The purpose of the Chapter Minimum Standards program is to establish shared expectations between Randolph-Macon College and its inter/national fraternities and sororities which have chapters functioning on its campus, and to explain the mutual benefits and responsibilities which the relationship between these organizations entail. This document will be used to aid the chapters in their efforts to improve in such areas as member education, community service, philanthropy, and social responsibility.
This statement of expectations should help chart a course for the continued development of RMC’s fraternity and sorority community as a positive contributor to the academic mission of the College. The current edition will not be found to be the concluding or perfect solution, but rather another step in the ongoing enhancement of fraternity & sorority life at Randolph-Macon College.
Chapter Minimum Standards Process
Fraternity and Sorority Recognition
Fraternities and sororities exist to complement and promote the pursuit of academic excellence and the development of character, to enrich the personal lives of their members, to enhance the ability of their members to function effectively in society, and to expand the range of activities and programs available to the campus community. The inter/national organizations represented by local chapters on the RMC campus share the values and goals of the College. The College expects a high degree of personal and corporate responsibility to maintain a campus atmosphere that is conducive to teaching, learning, and positive personal development.
Membership in a fraternity or sorority provides opportunities for students to broaden their educational experiences while at the College, and it also offers students an option that can enrich and supplement their organizations and the contributions they can make to the life of the College. To achieve such aims, there are several governing principles that characterize the formal relationship of these groups to the College:
The College invites inter/national fraternity and sorority organizations to grant a charter for the existence of a chapter at the campus and may also withdraw that invitation.
The College grants the Inter-Fraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, and National Pan-Hellenic Council the responsibility to serve as the governing bodies for the recognized fraternities and sororities, respectively.
The Inter-Fraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and each fraternity and sorority are ultimately accountable to the Director of Student Life, the Dean of Students, and the Vice President for Student Affairs, who have the authority and responsibility to enforce College regulations.
College policies and regulations apply to fraternity and sorority residential life and activities.
Fraternities and sororities are expected to maintain their facilities and environments in a way that reflects positively on the chapters and the College. Each chapter will be held accountable for damages to said facilities and included furnishings.
Each chapter is expected to fulfill all stipulations from the previous year’s organization review by the dates indicated on the report.
Confidentiality and Records
All information submitted by a chapter to the Student Engagement Center will be kept confidentially and not shared with anyone outside of the organization or College Administration without the written permission of the international headquarters, chapter advisor, and/or chapter president. The Chapter is expected to keep duplicate copies of all submitted information for their own records.
Student Engagement Center Support and Institutional Responsibility
The Student Engagement Center is dedicated to supporting organizations to meet the recognition requirements and achieve these Chapter Minimum Standards targets. Toward that end, the Student Engagement Center will provide the following as resources permit:
Programming
Incorporate educational and training programs to acclimate new members to the fraternity and sorority community and communicate expectations and aspirations of fraternity and sorority membership.
Deliver leadership programming, as consistent with all other student organizations at Randolph-Macon College, to provide organizational leaders with vital skills and knowledge.
Guidance and Accountability
Advisement, support, and guidance for the governing councils, Order of Omega, and other community initiatives, as appropriate.
Support for individual organization success, in partnership with the Dean of Students Office.
Review annually of chapter recognition and evaluation of achievement of the Chapter Minimum Standards Agreement.
Resources
Liaise with individuals to other campus offices that may assist chapters in providing programming and developmental opportunities for their members.
Communicate with advisors and inter/national headquarters regularly as partners in the fraternity/sorority experience.
Share programming, outreach, service, and philanthropic opportunities throughout the year.
Promotion and Recognition
Recognize chapters who are meeting or exceeding target areas, as well as implementing improvement plans to support those who are not.
Advertise the collective accomplishments of the community, as well as individual initiatives, as appropriate.
Annual Assessment and Reporting
Upon the completion of the annual assessment, the Director of Student Life will submit a written audit report on each chapter to the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students, the local chapter President and primary chapter advisor, and the respective inter/national organization of each Randolph-Macon College chapter.
