With the vast majority of campuses with Fraternity chapters closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some for the remainder of the academic year, many chapters have taken a different approach to their end-of-semester operations.
Operating with the support of their regional chapter support coordinators, Grand Praetors and Chapter Advisors, more than 90 percent of Sigma Chi undergraduate chapters have remained active with virtual chapter meetings, and more than 95 percent have continued executive board meetings via Skype, Zoom and other conferencing tools.
“Today’s undergraduates have acclimated quickly to using social media to stay in touch as well as to continue to address chapter business,” says Order of Constantine Sig and Regional Chapter Support Coordinator Larry Cukjati, PITTSBURG STATE 1975. “Each of our chapters are doing some sort of engagement via social media. The biggest miss is for our graduating seniors who had to vacate before being able to formally close the door on their chapter experience.”
As of April 21, more than 900 pledges are currently pending initiation, but almost each of them has completed the balance of their pledge training through virtual pledge meetings and the online Preparation for Brotherhood course work. Depending on state schedules and the reopening of states, initiations could be scheduled from late summer into early fall ahead of the fall semester recruitment cycle.
“Chapters have been very resilient in this change,” says Order of Constantine Sig and regional Chapter Support Coordinator Don McKinney, TULSA 1984. “Initiations are on hold, but chapters are chomping at the bit to celebrate the new class. Elections have gone on at chapters virtually without complaints . The men have adapted but are ready to meet more normal times.”
