Standards of Excellence & Awards
Standards of Excellence
San José State University seeks to recognize and foster relationships with those social/cultural/general-interest fraternities and sororities that contribute positively to the community and to the mission of SJSU. Standards of Excellence has been designed to indicate what San José State University expects from each chapter and to measure the success of each chapter both quantitatively and qualitatively.
It is required that each fraternity and sorority meet the minimum standards in order to be compliant and in good standing with the University. It is our hope that this process will help chapter members to be able to physically see areas of strength and improvement, in an effort to produce an outstanding chapter.
There are 1,150 possible points that can be achieved. There are 250 bonus points that can be achieved for a total of 1,400 points. In order to be in good standing with the University each Fraternity and Sorority much reach 70% of possible points for bronze level standard. Points designated in each area are either fully earned or not. No partial points available.
View the detailed point breakdown in the 2019 Standards of Excellence Packet [pdf].
- Platinum Laurel Chapter: 1,150 - 1,400 points
- Gold Laurel Chapter: 1,035 - 1,149 points
- Silver Laurel Chapter: 920 - 1,034 points
- Bronze Laurel Chapter: 805 - 919 points
Important Standards of Excellence Information
The Standards of Excellence review process is considerate of a full calendar year of chapter activity, achievement, and performance. This spans from the calendar year beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31. The following are areas of focus for 2019:
- Organizational Structure/Support Resources
- Recruitment Efforts & Membership Engagement
- Chapter and Individual Member Accountability
- Living Organizational Mission and Values
- Relationship to SJSU/Campus Community
All chapters must participate in the following components which includes:
- An electronic submission via Google Drive Folder. This Google Folder should be worked on as a chapter and should be something that all chapter members complete with a sense of pride. This process should NOT just be completed by a few officers, but should be a collaboration of the efforts of the entire chapter. Each chapter will have access to their individual Standards of Excellence Google folder. All documents will be submitted here. If you have not received access to your chapter's Standards of Excellence Google folder, please email fraternities-sororities@sjsu.edu.
- In-person meeting (1 hour to 1.5 hours) with a review team comprised of on-campus
staff and faculty with the following attendees:
- All Chapter Officers Welcome
- Minimum: President, 1 Other Officer, 1 (Newer) Member
- On-Campus Advisor and/or Off-Campus/Alumni Advisor
- Headquarters If Applicable (Local/Regional/National/International)
Greek Awards
Click on the links to open a Google form application for each award.
Fraternity & Sorority Member(s) of the Year: One Fraternity member and one Sorority member who best exemplifies the values of Greek Life at San José State University will be selected as the Fraternity and Sorority Members of the Year. Individuals that are nominated will be evaluated based on information provided specifically describing their character, scholastic performance, chapter, Greek Life, University & greater community involvement, public service, etc. throughout their undergraduate career.
Emerging Sorority/Fraternity Leader of the Year: One Fraternity and one Sorority member who is identified as having demonstrated taking initiative or action, and showed an ability to inspire and lead within their fraternity/sorority and/or the Greek community. Individuals that are nominated will be judged on the information provided on how they exemplified chapter values, took action/got involved regardless of a title or position, and served as a role model for other members within the organization. This award is intended for newer members within the Fraternity & Sorority community (less than one year in the organization); looking to highlight those members that have made an impact in the short time in which they've been active.
Fraternity and Sorority Advisor of the Year: The Fraternity and Sorority Advisor of the Year Awards recognize 2 organization alumni/ae or SJSU campus advisors that go above and beyond to motivate, challenge, and support the undergraduate officers and members. These people demonstrate their commitment by being present at relevant Chapter events and meetings, assists with organizational goal setting and transitions, serves as a role model to the members, mentors individual students, and more.
Outstanding Fraternity & Sorority President(s) of the Year: One Fraternity President and one Sorority President who demonstrated exemplary leadership during their term as chapter president will be selected as the Outstanding Fraternity and Sorority Presidents(s) of the Year. Individuals that are nominated will be evaluated based on information provided specifically describing their character, leadership, resilience, and overall performance as president.
Outstanding Greek Program of the Year: This award recognizes a chapter that has planned an outstanding program that has contributed positively to the San José State University community. Programs can be educational, service/philanthropy-oriented, and/or engaging in nature. An educational program is described as benefiting its participants in their academic or professional pursuits or creating awareness around a specific topic/subject. Service/philanthropy-oriented programs can include community service, community engagement, or philanthropy events during the current academic year. Both single events and on-going programs are eligible. Engagement program benefits participants by fostering community and can be educational or social (i.e., speakers, concerts, talent shows, competitions, etc.).
