balanced man program

Ninety percent of college takes place outside of the classroom. It’s in these fun, unstructured hours that students discover their passions and plan their futures. For SigEps, much of this time is spent with their chapter brothers; it’s where they build close bonds of friendship and become balanced men with a sound mind and a sound body. The Balanced Man Program (BMP) guides their experience.Ninety percent of college takes place outside of the classroom. It’s in these fun, unstructured hours that students discover their passions and plan their futures. For SigEps, much of this time is spent with their chapter brothers; it’s where they build close bonds of friendship and become balanced men with a sound mind and a sound body. The Balanced Man Program (BMP) guides their experience.

The Four Pillars

Know Thyself

Reflect on personal values, identity, and purpose. Explore communication styles and identify individual strengths and growth areas.

Use a professional-grade assessment and trained SigEp facilitator to understand how you communicate, strengthen relationships and prepare for your career.

Deepen every brother’s understanding of what it means to be a SigEp and celebrate those who live our values.

Seek Balance

Practice mental and physical wellness. Engage in service and reflection. Learn to manage stress and prioritize well-being.

Create a space for honest conversations, mutual support and the confidence to navigate college and life.

Build lifelong healthy habits through activities such as sports, workouts nutrition sessions and time outdoors.

Build Relationships

Improve communication and empathy. Learn conflict resolution and strengthen lifelong connections.

Make time for genuine relationships that turn college friendships into lifelong bonds.

Step away from the pressures of the semester to recharge, reconnect and strengthen the chapter.

Pursue Excellence

Set goals and achieve progress. Build academic, professional, and financial literacy. Learn self-discipline and long-term planning.

Help brothers compete for internships and jobs through career preparation and connections to SigEp’s nationwide alumni network.

Develop the knowledge and habits to make smart financial decisions now and create greater freedom in the future.

for every...

The Balanced Man Program helps you raise your bar on your journey to become a balanced man. The modernized version of this tried-and-true development program will help you get the most out of your SigEp experience and learn skills you’ll use for the rest of your life. With no pledging, no hazing and a philosophy of continuous development, the new BMP has more fun activities that grow brotherhood while letting you personalize your experience and achieve your goals. You’ll be able to benefit from the BMP from the day you join until the day you graduate.

Since 1991, SigEp has offered a no-pledging, no-hazing experience that allows young men to develop themselves throughout college. The Balanced Man Program designed to help every member make the most of his crucial college years and prepare himself for success after graduation and beyond. Starting in 2023, the modernized version of the program, designed to better meet the needs of today’s college men and help them step into extraordinary futures, began arriving on campuses across the country. If your son’s chapter hasn’t yet implemented the new version of the program, they will be doing so soon.

Mentorship is crucial to the success of the Balanced Man Program at every chapter. Whether you’re a Balanced Man Steward, a mentor for a chapter officer, or helping run the AVC, you’re playing a critical role in helping SigEp chapters provide the best, most valuable experience on campus. Make sure you’re taking advantage of the training available on SigEpU and other opportunities to level up your skills like Carlson Leadership Academy and Grand Chapter Conclave. If you’re interested in joining the ranks of SigEp’s 3,000 volunteers, visit sigep.org/volunteer.

Our world needs more balanced men, and SigEp needs your investment to help build them. You can make a gift to the Annual Fund, which supports the Balanced Man Program and other SigEp leadership programs, at sigep.org/give.

program tenets

Equal Rights & Responsibilities

Every member is treated with dignity and respect from day one. There’s no pledging or hazing in SigEp.

Continuous Development

Growth is lifelong. A mindset focused on learning prepares brothers to lead themselves and others.

Living the Ritual

Our values—Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love—guide daily actions and hold us to a higher standard.

Mentoring

Brotherhood means giving and receiving support. Every brother should have impactful mentors and become a mentor.

THE FOUR CHALLENGES

Learn what SigEp is about and why we are different.

  • 4-6 Weeks
  • Attend all Sigma challenge meetings 
  • 1 chapter-wide core experience per month
  • Set 1 personal goal for the challenge

Successfully build winning habits for a more balanced life.

