A lot happened during the 2015 National Convention in Washington D.C. Awards, Amendments, National Philanthropy changes and National President Matthew Nicoletta gave the State of the Fraternity Address.
If you were not in attendance, we want to tell you the highlights.
2014-2016 National Council (left to right) Vice President of Chapter Development Brian Bunton (Beta Kappa Chapter ’00), National Secretary Natalie Mikkelson (Gamma Epsilon Chapter ’06), Vice President of Philanthropy Development Patrick Herron (Alpha Epsilon Chapter ’96), National President Matthew Nicoletta (Beta Kappa Chapter ’03), Senior Vice President Erik Walschburger (Alpha Lambda Chapter ’05), Vice President of Finance Sarah Cantwell (Beta Sigma Chapter ’03), Vice President of Membership Development Christopher McCoy (Gamma Beta Chapter ’07) and Vice President of Alumni Development Ryan Alexander (Epsilon Xi Chapter ’10)
Strategic Plan
The National Council has written their strategic plan for the next 3 years. The Fraternity wants to focus on the following areas in this strategic plan:
- Promoting Excellence
- Focused Growth and Expansion
- Developing a Comprehensive Brotherhood Experience
- Embracing Philanthropic Partnerships
- Nurture a Culture of Giving
For more information on each focus, please read the full plan here.
The Centennial Celebration
The 2016 National Convention will take the Fraternity home (or as close as we can to host the celebration) to Kansas City, Missouri from July 27-31, 2016. Although this time will be a reflection on the 100 years of history it will also be a time to look forward to the future of Phi Sigma Pi. You can find all of the details in our Centennial Planning Guide including the new Phi Sigma Pi merchandise. The official Centennial hashtag is #psp100.
National Philanthropy
At the 2014 Grand Chapter Meeting a motion was passed to explore new philanthropic initiatives. The Vice President of Philanthropy Development Patrick Herron did just that with the help of his appointed Ad-hoc Committee. They presented three potential parternships/opportunties for the 2015 Grand Chapter to consider, each representing the one of the options the 2014 Grand Chapter requested. They were:
1. Educares (A Comprehensive Philanthropic Educational Initiative managed by Phi Sigma Pi)
2. Breakthrough Collaborative (An Official Partnership with an Educational Philanthropic Organization)
3. Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) (A potential partnership with a Philanthropic Organization outside of the field of Education)
After a lot of thoughtful discussion, the Grand Chapter voted to move forward to establish a partnership with Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY). Stay tuned for more information on how this new initiative will come to your Chapters.
Hours of Hope
To celebrate the Centennial, Phi Sigma Pi launched Hours of Hope. By the 2016 National Convention the Fraternity wants to collectively perform 100,000 hours of service to the community. Today we sit at 90,202 hours.
Log your hours now:
New Chapters
The Eta Gamma Chapter (Emory University) received their Charter and we welcomed the Baltimore Metro Area Alumni Chapter (BMAAC). Our first Alumni Chapter addition in three years!
Expansion
Phi Sigma Pi is looking to come to several institutions over the next few terms.
Top Targets for 2015-2016
Appalachian State University (Boone, NC)
Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA)
Bloomsburg University (Bloomsburg, PA)
Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA)
Lynchburg College (Lynchburg, VA)
Oakland University (Rochester, MI)
Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA)
Robert Morris University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Rowan University (Glassboro, NJ)
University of California – Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD)
University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
Email our Colony Development Coordinator at expansion@phisigmapi.org if you know of a school that is in desperate need of a Chapter or have a contact at one of the schools listed above. You can also Refer a Founder here!
That is where the Fraternity stands (or sits)!
Now let’s get out there and make this academic year the best yet! Who’s with us?
Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity 