In the summer of 1988, Delta Sigma Pi hosted its first modern era Leadership School—designed for collegiate and national officers to develop leadership skills and provide knowledge about the Fraternity. Workshops included chapter management, leadership and communications dynamics, collegiate and alumni chapter counseling, time management and exploring the roles within the Fraternity’s leadership structure.
In 1989, the Fraternity Board approved an Educational Master Plan to create long-term educational programming for the Fraternity. Prior to this time, most educational programming occurred at regional and area conferences conducted by then Regional Directors. Inconsistencies in messaging and programming were a challenge and created the desire and necessity for more structure and uniformity of education and training. Officer Training Schools (OTiS) and Leadership Schools helped bridge the gap by offering national educational programming around the country so there were opportunities for all to attend. The first OTiS, offered in 1990, was “designed to help Fraternity and chapter officers develop and enhance their chapters individually and the Fraternity as a whole.” In odd-numbers years, an OTiS was available prior to Congress with additional events offered around the country throughout the fall.
The Educational Master Plan approved by the Board in 1989.
In 1994, the first Ultimate Leadership Academy was conducted. Evolved from the earlier Leadership School, this was created to train students to become business leaders who have a long-range vision founded on the universal principles of ethics, service and personal integrity. The Academy provided participants with the necessary skills to understand and apply their own unique leadership potential. Brothers would define their own personal goals and learn how to engage their goals to become a more productive student, leader and citizen. These Ultimate Leadership Academies were held in Oxford and eventually evolved into our participation with the National LeaderShape Institute® – and later with Succeed Faster and the Professional Fraternity Association Leadership Academy.
In 1999, the Leadership and Excellence Academies for Deltasigs (LEAD) program was the new face of our educational endeavors for collegiate and alumni members. LEAD events focus not only on fraternal development, but also professional, personal and leadership development skills. Tracks originally aligned with our Purpose and have evolved over time to hold true to our Purpose, mission and values. Five LEAD Schools offered each fall and five LEAD Provincial Conferences offered each spring offer a wide array of workshops to help build better chapters and business leaders. A change from prior events, the LEADs were (and are) held at hotels in cities vs. on college campuses.
Along with national events such as LEAD, E-learning and webinars are available to Deltasigs 24/7 on a variety of personal, professional, leadership and chapter operations topics. Additionally there are some great educational programs offered by chapters around the country to help further the Fraternity’s mission of education – including the Career Prep Day hosted annually by the St. Louis Alumni Chapter and the professional programs hosted by Atlanta Alumni Chapter.
And now, a new program is in development to be rolled out in January 2019 focusing on chapter presidents! The President’s Academy will be an annual weekend event to empower chapter presidents to understand their special leadership position by providing them with specific education to improve their leadership skills and networking with their provincial and national counterparts. Similar programs are utilized by a number of fraternal organizations as an avenue to give chapter “CEOs” the opportunity to receive leadership skill development programming to ensure success for both themselves and their chapters. Many details are yet to be determined and communicated about the event, but will be coming soon.
Funding from the Delta Sigma Pi Leadership Foundation has helped support these programs over the years and continues to do so into the future with support from our members and friends of Deltasig.