National Council Objectives (2012-14)

The following are the objectives and projects of the National Council for the 2012-14 term.

Objectives

	objectives
	completed projects, ongoing updates may still be necessary
	projects in progress, on agenda for next Council meeting (Summer 2013)

Pride, Professionalism, and Respect

Objective	Status	Description	Assigned to
1.0	completed	Create and develop an awareness campaign and method to track and share progress Hours of Hope campaign, a challenge to collectively complete 100,000 volunteer service hours by our 2016 Centennial. Program started at National Convention 2012, currently in progress. Campaign currently has about 9% of the goal met.	VPF, VPCD, VPPD
2.0	in progress	Expansion of LiA offerings at the Chapter level and addition of more local facilitators, in order to continue the growth of Brothers as individuals, and to see an overall increase by at least 50% of LiA modules utilized by Chapters by 2014. Local facilitators increased from 208 (2011-12) to 311 (2012-2013). Number of local modules for 2013-14 (45) already matches all of 2012-13.	VPCD
3.0	complete	Update recruitment resource guide with best practices. The National Development Committee updated the resource guide on the wiki.	VPMD
4.0	in progress	Update the Chapter Advisor Guide with current best practices and explore ways in which Chapter Advisors can be better incorporated beyond the Chapter level. Proposal is being presented at the Spring 2014 National Council meeting.	VPCD
5.0		Update Chapter Resource Guides to reflect current best practices, and explore areas in which the creation of a new Guide may be beneficial to the Fraternity as a whole.	VPCD
6.0	completed	Continue the promotion of Region Conferences, and continue to successfully implement the Five Star Plan, with a goal of doubling overall attendance at Conferences by Brothers by 2014. Region Conferences in 2012-13 had an attendance of 1,605 Brothers. An increase from ~1,200 in 2011-12 year. Decrease in Regional Conference attendance has been noted for 2013-14. It is believed that this is due to registration cost increases (campuses charging for meeting space), weather and certificate of insurance (which third party vendors are requiring as an additional insurer).'	VPCD, Staff
7.0		Review Chapter Leadership Manuals and update as necessary to reflect current best practices, and explore the possibility of the creation of new ones as may be needed.	VPCD
8.0		Explore the feasibility of a commemorative book to celebrate the Centennial of 2016.	VPCD
9.0		Develop projects benefiting TFA or the spirit of TFA for chapters not in a TFA Region	VPPD
10.0	completed	Determine new avenues to recognize outstanding achievements in service outside the scope of the National Philanthropy Council has made efforts to recognize Chapters' outstanding achievements in service outside of TFA via posts in Phi Sigma Pi's Chapter Talk as well as in re-establishing an award for outstanding service outside of the National Philanthropy. Also, through the Hours of Hope Campaign, Chapters have been able to be recognized for their service, regardless of the cause. Also thanks to Hours of Hope, Phi Sigma Pi has a comprehensive database of service events as submitted by chapters..	VPPD
11.0		Create new resources, support structures and networking opportunities for Brothers going into TFA	VPPD
12.0		Determine new avenues to Integrate LiA within the scope of the National Philanthropy	VPPD
13.0		Improve current TFA initiatives (Backpack, ABP, teacher grants) by increasing awareness of initiatives as well as increasing the overall participation within these initiatives.	VPPD
14.0	in progress	Determine and develop new methods to integrate Philanthropy & Service at National Events Service event has been schedule for the 2014 National Convention.	VPPD / Staff
15.0	in progress	Develop alternatives to discipline that focus more on education than restrictive sanctions in order to help Chapters/Brothers learn from their mistakes Council has begun working closely with Chapter that face disciplinary discussions to gather their input on appropriate corrective actions. Council further has engaged Chapters who have gone through disciplinary action or alternate action to have them provide feedback on how to better engage with Chapters and provide constructive corrective actions.	SVP
16.0	completed	Provide Brothers with educational resources on identifying hazing and its effects/consequences, and methods to continue to host traditional events without hazing. A prominent national figure in the collegiate risk management field, Kim Novak, was brought in to speak to the 2013 Grand Chapter Conference on this topic. National Council developed a program to provide scholarships to send a Collegiate Brother to the Novak Institute on Hazing Prevention, along with Staff and Council, in 2014.	SVP, VPMD

