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Phi Gamma Delta's Strategic Plan 2030: Honoring Our Values
Phi Gamma Delta's Strategic Plan 2030| Honoring Our Values
Phi Gamma Delta has a deep, rich history that is replete with worthy traditions. But it has not existed unchanged over its 174-year history. Instead of remaining stagnant, our fraternity has thrived by continuously evolving and adapting to the challenges it has faced throughout its history.
Our advantage today is that we have never been better equipped to understand the importance of fraternity and the positive impact the fraternity experience has on a man during his college years and throughout his life. From Gallup – the leader in research and analysis – to university faculty members, researchers have worked with fraternities to conduct studies which help guide advocacy efforts and enable fraternities to make data-driven decisions to meet the needs of today’s students. Studies over the past three years have shown that fraternities are an accelerator for success in college and beyond and create lifelong connection to the campus, community and friends, and that fraternity members experience stronger mental health than their unaffiliated peers (shown left).
Today, this positive impact is overshadowed by a narrative that depicts fraternities as out of control. While most of our members embody our stated values, our reputation is unduly influenced by the harmful behavior of a few members. We must change the negative fraternity stereotype by eliminating these harmful behaviors.
Phi Gamma Delta is built to respond with Courageous Leadership, and we are currently facing one of our most challenging Testing Points. Will we be the active, vital force for change that our founders envisioned? Or will we shrink from the challenge, cling stubbornly to practices that no longer serve us well, and wait for change to be forced upon us?
In response to this challenge, the Archons recently adopted four strategic objectives to position Phi Gamma Delta to thrive in the future. These objectives will energize our mission to “unite men in enduring friendships, stimulate the pursuit of knowledge, and build courageous leaders who serve the world with the best that is in them.”
Objective 1 | Eliminate Hazing & All Forms of Self-Destructive Behavior
Honoring the privilege and responsibility of building men, we must take additional deliberate steps to eliminate selfdestructive behaviors by some members. Over our history, Phi Gamma Delta has faced many challenges. Some of these challenges have been external, like world wars, economic collapse and pandemics. And some have been internal, such as hazing practices, sexual misconduct, alcohol misuse and other self-inflicted wounds rooted in resistance to change. Phi Gamma Delta is committed to ending those self-destructive behaviors that directly contradict our values through educational approaches, policies and other changes which better position us for the future.
Key Initiatives:
1. Deploy Innovative Approaches to Become a Phi Gam: We are rethinking our joining process – beginning with recruitment and assimilation of our newest members. The aim is to build relationships in a healthy and productive way and address the power dynamics associated with hazing.
Phi Gamma Delta is shifting the focus from what is traditionally known as pledge education through implementation of Foundation of Courage, a new-member orientation program focusing on building strong relationships. The shift in approach is complemented by other strategic objectives that adjust our approach to recruitment and overall undergraduate member engagement.
2. Promote & Strengthen Chapter- Level Accountability: Two core fraternity lessons are learning to work with others and holding brothers accountable. Phi Gamma Delta will continue to provide our newest leaders with the tools needed to be Courageous Leaders, challenging brothers to live by our values.
3. Strengthen the Graduate Advisor Role in Education & Mentorship: It can be difficult for undergraduates to accomplish positive change alone, so we provide support from our graduate advisors. The Fraternity will enhance the training and resources provided to our graduate advisors so they are best equipped to help our chapters succeed.
4. Engage Parents & Leverage Their Role to Promote a Safe, Positive Environment: We also recognize that we need more than graduate advisors’ influence to aid our efforts. We need parents actively engaged to reinforce our key messages that help their sons grow and mature.
5. Continue to Strengthen Education & Prevention Efforts on Alcohol Misuse, Hazing & Sexual Misconduct: The Fraternity will continue to provide education and resources, supplementing those tools available from our host institutions, that help undergraduates make smart decisions, particularly when it matters most.
Objective 2 | Enhance the Undergraduate Membership Experience
Phi Gamma Delta works continuously to enhance the undergraduate experience. We will continue to promote the positive impact of fraternity and maintain our efforts to Build Courageous Leaders, which is at the heart of the undergraduate experience.
Key Initiatives:
1. Develop & Implement a Resume- Worthy, Four-Year Leadership Program Based on Building Courageous Leader Principles: In our efforts to rethink the joining process and enhance the undergraduate experience, Phi Gamma Delta will soon fully launch the Built to Lead program. Built to Lead is a customizable four-year, multi-level development experience for all undergraduate brothers. It helps brothers build and strengthen skills necessary to become a Courageous Leader. The program is designed to develop brothers through every year of the undergraduate experience and launch them into the professional world as capable, experienced, and thoughtful leaders.
2. Promote Inclusion, Equity & Belonging to Increase Diversity Within Phi Gamma Delta: We live and operate in an increasingly diverse world. For Phi Gamma Delta, that diversity begins on the campuses from which our chapters draw their members. Our future success depends on our ability to appreciate and embrace equity, inclusion and belonging in our chapters, embodying our values of friendship and morality and creating an environment where all brothers, families and guests feel connected and respected.
Phi Gamma Delta’s goals are to: a) educate our undergraduates and graduate advisors on the value of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB); b) develop resources to help chapters achieve their goals; c) increase our transparency and communication on DEIB issues, and d) create organizational structures to support these efforts.
3. Create & Promote New Service & Philanthropy Opportunities for Chapters to Give Back to Their Campuses & Communities: Integral to promoting our value of service is growing brothers’ capacity to make a positive impact in their communities through consistent service and philanthropy. We will create and promote opportunities that can be quickly deployed to make a lasting difference.