Based on the assessment of the annual report conducted once each academic year, Director of Student Life shall make one of the following recommendations to the Dean of Students Office concerning each chapter:
Commendation and no concerns Recommended when a chapter has completed the Chapter Minimum Standards Agreement and gone above and beyond CMS.
Good Standing Recommended when a chapter has completed all or the majority of the CMS Agreement and has no major areas of concerns in chapter operations.
Good Standing with Recovery Measures Recommended when a chapter has completed the majority CMS Agreement, but there are significant areas of concern in chapter operations.
Warning with Recovery Measures Recommended when a chapter does not complete a majority of the CMS Agreement and there are areas of concern.
Suspension Recommended when a chapter does not complete the CMS Agreement for a second year or the stipulations provided in the first report are not met by the date listed in the original report to the chapter.
Chapter Recovery Measures Recovery measures are intended to provide support and guidance for chapters that are not meeting most of the targets in one or more of the focus areas. The following table provides an overview of the action a chapter should expect:
Target Deficiency
Accompanying Status
Corrective Action
Deficiency in 1 – 2 focus areas
Good Standing
Chapter is provided suggested areas of improvement in the annual report provided by the Student Engagement Center at the end of the academic year.
Deficiency in 3 focus areas
Good Standing with Recovery Measures
Chapter made insufficient progress toward minimum standards, but the chapter remains in good standing. The chapter is provided recovery measures by the Student Engagement Center in the annual report at the end of the academic year.
Deficiency in more than 3 focus areas
Warning with Recovery Measures
The chapter made insufficient progress toward minimum standards and, barring other information or context, is issued a warning. The chapter is provided recovery measures by the Student Engagement Center in the annual report at the end of the academic year.
Deficiency in more than 3 focus areas in consecutive years with no improvement.
Suspension
Chapter made insufficient progress toward minimum standards and must participate in a conversation with the Director of Student Life, Vice President of Student Affairs, and/or Dean of Students. Following the conversation, the aforementioned administrators will determine the status of the chapter moving forward in partnership with Chapter Advisors and Headquarters Staff. College recognition may be withdrawn, or specific requirements may be presented. Failure to meet those requirements will result in loss of recognition.
Materials will be accepted for the Annual Review until Sunday, May 9, 2027, at 11:59pm ET.
Godfrey Smith Chapter of Excellence Award Process
The annual Godfrey Smith Chapter of Excellence Awards process will be completed every spring following the deadline in this document. Any submissions beyond the stated deadline are not considered for this award at the Omicron Delta Kappa Student Leadership Awards ceremony. All decisions will be based on the information submitted during the year for the Chapter Minimum Standards Agreement.
The Godfrey Smith Chapter of Excellence Award will be presented to any and all chapters that meet the following criteria:
Fully and successfully completed at least seven (7) of the nine (9) Focus Areas in the Chapter Minimum Standards program by the Awards deadline
A 3.0 or higher cumulative chapter GPA for the Fall/January Term Grade Report
20 hours of service per member logged and approved by the Awards deadline
$1,500 or more philanthropy dollars raised or $25 per member by the Awards deadline
Only materials received by Monday, April 5, 2027, at 11:59pm ET will be considered for Award Recognition.
Standards of Excellence Focus Areas
1. Excellence in Advising
Every chapter shall have at least three (3) advisors selected from the alumni/ae body living in the area. These advisors should be actively involved in the life of the chapter in its efforts to comply with its requirements to the inter/national organization and to the College.
Moreover, as consistent with all registered student organizations at Randolph-Macon College, every chapter shall have an advisor selected from the RMC faculty or staff. This individual should be prepared to be actively involved in the life of the chapter in its efforts to promote the benefits of fraternal membership among the faculty and aid the chapter in addressing campus concerns.
Fraternities and sororities are most successful when they employ sound financial practices that reflect stewardship and create transparency. As a result, members are able to evaluate their membership experience and return on investment. Chapters must provide their organizational financial requirements for active members, new members, insurance, and their total chapter budget.
