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Home / The SigEp Experience / Awards / Buchanan Outstanding Chapter Award

Buchanan Outstanding Chapter Award

Every two years at Conclave, we recognize our highest performing chapters with the Buchanan Outstanding Chapter Award. Named in honor of Past Grand President Edwin Buchanan, Ohio State '11, the Buchanan Cup represents superior and sustained achievement in our Fraternity. 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. An engraved silver bowl is presented to Buchanan Cup winners at the Grand Chapter Conclave. Chapters winning five consecutive Buchanan Outstanding Chapter Awards receive an engraved gold bowl, symbolizing a decade of excellence.

The 2021 Buchanan Cup application — which measures chapter performance from Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2020 — is now available in mySigEp! The completed application and all supplemental documents must be submitted in mySigEp by Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at 11:59 p.m ET.  Only chapters that submit a complete application by the deadline will be considered for a Buchanan Cup. However, all chapters that submit an application by March 24 (whether complete or incomplete) will receive feedback from reviewers with suggestions on how to improve chapter performance.

After feedback from chapters and volunteers on the cumbersome nature of past applications, we have made significant strides in streamlining the application to make this easier for all. As you begin working on your application in mySigEp this year, you will find:

  • An easier to navigate experience with each section of the application designated by an icon within mySigEp.
  • Pre-populated dashboards with information for your chapter. In each applicable section, you will need to review the respective dashboard and answer the open-ended questions to provide context or color commentary.
  • The ability for multiple members of your chapter to work together toward completion while being able to save answers and return later. Additionally, your volunteers will also have access to review the application and help you stay on pace to submit before the deadline.
  • An altogether easier application experience with far fewer opportunities for technical glitches when completing, saving or sending.

To help you more easily navigate the application, we’ve created a support article and training video. Please check out these resources before beginning your application.

 

Buchanan Cup FAQs

I’ve never used mySigEp. What is it and how do I access it?

mySigEp is a digital portal to manage your contact information, access chapter and AVC tools and allows you to easily log into other SigEp platforms like the BMP App and greekbill. If this is your first time logging into mySigEp, use method #3 here to set up your account.

This year, the Buchanan Cup application is hosted within mySigEp and must be submitted through this portal. You can find resources on the platform and information on how to access mySigEp and submit the application here.

Who has access to my chapter’s application?

All chapter officers and committee members listed in mySigEp will have access to the 2021 Buchanan Cup application in mySigEp, and everyone with access can make changes or additions to the application. As you complete the application, you may save your responses and come back to them later. If someone else in your chapter needs access, you can assign them a temporary role as a “Buchanan Cup Application Committee Member” in mySigEp.

All volunteers will also have access to view the chapter's Buchanan Cup application. Submissions may be disqualified if volunteers complete the application on behalf of the chapter.

I reviewed the pre-populated data in my chapter’s application and it's missing context. What should I do?

The data points you are seeing in your application are calculated based on various actions taken by chapter officers (ex: reporting new members), members (ex: submitting activities in the BMP App) or Headquarters staff assessments (ex: Balanced Man Scholarship assessment results). The first open-ended question of each section that references a dashboard allows you an opportunity to provide color commentary or context on the data. For example, if your new members show 0 and your campus was on a recruitment moratorium, you should provide that context in the respective question’s response field.

The only dashboard that is editable is the Academic Dashboard, where you will have the ability to edit/upload academic performance from prior semesters.

If you run into any issues during the application process, or the dashboards are displaying an error, you should email membership@sigep.net for support, well in advance of the deadline, to troubleshoot the concern.

My chapter has done some awesome things this semester (spring 2021). Can I talk about them in the application?

The review period for this application encompasses the 2019 and 2020 calendar years only. Please limit your answers to only progress that your chapter made between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020 and make note of the awesome things you’re doing right now for your 2023 application!

We want to submit letters of recommendation. Can those be submitted with our application?

Absolutely! Letters of recommendation are optional this year, and you can submit letters of recommendation from the following individuals: chapter counselor, balanced man steward, AVC president, district governor, faculty fellow/advisor, and fraternity & sorority life advisors. To submit their letters, upload the file in the Supplemental Documentation section. If they wish to upload their letter anonymously, send them this link. Please note that all letters of recommendation need to also be submitted by the application deadline by March 24, 2021 at 11:59 p.m..

How do I actually submit my chapter’s application?

You may download the Microsoft Word document to work on your responses offline. However, all responses must be submitted in mySigEp directly. The Microsoft Word document will not be accepted as your application submission. As you complete your responses in mySigEp, make sure to save your answers as you go. Within each section, there will be a question to designate whether your chapter is still "In Progress" working on those responses or "Completed". To indicate that your chapter is done with the application, please switch all section statuses to "Completed".

Changing the status to "Completed" does not prevent you or others from editing the responses, however, any responses submitted or modified after the deadline will be ineligible for review.

Who decides whether or not my chapter gets a Buchanan Cup?

A diverse group of longtime, experienced SigEp volunteers are asked by the Grand President to review all applications. These volunteers are grouped into teams of three, and all applications are reviewed by various teams. After the process is complete, their recommendations are given to the National Board of Directors, who make the ultimate decision on whether or not to award a Buchanan Cup.

How do these reviewers decide whether or not to recommend awarding a Buchanan Cup?

All volunteers have years of experience working with SigEp chapters and understand what constitutes the “best of the best.” Additionally, they are provided with this rubric to help guide their decision making. This resource helps show what excellence looks like within each area of the application.

I still have questions. Who should I contact?

If you still have questions, please send them to BucCup@sigep.net, and a Headquarters staff member will help you right away!

 

Previous Buchanan Cup Recipients

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity

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Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 353-1901

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