Dialogue and Collaboration

Objective	Status	Description	Assigned to
1.0		Better communication between Chapters and Regions to be established via social media already in place, as well as the creation of new methods, such as a "Buddy Chapter" program, by which Chapter are paired off Nationally with one another. Further, a "New/Old Chapter" Program should be implemented as part of the Expansion efforts, in which a new Chapter is paired with an older one as a "Buddy" or "Partner" for a period of time until the new Chapter is more firmly established.	VPCD
2.0	in progress	Host a series of Alumni roundtable discussions focused on promoting active engagement and participation from our Alumni Brothers, with a focus on alumni programming, retention, best practices and continued Brotherhood Development. Alumni Convention 2014 hosted an Ideation Session. Dates have been put out for possible roundtable discussions. Round Tables will be completed in mid-July.	VPAD
3.0	completed	Establish an Alumni Volunteer Corp as an element of the National Development Committee in an effort to provide a strong volunteer base which may be called upon by the National Organization and Chapters for expertise and advice on issues of finance, fundraising, event ideas and fraternal history. Region Volunteers were created in 2013 and implemented for the 2013-14 Region Conference cycle.	VPAD, Staff
4.0		Host Roundtables with ABP participants in order to facilitate networking opportunities, develop new ideas and resources and to help improve current initiatives.	VPPD
5.0		Expand on the success of National Convention Roundtables by coordinating a series of Roundtable discussions for Chapter Committee Heads.	VPCD, VPPD
6.0	in progress	Provide additional on-going National Council availability to the Brotherhood through options such as online office hours, town halls, and the use of advisory roles to the National Council. Over the 2012-13 academic year National Council held ~20 online office hour activities through Facebook and Twitter. Several National Development Committee members have worked directly with National Council Members to mentor them on project development.	NP

