Sigma Phi Epsilon - Drake University

Winter • 2018 e Carlson Leadership Academy (CLA) provides interactive officer training to more than 2,600 undergraduates and volunteers annually during the month of February and early March. Newly elected executive board members and other rising leaders work to create goals and visions for their chapter. Furthermore, specific officer training sessions are held, aimed at improving undergraduates' chapter experiences. Attending this academy ensures that an officer will have the skills to manage a committee and follow through on those goals. e program also helps executive boards work together to ensure they all have goals consistent with a unified vision for the chapter. In addition, CLA provides an appropriate venue for the presentation of awards which recognize chapters and individual undergraduates and vol- unteers for notable achievements in recruitment, development, and scholarship. At the 2017 Carlson Leadership Academy, Iowa Delta was honored to bring home five different awards. Debra Bishop, associate professor of prac- tice in management and international business, received a regional award for her work as faculty adviser. Debra was named Sigma Phi Epsilon's University Partner of the Year. For 10 years, Deb- ra has served as a faculty fellow for the Iowa Delta Chapter. Her investment in the Drake Chapter over so many years has led to six Buchanan Cups since 2003 and sustainable academic success for brothers. Drake's chapter, which has more than 100 active members and an average member GPA of 3.446, competed against about 60 other chapters in the region for the awards. "It is a pretty incredible accomplishment for Drake's chapter to have received these regional awards, and a testament to the chapter's culture of leadership and academic success," Debra said. "We consistently have one of the top 10 highest GPAs in the nation, and we also have a very, very high number of fraternity men that are in leader- ship roles on campus." Individual chapter members were honored as well. Ben Weinberg '17, a senior double-majoring in religion and law, politics, and society, received the Frank J. Ruck Leadership award, presented each year to a chapter or individual who shows campus or community leadership and makes significant positive changes on the campus/community as a whole. In addition, Parker Foote '17, a senior majoring in data analytics, received the J. Edward Zollinger Outstanding Senior award, presented each year to one outstanding senior in each of Iowa Delta Brings Home Five Awards from Carlson Leadership Academy the fraternity's 26 districts based on nominations from the chapters, chapter counselors, and alumni and volunteer corporations. e award honors outstanding scholastic achievement, fraternity and campus leadership, and community involvement. Iowa Delta also received two chapter awards: the Talent Power Excellence award, given to one chapter per region that demonstrates a strong ability to identify, assess, and recruit the highest caliber of men on campus; and the Excelsior Award, presented to chapters that show signif- icant improvement in a specific area of chapter operations. Drake's chapter was honored for academics—fostering a culture of success in the classroom by providing structured academic pro- gramming, restorative support, and partnerships with university staff and services. "Before attending the [leadership academy] over the weekend, we knew that Dr. Bishop would be receiving an award, and we were elated to know that she would be honored," said outgoing Chap- ter President Mitchell Klocke, a junior biology and secondary education major. "However, we hadn't realized whatsoever that we would be going home with five total awards—something that is truly remarkable when you are competing in excellence against some of the best chapters in the area, such as e Ohio State University, Uni- versity of Toledo, University of Minnesota, and University of Nebraska." Mitchell said the Chapter makes an active com- mitment to academic success, as demonstrated by the recent decision to add a vice president of scholarship to the Chapter's executive council. e Chapter also hosts numerous community ser- vice and fundraising projects each year, including a Miracle on 34th Street fundraising event to ben- efit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa and a Queen of Hearts event benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. is year's Carlson Leadership Academy will be held February 23-24 in Chicago, Illinois. To learn more about the awards presented at Carlson, see the awards page at http://sigep.org/the-sigep-experi- ence/events/carlson/awards/. (L to R) Parker Foote '17, Dustin Casey '18, Faculty Fellow Deb Bishop, Benjamin Weinberg '17, and Mitchell Klocke '18 with awards from Carlson Leadership Academy. sigepiadelta.weebly.com

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