Rocky Mountain High

Phi Sigs at Colorado Springs bring their ‘A’ game to campus
to win top women and set new standards

July 13, 2010

THREE SHORT YEARS AGO, a promising group of women founded our Iota Kappa Chapter at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

As with many newly installed chapters, it took a little time to establish a game plan for success – figuring out who they were as a group, where they fit into campus life and, especially, how to promote the values of Phi Sigma Sigma to sisters and potential new members alike.

Iota Kappa is the story of a chapter determined to do more, to go the extra mile and set higher standards with the help of Phi Sig’s considerable resources – which is why, today, they’re on the cusp of achieving total (i.e., maximum membership), becoming a top sorority on campus in a relatively short period of time.

Reality check

Anything worth doing well isn’t easy, of course, says Archon Tawny Saunders. “For a while, we weren’t recruiting as successfully as we expected to,” she says. “Here we were, a new sorority – and that attracts a lot of people at first. But we had to stand back and really think about what we had to offer if we wanted to do well in the long-term.”

After assessing their strengths and opportunities for improvement with the help of alumnae advisors and HQ staff, they identified two potential problems common to many Greek chapters: overprogramming (i.e., scheduling too many activities) and falling into the stereotype trap – specifically, recruiting “cute girls” who loved the idea of being in a sorority but didn’t understand what sisterhood really means.

“We made the decision to be true to Phi Sig’s values, and it proved to be the best thing we could do,” Saunders explains. “We wanted to be a smart, motivated, classy organization. By recruiting those kinds of women – the campus leaders, the ones who care about their studies and really live our values – that’s what we’ve become.”

Thrilling progress

Focusing on recruiting the right women has made all the difference, says Chapter Key Advisor Teresa Aten, one of the chapter’s founders and a former archon. “Clearly, they’re on their ‘A’ game now. They’re the ones to watch on campus.”

Sisters are promoting their Phi Sig pride by:

• Maintaining the highest GPA among Greek organizations on campus (3.2).
• Launching and leading new, high-profile student organizations, such as a glee club.
• Consistently co-sponsoring Greek Life activities that bolster the image of interfraternalism while simultaneously promoting their chapter.
• Supporting multiple philanthropic and service projects, such as Phi Sig’s Rockathon, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and the Southern Colorado AIDS Project (also known as S-CAP, their local philanthropy).

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