Every chapter is required to keep up-to-date records of its initiated members and new members to ensure that all its members are in good standing. Any changes in membership must be documented in the BUZZ within seven (7) days of the change and communicated accordingly with the Student Engagement Center.
For continued good standing at the College, every chapter is expected to know and observe the regulations of their inter/national organization. Copies of pertinent reference documents should be kept on file by each chapter. The organization may demonstrate through member education program reports that chapter leadership has adequately educated all members about relevant issues in fraternity and sorority life as outlined in the education section of this document.
Every chapter shall have at least one visit a year by a representative or volunteer from the inter/national organization to evaluate the health of the chapter. The visit shall include a visit with the Director of Student Life or their designee at minimum. If such a visit is not possible, an acknowledgment detailing the chapter’s relationship with the inter/national organization will suffice.
Fraternities and sororities are most successful when they maintain positive and supportive relationships with chapters across the fraternity and sorority governing councils at Randolph-Macon College. The College believes that fraternities and sororities should, when appropriate, maintain recognition, collaborate with and actively participate in their respective governing council.
Chapter is recognized by and maintains good standing with a governing council
Method of Reporting: SEC Reports
Deadline: End of Fall and Spring
3. Excellence in Academic Achievement
Members of the fraternity and sorority community at Randolph-Macon College will strive for excellence in their academic endeavors. Organizations will provide support for the academic achievement of chapter members to ensure their individual and collective intellectual development and academic success. Furthermore, chapters are to annually develop and submit a copy of the chapter’s Academic Achievement Plan to the Student Engagement Center. The Chapter Academic Achievement Plan should include the following at minimum:
Section 1: Academic Remediation How the chapter assists members to improve their GPA
Section 2: Academic Maintenance How the chapter assists members to maintain their GPA
Section 3: Academic Recognition How the chapter rewards members who excel academically
Section 4: Release for Academic Conflict Policy of the chapter on releasing individuals for academic conflicts with chapter activities
Section 5: Academic Requirements Detail the inter/national GPA requirement to hold office, receiving invitation to members, be initiated, and remain in good standing.
Additionally, the chapter will achieve an all-chapter grade point average at or above their peer group (e.g., all-male or all-female, all-council, and all students) average each semester.
Fraternities and sororities flourish when they maintain an active and positive relationship with their respective alumni and graduate chapters. Chapters will annually develop and submit a plan for alumni engagement that includes:
Section 1: Communication and Outreach How the chapter communicates and conducts outreach to alumni
Section 2: Programs and Events The variety of programs, events, and other opportunities for alumni to remain engaged in organizational life
The College believes that fraternities and sororities should discover and implement opportunities for alumni and graduate chapter members to remain involved in and informed of chapter activities. The following standards will be used to evaluate each chapter’s progress toward excellence in alumni engagement.
5. Excellence in Recruitment and New Member Development
The purpose of recruitment is to present fraternity and sorority life to Randolph-Macon College students who are not affiliated with a fraternal organization. The recruitment efforts of Fraternity & Sorority Life should include as many students as is reasonably possible who desire to affiliate, should be open and honest, and introduce prospective members to all phases of a chapter’s activities. In addition, fraternity and sorority recruitment efforts should emphasize the personal and financial responsibilities, including housing obligations, that membership entails. The College does not require that every student who enters the recruitment process be guaranteed an invitation to membership. However, the College stipulates some policies and programs to make inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness the operative function of recruitment. The following standards will be used to evaluate each chapter’s progress toward excellence in recruitment.
Each chapter will submit a written Recruitment/Intake Plan by September 15, 2026 (or February 15, 2027 for chapters with deferred recruitment/intake) that will outline, at minimum, the following:
Section 1: Academic Standards for Recruitment Chapters will affirm their commitment to maintaining academic standards for Recruitment. Chapters must not extend bids that are below their inter/national GPA requirement, their council requirement, or the College required minimum of 2.0. The highest standard will take precedence. Chapters and councils may set standards higher than current standards at any given time and are encouraged to do so.
Section 2: Primary Recruitment/Intake Plan The Chapter will outline its recruitment goals and process for the primary recruiting/joining period each semester.
