Chapter and Associate Chapter Accreditation

All Chapters and Associate Chapters should use the one-semester Accreditation Rubric this year. Accreditation requirements for Spring 2021 have been altered to reflect changes due to COVID-19. The rubric for Spring 2021 consists of requirements only from the preceding semester; this is a change from prior years.

• Accreditation Rubric Spring 2021

For your reference: The following one-year Accreditation Rubric is provided for your information only, so that you can appropriately prepare for the future. Do not use this Rubric for your Spring 2021 submission.

• Full Year Accreditation Rubric (example only)

All Chapters and Associate Chapters should utilize the following forms and sample documents for your Accreditation submission. These have been provided by the Accreditation Committee and will provide you with guidance for exactly what information to provide in your submission. Ritual related items will be made accessible to Chapter Officers via email.

• Chapter Advisor Letter: Download
• Chapter Advisory Board Template (Excel): Download
• Chapter Demographic Form: Download
• Chapter Verification Letter: Download
• Event Form: Download
• Greek Advisor Letter: Download
  • This document is to be completed only by your institution’s Director of Greek Life, or equivalent
• Chapter Roster Template (Excel): Download
• Semester Goals Template: Download
• Yearly Goals Template: Download
• Risk Management Policies and Procedures: Download
• Required Document Checklist (Excel): Download
• Ritual Documents: These will be provided to Chapter Officers via email

Chapters receive a score within each Pillar, as well as an average score. To be awarded One Star in a Pillar, the Chapter must complete ALL requirements in the One Star section for that Pillar. Chapters cannot achieve Two Star or Three Star status in a Pillar without first completing the One Star requirements. For a Chapter to be awarded Two Stars or Three Stars in a given Pillar, the Chapter must then also complete a designated number of additional “best practice” objectives. In each Pillar, there are more of these objectives than needed to attain Three Star status (with the exception of Risk Management for Spring 2021).

A Chapter’s cumulative score is calculated using the average number of stars earned across each of the nine Pillars and the number of Pillars in which the Chapter receives Zero Stars.

Number of Zero Star Pillars and Average of All Scores are limiting factors for each other when the calculations for Final Chapter Designation are performed.  This means that Chapters will receive the highest designation for which both corresponding achievements are met.  Take, for example, the results from hypothetical Chapters A through C below.

The deadline for the Spring 2021 Accreditation submission is Sunday, May 2, 2021, by 11:59 pm local time. Late submissions will be penalized.

All Chapters and Associate Chapters will upload their documents to this Dropbox folder. Please submit your documents in one single file labeled with your Chapter’s name; separate documents will not be accepted.

As part of the Spring 2021 Accreditation process, Chapters and Associate Chapters must submit their recruitment goals for the yearly/semesterly goals. Submitting these goals is necessary for a Chapter to be considered a one-star Chapter in Chapter Operations and submissions of Recruitment Goals are necessary to be considered a one-star Chapter in Recruitment and Growth. Your can submit your Chapter’s goals via this Dropbox link.

There will be monthly two roundtable discussions concerning Accreditation this semester. You can register here for the Zoom webinar on Tuesday, February 9, at 7pm Eastern, or register here for the Zoom webinar on Wednesday, February 17, at 7pm Eastern.

The Ten Pillars of Chi Phi’s Accreditation Program are:

1. Recruitment and Growth
2. Financial Management
3. Risk Management
4. New Member Education
5. Total Membership Education
6. Ritual
7. Alumni Relations
8. Chapter Operations
9. Scholarship
10. Community Relations

More information about each Pillar can be found in the Accreditation Rubric.

Accreditation submissions are scored by an independent panel of volunteers recruited by the Accreditation Committee, which is also comprised of volunteers. The panels includes both Chi Phi Brothers and Friends of Chi Phi. They are able to take an independent, unbiased look at sections of each Accreditation submission which aligns with their areas of interest, expertise, or profession (for examples, we may ask an accountant to review the Financial Management Pillar or one of Chi Phi’s Goliards to review materials under the Ritual Pillar).

Chapters receive a score within each Pillar, as well as an average score. To be awarded One Star in a Pillar, the Chapter must complete ALL requirements in the One Star section for that Pillar. Chapters cannot achieve Two Star or Three Star status in a Pillar without first completing the One Star requirements. For a Chapter to be awarded Two Stars or Three Stars in a given Pillar, the Chapter must then also complete a designated number of additional “best practice” objectives. In each Pillar, there are more of these objectives than needed to attain Three Star status (with the exception of Risk Management for Spring 2021).

A Chapter’s cumulative score is calculated using the average number of stars earned across each of the nine Pillars and the number of Pillars in which the Chapter receives Zero Stars.

Number of Zero Star Pillars and Average of All Scores are limiting factors for each other when the calculations for Final Chapter Designation are performed.  This means that Chapters will receive the highest designation for which both corresponding achievements are met.  Take, for example, the results from hypothetical Chapters A through C below.

The deadline for the Spring 2021 Accreditation submission is Sunday, May 2, 2021, by 11:59 pm local time. Late submissions will be penalized.

All Chapters and Associate Chapters will upload their documents to this Dropbox folder. Please submit your documents in one single file labeled with your Chapter’s name; separate documents will not be accepted.