Beta Theta Pi - University of Texas

Page 2 a professor from UT called and asked if I'd like to come back to Austin. I told him that I was interested, but we'd have to negotiate some important issues. He asked if I was talking about salary, but I responded that my main concerns were parking and football tickets." Jim is optimistic about the return of Beta Omicron to UT and reuniting with alumni from the Chapter. "I look forward to maintaining contacts with Fraternity brothers and would love to see a strong Beta Chapter back on campus at UT in the near future. The environment for fraternities has changed over the years, and the rules and expectations for the students are much more challenging. Nevertheless, UT is a big university with around 50,000 students, and I think there is still a place for fraternities on campus to provide some continuity of relationships and to instill a sense of responsibility. E-mail: jim.dyer@mccombs.utexas.edu Jim Dyer '66 Looks Forward to Beta Omicron's Bright Future (Continued from page 1) T he Men of Principle initiative was founded in 1998 as a way to revitalize the brotherhood and bring the Fraternity back to its core values and principles. National leaders engaged alumni and undergraduate members alike from across the country to develop new recruiting and leadership practices that aligned with the organization's ideals: • A five-person (minimum) trained and active advisory team • Alcohol-free recruitment • Commitment to a 100% hazing-free pledge program This philosophy was drastically different from most fraternities' membership programs at the time. The General Fraternity recognized that the success of Beta Chapters relied upon the concept of self-governance and personal responsibility. Each new Chapter and Colony was encouraged to take ownership for developing their own customized annual plan and to select resources and participate in programs offered by the General Fraternity based upon the unique needs of their own Chapter's culture. Since then, the Fraternity has seen significant improvements in all areas of fraternal life. Beta now holds the highest GPA of all fraternities at 3.193, up from 2.8, and has the highest average Chapter size of 73 men, compared to 48 previously. There has also been a large increase in alumni participation; each Chapter averages seven regular advisors, increased from two before the program was released. With more than 50 Chapters recolonized under the Men of Principle initiative, Beta is once again a relevant, strong presence on college campuses across the country. SUCCESSFUL RECOLONIZATIONS Texas Christian University Founding fathers: 79 Founding father's GPA: 3.62 7-person advisory team University of Illinois Founding fathers: 58 Founding father's GPA: 3.4 7-person advisory team University of Arkansas Founding fathers: 92 Founding father's GPA: 3.4 11-person advisory team University of Michigan Founding fathers: 45 Founding father's GPA: 3.62 8-person advisory team MEN OF PRINCIPLE INITIATIVE STRENGTHENS FRATERNITY Core Values and Principles Emphasized during Recruitment For more information on Men of Principle, visit betathetapi.org. Beta Omicron Launches Alumni Relations Program U pon graduating from UT, we all leave Beta with high hopes of keeping our fraternal bonds intact. Unfortunately, we quickly find that many new interests—careers, families, and civic activities— can create valid diversions. The day-to-day activities of life take over and, before long; we fall out of touch and begin to wonder what happened to our brothers. Beta Omicron is committed to sharing the success of the Chapter and future recolonization and allowing alumni to tell their Beta experiences. There are several elements that are key to the program's success. We will mail two newsletters each year containing alumni news, information on upcoming events, and reports on the recolonization. Once a year, will we send out a biographical update that allows alumni to update the information we have on record. In fact, we've received many updates already! Altogether, the updates are a vital tool in maintaining our records and our ties with one another. We are always interested in hearing from you, so if you have any suggestions, alumni news, or ideas for articles, please submit them to Texas Beta Student Aid Fund of Beta Theta Pi, P.O. Box 442100, Lawrence, KS 66044-2100.

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