Indiana Acacia Strategic Planning

CommitteeOctober 2013 Proposal

Table of Contents

• History• Overview of the Committee and Goals• Core Values Defined• Revised Alumni Structure• Undergraduate Programming/Expectations• Capital Needs• Objectives Moving Forward/Next Steps• Timeline

Overview of the Committee and Goals

• The Strategic Planning Committee started by defining our core values and then determined what we needed to do in order to support/maintain those values.

• After a call for volunteers made via email and the website, the following members volunteered for service on the SPC. They are:

– David S. Baum (‘61)– Randolph Shoup, DDS (‘71)– John Dudeck, (‘75)– JT Forbes (‘86)– Jeff Lindauer (‘89)– Thomas J. DeRue, Jr. (‘95)– Matthew J. Cairns (‘00)

 

Overview of the Committee and Goals

• The SPC adopted a five pronged approach:

I.Core values definition

II. Alumni structure A. Indiana Acacia Alumni Association

B. Indiana Acacia Building Corporation

C. Indiana Acacia Board of Advisors, Inc.

III. Chapter organization

IV. Membership development program, and

V. Capital needs

VI. Timeline

 

I. Core Values Defined

• At the national level, Acacia has the core values of Virtue, Knowledge, and Truth. These must be woven into what we do as an individual chapter.

• We want Indiana Acacia to go beyond that level and we identified 3 Indiana Acacia Attributes which are:

• INTERGITY- which pertains to accountability, self- awareness, responsibility, and brotherhood.

• EXCELLENCE- which pertains to personal growth, emotional intelligence, scholastics, arts, etiquette, behavior, financial stewardship.

• HUMAN SERVICE- which pertains to diversity, community and campus involvement, philanthropy, and charity.

II. Revised Alumni Structure

• The revised Alumni structure to ensure success at the Chapter level will be:– Indiana Acacia Alumni Association, Inc.– Indiana Acacia Building Corporation– Indiana Acacia Board of Advisors, Inc.

Indiana Acacia Alumni Association, Inc.

• Responsibilities include:

– Collection and investment of alumni contributions to Indiana Acacia.

– Communications with alumni members on all matters affecting the active and alumni chapters.

– Hosting various alumni events (homecoming, Little 5, etc.) to “strengthen the ties of friendship.”

Indiana Acacia Building Corporation

• Responsibilities include:– All matters concerning the physical plant located at 702 E. Third

Street, including maintenance, renovations, and financial issues.

– Collecting rent payments from the undergraduates and in return will be responsible for the room and board of them.

– Setting rules and regulations regarding the safety of the residents and the preservation of the physical structure.

– The Corporation will have, by virtue of the new housing agreement, broad and plenary authority to remove any undergraduate who demonstrates conduct unbecoming an Acacian.

Indiana Acacia Alumni Board of Advisors, Inc.

• Responsibilities include:– The educational, guidance and supervisory role for the day to day functioning of the

members of the Chapter.– The Advisors will set the goals, values, activities, behaviors and general conduct that will

be required of the men of the Indiana Chapter. – Upon the recommendation of any member of the BOA, the BOA shall convene itself to

evaluate conduct unbecoming an Acacian with respect to any active member.– If at least ¾ of the members of the BOA who are Acacians find that the member

exhibited conduct unbecoming and Acacian, that member may be placed, in the sole and absolute discretion of the BOA, on probation (with a failure to correct resulting in expulsion) or may be immediately expelled from residence at 702 E. Third.

– Upon being expelled a recommendation shall be immediately forwarded to the International Council of Acacia Fraternity that the member be stricken from the Rolls of Acacia (Pin Pull).

Alumni Board of Advisors Position 1-President

• The overall position of authority responsible for the supervision and oversight of all other positions.

• The President will work directly with the Live In Chapter Advisor. The Live In Chapter Advisor will report directly to the Chair/Pres.

• This President is also responsible for accountability, standards, enforcement, compliance, rules, regulations, and judicial board

Alumni Board of Advisors Position 2-Membership Education

• This position is responsible for all facets of instructing the undergraduate members of how to be the “ideal Acacian” including:

– Implementing the Acacia Membership Development Program.

– Coordinating the required lectures mandated by the University.

– Monitoring and evaluating all student education and learning programs, and annual evaluations of undergraduate progress.

– Timely reporting to the University and utilizing the University resources to aid in the instruction and enrichment of the men of Acacia.

– Mentoring the Chapter in complying with the Rituals of Acacia and the execution of the various ceremonies pertaining to the rituals.

Alumni Board of AdvisorsPosition 3- Alumni Relations and Development

• This position will be filled by the President of the Indiana Acacia Alumni Association and will be responsible for:

– Coordinating fundraising for all efforts (House renovations, bike team, scholarship, etc.)

– Building a strong and complete alumni database

– Creating recognition and engagement programs to honor alumni

– Maintaining positive and rewarding alumni relationships

– Creating alumni externship and employment opportunities for all Acacians

– Creating events for alumni and undergraduate interaction

– Ensuring communications from the undergraduate about Active Chapter and Campus news.