Section 3: Continuous Open Recruitment Plan Randolph-Macon College embraces the philosophy of Continuous Open Recruitment and allows for chapters to take new members at any time they are determined to be eligible in a manner as outlined by the chapter, the governing council, and RMC. Chapters are encouraged to recruit new members during the time that classes are in session. The requirements regarding initiation will start from the date of bid acceptance.
Section 4: Recruitment Rules Chapters will articulate their intent to abide by the rules for recruitment or intake as established in the Inter-Fraternity Council, College Panhellenic Council, NPHC, and/or Student Engagement Center as applicable.
Each Chapter will develop and submit a New Member Education Plan to be implemented by the chapter during the fall and/or spring new member period. A copy of the new member education plan must be submitted to the Student Engagement Center by September 15, 2026. For chapters who defer recruitment or intake until the spring semester, the plan submission may be delayed until February 15, 2027. The purpose of submitting this is to ensure that each chapter has a current new member education program as well as to offer suggestions for improvement.
The Plan should contain at the very minimum:
Section 1 – Headquarters Sanctioned Education Sessions Section 2 – All New Member Requirements Section 3 – A Community Service Project Section 4 – Attendance at SEC/IFC/CPC New Member Education Section 5 – Academic/Employment Excuses Policy Section 6 – 8-Week Joining Process Maximum
All chapters will complete their new member education program and complete the initiation ceremony for all new members within eight (8) weeks of bid-day extension. Only the Student Conduct Administrator or their designee can allow a chapter to extend their new member education period beyond eight (8) weeks.
*Note: Throughout the new member education period, new members are not permitted to be engaged in fraternity/sorority activities past 11:00pm.
Deadline: September 15, 2026 (or February 15, 2027 for chapters with deferred recruitment/intake)
Chapter Follows all Recruitment/Intake Rules
Method of Reporting: SEC and/or Council Reports
Deadline: End of Fall and Spring
6. Excellence in Education and Learning
Fraternities and sororities at Randolph-Macon College will enhance their members’ individual and personal development by providing high-impact experiences and learning opportunities. These activities should promote leadership, self-awareness, teamwork, critical thinking, cultural competence, creativity, and intellectual growth. The following standards will be used to evaluate each chapter’s progress toward excellence in education and learning.
Each chapter is required to provide programming for members in the following categories:
Adam’s Law Current Member Hazing Prevention Training*
Sexual Misconduct**
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
Belonging and Wellbeing
Healthy Relationships**
Career and Personal Development
Chapters may and are encouraged to conduct additional programs which will be counted toward awards and recognition. Chapters must have at least 75% of their chapter in attendance for the program to count toward the Focus Area requirement. Additionally, programs may only count towards one standard (i.e. no “double-counting”).
*-Adam’s Law Current Member Hazing Prevention Training requires 100% chapter attendance for the program to count. It is required pursuant to Adam’s Law, as passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2022.
**-Approved programs as noted only include those programs shared and promoted by the Student Engagement Center (examples: Beyond First Vibe, Title IX Training, etc.). Any other programs that may meet one of these education and learning requirements must be pre-approved by either the Director of Student Life, or, at their discretion, the Coordinator of Well-Being and Health Promotion at Randolph-Macon College to receive credit.
Adam’s Law Current Member Hazing Prevention Training
Fraternities and sororities at Randolph-Macon College will foster leadership development within their members throughout all stages of their academic career by providing and encouraging meaningful experiences locally and inter/nationally. These activities should promote integrity, responsible and ethical decision-making, and setting an example for others. The following standards will be used to evaluate each chapter’s progress toward excellence in leadership development.
At least one chapter member will attend at least one inter/national organization leadership event each year. This may include but is not limited to officer trainings, ritual academies, national conventions/conclaves, or other national/regional events.
Chapter officers will attend all required SEC and/or council leadership trainings as they are scheduled.
Chapter executive boards will conduct an officer transitions retreat. This retreat may be in-person or online. An advisor (chapter advisor, faculty/staff advisor, or an SEC Staff Member/Advisor) or an inter/national headquarters staff member should attend the retreat.
