Fraternity
More than 255,000 living members are the product of a story that has been building on itself since 1855 when seven college students found in themselves, and each other, an uncommon strength of character to pursue a dream — to enhance the leadership abilities of men by refining their character through the framework of Friendship, Justice and Learning — and pass that dream on to other young men who would carry it forward.
During our 164 years, Sigma Chi has initiated more than 350,000 men.
Sigma Chis have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, been honored with Academy Awards and have occupied the Oval Office in The White House.
Our members have also been pioneers in space, medicine, politics, law, education in business.
Our impact, however, is much more than the individual achievements of our members.
Today, through world-class educational member development curriculum that reflects the importance of self, others, action and community, our members, representing 237 active undergraduate chapters and 129 alumni chapters/associations/clubs are taking Sigma Chi values and making a difference on their campuses and our world.
From the moment prospective new members are presented a Norman Shield pin to wear upon their breasts, they are expected to meet a standard of values that have represented our organization for more than 163 years.
The standard set forth by Founder Isaac M. Jordan during his speech at the 15th Grand Chapter in 1884 provides a minimum set of requirements used by each chapter to evaluate new members before they are invited to pledge. 
The Fraternity requires that no man is admitted to membership in Sigma Chi who is not believed to be: A man of good character, a student of fair ability, with ambitious purposes, a congenial disposition, possessed of good morals, and having a high sense of honor and a deep sense of personal responsibility.
Utilizing the principles of Jordan’s standard, Sigs believe in a 365-day process of seeking the highest quality men on campus.
The Mission 365 program has given more than 13,000 undergraduate members a crash course in recruitment and leadership skills. It outlines the recruitment practices of the best fraternities and best companies in order to find and recruit the highest quality people to enrich their organizations.
Since its inception, chapters who have participated in the Mission 365 are two times more likely to recruit and produce a Student Body President or member of campus leadership.
Sigma Chis are committed to making life decisions based on our values. As an organization, we are firmly committed to ensuring the safety of our members from the moment they are recruited.
Upon initiation, Sigma Chi members are encouraged to further explore the history and values of our organization and use those values to shape and mold their life experiences. Through philanthropic events, community service and campus events, members give back to their communities and make a difference in the world.
Sigma Chis live according to a creed in addition to what is listed in The Jordan Standard. Written by George Ade, PURDUE 1887, the Sigma Chi Creed encourages brothers to “believe in fairness, decency and good manners,” “retain a spirit of youth,” and behave in a way that brings honor to the Fraternity and one’s chapter at large.
We believe leadership occurs when an individual builds a collaborative relationship with others in order to produce action or change for the good of the community. All of our actions as Sigma Chis are guided by our commitment to our values.
Programs such as Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop and the Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit provide chapter leaders and promising undergraduate brothers with an opportunity to develop and grow their personal leadership profiles.
Leaders from Sigma Chi’s undergraduate and alumni chapters spend three days each summer in discussions, presentations and problem-solving sessions at Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop. Officer and chapter-specific training creates an opportunity for undergraduates to undergo mentoring and strategic planning sessions to ensure improvement in their chapter operations throughout the academic year.
The Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit is a six-day leadership program located in Snowbird, Utah that annually trains 250 undergraduates across five weeks each summer. It pushes brothers to think and act differently, while becoming enduring and accountable leaders.
The program itself, impacting more than 2,000 brothers, has a demonstrated history in positively changing men’s lives to make a meaningful impact on both the Fraternity and the world at large.
Welcome to the Sigma Chi Chapter Map – This is the new way to navigate through the Undergraduate Chapters. To zoom you can scroll on top of the map or use the zoom buttons at the top right of the map. To see what chapter is at a pin, hover over the pin. To see more information about that chapter, click on the pin and it will open a popover.
Sigma Chi is a men's organization that allows membership based on a process implemented at the undergraduate chapter level called “bidding.” The process on each campus and within each chapter varies, but at its heart is an evaluation of potential candidates whereby existing members measure candidates against the Fraternity's minimum set of standards for membership, known as The Jordan Standard.
If a chapter's membership determines that the potential candidate is a good fit for Sigma Chi, the candidate should decide if Sigma Chi is a good fit for him. The commitment to being a Sigma Chi is a lifelong obligation and is not one to be taken lightly. Therefore, potential members should feel encouraged and welcome to ask any questions they may have before making the decision to join.
After the chapter offers a bid to a prospective member and the individual accepts it, the process of pledging begins. “Pledging” quite literally means that the individual is making a promise to live up to the standards of Sigma Chi, and constitutes a trial period for the potential member to try Sigma Chi out before making the full commitment required of lifelong membership. Upon the completion of the pledging process, the potential member is initiated into Sigma Chi by partaking in the Fraternity's Ritual.
The health of an organization is determined by the quality of its members. Knowing this, it is helpful to keep in mind that there are two facets of requirements for becoming a Sigma Chi. Firstly, a potential member must possess the qualities and convictions set forth in the The Jordan Standard, which ensures that men who are invited to pledge are worthy of membership. Secondly, potential members must meet the specifications laid out in the Fraternity’s Governing Laws.
Click here to view The Jordan Standard.
Sigma Chi, like many organizations, employs a probationary period for its prospective members before their initiation into full membership. This period, called pledgeship, serves to educate a potential brother about the Fraternity before he decides to join. During pledgeship, men develop and enhance their interpersonal skills through involvement in all aspects of chapter life. They interact with other pledges, undergraduate and alumni members, and develop as leaders in the community.
Sigma Chi enforces a zero-tolerance policy for hazing and cultivates an atmosphere that supports personal growth and leadership development. To read more about the pledge program, click here.
Do you know a student who would make an excellent Sigma Chi? Recommend him by completing this form.
At the 2006 Grand Council, Sigma Chi voted on and passed a policy by which non-students may become initiated members of the Fraternity. This is an opportunity for men of good character who may not have had the opportunity to become an initiated member of Sigma Chi. An individual previously found unsuitable for membership is not eligible, but any other males may learn more about non-student initiation opportunities by downloading the information packet here.
