There’s a correlation between embracing the #NewNormal and chapter success, and our Kentucky Beta Chapter at Louisville has seen it in action this year.

For the past few years, Kentucky Beta undergraduates and volunteers have had their eyes on reaching the top, not just within SigEp, but on their campus as well. In the process, they leveraged the uniqueness of the SigEp experience and thrived on the fact that we are a different fraternity.

“There’s no question that change is inevitable within the Greek system,” says Jake Guhy, Louisville ’17. “For our chapter, we have realized that our successes have stemmed from doing things differently than those around us; but first and foremost, clearly defining what exactly success is and what it entails. Placing an emphasis on our true purpose and creating an environment that encourages and fosters this ‘new normal’ has delivered results and ultimately led to our chapter brothers getting the most out of their experience.”

In the months following the 2017 Grand Chapter Conclave, the chapter focused on adopting SigEp’s substance-free facilities policy and earning Residential Learning Community (RLC) accreditation. Those efforts have paid off, as seen in the chapter’s many awards and recognitions from SigEp and the university.

“The men of Kentucky Beta have set very high goals and expectations of the chapter and each and every brother in it,” says Chapter Counselor Greg Pestinger, Kansas State ’86. “They have chosen to to collaborate with their regional directors, with SigEp’s Headquarters staff and  have grown through SigEp’s national leadership programs. The new normal creates the environment for each brother to reach his full potential and, in turn, elevate the chapter to an even greater position on campus. They have embraced that this fraternity is different, have chosen to be a part of the solution and have witnessed first hand the growth that has come from it. I am proud of these guys, their leadership and their courage to do the right thing. Their efforts have proven to pay off and they have set a new standard on campus.”

At the Atlanta Carlson Leadership Academy in February, the chapter and its volunteers received the following awards and recognitions:

• Excelsior Award — Standards & Accountability
• J. Edward Zollinger Outstanding Senior Award — Jake Guhy, Louisville ’17
• Tragos Quest to Greece Scholar — Jake Bension, Louisville ’20
• Volunteer of the Year Award — Greg Pestinger, Kansas State ’86
• University Partner of the Year — LaMont Johnson, Louisville Renaissance – Student Outreach and Engagement Coordinator

Earlier this month at the university’s Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards Banquet, the chapter received the following awards and recognitions:

• Outstanding member development award
• Outstanding campus program award
• Risk prevention award
• Communication and brand award
• A “Perfect 10” on their campus accreditation
• Recognition for having a GPA (3.27) that was above the all men’s average and was top of all fraternities

If your chapter has recently received awards or recognition from your university, please send an email to communications@sigep.net.