Sigma Phi Campaign – A Case for Support

T F A R D

COMMON BONDS UNCOMMON LIVES A Campaign for Sigma Phi A New Vision of the Small Residential Experience at Cornell University

“No human institution lives long unless it fulfills a human need.”

– Elihu Root 2019 – 2021

Sigma Phi Society.

A home on the Hill.

Our home on the Hill.

Since 1890.

Built upon the foundation of an intimate, communal experience at Cornell University, Sigma Phi Society is now reflecting on its association with an antiquated “Greek” identity to envision and then create a bold, new small living-learning community that enhances the undergraduate academic, leadership and social experience.

What if we could conceive of and create a place at Cornell that inspires personal growth?

A place where inquisitive students of character come together and the best in each flourishes?

A place that launches young adults on a journey that makes the most of their college years and their lives? A place that retains the essence of all that is good about our Society, acknowledges its best qualities, and enhances the undergraduate experience beyond what we’ve previously imagined?

This fellowship has as its goal nothing less than repairing the word “fraternity,” reinventing the idea of home on a college campus, rebalancing the notion of citizenship within the construct of leadership, reanimating the central role of tolerance and true diversity on campus, and recreating the whole undergraduate experience at Cornell and elsewhere.

We can do this – and more.

We deliberately choose to value the finest of Sigma Phi’s legacy and of its proven model, while rejecting those practices and attitudes that are neither conducive nor necessary to create a place that brings out the best in the student-scholar and global citizen.

This is Sigma Phi for this millennium.

2

THE QUESTIONS* 2015 February The governing board of Sigma Phi at Cornell University – the Epsilon Association – approved a strategic planning process to create a vision of Sigma Phi for the coming decades. The 18month project included (1) reviewing academic research, popular press and topical publications, (2) assessing the collegiate environment at Cornell and on other university campuses; (3) identifying successful initiatives in scholarship and program houses nationwide; (4) interviewing and surveying alumni, students, and academic and administrative thoughtleaders; and (5) creating a document that formed the basis for alumni deliberation and a framework for a leadership retreat.

1) What could the stellar small, residential campus experience that enhances academics, social, leadership and career look and feel like?

2) What kind of place would encourage a lifetime commitment to Cornell, alumni engagement, and philanthropic and personal support?

3) Which programs will engage students, alumni, and the campus community and then attract the best of Cornell students and inspire alumni connection?

4) What facilities are needed to house such a program and create the singular residential experience at Cornell?

2017 August A retreat was held at the Ridgefield, Connecticut home of Jay and Eileen Walker. Joined by Cornell senior staff and Sigma Phi national representatives, thirty alumni discussed and debated a new vision of the small residential experience that redefines the undergraduate experience at Sigma Phi and perhaps even for Greek Life at Cornell. Guided by the “Appreciative Inquiry” process, participants identified the best of the present organization and broad aspirations for the future.

2019 March Based on the core principles (page 7) that have sustained the chapter for over a century, the directors approved the strategic plan and the quiet launch of a capital campaign to raise funds to complete the restoration of One Forest Park Lane, add an addition to the south, and create innovative programs enhancing the undergraduate experience and alumni engagement.

“When students are asked to recall the defining moments in their college years, moments that led to real gains in understanding and self-knowledge, they are more likely to mention happenings outside of the class than memorable lectures or sudden insights in a seminar.”

– Derek Bok

3

MISSION + VISION Mission

Vision

To enhance the undergraduate experience by fostering intellectual and personal growth in a stable, respected, and mentoring environment within a stellar, intimate, and diverse residential facility at Cornell University.

To identify, nurture, and inspire future leaders who contribute to industry, community and Cornell.

Built upon a century of cherished tradition, student leadership, and devoted friendships, the future Sigma Phi will provide a select number of Cornell students a singular opportunity that enriches their brief but transformative time on campus. This unique experience gives them the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in their academic and professional pursuits and to contribute to their community, family and world.

– Epsilon Association Directors (2006)

Sigma Phi seeks to integrate and enhance the Cornell undergraduate experience through living, learning, and leadership elements wholly unavailable elsewhere at Cornell or, perhaps, elsewhere in American higher education.

Based on a compelling set of core principles, the program envelops students in a social fabric, a kind of surrogate family, in what could otherwise be a fairly sterile, alienating experience in one or more disconnected Cornell “silos” (one’s major, sports teams, clubs, and the like).

