Excellence.

CHAPTERS OF EXCELLENCE REPORTING FORM >>>

Can programs/events be counted for more than one category? YES they can!

For example:

• Participating in another Greek organization's community service event could earn the Chapter Greek Relations AND Community Service hour points.
• Participating and/or sponsoring an educational program with another Greek organization can earn the Chapter Education AND Greek Relations points.
• Participating as a brotherhood in an educational program can earn the Chapter Bonding AND Education points.
• Hosting an alumni event with the brotherhood present (as long as it's alcohol-free) can earn the Chapter Alumni Relations points AND Bonding points.
• Hosting a community service project with the involvement of a significant number of alumni can earn the Chapter Community Service points AND Alumni Relations points.

BE CREATIVE!

The expectations of this program are not that you over-program your brothers to simply meet the maximum number of points for this process. Our ultimate goal is for our chapters to be providing quality and balanced programs to our members.

If you have any questions about ways that programs can potentially overlap, please don't hesitate to contact Jesse P. Blum, Coordinator of Chapter Services, at jblum@zbtnational.org or at 317-496-7031.