Leadership Development and Opportunity

Objective	Status	Description	Assigned to
1.0	completed	Improve Council Candidate Training for the 2014 national elections by collecting feedback from 2012 candidates and expanding the existing modules to cover evolving topics. Request for feedback on the 2011-12 Council Candidate Training materials was sent to 2012 National Council candidates. Limited feedback was returned. Training discussions have begun for the current 2014 National Council candidates and the Moodle materials have been updated. The June 2014 National Council meeting will be opened up specifically to candidates to attend.	NP
2.0	completed	Provide resources to allow serving National Council Officers to receive continuing education and training relevant to their area of focus on the Council team. National Council Members are being invited to take over National President responsibilities for temporary time periods to help them better understand the management of the Council and National Organization. Three Council Members attended the 2013 Novak Institute for Hazing Prevention. Two Council Members attended the 2014 Novak Institute for Hazing Prevention. The Senior Vice President looked into attending the Fraternal Law Conference but was unable due to scheduling conflicts. Will be recommended for the next term. Council and Staff regularly review Fraternal Law and Chronicle of Higher Education publications.	NP
3.0	in progress	Provide on-going support and development opportunities to National Council Officers who are transitioning onto the Council for a first time or into a new role. Personnel Committee Chair has been rotating Council members onto the Committee to give them exposure to the critical behind the scenes work with the Executive Director. Five of eight current Council Members have served on the Committee. Council started holding monthly Google Hangouts starting Fall 2013.	NP
4.0	in progress	Parli pro (update current, directory of experts, training videos) Parliamentary Procedure conference call was held with Grand Chapter Alternates and Delegates prior to the start of the Grand Chapter Conference. The call will be released as a recording for Chapters to use as a resource. Feedback from this first project is being collected to provide for an improved training tool in 2014. Conference call for 2014 Grand Chapter Delegates and Alternates is scheduled for July 2014.	SVP
5.0	in progress	Create and/or gather sample risk management forms that chapters can use as templates when creating forms for their own events. When the revised NRMP was sent out Staff had created four samples. These links were included in the Chapter communication and are found in the Toolbox.	SVP
6.0	completed	Digitize old National Council & Grand Chapter minutes Proposal being presented at Spring 2014 National Council meeting. National Development Committee has completed converting the minutes to searchable text PDFs. These have been uploaded to the Toolbox. Additionally the National Development Committee created a wiki page documenting all of the motions from these minutes.	NS
7.0		Provide additional transparency of National Council motions	NS
8.0	in progress	Post National Council proposals to get brother feedback Council proposals have been posted to the wiki, National Council Proposals, prior to discussion and voting at each in person National Council meeting.	NS
9.0	in progress	Grow and develop our Leadership In Action program by engaging more Brothers to complete modules, and become certified. Additionally, find ways to expand the program to new channels and increase module availability broadly. Lastly, find ways to re-engage past program participants and program Alumni with the Leadership In Action program directly and with the National Fraternity in a broader sense. The 2012-13 academic year saw 42.5% of Collegiate Members participating in LiA modules, an increase from 32.5% in 2011-12. Staff is reviewing options to create modules specifically for Charter Class Members of new Chapters.	VPF
10.0	completed	Ensure all Phi Sigma Pi ceremonies are planned and executed in a professional and meaningful manner. Proposal for Alumni Ritual preparation being presented at Spring 2014 National Council meeting. Objective will be complete after proposal presentation.	VPMD
11.0	in progress	Improve the rate of retention of initiates from pinning to induction through best practices in voting, and quality event planning. Council adopted Voting policies document, and series of initiate communications. Round table discussion planned for July 2014 to discuss Chapter best practices.	VPMD
12.0	in progress	Improve the passage rate of Initiates on the National Membership Exam Annual review and update of the National Exam in progress. The National Office currently does not collect data from Chapters on the passage rate of their Members. Options to collect this data is being considered as a potential need for the new national website.	VPMD, Staff
13.0		Formulate best practices for planning and executing initiation events that are engaging to both initiates and Brothers.	VPMD
14.0	in progress	Establish an Alumni Organization Toolkit which may be used as a reference for new and existing Alumni groups and Brothers on issues such as starting an Alumni Chapter, best practices for engaging regional alumni and other useful tools and techniques. Proposal drafted, being discussed at the June 2014 Council Meeting.	VPAD
15.0		Create a Collegiate Chapter Alumni Resource Toolkit which may be used as reference for Alumni engagement on a Chapter-level, including best practices for engaging Alumni on a local and regional level.	VPAD
16.0		Expand the existing scope of the Professional Networks by launching a minimum of 2 additional networks by PSPNC13. In addition, incorporate alternative learning and educational resources to enhance the value of each network, including webinars, articles and other meaningful information. This project has been put on hold while the national website is being rebuilt. Additional security features are needed to address a previous data breach with the prior Professional Networking tool.	VPAD
17.0	completed	In conjunction with the National Staff, develop and expand opportunities for Alumni to engage at National events, including the creation of Alumni-specific programming for attendees at National Convention. including webinars, articles and other meaningful information. An Alumni track was offered to attendees of the 2013 National Convention to provide Alumni focused training and collaborative opportunities. The 2013-14 academic year will also see the use of qualified Alumni volunteers who will be available to support regions with their conference planning.	VPAD, Staff
18.0	in progress	Increase opportunities for Brothers to advance their own personal development through expanded participation in events and project development. National Development Committee Members are invited to develop their own projects, with the support of National Council Members, that can be presented to National Council for consideration.	NP
19.0		Through targeted communication, encourage and promote gifting National Alumni Association memberships as Senior Gifts.	VPAD