  • 1-2 semesters or 2-3 quarters
  • 1 chapter-wide core experience per month
  • 1 challenge meeting or activity per month
  • Set 2 personal goals for the challenge

Become a leader, in the chapter, on campus and on a resume.

  • 1-2 semesters or 2-3 quarters
  • 1 chapter-wide core experience per month
  • 1 challenge meeting or activity per month
  • Set 2 personal goals for the challenge
Invest in others and become confident in life after graduation
  • Until graduation
  • 1 chapter-wide core experience per month
  • 1 challenge meeting or activity per month
  • Set 2 personal goals for the challenge — Includes commitment made during Brother Mentor Celebration

support SYSTEMS

Balanced Man Steward

Consistent coaching and volunteer guidance for the VP of member development and his committee helps them implement programming and deliver the best experience for their chapter brothers.

Staff Support

The Balanced Man Program’s ability to make the greatest impact on every member depends on developing local programs that incorporate the unique characteristics of each chapter. Headquarters staff provide essential support for chapter leaders and volunteers to deliver a valuable experience on every campus.

SigEpU

An effective and easy-to-use learning platform provides personalized resources to support essential programming, goal-setting and skill development. This virtual tool supports the implementation of primary, in-person programming.

THE BMP's LEGACY

In 1989, SigEp was the largest fraternity, yet it faced serious issues, including alcohol abuse, low retention, poor academics, and hazing. Grand President Donald C. McCleary, Texas-Austin ’71, recognized the need for change and formed the Committee on Self-Esteem to find solutions. Their research revealed that chapters with sustainable success shared common traits: equal rights and responsibilities, continuous development, accountability, strong appreciation for the Ritual, and consistent mentoring. They believed these practices could become the foundation for a new kind of programming that transforms the Greek experience across the country.​

In 1991, undergraduate Conclave delegates passed historic legislation, one that led to an important change in SigEp’s pledge experience — a shift from forcing members to prove their worthiness to facilitating their achievement. Grand President Frank J. Ruck Jr., Michigan ’46, led a committee to implement this change, and, in 1992, the first Balanced Man Program launched at the NH Alpha chapter at Dartmouth. The chapter saw immediate improvements in recruitment, retention, and academic performance, while eliminating hazing. Within six months, 37 had chapters adopted the BMP. In 1994, SigEp received a $250,000 FIPSE grant to support the program’s national implementation, recognizing its impact on student safety and its potential to elevate the quality of Greek life on campuses across the nation.​

More chapters adopted the program throughout the 1990s, some by choice, but many through some form of mandate. These forced conversions negatively affected buy-in and led to a surge in chapters that were “BMP in name only.” The BMP brand suffered and enthusiasm around the program waned. In the early 2000s, organizational focus and resources were reallocated to other initiatives. This lack of focus and consistent support opened the door to a decade of problematic behaviors and forced a necessary period of self-reflection.​

In the early 2010s, SigEp was still fighting hazing and troubling chapter cultures. Across fraternities, a wave of tragic hazing-related deaths meant SigEp needed to lead again. In 2014, Grand President Phil Cox, Indiana ’84, vowed to recommit to SigEp’s Balanced Man philosophy and lead an end to pledging and hazing in SigEp chapters. At the 2015 Grand Chapter Conclave, our undergraduates made SigEp the first national fraternity to remove pledging with an undergraduate vote, making the BMP the development model for all SigEp chapters.​

Since 2015, undergraduate men have changed. Today, young men are at a crossroads moment and they need SigEp’s help. Across the board, they are falling behind and, in many cases, struggling — in academic performance, persistence to graduation, mental health, social connectedness and career preparedness. The societal problems driving this decline are only getting worse, and our communities are in danger of losing a generation of young men to a lack of purpose and undeveloped leadership potential. The BMP is an antidote for those problems. It is needed more than ever, so SigEp’s commitment to the BMP is stronger than ever.

Find everything you need to support the Balanced Man Program on SigEpU…resources, guides, and best practices, all in one place. Members and volunteers can log in today to gain access.