Sign in and grab a handout (one per

chapter) at the table at the back of the

room ☺(if you’re attending as a substitute, write the name and email

address of the person who manages SOFE for your chapter)

What is SOFE?

Standards of Fraternal Excellence Training

Why are you here?● Understand why we have the Standards of Fraternal Excellence Program

● How we use SOFE information and why it is important

● Breakdown of all the minimum expectations

● How to submit documentation

● Challenges during the 17-18 academic year

● Best of all the tips and tricks

● What happens if…..?

What else do you want to make sure we cover?

Why do we have SOFE in the first place?

● External Program Review & Benchmarking of other SEC

and Top 25 Sorority & Fraternity Communities

● Additional layer of accountability and expectation

● Holding ourselves to a higher standard

● Aligning our organizations with the mission of the

University as well as our inter/national organizations

How is SOFE Information Used?

● Annual reports distributed to Chancellor,

UT System President, Provost, and

Alumni

● Used to advocate for community during

important meetings (ex. TN Legislature,

UT Board of Directors, etc.)

● Shared with local and regional advisors

and national Headquarters

● Positive community news sharing

through social media

Breakdown of Minimum

Expectations

● Scholastic Advancement

● Civic Engagement

● Member Development

● Administration

Scholastic Advancement

1. Maintain at minimum a 2.5 semester average GPA for the fall and spring academic

term

2. Maintain at minimum a 2.5 semester average GPA for the newest member class

during their first semester in the organization

3. Provide a written document that outlines a comprehensive scholarship program.

Program should describe individual member academic requirements, incentives,

programs, and academic goals. Inter/national scholarship programs used by

organizations may serve as this documentation

Civic Engagement

4. Log an average of 10 hours of community service per member in the organization

each academic year

○ How is this going? What barriers are you facing?

○ How are you currently tracking service?

○ How to track service through CLS

○ What constitutes service?

5. Coordinate one fundraiser or philanthropy event each year

Track Your Hours The following activities CAN be logged for service hours:

• Tutoring

• Service-learning activities that take place outside of the classroom

• Providing pro bono professional and/or medical services

• Volunteering at a hospital, animal shelter, childcare facility, or other educational and non-profit agencies

• Bipartisan political activities (i.e. working a voter registration drive)

• Service opportunities within the CLS

The following activities CANNOT be logged for service hours:

• Any activity for which you received payment or compensation

• General student organization/club activities (i.e. tabling, recruitment events)

• Fundraisers

• Court ordered or sanctioned service

• Leadership positions held within organizations or campus departments

• Philanthropy (i.e. Greek Life philanthropic events)

*Hours must be tracked within 30 days of the service

VOLServe – Monthly Service Days

• Monthly service coordinated by the CLS and Leadership and Service Ambassadors

• Spring VOLServe Dates are:

• February 22nd, 2:00 – 5:00 pm

• March 8th, 2:00 – 5:00 pm

• April 13th, 9:00 – 12:00 pm

Sign Up to serve calendar

To find service opportunities request by our community partners, visit the Sign Up to Serve

Calendar at any time!

CLS Contact Information

▪ leadserve@utk.edu-- sign up for our newsletter!

▪ Twitter: @leadserveutk

▪ Facebook: facebook.com/centerforleadershipandservice

▪ Instagram: @leadServeutk

▪ LeadServe.utk.edu

▪ 865-974-1039

▪ New Student Union, Suite 193 (SAME AS OSFL!!!)

Questions?

Member Development

6. Have a representative at all required OSFL meetings

7. Have a representative at a headquarters sponsored (regional or national level)

leadership/skill based meeting or training

8. Coordinate one alcohol free program per academic year with a fraternity or sorority

from another council

9. Coordinate one alcohol free program or event per academic year with either (1)

another registered student organization not recognized as a sorority or fraternity

within the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, or (2) a campus department

Member Development (continued)

10. Coordinate OR attend a risk management program once per academic year

○ Inter/national organization programming

○ Center for Health Education and Wellness – alcohol/drugs, sexual health, or

sexual assault prevention programs

○ Office of Conduct and Community Standards – policy presentations

○ UTPD – safety, active shooter and self-defense presentations

11. Coordinate OR attend a program which focuses on diversity once per academic year

11. Friday Email Updates

12. Check the Campus Events Calendar

13. Cross Council Exchange*

14. Think outside the box

11. Example: Pi Kappa Phi/Ability Experience/Student Disability Services

Administration

12. Update VoLink campus student organization registration each semester

● https://volink.utk.edu/

12. Turn in your accurate chapter roster each semester

13. Meet with OSFL Coach twice a semester

The majority of my chapter can’t attend an event

that we want to use for SOFE. What can we do?

If the requirement states that you must coordinate or attend an event, you can

fulfill it by doing the following:

● Send a few representatives from your chapter to the program

● Representatives must attend the program and take notes

● Representatives will create discussion questions for the chapter

● During meeting, representatives will share what they learned and lead the chapter in

discussion.

● Return notes and discussion questions to OSFL contact

○ When you submit it, you must document that this discussion happened

How to Submit SOFE Documentation

● Visit the Standards of Fraternal Excellence (SOFE) page on our website○ Link: https://gogreek.utk.edu/standards-of-fraternal-excellence-sofe/

Documenting Programs & Events

● Ways you can document:○ Pictures

○ Program Content/Discussion Outline

○ Flyer/Social Media Graphic

○ Attendance sign-in sheet - on website

○ Email/GroupMe/Text screenshots verifying

coordination

○ Notes from presentation

● Submit early!

Documenting Philanthropy Dollars/Items

● You can create multiple submissions for philanthropy○ Document throughout the year

● Provide estimated dollar amount for items donated○ Example: $1 per can from canned food drive, 500 cans donated = $500 worth of cans

● Must provide documentation that the money/items were donated○ Copy of check

○ Thank you notes

○ Screenshot of transaction

Examples of Excellent Documentation

For 2018-2019, would need documentation that the items were donated*

Examples of Excellent Documentation

December Philanthropy Dollars April Philanthropy DollarsFebruary Philanthropy DollarsJanuary Philanthropy Dollars

Examples of Excellent Documentation

Risk Management/Department CollaborationHQ Sponsored Training

Challenges from this past year….

● Community Service○ Logging things that are NOT actual community service

○ Members forgetting to log hours

● Attending or Coordinating an event focused on

diversity○ Chapters not aware of how to incorporate diversity education

■ We have tips for that!

○ Chapters not aware of events going on that focus on diversity

■ We have resources for that!

● Chapters simply forgetting to document anything for

SOFE

SOFE Tips

● Use programs/events that you already have planned○ Programs required by inter/national organization count!

● Resources○ Find other organizations with similar interests by searching VoLink

○ Visit studentlife.utk.edu for a list of potential departments to collaborate with

● Double Dipping and Triple Dipping

● PLAN AHEAD! Don’t wait til the last minute!

What happens if...

● Levels

○ Standards of Fraternal Excellence Organization

○ Developmental Level

○ Warning Level

○ Unsatisfactory Level

● Accountability

○ Why our organizations exist in the first place

○ Holding ourselves to a higher standard

Ask for help when you need it!

What other questions do

you have?

Standards of Fraternal Excellence Training