Long Term Planning and Sustainability

Objective	Status	Description	Assigned to
1.0	in progress	Ensure adequate funding to support the growth and development of the Leadership In Action program in an ongoing, sustainable way. Explore all sources of funding including grants from the Phi Sigma Pi Foundation, and other external donors. Grant requests have been submitted to the Foundation to support this need.	VPF
2.0		Ensure adequate funding to support the growth and development of the Alternative Break Project in an ongoing, sustainable way. Consider methods by which the overall reach of the ABP can be broadened to include more participation from Fraternity and community members who are not on site during the project, and find ways to engage with past project participants and communities on a more continual basis.	VPF
3.0		In conjunction with Phi Sigma Pi Foundation, work to build an ongoing fundraising campaign in celebration of our 2016 Centennial.	VPF
4.0	ongoing	Ensure that long- and short-term budget and financial planning meets the immediate and future needs of the National Fraternity. 2014 budget approved fully funding key investment areas identified by Council. Budget also approves a major investment in online resources to produce stronger member benefits.	VPF
5.0	in progress	Develop a 5-year financial plan accounting for anticipated membership growth and expansion and providing a road map to allocate the appropriate staff and material resources. Review, revise, and update this plan annually as part of the comprehensive annual budget process.	VPF
6.0		Establish a clear methodology for growing and developing fraternity investment funds, considering the fund goals and charter restrictions, and creating an appropriate risk profile for each fund in conjunction with the Financial Investment Committee.	VPF
7.0	complete	Establish a review of the current method by which new Chapters are Chartered to see if changes are needed, and establish a long-term plan for expansion, taking into consideration factors such as school size, financials, etc. National Council has reviewed statistical data for the recent history of the Fraternity's expansion program, with input from the National Staff, to help align our goals for growth and allow the National Staff more flexibility to pursue quality leads. The National Council passed a policy update in late 2013 to address this.	VPCD, Council
8.0	in progress	As the Fraternity continues to grow, preparation for any future realignment of the current Regions, or the addition of new ones as needed, should be considered and a plan of action already in place. Region Expansion Plan should also be in conjunction with any long range plan for the expansion of the Fraternity as a whole. Due to the successful growth of the Upper Mid West Region the region will be split into the Upper Mid West and Eastern Mid West Regions to allow for more compactness. Plans are also in place to support the current Pacific Coast Region as growth continues in both the Pacific Northwest and California. All decisions to create or modify regions has been delegated to the National Staff.	VPCD, Staff
9.0	in progress	Increase and improve the utilization of undergraduate and alumni Brothers on national committees by providing more opportunities for Brothers, educating brothers on existing opportunities, and increasing the number of applicants and appointees to standing/ad-hoc committees. An ad-hoc 100th Anniversary Planning Committee, ad-hoc NRMP review committee, and an ad-hoc committee on inclusion were formed. There are currently 99+ Brothers serving on National standing and ad-hoc committees.	NP, VPPD
10.0	in progress	Increase data collection and analysis on programs and initiatives to allow National Council and National Staff to make more informed decisions. Information was gather via the Form 90 and the statistical reports for the eNewsletters. Feedback has yielded the technology investments over the 18 months. Data collection on attrition rates of Collegiate Members between semesters/quarters within the same academic year has provided better modeling for budgetary membership estimates. Expansion assessment and pre-colony campus scoring continues to provide more accurate predictions of a schools potential to sustain a Chapter. This has resulted in cost savings as well as significant reductions in unsuccessful colony attempts. Data is being collected to compare the time to approve Council minutes to support current transparency objectives.	NP
11.0	in progress	Provide leadership development opportunities that will allow more Brothers the ability to be well educated in National issues and pursue roles as national leaders within those areas of focus. Region Volunteer program, NDC programs.	NP