Through a comprehensive undergraduate experience – in formal classroom settings and informal peer-to-peer interactions, during the academic year and in recess periods, involving both members of Sigma Phi and nonmembers – students gain opportunities for personal growth and self-development which complement and transcend the atomistic, goaldriven, achievement-oriented aspects of a Cornell education.

4

SIGMA PHI @ CORNELL lovingly restored through the talents of Sigma Phi architects, the stewardship of the students, and the philanthropic investment of our alumni.

The Sigma Phi has had a proud and enduring presence at Cornell since the chapter’s founding. It was conceived as an intimate residential community, but with a much greater ambition than the traditional social Greek house. Sigma Phi’s philosophy and mission have sustained its values, ensured its health, and enhanced its contribution to Cornell and to the lives of its student and alumni members.

Its first home at 1½ Central Avenue was sold to Cornell in 1929 when the university built its new law school.

Relocated to One Forest Park Lane (1FPL) on the homestead farm of university founder Ezra Cornell, members have flourished for eight decades in this classic Tudor-styled estate that has been preserved and

Since 1965, the Oliphant (and now Tanenbaum) Distinguished Speakers Fellowship has brought dignitaries to campus who share a public event on campus and private discussions at Sigma Phi. The members have had intimate conversations with luminaries such as Muhammed Ali, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Prime Minister Edward Heath, Leroy Neiman, Phyllis Schlafly, Sarah Weddington, Isaac Asimov, US Senator Bill Bradley, Kurt Vonnegut, William Shatner and Nobel laureate Elie Weisel.

Alumni engagement with the chapter and with Cornell University has been a hallmark of Sigma Phi. From the university’s board of trustees to governing bodies of Sigma Phi to annual and campaign philanthropy, alumni have demonstrated their loyalty and passion for Sigma Phi and Cornell, driven not just by nostalgia, but a desire to create a superior educational experience for this and future generations of Cornell students.

“Fraternities promote intellectual and social development, active participation in community service, and a special home at Cornell where people develop lifelong friendships. The University’s Greek system is an integral part of the Cornell experience.”

– Hunter R. Rawlings III Former President, Cornell University

5

From ACTIVES to ALUMNI# The seminal 2014 Gallup/Purdue Report, Fraternities and Sororities: Understanding Life Outcomes, details the enhanced benefits to Greek members in their satisfaction with college and their well-being as graduates.

Those who are members of Greek organizations had better survey outcomes. “We learned that graduates who were ‘emotionally supported’ and had ‘experiential and deep learning’ during college were much more likely to be engaged in their work and thriving in their well-being later in life. These crucial insights have already changed the conversation across the country about what matters in the student experience during college when it comes to longterm outcomes as a graduate.”

Members of fraternities and sororities, not surprisingly, are significantly more likely to strongly agree they were extremely involved in extracurricular activities. It turns out, they are also more likely to report being emotionally supported and having experiential and deep learning.

Additionally, college graduates who were members of fraternities are more likely to be engaged in their work and thriving in all five elements of wellbeing (purpose, social, financial, community, physical) compared with graduates who were not fraternity or sorority members.

Anecdotally, Sigma Phi alumni have mirrored this well-being, success, and satisfaction through their work, service, and citizenship. Sigma Phi alumni are also deeply engaged as volunteers and philanthropically supportive of Cornell and their communities.

Success is measured in every sense of the word.

HAN

HARRISON

ODDLEIFSON

ANDINO

CORNELL

HARDER

LEFKOWITZ

DRYDEN

TANENBAUM

JOSEPHSON

PATTERSON

ORTHWEIN

NEHER

D’AGUILAR

JULIAN

SHAFER

MANJANATH

GRIFFITH

JAFFE

FLACK

MORRIS

KELLER

MUNDAY

SCHLESINGER

De SOLA

PERKINS

NAVAS

GARCIA

PARNALL

KAESTNER

“There it was, there it is, the place where during the best time of our lives friendship had its home and happiness its headquarters.”

– Wallace Stegner Crossing to Safety

6

TENETS of SUCCESS + While it appears that every fraternity lays claim to being “unique” in some manner of operations, demographics or values, Sigma Phi is recognized broadly for a set of operating principles and philosophies that have allowed it to flourish over the decades.

