Zeta Alpha Chapter
Zeta Alpha Chapter (founded 3 April 2010) is located at University of California, San Diego in San Diego, CA. The Chapter was founded by Kathryn Lieber, Natasha Best, Hana Lee, and Martin Kwok. Zeta Alpha is a member of the Pacific Coast Region and a founding Chapter of Team Zeta.
Contents
Chapter History
Founding
Efforts to found a Phi Sigma Pi chapter started when Alumna Kathryn Lieber, a graduate student at University of California, San Diego, contacted the National Office for expansion assistance during Fall Quarter of 2009 at the university. At the end of the quarter, only seven undergraduate students were interested in the fraternity. Seeing low turnout, the Director of Expansion Ryan DeGuzman and Kathryn Lieber decided to extend recruitment drive to the beginning of Winter Quarter. However, the stability of the group of students decreased when four of the seven withdrew from expansion effort over Winter Break. Moreover, the four students requested the UCSD Center of Student Involvement to revoke Phi Sigma Pi as an official student organization at UCSD. However, the other three students held their spirits high, and committed themselves to starting a colony. The three Founding Members (Hana Lee, Natasha Best, and Martin Kwok), the Alumni Advisor Kathryn Lieber, the Staff Advisor Colleen Garcia, and the Director of Expansion coordinated and prepared for the recruitment drive for the beginning of Winter Quarter.
After days of informational sessions during Winter Quarter, at the first organization meeting, 26 undergraduate students pledged themselves as the Founding Class, the Charter Class, the Colony Class, and the Alpha Class of Phi Sigma Pi at UCSD. Executive Board Officers and Committee Chairs were elected, and the Colony Class was finally established. However, through the course of the quarter, many Initiates withdrew from the Initiation Program, and only 18 Initiates stayed by the end of Winter Quarter. The Zeta Alpha colony bonded cohesively throughout the quarter as it fulfilled its requirements to request a charter. Nevertheless, under the leadership of the Colony Class President Natasha Best, the charter petition was finally approved at the beginning of Spring Quarter on April 3, 2010. Thus, Zeta Alpha Chapter was inducted into Phi Sigma Pi with 18 Charter Members.
The Active Chapter
Immediately after Induction and the Chartering of Zeta Alpha Chapter, the Rush and Initiate Advisor Daniel Coffee and the Rush and Initiation Committee coordinated a successful Rush Week. By the end of the first quarter of Zeta Alpha Chapter, the size of the Chapter Brotherhood nearly doubled with the induction of Beta Class. During the first quarter, the Chapter expanded as Officers, Chairs, and Brothers solidified the Chapter Bylaws, programming, families, and traditions. Moreover, Zeta Alpha provided support and assistance to the Zeta Epsilon colony at University of California, Santa Barbara and oversaw its Induction. In addition, to address the safety concerns for fraternal events, the Chapter implemented Chapter's Risk Management Policies to ensure proper preparation and care of risks and emergencies.
For the following quarter, Zeta Alpha Chapter expanded its size and inducted Gamma Class. Furthermore, Zeta Alpha Chapter created a new standing committee, the Brotherhood Development Committee, to address larger Chapter events such as retreats, banquets, and formal dances to foster a greater sense of Brotherhood and fraternal fellowship as a whole. The Chapter also split the Secretary and the Rush & Initiate Advisor into two positions each to address the growing workload on the Officers. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Executive Board and the committees, the Chapter adopted a set of Operating Policies to bolster the Chapter Bylaws and Chapter's Risk Management Policies. Meanwhile, Zeta Alpha also provided support and assistance to the Zeta Eta colony at University of California, Riverside and oversaw too its Induction. Excited to participate in the Southwest Region, the Zeta Alpha Chapter placed a bid to host the Regional Conference despite not having yet attended any Regional Conference.
Zeta Alpha Chapter ended its first year at the end of Winter Quarter 2011 with a newly elected Executive Board and Committee Officers excited to carry the Chapter throughout its second year. During Spring Quarter of 2011, the Chapter celebrated its founding with a Chapter banquet honoring the one-year achievement of the Chapter, and as well as recognizing and awarding few individuals who exemplified extraordinary commitment to the fratertniy. After much planning and preparation, Zeta Alpha hosted and attended its first Regional Conference from April 8th to April 10th. Zeta Alpha ended the first complete academic year with the Induction of Delta Class and of Zeta Lambda colony at University of California, Los Angeles. Zeta Alpha Chapter inducted Epsilon Class and helped found the colony Zeta Mu at University of California, Irvine by the end of the following Fall Quarter 2011.
Chapter Structure
Executive Board
The Chapter currently has a nine member Executive Board. Officers are elected at the end of each Winter Quarter to serve till the end of the following Winter Quarter. The Registrar is recognized as the recording secretary, while the Epistolarian is recognized as the corresponding secretary.
Executive Board Officers 2011-2012
- President- Daniel Coffee
- Vice President- Don Lee
- Parliamentarian- Glenn Laursen
- Registrar- Elaine Yu
- Epistolarian- Stephanie Spencer
- Treasurer- Samir Mathur
- Recruitment Advisor- Maclen Zilber
- Initiate Advisor- Martin Kwok
- Historian- Karl Olsen
Past Chapter Presidents
- Martin Kwok (2010-2011)
Committees
The Chapter currently has nine Standing Committees. Each Standing Committee represents an unique aspect of Zeta Alpha Chapter and Phi Sigma Pi. Each Chair is responsible for leading his or her committee to accomplish its goals and carry out its responsibilities. The Judicial Committee only convenes at the call of the Chapter or the Executive Board.
Committee Chairs
- Fund-raising Chair- Victor Guerra
- Service Chair- Victor Guerra
- Social Chair- Glenn Laursen
- Public Relations Chair- Samir Mathur
- Alumni & Inter-Chapter Relations Chair- Martin Kwok
- Scholarship Chair- Kimberly Huynh
- Rush & Initiation Committee Chair- Recruitment Advisor Maclen Zilber & Initiate Advisor Martin Kwok
- Brotherhood Development Chair- vacant
- Judicial Committee Chair- Parliamentarian Glenn Laursen
Chapter Advisors
- Staff/Faculty Advisor- Colleen Garcia
- Alumni Advisor- Kathryn Lieber
- Alumni Advisor- Natasha Best
Initiate Classes
Main Article: List of Zeta Alpha Chapter Initiate Classes
Further Resources
In the News