Our thoughts are with those affected by COVID-19 (commonly referred to as coronavirus) as governments, universities, and private business take steps to minimize spread of the disease. Because the health and safety of our members is our primary concern, we have provided this information to our chapter leaders and volunteers.
Chapter Response Guidelines
The chapter response guidelines document, which was shared on Thursday, March 12, has been updated. Updates include recommendations for house corporations when following college/university guidelines and responses in the Q&A section in regard to chapter finances and reducing the spread of the virus.
Recruitment
The number of campus closures and/or movements to virtual learning is ever increasing due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Recruitment and Marketing Directors (RMDs) recognize the need for our chapters to have clear guidance on how to conclude this semester and prepare for our upcoming recruitment season in the fall.
Below is a list of the recruitment areas impacted with campus closures and our team’s recommendations on how to proceed. RMDs recognize that each chapter, campus, and situation is slightly different and there will inevitably be exceptions. Overall, these are our suggested best practices.
Continuous Open Recruitment
Chapters are encouraged to cease all COR efforts until further notice.
We understand this may result in your chapter not reaching total for the semester, which could affect awards. This will be taken into account, and further communication will follow.
Please revisit your Fall 2020 COR plans and make necessary adjustments to ensure total can be reached.
Recruitment Workshops
Chapters should follow their campus policies on group gatherings. This may mean you will not be able to complete scheduled workshops. Content that will be missed this semester should be incorporated into an alternate workshop.
Consider hosting workshops in a variety of methods:
Zoom Trainings – All officers have access to schedule and host a Zoom webinar for free by using Alpha Delta Pi’s Zoom account. Click HERE to schedule and learn more about Zoom webinars.
Examples of appropriate Zoom workshop topics – Conversation Workshops, New Delta Workshop, Needs Assessment
Examples of inappropriate Zoom workshop topics – MSS (as it contains ritual)
Summer Workshops – Several chapters already use summer workshops to train and bond their chapter members prior to spirit week. If this is something you are interested in, please check your campus recruitment rules to verify if this is an option.
Spirit Week – Adjust your current spirit week schedule to include missed material.
Spirit Week
The Total Membership Experience Directors (TMEDs) recently announced that all chapters who currently have Alphas may elect to hold Diamond Days and Initiation during Spirit Week. Please work closely with your fellow chapter officers and advisors to make these adjustments.
Spirit Week may be the first time your chapter gathers again as a whole. Please adjust your Spirit Week to include ample bonding time. This will help with chapter morale, retention, and yield a better recruitment. Collaborate with membership experience officers to ensure the best approach for your chapter.
Total Reset Method
All campuses must vote on the method used to reset total in Fall 2020. Based on the MOI, as long as your campus is in session (even if they’ve gone to virtual learning), your campus Panhellenic may conduct business, either in person or virtually. This includes voting.
Collaborate with your Vice President of Panhellenic Relations to ensure proper procedure is being followed on your campus.
Primary Recruitment
Communicate a clear deadline and acceptable reasons for Spirit Week or primary recruitment excuses.
Keeping an accurate roster as Spirit Week approaches is vital, since we may see fluctuations in membership retention.
Update your websites and social media accounts to communicate the best way to receive Potential Member Recommendations.
Chapter Finance
Our priority at this moment is ensuring our membership is safe and healthy. Given the fluidity of the situation, members and new members should continue to pay their dues and fees. Our Chapter Finance Directors (CFDs) and Housing Resource Directors (HRDs) are working with Executive Office to determine next steps as the academic term draws to an end. At this time, a single statement cannot be made regarding a proration or refund of fees considering each chapter has unique situations with employees, event contracts, and facilities/campus communities. We ask that chapters and house corporations hold off on issuing or committing to refunds at this time.
Things chapters can do now:
Reach out to your executive chapter officers and assess what their team expenses may be through the end of the fiscal year (7/31/2020).
Schedule a call with your CFD and work through a plan that will keep the chapter in a fiscally sound state.
Financial Delinquency processing for all members, in any stage of the process, will be suspended until April 15.
As we continue to study the situation, we will release updates and guidance as new information becomes available. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we work through this uncertain situation for our members. Please continue to reach out if you have additional questions or check the website for updates.
Panhellenic Relations and Organizational Liaisons
The March 24 training webinar will no longer be live-streamed, as we want you to focus on your adjusted class schedules and accommodations. The Panhellenic Relations Directors (PRDs) will still have a webinar for you this month, but it will be recorded and sent to you so that you can watch it on your own time. Since it is an expectation of all Vice Presidents of Panhellenic Relations (VPPRs) to attend the training webinars, you will be asked to email your top three takeaways from the recording to your PRD. Also, if you have questions you’d like to ask about Organizational Liaisons, FSA relations, or other general questions, please submit them here, and we will answer them verbally when we record this month’s training.
Chapter Housing
Alpha Delta Pi Housing Resource Directors and the International House Corporation are continuing to support house corporations as needed. We ask that house corporation volunteers be on the lookout for additional information in the coming days.
Conducting Remote Meetings and Voting
If a chapter, house corporation, or alumnae association needs to conduct business virtually, this document outlines best practices for remote meetings.
In addition, we have put together this resource for remote voting options.
Leadership Consultant Virtual Visits
The Leadership Consultant (LC) team is working remotely as of Monday, March 16, and will be hosting “Virtual Visits” with chapters beginning as soon as Tuesday, March 17. We have worked to identify new dates for chapters that were scheduled to have LC visits over the next four weeks. We will post the Virtual Visit schedule in the Friday Chronicle for at least the next three weeks.