Alumni Board of AdvisorsPosition 4- Recruitment

• This position will supervise the entire recruitment program for finding new members. They will do the following:

– Marketing for the Fraternity

– Develop a set of “Benefits of Being an Indiana Acacia”

– Create and execute the new member interview process

– Create and execute the new member screening process

– Supervise the invitation process

– Work with the University to identify potential candidates

– Work with alumni for legacy and referral leads

Alumni Board of AdvisorsPosition 5- Scholastic

• This position may be filled by a Non-Acacian (suggested faculty member from IU). This position is responsible for:

– Monitoring undergraduate scholastic progress in the University

– Identifying students experiencing scholastic difficulties

– Directing and monitoring academic assistance for struggling students

– Looking for study abroad opportunities for Acacia men

– Working with the University for opportunities for undergraduates

– Reporting academic/scholastic data to the Chapter Advisory Board

– Recognizing and celebrating scholastic/academic achievement

Alumni Board of AdvisorsPosition 6- Human Service

• This position may be filled by a NON-Acacia, and is suggested to be someone from the community involved in volunteer programming.

• This position is responsible for:– Establishing the Human Service, philanthropy, volunteerism of the house

– Identifying opportunities for volunteerism and community service with 2 to 3 primary fund raising/service projects per semester

– Assisting in the selection of the projects on a semester basis

– Monitoring the projects to completion

– Creating a network of volunteer opportunities

– Reporting on the achievements of the programs

Alumni Board of AdvisorsPosition 7- Building Corporation

• This position is filled by the President of the Building Corporation

• The duty of this position is to advise the Board of Advisors of the status of the physical house and land.

• This position will be responsible for any and all renovation, construction, or rebuilding plans the fraternity may select in the future.

III. Chapter Organization

• The following benchmarks will be applied in the evaluation of Active members and their continuing place at Indiana Acacia:

– House Involvement

– Community/Campus Involvement

– GPA

– Damage/Respect for Facility and Others

– Ritual Exemplification and Participation

– There will be a three year live-in requirement for all members

– Chapter officers must be Juniors or Seniors

• Failure to meet these benchmarks will result in discipline from the Board of Advisors, including expulsion and pin-pull.

IV. Membership Development • The program is based on a compilation of the best leadership literature in modern day business and social areas. The

program weaves into this multifaceted learning experience Acacia Cornerstones and the Acacia Pledge Manual.  

• The men of Indiana Acacia will have the most current and extensive leadership training of any fraternity in America. The training will include: 

– Personal Values Clarification

– Goal setting and achievement

– Responsibility, accountability, and Stewardship

– Listening and communication skills

– Conflict resolution

– Active creation of the house code of conduct

– Campus activism

– Social and interpersonal integrity

– Acacia Characteristics and attributes

– Interpersonal behavior skills

– Mentoring

– Academic excellence– Networking both socially and for business

 

IV. Membership Development

• This Membership Development program will help develop leadership attributes by:

– Creating a learning environment that is built upon the foundation of integrity, accountability, responsibility, values, and stewardship.

– The new Indiana Acacia is not for everyone. We will seek and will select only those men who have established, in action, those qualities that are consistent with our ultimate goal of grooming young men to become outstanding citizens of the world.

– The new Indiana Acacia will be the standard model and the example of "best practice" to which all fraternities will aspire.

V. Capital Needs

• We are focusing our immediate efforts on recruiting young men of promise and character that can return Indiana Acacia to a position of prominence on the campus of Indiana University.

• We realize that renovations will need to be done to make the living facilities as state of the art as the human leadership programming. We are actively working to deploy a fundraising feasibility study and campaign to identify our target fundraising amount, and the attendant renovations that can be made within that realistic target.

• The current note/mortgage on the House is in the amount of $457,100.64; paying this note off is a priority in any future fundraising calculation.

• The house is currently leased for a two year period. There is a clause in place to rent for an additional year , through Spring of 2016, if it is determined that is the best fit with our recruiting and fundraising goals.

VI. Timeline

• First formal recruiting: Fall 2015A number of factors led to this decision, including:

– No University restrictions on rush beginning Fall 2015.

– Another year of leasing the House provides additional money to fund startup and pay down debt on our return.

– The previous regime that led to this situation will be fully gone from campus

– More time for the dust to settle and for our reputation to recover

– Strong recommendation from other fraternities at IU who have gone through this process

– The preference of the National Fraternity and its leadership

VII. Your Involvement

• Pay your annual alumni association dues! ($65/year)

• If you can, contribute more than just the $65 -- every little bit counts

• Contributions in excess of $250 will be directed to our Acacia Fraternity Foundation Account and may be tax deductible.

• Be on the lookout for high school students with strong character and leadership abilities (Class of 2015 and beyond) and send us their names!

• Stay involved, engaged, and volunteer to help through the website: www.IndianaAcaciaAlumni.org