Support For Colonies

At Phi Kappa Sigma, we pride ourselves on having a dedicated, hard-working support team that quickly assesses what the Colony needs help with, and mobilizes the resources and support to provide that help.

What support structure is in place for Colonies?

Expansion Committee

Our Expansion Committee is dedicated to cultivating interest groups into full Colonies, and helping Colonies attain Chapter status. Our support structure for interest groups and Colonies is shown below.
 
 
 

The Director of Chapter Services (paid International Headquarters staff) and Grand Theta(s) (alumni volunteers) oversee all expansion efforts for Phi Kappa Sigma. The Director of Chapter Expansion (alumni volunteer) is responsible for managing the two teams that help coordinate our expansion efforts: the Chapter Expansion team and the Colony Support team.

The Chapter Expansion team is made up of the Director of Expansion, an Assistant Director, Fratenity Headquarters, local alumni, and an undergraduate representative. The Expansion team's job is to cultivate interest groups into full Colonies, and help all interest groups meet pre-colonization criteria. This support will come through emails, phone calls, and personal on-site visits to work with the group.

The Colony Support team is made up of the Director of Expansion, an Assistant Director, Fraternity Headquarters, local volunteers, and an undergraduate representative. The Colony Support team's job is to make sure that all our Colonies achieve full Chapter status by meeting all chartering criteria. This support will come through emails, phone calls, and personal on-site visits to work with the group. The Colony Support team also helps manage the Colony Advisor(s), Housing Corporation Board, and any other alumni that are volunteering to help the Colony achieve Chapter status.

International Headquarters Staff

Our staff will visit your Colony at least two times per academic year. This visit will be intensive training to cover all aspects of Colony management. The consultant will work with you to assist in completing "The Challenge" and becoming a Chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma. Our consultant will also provide team building and motivational training with the group, which will increase your individual leadership skills and the success of the Colony.

How does Phi Kappa Sigma help its new Colonies succeed?

Resources

The Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity provides all materials needed for building a strong Chapter. These materials are provided to the Colony. Among the materials provided to each Colony member are a copy of our "Skull Sessions" book which teaches the history of the Fraternity, and a new member pin. Various officer manuals are also provided to assist in the training of Colony officers.

Upon chartering, we present the Colony with all Ritual materials needed for a Chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma. When the Colony is chartered the members will be initiated by International Headquarters staff, local Chapters, local alumni, and volunteers. Phi Kappa Sigma will supply each member with a member certificate and membership badge (the certificate and badge are included in the one-time initiation fee).

Leadership Development

Our Fraternity feels that a Colony must develop the skills of brotherhood and Fraternity management in order to insure steady growth as a Chapter. We focus our Colony activities around the development of these skills. These skills include financial stability, community service, academic excellence, and social responsibility. Our goal is continuity and stability for the Chapter in the years to come. As a result, we have developed our expansion program so that each Colony is thoroughly prepared for their life as an active Chapter.

Scholarship

We pride ourselves in having one of the best scholarship programs of any International Fraternity. Phi Kappa Sigma annually awards undergraduate scholarships of up to $5,000 each. Our total commitment to our members is met with these scholarships totaling over $40,000 per year.

Local Assistance

Furthermore, we will contact alumni in the area in order to recruit Colony Advisors who will work with the Colony. We also utilize our undergraduate Chapters as much as possible to provide help and guidance to new groups, as a "Big Brother Chapter." We strongly believe that undergraduates learn best from their peers, so we ensure that other local undergraduate Phi Kaps are involved in the Colony process to lend a helping hand, and train Colony members. Local alumni, volunteers, and International Headquarters staff will help facilitate these meetings to ensure that they go smoothly, and answer any questions Colony members may have.

One-on-One Assistance

Our International Headquarters is located in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. All Chapters and Colonies receive prompt service and support. We also have traveling consultants who can immediately provide guidance to our undergraduates.

For a more detailed look at our expansion process, please download and take a look at our Phi Kappa Sigma Expansion Guide.