They Refuse to Rest at 'Second Best'

Watch out, world: Gamma Psi is in it to win it - improving the Phi Sig Experience in the process

September 20, 2009

IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE that the Phi Sigma Sigma sisters at McDaniel College – a small, private “Ivy League or better” campus near Baltimore and home to our Gamma Psi Chapter – were honored with the coveted 2008-2009 Chapter Progress Award at this summer’s Convention.

Gamma Psi took a huge leap forward – not just on their campus, but in their own minds. Because after years of being satisfied with "good enough," they're finally committed to becoming one of our best chapters internationally.

Good to great

They’ve long been a well-respected Greek organization at McDaniel – frequently earning top honors for scholarship, honor-society membership and philanthropy. Indeed, last year they finished second in a very close race for McDaniel’s Brandt Cup for all-Greek excellence.

So what’s changed? How did Gamma Psi decide to kick it up a notch, as they say – and pull out all the stops to go from good to great?

Archon Lindsay Anderson says it took the right combination of women and a new approach by chapter leaders:

“We gave the chapter back to the chapter,” Lindsay says, explaining that the previous archon, Jennifer Holt, took a new tack with the group that’s since become the norm.

Specifically, leaders decided not to “run” the chapter by doing the work themselves or urging others to do their jobs. Instead, they encouraged sisters to take the reins and lead themselves, offering them opportunities to share in important decision-making processes typically reserved for executive board – and getting greater buy-in and a more engaged group of members as a result. (Jennifer won Archon of the Year for those efforts, by the way.)

“We’ve expanded the perspective of what it truly means to be a Phi Sig sister,” Lindsay adds. “There are many opportunities, many experiences to grow available to every sister, and we can and should take advantage of them.”

Revolutionary changes

These views may be a bit revolutionary by traditional sorority chapter standards, where top-down leadership is the norm. But they really work at McDaniel, a chapter of about 50 women – and they represent Phi Sigma Sigma innovation at its finest.

Here are just a few of the successes that Lindsay says make McDaniel College (known to alumnae before 2002 as Western Maryland College) so noteworthy:

Better recruitment. “We went beyond bid day for the first time ever, and extended bids to women we really liked who succeed in scholarship and on campus, and who share the same values as we do. We never did that before. And we never really focused on them before. Recruitment was always about us before…. This time, we said ‘Go Greek,’ not ‘Go Phi Sig’ – but it was a great approach, because it really worked to focus on what was best for them instead.”

Strengthened advisor relationship. “Rachelle (Seeds) has been our advisor for years, but we only began relying on her a lot more in the past two years.” Lindsay says it’s made an enormous difference in everything from chapter operations to morale. “She is wonderful, and we know she has our best interests at heart. She’s a very important part of our success now.” (Rachelle has won outstanding Greek advisor of the year awards, and is well known as the archon of the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter.)

Renewed focus on scholarship. “Our new scholarship program features levels just like judicial board for sisters who may be struggling with their ability to balance college life and academics.” So, if sisters fall below an established GPA, they’re asked to increase their library hours or they may actually lose some social privileges to give them time to focus on coursework. Is it working? Lindsay says yes. “If sisters are having trouble prioritizing, this is one way to get them back on track. Several sisters completed the program, and we definitely saw improvement in our overall GPA.” (Phi Sig at McDaniel is typically No. 1 in scholarship among all Greek groups.)

More frequent recognition of chapter and member successes. “We use the celebration rituals whenever we can now. That’s new for us, too – and the sisters really appreciate it.” The chapter also decided to make an unprecedented investment in dangle charms to thank leaders for their service. “It’s a reward, yes, but it’s also another way to promote leadership positions, increase respect for them, and encourage younger sisters to consider service. The benefits definitely outweigh the costs.”

Phi Sig-free weekends. Part of being a great chapter comes from proper planning – and leaving time in the school year for sisters to hang out or relax on weekend, without any expectations to participate in events. “Sisterhood is about fun. It can’t always be about business, because it’s more than that.”

Accountability to rules and guidelines. “We updated our constitution for the first time in five years, reviewing everything carefully and changing policies to reflect where we want to go, rather than where we’ve been.”

Greater focus on philanthropy. Phi Sigs strive to work with other Greek organizations to maximize philanthropic impact. Case in point: Gamma Psi was one of the top fundraisers among all Greeks for last year’s St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital event, which raised more than $32,000. (A Phi Sig sister was the single most successful individual fundraiser among all Greeks, Lindsay says.)

Working toward No. 1

We could go on…. Believe it or not, the above list represents just some of the highlights. (For example, another Gamma Psi winner at Convention 2009 was Tara McKinney, one of five finalists internationally for the Collegian of the Year Award.)

Advisor Rachelle notes the list of accomplishments is, indeed, impressive – and credits the women for their hard work and team focus, which has made all the difference.

“They’re gung ho,” she explains. “They’ve all decided they want to go in the same direction, strive to live our core values and be No. 1. Until they are, they won’t be satisfied.”

Which makes winning the Chapter Progress Award at this critical time in the chapter’s history – as momentum for excellence keeps building – all the more rewarding, Lindsay adds.

“We’ve got more to do,” she says. “But we’re on our way – and this award definitely makes all the work worth it.”

Do you know an outstanding chapter that deserves to be profiled? Write us at phisighq@phisigmasigma.org