The LCs will work with the Collegiate Province Directors and Chapter Presidents to determine the needs and goals for these visits and will be available for Zoom calls Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm in the time zone where the LC is currently living. The LC will share a meeting schedule with the times already adjusted for the chapter if they are in another time zone.
We are suspending Behind Happy Faces and FHSI Choices or Hazing Prevention trainings during this time, as they are best delivered in person. Leadership Consultants can assist with other trainings and workshops remotely.
March 12 Update
We have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation since our initial email on Monday afternoon. Starting today, Alpha Delta Pi will be taking further actions to protect our members, both collegiate and volunteers.
Effective immediately the following will take place:
All staff and volunteer travel is suspended until April 15. At that time, we will reassess.
All Leadership Consultants will be flying to their hometowns no later than Sunday, March 15.
Director of Collegiate Services Ginny-Beth Joiner will work with District Teams to assess chapter needs and timelines. Previously scheduled Leadership Consultant visits from now until April 15 will take place virtually, if possible. Individual communications will occur beginning Monday, March 16 to confirm virtual visit schedules.
In the coming weeks Leadership Consultants will be available for virtual officer meetings and training sessions. In addition, Leadership Consultants will be working on other office related projects.
Herff Jones will not be shipping badge orders to campuses, for fear of orders being lost or misplaced. Orders will resume when we feel confident chapters will receive them.
Over the past few days, volunteers and staff have been:
Answering questions from chapters, volunteers, and parents.
Tracking campuses with ADPi chapters where classes have been moved online or canceled or school has closed.
Monitoring Leadership Consultant travel.
Creating resources for chapters guiding best practices regarding COVID-19, members returning from study abroad, and providing links to online resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Public Health Agency of Canada.
Sharing resources for house corporations regarding contagious diseases and best practices for ADPi living facilities.
Today, volunteers and staff:
Launched a webpage that we will keep current with information as the COVID-19 situation evolves (chapter officers please share this with your members).
Developed a Chapter Response Guidelines document including information about chapter operations and finance as well as housing.
Posted materials from the Total Membership Experience Director Team regarding questions chapters and volunteers may have around Alpha member classes, sisterhood events, initiation, ritual, etc. for the remainder of the academic year.
In addition:
The housing team is supporting house corporations as needed. We ask that house corporation volunteers be on the lookout for additional information in the coming days.
If your alumnae association is hosting Founders’ Day early this year, please decide whether you should reschedule or cancel your celebration.
We strongly recommend that members refrain from holding hands or sharing the Alpha Delta Pi handshake during Initiation and/or Founders’ Day events until this season of illness has passed.
Alpha Delta Pi will continue to monitor COVID-19 and provide updates on the newly launched webpage.
Thanks for your partnership as health and safety recommendations continue to evolve. The well-being of our sisters is at the forefront of our minds as we make these decisions.
March 10 Update
As a proactive measure to limit potential exposure to COVID-19, Alpha Delta Pi is asking collegians, volunteers, and staff to evaluate upcoming Alpha Delta Pi travel and events/meetings and make the best decision whether to proceed based on location, event, number of people present, and personal situations. We are continuing to monitor travel closely for our Leadership Consultant staff. Any changes in Leadership Consultant visits will be shared with chapters and volunteers immediately.
We have shared the following information with Chapter Presidents, Directors of Facility Management, Property Management Specialists, All Advisors, All House Corporation Board Officers, International Officers, Executive Office Staff, and Leadership Consultants. This information remains relevant.
Communication Regarding COVID-19
Additional Guidance on Infectious and Communicable Diseases
Because this virus is widespread and present in many countries outside the US and Canada, we have created the following guidelines around member travel and those members who may be returning from study abroad programs:
Alpha Delta Pi discourages all non-essential overseas travel to Level 2 or Level 3 countries as identified by the CDC at this time.
Study abroad members returning from Level 2 or Level 3 identified countries per the CDC must self-quarantine for 14 days after their return to the U.S. or Canada. These members may not quarantine in a chapter facility.
Study abroad members may return to the chapter facility after the 14-day quarantine if they are symptom free.
If COVID-19 becomes of heightened concern on a campus with an Alpha Delta Pi chapter, the university may close living facilities or cancel classes/events. First and foremost, the chapter should follow all guidelines and quarantines put in place by the university, particularly as they relate to group living. We understand this may result in closure of chapter facilities and foregoing Alpha Delta Pi chapter operations and events/meetings. Any inconvenience is far outweighed by the safety, health, and well-being of our members.
Chapter leaders should stay in touch with university health centers to stay on top of any local developments that relate to their campuses and surrounding communities. They should continue to keep advisors and Collegiate Province Directors informed as decisions are being made. Executive Office staff is maintaining a list of schools that move classes online, cancel classes, or close facilities.
Alpha Delta Pi will also continue to closely monitor developments nationwide. We encourage collegiate leaders to continue to collaborate with university health centers and/or student affairs staff for campus-specific updates regarding protocols and developments locally. For those currently residing in the US, follow the Center for Disease Control website for additional information. For those currently residing in Canada, please utilize the information found on the Public Health Agency of Canada website.
The following documents have been created to enhance knowledge of these illnesses, learn best practices to keep your facility healthy, and steps to take if a member is ill:
House Corporation Guidance on Contagious Illnesses
Infection and Communicable Diseases Best Practices for Alpha Delta Pi Facilities
House Corporations are welcome to forward these resources to those living in the chapter house, post the documents in common areas of the facility, and share this information at the next meeting.