Delta Upsilon - University of Missouri

The A Publication of Delta Upsilon at the University of Missouri • Winter 2018 Duck call SHAPING OUR FUTURE T o feel good about the chapter's future and retain alumni support, we understand that it is important to address the question of what was learned and what needs to change. The Housing Corporation Board (HCB) members have now had some time to reflect, and we would offer the following response. Too Much Change, Too Quickly The goal of the capital campaign was to not just build a chapter house, but to also make sure our programming was relevant and added value for top- quality undergraduates. So in addition to all of the time spent on fundrais- ing, overseeing the construction process, and moving into/out of chapter housing arrangements, the HCB also implemented a number of operating changes. Some, like having freshmen live in the dorms and installing a state-of-the-art security camera system, worked very well. Other changes, including the employment of a DUIF house director and utilization of off- duty police officers, had a number of challenges. We now have an opportu- nity to make some needed adjustments. Insufficient Advisory Support Advisory support is directly correlated to chapter success. With fundrais- ing, construction, and chapter living arrangements occupying the time of the HCB, chapter support was sacrificed. We tried to bridge that gap with a new house director model, but that was insufficient and proved problem- atic. Our new best practices model will be to create a new nine-member Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) focused exclusively on undergraduate guidance and mentoring. The HCB will still exist but will focus primarily on property management and landlord issues. We plan to have the AAB in place to work with the new members during the colonization process so that everyone is on the same page when we return to the chapter house. Return to Campus on Schedule, Activity Gearing Up Progress vs. Timeline In our summer newsletter, we outlined the key steps and timeline regard- ing the chapter's return to campus. As a reminder, here are the key mile- stones: • Lease of chapter house to Delta Tau Delta – completed • DUIF/alumni recruitment team planning – October 2017 to May 2018 • New member (colony) recruitment – May to October 2018 • New member colonization process – October 2018 to August 2019 • Return to chapter house – August 2019 • Chapter rechartering – November 2019 The second stage of this process began several months ago and is pro- gressing well. The DUIF/alumni team is meeting monthly and has en- gaged with the Office of Greek Life at Mizzou. In February, an onsite campus session is scheduled with the Greek Life office to refine the plan and begin reaching out to student organizations for top-quality, on-cam- pus prospects. Recruitment efforts will then be expanded to include in- coming freshmen in the spring and summer. Brotherhood Is for a LIfetIme Find Your Way to Stay Connected D o you have new preferred contact information? A life update to share? Are you interested in reconnecting with a brother or an entire class? Planning a reunion? We are here to help. Please send any updates or inquiries to Bruce McKinney '74 at ebmckin@aol.com. Steve Barbarick '90 Endows the Future of Delta Upsilon Alumnus Reflects on Missouri Chapter Experience F or Steve Barbarick '90, being a part of Delta Upsilon was a wonder- ful experience and one that positioned him to give back. "There are few events over my lifetime that have had as profound and long-last- ing an impact on my life as joining Delta Upsilon and being part of the brother- hood. Not only did I meet a number of quality individuals during my days in college, but I also learned a number of life lessons along the way. Being a part of DU gave me a sense of pride and con- fidence that carried me through college, into my first job, and has served me throughout my career. Many of the things I learned still apply today in my daily life, such as leader- ship skills, commitment and discipline, personal humility, the value of structure and alignment, and the importance of collaboration. "Being an alumnus of MU and a member of the Delta Upsilon or- ganization has helped to define who I am and how I lead, influence, and mentor others. After college, I chose a career in retail, and today I'm the president of Tractor Supply Company, headquartered outside of Nashville, Tennessee. We employ 29,000 team members across the United States in 1,700 retail locations. I've taken a page out of the Del- ta Upsilon playbook by sharing the importance of collaboration and a common set of values for Tractor Supply as an organization. Some (Continued on back) Improved Recruiting Our older members were recruited to a deteriorating facility that encour- aged a "party barn" atmosphere. They then lived in apartments with es- sentially no oversight. When they returned to the new facility, they were faced with new social and operating restrictions. This created frustration and eventually spilled over. Going forward, the facility is in place, and the recruiting message will be clear. The recolonization process will allow our DUIF/alumni team to engage and attract a higher quality member. It will then be the responsibility of the new AAB to ensure we replicate that model going forward. Improving University/Greek Life Environment As many of you may know, I have had the opportunity to interact exten- sively with the new university leadership through my role as president of the Mizzou Alumni Association. I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to work with this new group. Alumni, including Greek alumni, are welcomed and viewed as a key asset. The goal of the new leadership is to have the best Greek Life system in the nation. This is important, because raising the bar for our chapter cannot truly succeed if the university and our peer fraternity chapters do not do the same. Thank you for your patience and support. Exciting times lie ahead! Fraternally, E. Bruce McKinney '74 President, Missouri Alumni of Delta Upsilon (816) 260-5735 ebmckin@aol.com

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