The impact of giving back not only benefits those served, but also those who serve.
4. Anticipate Undergraduate Expectations & Respond Accordingly: Phi Gamma Delta actively seeks and measures what our undergraduate members want and need from their fraternity experience. We will provide tools to our chapters to meet those needs, adapt to changing expectations and thrive.
5. Support Improved Housing Standards Employed by House Corporations: We will continue to provide resources to house corporations to encourage a safe living environment, a supportive educational atmosphere, and a sense of fellowship. Through these efforts, our undergraduate members will take pride in their surroundings and enjoy an improved experience.
Objective 3 | Improve Volunteer & Organizational Effectiveness
With leadership changing annually in an undergraduate chapter, the consistent presence of graduate volunteers is essential. We firmly believe that the most important graduate volunteer position in the Fraternity is the Purple Legionnaire, the principal chapter advisor. However, the chapters that are consistently strong do not rely on just one graduate for advice but have a corps of engaged advisors. So that all volunteers are best positioned and equipped to support Phi Gamma Delta and its chapters, we will evaluate our volunteer structure and provide the resources and communications the volunteers need to be effective.
Key Initiatives:
1. Modernize Organizational Structure & Volunteer Roles, Responsibilities & Involvement to Accomplish Our Critical Goals: Phi Gamma Delta’s volunteer model has roots in our earliest days and has not been significantly modified in decades. The first step is to evaluate our volunteer structure and its key elements ensuring we are best positioned to accomplish our most critical goals.
2. Establish Mechanisms to Measure Volunteer Effectiveness: The Fraternity will measure graduate volunteer preparedness and effectiveness, making changes where indicated to better support chapters and ensure that the volunteer experience is fulfilling.
3. Improve Graduate Volunteer Communications About Critical Issues: Phi Gamma Delta is a volunteer-driven organization, served by graduate brothers who need to balance life priorities with volunteer duties. We are committed to timely and clear communications with volunteers on critical issues to help them stay informed, prepared and productively engaged.
Objective 4 | Strengthen Phi Gamma Delta With a Smart-Growth Philosophy
Growth is good; it is healthy; it is essential to a fraternity. Smart growth helps chapters attract members who are aligned with our values and who contribute to Phi Gamma Delta’s success. To grow smartly, we will utilize tools and information we have not had available to us in the past to propel Phi Gamma Delta in the future.
Key Initiatives:
1. Modernize Undergraduate Recruitment to Better Identify Quality Men: Too often, we see fraternity recruitment approaches that rely on “them finding us” and big events that are not suited to attract men who will make our chapters better. Such chapters then rely on the new member process to “weed out” men who should not have been asked to join in the first place.
A modern recruitment mentality is year-round, values-based, and objectively identifies men who meet the chapter’s high standards. It evaluates each man’s fit before a bid is extended. It establishes his relationship with the chapter, so members are ready and willing to accept him as a brother when he is invited to join.
Through implementation of this growth system, Phi Gamma Delta chapters will adopt a recruitment approach that: a) sets high standards for joining; b) works to identify men who are motivated to join for the right reasons; c) incorporates continued education and advisory support, and d) leverages technology, making recruitment more organized.
2. Target to Add Six New Provisional Chapters (Colonies) per Year Using Campus Criteria to Determine the Best Potential for Success: While it is important to continually grow the Fraternity by adding new chapters, this growth also should be smart, using our resources efficiently and preserving our reputation. Phi Gamma Delta will position itself for success by utilizing key campus criteria and being purposeful in evaluating expansion opportunities.
A healthy organization continuously evaluates itself and its environment and adjusts accordingly. The evaluations and accompanying changes described here are not a novel occurrence in Phi Gamma Delta. Throughout our history, we have adopted substantial changes to maintain our prominence and relevance. While many of those earlier changes were significant at the time, they did not alter or diminish the founding values that are timeless expressions of who we are. Those values are the foundation of this strategic plan and will guide us in our work to make a positive impact on our brothers and through them, on the world.
Foster Positive Mental Health: Members report higher levels of positive mental health and less depression or anxiety than unaffiliated members; Nearly 80% report excellent to good mental health & wellbeing
Are an Accelerator for Success: 83% of members are more confident in their leadership skills because of their membership; Fraternity alumni find jobs more quickly after graduation
Create Lifelong Connections with the Campus/Community: 78% of members feel a strong connection to campus and more satisfied with their experience; Members spend significantly more time volunteering, and they feel like they belong in their communities
Impactful Moments, Changes & Threats Throughout Phi Gamma Delta's 174-Year History:
• 1848 Phi Gamma Delta's Founding
• 1861 American Civil War begins (ends 1865)
• 1880s Section Chief role established
• 1898 Ekklesia governance structure adopted
• 1913 1st staff member, Field Secretary hired
• 1917 The U.S. enters WWI (ends 1919)
• 1923 'Grand Revision' of Fraternity laws & Ritual
• 1925 Purple Legionnaire position created
• 1929 The Great Depression begins (ends 1939)
• 1941 The U.S. enters WWII (ends 1945)
• 1945 PGD Educational Foundation founded
• 1949 1st Fiji Academy is held
• 1965 Period of campus unrest begins
• 1968 Fraternity laws amended to allow non-Christian, non-white members
• 1988 1st Risk Management Policy adopted
• 1994 Governance changes adopted
• 1998 Alcohol-Free Housing adopted
• 2006 Archons establish long-term growth & graduate initiatives
• 2016 Building Courageous Leaders launched
• 2020 COVID-19 pandemic begins