Responsive Policy and Process Review

Objective	Status	Description	Assigned to
1.0	in progress	Work with an ad-hoc committee to review and amend the Amnesty program to ensure it is effectively used by Brothers/Chapters. The committee was formed in 2012 and provided recommendations for updates to the program. Council is considering bringing another ad-hoc committee together following the 2012-13 academic year to take another look at the program.	NP, SVP
2.0	in progress	Create a master list of Chapter bylaws and Chapter Operating Policies to serve as examples for other Chapters to adopt. The C&CS Committee has collected various bylaws and COPs. The Committee will be working to organize them in the upcoming year.	SVP
3.0	completed	Form 20/20a & 21/21a review National Council approved a proposal that will only require the submission of the form 20/21 once for each Brother, significantly reducing the amount of work for the Chapter Secretary each semester/quarter.	NS
4.0	in progress	Review the national investigation process and prepare an investigation manual to be used by staff when conducting an investigation into a Brother/Chapter. Various investigation practices of similar organizations have been collected. Feedback has been sought from Staff, Council, and Chapters/Brothers who have been subject to an investigation	SVP
5.0	completed	Work with C&CS Committee to address known Constitutional issues and provide potential solutions to the GC via amendments and recommendations. C&CS Committee reviewed the proposed 2013 and 2014 amendments and provided the Grand Chapter with a report with any Constitutional or implementation concerns. C&CS also reviewed amendment submissions and provided feedback to help the submitting Member/Chapter to revise their amendments to meet policy best practices and to help their chances of being declared in order at Grand Chapter.	SVP
6.0	in progress	Review the National Operating Policy with C&CS Committee and make changes to ensure the document is comprehensive and constitutional.	SVP
7.0	completed	Work with an ad-hoc committee of undergraduate and Alumni Brothers to review and revise the National and Regional Event Risk Management Policy to ensure the policy adequately protects the brotherhood without placing undue burden on the brotherhood's activities.	SVP, VPAD
8.0		Revise the Awards, Scholarship, & Emblem Committee Manual.	NS
9.0	in progress	Move all remaining paper forms to online forms (e.g. Subrosa, DSK Nomination, Todd and Wood Scholarships.) This will be captured as part of a 2013-14 technology update approved by National Council.	NS
10.0	in progress	Creation of Strategic Communication Plan The National Council approved significant updates to the Communication Policy section of the NOP.	NS
11.0	in progress	Consider a more goal-oriented, qualitative approach to the Executive Director's performance review. Personnel Committee has proposed this to the Executive Director and will be implemented for the 2014-15 review.	VPF
12.0	in progress	Work with the Executive Director to identify strengths and weaknesses in our staffing structure, and to ensure adequate cross-training and succession planning. Staffing updates in FY 2013-14 has started to address these issues.	VPF
13.0		Review the HR Manual to ensure that policies are up-to-date.	VPF
14.0	in progress	Consider the need for revised employee contracts to ensure that the needs of Phi Sigma Pi are being met appropriately. Council and Staff have engaged our legal advisors to understand how to address this. Pennsylvania state law limits some options.	VPF
15.0	in progress	Ensure that appropriate financial controls are in place to provide oversight of financial transactions and accounting practices. Auditor recommendations have been implemented to address this objective.	VPF
16.0	in progress	Evaluate the accessibility of National and Regional Events to ensure all Brothers have a reasonable opportunity to participate. Focus on keeping event costs low and expanding attendance incentive programs and continuing to provide compelling event content. NP has submitted an amendment for 2014 Grand Chapter to address accessibility requirements.	VPF
17.0	completed	Formulate best practices for voting on initiates and communication with initiates. Voting and communication proposal passed to address these best practices.	VPMD
18.0	in progress	Conduct review of existing Alumni forms, manuals and petitions in an effort to streamline and update for current practices and procedures. Will be complete with the proposal of updates to the Alumni Expansion Plan.	VPAD
19.0	completed	The Personnel Committee shall conduct an assessment of the current Executive Director Review and provide recommendations for future improvements.	VPF