The Buchanan Cup, or “Buc Cup,” recognizes the best-of-the-best Sigma Phi Epsilon chapters. Chapters are measured in relation to the accomplishments of their peers on campuses across the country. Only the chapters that excel in every area of operations and further the Grand Chapter’s strategic plan qualify for this high honor. This year’s application review period covers January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022. All supplemental attachments, letters of recommendation and responses must be submitted on mySigEp by March 13, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Any applications submitted after this time will not be considered.
The Application
The 2023 Buchanan Cup application is to be completed in mySigEp. This new application will allow you to easily collaborate with your executive board and volunteers, save your answers and come back to continue working on them, and view pre-populated dashboards on your chapter’s performance throughout the review period. To complete this year’s Buchanan Cup application, follow these instructions:
1. Login to mySigEp. If this is your first time logging in to mySigEp, follow method #3 to set up your account.
2. As a chapter officer or volunteer, click on the chapter’s name in the top right corner of mySigEp.
3. Click the “2023 Buchanan Cup Application” form link to continue.
4. The application consists of nine (eight for unhoused chapters) sections. Click into a section to view the questions. You’ll be given the opportunity to download an offline Microsoft Word version of the application. When you’re ready to submit your responses, type your answers into the appropriate open-response fields below each respective question. The character limit is 2,000 characters, so make sure your answers are concise and to the point.
5. After typing your responses, save your answers by clicking the “Save & Update” button at the bottom of the application.
Note: Many of the features in mySigEp are mobile-friendly. However, for the best viewing experience, we recommend filling out the 2023 Buchanan Cup application on a desktop computer or laptop.
Who has access to edit/view the 2023 Buchanan Cup application in mySigEp?
To prevent misuse or unintentional deletion of responses, only officers and committee members will have access to complete the 2023 Buchanan Cup application in mySigEp. To see which individuals have access, click on the “Officers” tab in mySigEp. All members listed on this page will have access to edit the chapter’s responses in mySigEp. If a non-officer undergraduate member wishes to contribute to the chapter’s application, you may assign him a new temporary role from the mySigEp “Officers” tab of “Buchanan Cup Application Committee Member”.
To allow for volunteers to provide chapter officers feedback, all volunteers also have access to view the chapter’s responses. Responses should not be edited directly by volunteers. Applications may be disqualified if filled out directly by volunteers.
Viewing Dashboards
The 2023 Buchanan Cup application uses pre-populated dashboards to view the chapter’s statistics. These statistics are based on self-reported results or registrations, actions taken in mySigEp (such as reporting a new member or updating someone’s status to “expelled”) and Headquarters staff-based assessments. These dashboards are available year-round and updated in near real-time.
Note: Many of the features in mySigEp are mobile-friendly. However, for the best viewing experience, we recommend only accessing the dashboards from a desktop computer or laptop.
Can we edit the dashboards?
The only dashboard that you’re able to edit is the Academic dashboard. This dashboard is where your chapter can self-report your chapter’s academic performance compared to all-campus averages. You are required to upload proof of documentation, such as a chapter or community grade report, as back up. If the data submitted is incorrect or unverifiable, the data is subject to be deleted. The other dashboards are not able to be edited or changed.
What do I do if the data is wrong?
At the beginning of each applicable section, you’ll be prompted to review the relevant dashboard and have an opportunity to provide context or color commentary on the data displayed in the dashboard. If you feel the data is not a good representation of your chapter, use that opportunity to explain why.
If the dashboard is displaying an error, email support@sigep.net for support.
Why do some dashboards show more than two years of data?
Many of these dashboards have been in mySigEp for several months and available for viewing throughout the entire year. Once the application deadline is behind us, these dashboards will still be viewable in mySigEp. They’re meant to provide your chapter and volunteers insight to your performance over time and allow you to set goals and track progress for your chapter. Rest assured, only data from the review period will be taken into consideration during this application process.
Uploading Supplemental Documentation
The final section of the 2023 Buchanan Cup application in mySigEp is to upload supplemental documentation. These documents are required as part of your chapter’s application. Without them, the application is incomplete and will be ineligible for review for this year’s application cycle. The following documents are required for this year’s application: chapter bylaws, latest membership agreement, Balanced Man Program overview (template here), photo of chapter’s ritual equipment setup to perform a Rite of Passage, chapter’s budget for last two years (combined into one document), chapter’s latest federal tax filing (form 990), AVC’s latest federal tax filing (form 990), monthly financial report for the chapter (template here), annual financial review of the chapter’s finances (template here), chapter’s calendar of events, and 3-5 high resolution photos of chapter events with brothers (to be displayed during awards ceremony).
To upload supplemental documentation:
1. Click into the “Supplemental Documents” section of the Buchanan Cup application.
2. Under each required document, click the Upload icon to the right of the field.
3. Select your document and click “Open”.
4. Click the “Add Files & Save” button at the bottom of the page.
5. After saving, the most recent file upload date will populate in the field to the right of the respective upload field. If you wish to upload a different version of that document, you may upload the file again.
Photos of your chapter are required for this year’s application. We recommend 3-5 photos that would be appropriate to display on a screen during the awards ceremony at Grand Chapter Conclave. To upload photos to your application:
1. Click into the “Supplemental Documents” section of the Buchanan Cup application.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen to the “Add Additional Photos” section.
3. Enter the number of photos you wish to upload. For example, if you have three photos you would like to upload to your application, type in the number “3” and press Enter on your keyboard.
4. The number you entered will generate that many fields to upload your photos and indicate a file name such as “Alabama Beta Philanthropy Event”.
5. Click the “Add Files & Save” button at the bottom of the page.
6. If you decide to add additional photos later, you may follow the same process to add new photos. Previously submitted photos will still be saved and submitted.
Requesting Letters of Recommendation
In this year’s application, uploading letters of recommendation are optional. We’ve provided opportunities for you to upload letters of recommendation in the “Supplemental Documents” section from the following individuals: Chapter Counselor, AVC President, Balanced Man Steward, District Governor, Faculty Fellow or Faculty Advisor, Fraternity and Sorority Life Advisor and Dean of Students/Vice President of Student Affairs.
In the event that the individual you’re requesting a letter of recommendation from wishes to upload the letter anonymously, send them this form to have them upload their letter. The chapter will not be able to see the contents of the letter, but you will be able to see the last date they submitted a recommendation letter.
Submitting Your Application
Within each section, you’ll be given an opportunity to indicate whether the section is “In Progress” or “Completed”. This is your way of indicating when each question within the section has been answered to your satisfaction. Switching the status to “Completed” does not prevent you or others from continuing to edit your responses within that section. On the main page of the application, you’ll be able to quickly see which sections still need to be completed.
Once all sections have been completed, and all supplemental documents have been uploaded, please ensure all sections are set to “Completed” status. This is how we will know you are finished with your Buchanan Cup application. Any responses submitted or modified after the deadline will be ineligible for review.
Feel free to download this document to prepare your responses offline. However, the final responses and supplemental documentation must be submitted directly in mySigEp by the March 13, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. deadline. This document will not be accepted as your submission.