The past prosperity and impact of Sigma Phi rested upon the application of these tested principles; the strategic plan unequivocally reaffirms they should be renewed and refreshed, continuing to guide Sigma Phi in the future.

The challenge of the strategic plan and of this philanthropic campaign is to expand and develop each of these principles, recommitting to their implementation among students, alumni, parents, and Cornell administration and staff.

Then and Now: The Core Principles of Sigma Phi at Cornell 1) Thoughtful recruitment and onboarding of an intimate, diverse class.

2) Extended residential experience providing peer-to-peer mentoring and friendships across all academic years.

3) Dynamic programmatic elements that enhance the educational, academic and leadership experience for students with a connection to and impact on the broader Cornell community 4) Active alumni (adult) involvement in governance, philanthropy, and engagement with students and fellow alumni.

5) Robust financial position that provides a sustainable operating model, superior facilities, and meaningful engagement.

Photo credit: Dan Alonso C’84

Man’s mind, once stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions.

– Oliver Wendell Holmes

Strategic Focus for a New Sigma Phi To succeed in the execution of the strategic plan, the students, board and alumni must commit to engagement and support of the following initiatives: • Mission and vision (leadership, service, scholarship, creativity) • Student recruitment (marketing, recruitment, orientation, induction) • Member programs (academic, leadership, service, health, career) • Alumni engagement (mentoring, professional, personal, governance, philanthropy) • Physical facilities (social, academic, entertainment, programmatic, residential)

7

WHAT’S IMPORTANT? Embedded into the values, mission, and activities of living at Sigma Phi will be a set of elements that build student character, leadership and citizenship that members may serve Sigma Phi, Cornell, their families and their community for a lifetime. Beyond the importance of a thoughtful recruitment process that considers diversity of ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, the Campaign for Sigma Phi ensures that the activities and opportunities as members of the Society enhance the academic, leadership, and intellectual experiences of the undergraduates.

The program initiatives proposed in the strategic plan serve these ends. And while all students have the opportunity to grow and engage in these areas, there is a special reward and impact in sharing these learning and development experiences with a consistent and longlasting community.

Almost all these initiatives will have alumni engagement where the knowledge, experience and wisdom can be shared with the current students on campus, off-campus and, through technology, remotely.

New programmatic initiatives will grow organically based on student and alumni interest, societal influences, and financial support. The design and purpose of these programs will take into consider these objectives and topics: v Intellectual and Cultural Inquiry and Curiosity v Leadership and Self-governance v Achieving Diversity and Embracing Tolerance v Active Adult Involvement v Connectivity and Sustained Relationships v Community Service and Philanthropy Photo credit: Dan Mansoor C’76

Without friendship and the openness and trust that go with it, skills are barren and knowledge may become an unguided missile. – Frank H. T. Rhodes

v Healthy Lifestyles and Habits v Personal Ethics, Community, and Citizenry v Professional and Career Preparation

8

SOLUTION = 1FPL

Programs

Addition

FUNDRAI$ING GOAL 1FPL$2,500,000

Programs $1,000,000 $3,000,000

Addition

$4,000,000 $4,500,000 $5,000,000 $5,500,000 $6,000,000 $6,500,000 $7,000,000 $7,500,000

The intended campaign goal is $6.5 million for current facility restoration, a new addition to the house, and programmatic funds. Announcement of a public goal will be withheld until the quiet phase of the campaign is completed by spring 2020.

There is a detailed restoration project list for 1FPL. Peter Flynn (Flynn Battaglia Architects) has been engaged to produce required renderings and layouts for the addition to the south of the current building. Cornell University facilities staff and the university architect are partnering with Sigma Phi. The academic and leadership programs will be implemented as funding, student and alumni interest, and administrative support are available, starting as early as the 2019-2010 academic year with the Tanenbaum Distinguished Speakers Fellowship, alumni networking, and summer fellowships.

Gifts will be processed through Cornell University and receive class, reunion and University campaign credit, and are also eligible to receive tax deducibility to the extent allowed by law.

Campaign gifts are payable over one to five years.

10

1FPL

$2,500,000

For 85 years, the home of Sigma Phi at Cornell has been at the foot of Library Slope on the historic site of Ezra Cornell’s farm, land he bequeathed to New York State – securing the Morrill Land Grant of 1862 and ensuring the future of one of the world’s premier universities.

