In accordance with the Recognition Guidelines, each fraternity and sorority recognized by Winthrop University must complete a Chapter Achievement Plan in order to maintain their status as a recognized fraternity or sorority.
The purpose of the Chapter Achievement Plan (CAP) is to establish standards to ensure that every Winthrop University fraternity and sorority is fully committed to the highest quality of student experience for each of its members, with particular emphasis on upholding our 4 core values of:
There are 3 sections in the Chapter Achievement Plan. The first two sections, Chapter Expectations and Executive Summary, are required for all groups. Fraternities and sororities interested in being considered for the Overall Chapter of Excellence Award must complete a Chapter Presentation.
Each of the 3 sections provides an opportunity for fraternities and sororities to highlight their contributions to our core values: Academics, Leadership, Citizenship and Brotherhood/Sisterhood.
Each Chapter Achievement Plan will be reviewed by a committee of faculty and professional staff members who will take into account all 3 segments of the CAP as a whole, in addition to statistical information provided by the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, including academic achievement, programming hours, and membership statistics.
Performance in each of the 3 sections will be considered when determining the overall level of excellence of the fraternity or sorority.
1. Chapter Expectations - This section focuses on whether each fraternity or sorority fulfills the minimum expectations of all fraternities and sororities at Winthrop University. It is the University's expectation that all recognized Greek organizations will comply with these requirements. The Chapter Expectations section encompasses items related to overall organization and management, programming, and compliance & efficiency. Chapters will provide information about basic day to day operations.
2. Executive Summary - This section provides fraternities and sororities with the opportunity to
highlight their efforts in 5 areas that demonstrate a fraternity or sorority's ability to evolve as an organization in an ever changing society. Chapters will have an opportunity to share programs, events and initiatives in the areas of Improvement, Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability/Bystander Intervention and Relevance.
3. Chapter Presentation — Participating chapters will designate a team of up to 5 undergraduate members to make a 45 minute presentation to our CAP Review team. Participating chapters may also have up to two non-participating members to view the presentation to provide feedback to the chapter afterwards.
Committee members will review all submissions and make their final decisions regarding Overall Chapter of Excellence.
Each application will be scored keeping in mind basic minimum standards of each chapter required to maintain recognized status on the campus. There is an expectation that chapters will maintain a certain standard of operation. This is where most organizations will score. Chapters which exceed those standards are those which exemplify fraternity and sorority values; they will receive recognition and awards for their outstanding efforts.
A ranking system will be utilized to identify the level of excellence (or achievement) related to each area of the 4 values (academics, leadership, service to the community, and brotherhood/sisterhood) which are being assessed. While each of the areas assesses excellence based on different specific criteria, the following is a general description of each of the ratings:
Baseline: Accredited Chapter - The Chapter has completed the minimum expectations of the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life with regards to the overall vision of excellence for sororities and fraternities
Bronze: Chapter of Promise - The Chapter has satisfactorily met and demonstrated movement beyond minimum expectations of the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life with regards to the overall vision of excellence for sororities and fraternities
Silver: Chapter of Achievement - The Chapter has met all and exceeded most of the expectations of the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life with regards to the overall vision of excellence for sororities and fraternities
Gold Eagle: Chapter of Excellence - The Chapter has met and far exceeded all of the expectations of the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life with regards to the overall vision of excellence for sororities and fraternities.
Chapter Achievement Packets for the Spring 2024 semester are due March 8. All Chapter Presidents received packets through email. Please contact the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life if you need further assistance.
For the individual awards, chapter members can nominate their own members and members from other organizations by using the nomination form sent each chapter leadership board to nominate your peers for one of the following awards:
Please have all of your nomination forms submitted by March 8, 2024.
Many of the award winners will be recognized at the Student Life Awards Banquet that is typically held in April.