The RMC Student Leadership Conference is held each academic year. At least three (3) current chapter officers at the time of the conference are expected to attend the retreat each year, with a preference that as many members attend as possible.
Attend one Inter/national Organization leadership event each year
At least three (3) current officers attend annual RMC Student Leadership Conference
Method of Recording: SEC Reports
Deadline: May 9, 2027
8. Excellence in Health and Safety
Members of the fraternity and sorority community Randolph-Macon College shall comply with risk management policies set forth by the College and their inter/national organization. Fraternities and sororities have a responsibility to create and maintain safe, constructive, and positive spaces for their members and guests. When individual members commit breaches of College regulations or public laws, they are accountable as individuals to the respective authorities. When fraternities and sororities are found in violation of College regulations, they are subject to the same student conduct processes as individuals and to appropriate sanctions. In some instances, both individuals and organizations may share responsibility for a violation of College policy. The following standards will be used to evaluate each chapter’s progress toward excellence in chapter health and safety.
Pursuant to the Code of Virginia and “Adam’s Law” as passed in the 2022 Session of the General Assembly of Virginia, the College provides hazing prevention training to potential new members, new members, current members, and advisors of student organizations with new members. Potential new members are expressly prohibited from joining a selective membership organization (e.g., a fraternity or sorority) without satisfactory completion of in-person hazing prevention training by a campus professional.
Fraternal organizations will sponsor one alcohol-free social event per academic term of the academic year at RMC, not including the January term. These events should be social in nature and not used for service/philanthropy or recruitment programs. These can be co-sponsored events with other fraternal organizations or other registered student organizations.
Each chapter will follow the guidelines of the RMC Student Conduct Code and social host responsibility policy, as determined by the Dean of Students Office.
Each chapter with a residential facility must adhere to Residential Policies and Procedures as outlined in the Student Handbook. Chapter facilities will be inspected periodically throughout the academic year by Student Engagement Center staff. Chapters that repeatedly are not meeting satisfactory standards for their facility and/or do not adhere to Residential Policies and Procedures will be considered for loss of special interest housing for no less than one (1) academic year.
Chapter members will be provided with training in social event hosting and risk management annually. Chapters must have 100% of their members satisfactorily complete risk management training in the manner prescribed by the Student Engagement Center prior to hosting a social event with alcohol.
All new members are trained in-person by a campus professional in hazing prevention education prior to receiving a membership bid
Method of Reporting: SEC Reports
Deadline: Prior to Bid Extension
Chapter hosts one alcohol-free social event per semester
Method of Reporting: SEC & Student Conduct Reports
Deadline: End of Fall and Spring
Chapter observes all Fraternity/Sorority Residential Policies and Procedures (as applicable)
Method of Reporting: SEC Reports
Deadline: End of Fall and Spring
Chapter completes Risk Management Training
Method of Reporting: SEC Reports
Deadline: End of Fall
9. Excellence in Community Service and Philanthropy
Members in the fraternity and sorority community will participate in activities that allow them to become positively engaged in and give back to their local, state, national, and global communities. This includes involvement in community service, service-learning, and philanthropic activities. The following standards will be used to evaluate each chapter’s progress toward excellence in civic engagement.
Each fraternal organization will sponsor a community service project each term (Fall and Spring) of the academic year. Reports of all community service projects are due within seven (7) days of the event. Campus clean-ups are excluded from counting towards the service project standard. However, individual hours from those types of events may still be logged on the BUZZ.
Individual Chapter Members will log all service hours on the BUZZ during the reporting period.
Each fraternal organization will plan and execute at least one philanthropic project during the academic year. Reports of all philanthropic projects are due within seven (7) days of the event.
The chapter will participate in community service and philanthropic activities sponsored by the governing councils that are classified as “All-Council” service or philanthropic events. Chapter participation in both “The Big Event” and “Macon a Difference Day” each year will meet this requirement as well.
Chapter will sponsor at least one service event per semester