Over one thousand students have passed through the portals of One Forest Park Lane and embarked on personal journeys that reach far beyond the Ithaca campus, influencing their lives, friendships, families, professions, and communities.

We are asking the alumni to shape and usher in the future of Sigma Phi by investing in this still magnificent facility and innovative ideas for the singular small residential experience at Cornell University.

While annual alumni support has provided for the maintenance of the house – particularly the public spaces on the main floor – much work is need to fully restore these rooms to their original state.

Staying true to the architectural integrity of the house, the walls, floors and halls will be restored and refinished, and, as needed, new furniture will be purchased and damaged furnishings will be repaired.

Period lighting will also be restored.

The exterior of the house – brickwork, patio and windows – will be repaired and improved. New landscaping will complete the outdoor esthetic.

“We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.”

– Winston Churchill

Funds will be used for the renovation of the bathrooms, halls, floor and walls, fixtures, and the refurbishment of all the bedrooms on the upper floors.

Each bedroom will also be provided with appropriate standard furniture leaving personal decoration and minor furnishings to each student’s taste.

Standardized, permanent desks, beds and chairs will reduce damage to the bedrooms and reduce the personal expenses borne by students who otherwise must purchase these items.

11

Programs $1,000,000

The competitive advantage and strategic benefits of Sigma Phi’s investment in dynamic and inspiring programs include enhanced recruitment of students, a more fulfilling college experience for members, higher loyalty to alma mater, and greater satisfaction and success in career and life.

The strategic plan endorses the idea that graduates who had “experiential and deep learning” during college were much more likely to be engaged in their careers and thriving in their well-being later in life. This type of learning occurs when students experience long-term projects taking a semester or longer, internships where applied learning occurs, or extreme involvement in extracurricular activities and organizations.

To support this, Sigma Phi is proposing a variety of funded programs based on interests of the students and support from alumni.

Sigma Phi students have benefited from a variety of philanthropic funds that have shaped the character, stature and spirit of the Epsilon:

• • •

Fellowships Courses Mentoring Networking Philanthropy

v v v v v v

Summer Research Fellowships Living–Learning: In-House Academic Course The Sigma Phi Leadership Institute Alumni-Student Mentoring and Advising Sigma Phi Community Philanthropy Fund Individual Class Retreats

(a separate list of suggested program investments is available from campaign volunteers)

James Norris Oliphant Distinguished Speakers Fellowship Lawrence and Judith Tanenbaum Speakers Fund Najib Canaan Summer Research Fellowship

• • •

Viele Scholarship Fund Gilbert Scholarship Fund Sigma Phi Tradition Scholarship Fund

12

Addition

$3,000,000

The idea of an addition to the original 1933 building has been discussed wishfully for a decade and a half. Renderings by Peter Flynn in 2006 sparked the imagination of the Epsilon Association directors. With a strategic need for more student residence rooms, an academic classroom, audio/visual communication, and an executive-inresidence extended-stay suite, the time is ripe to act.

The extension to 1FPL would be to the south towards Campus Road on land already contracted to the Epsilon by Cornell. The building esthetic would mirror the current building and interior spaces would also echo the style and materials of the original construction.

Access on the main floor would be to the left of the living room fireplace as well as on both residence floors and the basement. An ADA accessible entrance would be positioned on the southeast corner of the original building. An elevator would allow access to all floors.

To encourage philanthropic participation, the campaign has provided various tasteful, modest naming opportunities at 1FPL. A plaque recognizing transformative gifts will be placed in the chapter house during the rededication of 1FPL.

v v v v

The Tower Suite (executive-in-residence extended-stay rooms) Named Theater and Tech Center (classroom, alumni/interview teleconferencing) Named Library and Seminar Space (academic programs, study and meeting space) Never Forget – Alumni Memorial Wall

(Photos are for illustrative purposes only)

13

WHY NOW? Cornell’s leadership, like those on others campuses across the country, seeks to redefine the future of campus fraternities, Greek Life, and the small residential experience.

While the Epsilon Association board began a thoughtful strategic planning process as a proactive responsibility and stewardship of the Cornell chapter, it became apparent that a sense of urgency was also driving our efforts to rethink, reimagine, and recreate the concept of Greek life.

Today’s college students face pressures, challenges, and opportunities different from those of previous generations. Mental health, career and behavior concerns drive private and public discussions.

As we shared our vision with the Cornell administration, they enthusiastically agreed to partner with Sigma Phi, advising us in this plan while considering strategic, administrative and financial support to make this vision of the small residential experience a reality.

A Statement from Cornell University Greek Life has been a vital and robust part of the Cornell landscape, dating to the first months of university operation in autumn of 1868.

Cornell's first president, Andrew Dickson White was a strong promoter of fraternities as a means of teaching self-governance to young students. An enthusiastic member of Sigma Phi (Geneva College) – and perplexingly, several other fraternities – he believed in its intrinsic value to members and the university.

While fraternities also served a functional role when 19th century colleges often provided little or no student housing, in the century since, fraternities seem to have catalyzed passions both in support of and opposition to their perceived mission, values and operations.

to be

d e v o r app

Cornell University’s Division of Student and Campus Life has been an inclusive partner with Sigma Phi Society over the past few years, lending expertise, ideas, and feedback to the Society’s strategic ambitions. We have been at the table and observed, with admiration and optimism, the creation of a blueprint for Sigma Phi if not all Greek Life at Cornell.

We are pleased to acknowledge our support and our endorsement of the Sigma Phi Strategic Plan to create a quintessential small residential experience at Cornell. In addition, we applaud the effort to execute a comprehensive philanthropic effort to preserve their historic One Forest Park Lane home, create new programs to enhance learning, and build facilities to serve all the functions of this new Sigma Phi. Cornell University will commit a variety of institutional resources to ensure the success of this bold initiative. We encourage all Sigma Phi alumni – loyal and distinguished Cornellians – to support the capital campaign with passion and generosity. We view our and your investment in Sigma Phi as an investment in Cornell’s future as well.

Dr. Martha Pollack, President Ryan Lombardi, Vice President Student and Campus Life

14

IMPACT! One can argue that Sigma Phi – the institution, its students and its alumni – have had an inordinate impact on Cornell, industry and community. At a minimum, we can be proud of the deep camaraderie of past and current members. A love of our brethren, a loyalty to Cornell, and a devotion to Sigma Phi continues to influence and shape our lives.

While fraternity member leads to great wellbeing in life, more satisfaction with their college experience, and greater loyalty to alma mater, membership alone is not sufficient. It is the content and quality of the experience that is critical.

On Students If not for our campus affiliation with Sigma Phi and extended residency at One Forest Park Lane, our Cornell experience would echo that of so many other students who nomadically move from place to place – dorm to apartment – each year of their undergraduate experience. Our true “sense of home” gave us the security, comfort, belonging, and emotional support that allowed us to fearlessly explore all that the university had to offer. This campaign provides this opportunity for future classes.

“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.”

– E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web On Cornell From volunteer positions among classes, clubs and colleges to the pinnacle of service on Cornell University councils and boards, Sigma Phi alumni have given back to their alma mater and, in distinct and measurable ways, shaped Cornell. A recent study revealed that Sigma Phi alumni contribute $18 to Cornell for each generous $1 given to Sigma Phi.

STUDENT CORNELL COMMUNITY

The Oliphant and Tanenbaum programs have altered the Cornell experience, sponsoring events that are part of the individual and collective memory of alumni and part of the annals of Cornell’s history.

On Community Finally, as proven by generations of those who passed through the portals of Sigma Phi and carry with them profound experiences and cherished friendships and memories, the broadest impact of Sigma Phi has been to shape the world beyond the Ithaca campus.

Sigma Phi’s impact on students of Cornell demonstrates a legacy of leadership to industry, service to community, and devotion to family and friends. There can be few better testaments to the worthiness and appropriateness of our ambitions and aspirations for Sigma Phi at Cornell.

Yours in the Bonds, The Campaign Steering Committee

15

Oliver Ewald ’91 Campaign Steering Committee, Chair (617) 306-6527 oliverewald@me.com Bob Berstein ’97 Epsilon Association, President (917) 327-6460 berstein@gmail.com Glenn R. George ’85 Epsilon Association, Vice President (President-elect) (215) 620-0355 ggeorge001@yahoo.com

Campaign questions and assistance:

Daniel Mansoor ’79 Campaign Counsel GoodWorks Group, Inc. (917) 974-2325 dan@goodworksgroup.com www.goodworksgroup.com

S I G M A

P H I