Sorority News

January 8, 2012, Indianapolis, IN – The National Council and guests meet to shape the Strategic Plan, explore housing environments, and fulfill fiduciary responsibilities.

The National Council was joined by five collegiate leaders, a member of the Alpha Sigma Tau Foundation Board, a member of the NPC Delegation, and several members of the Headquarters staff.

A key focus topic was shaping the strategic plan. The 19 participants determined the current mission, vision, values, and areas of focus continue to be relevant to the organization and were not altered. The participants also addressed the objectives and determined that several items had now become operational norms for the Sorority, thus removing them from the objectives portion of the plan. Many other objectives were evaluated and changed to more clearly define the strategic intent or removed as they were operational, rather than strategic in nature. Items that were removed for operational reasons are provided to the Headquarters team as suggestions as the Staff implements the prioritized plan. The revised plan will be presented to the National Council at its January 16 conference call for approval and released to the membership shortly thereafter. The sorority is following the evolutionary process of conducting annual strategic reviews to provide constant evaluation of the mission, vision, values, areas of focus and objectives.

Always seeking member participation in varying forms on shaping the strategic plan, Sorority leadership and Headquarters team members will facilitate town hall meetings at Convention. There will be seven high- level conversations, one for each area of focus: membership development, growth & retention, communication & marketing, alumnae member engagement, infrastructure, maximizing financial resources, and an additional town hall for Ritual.  If you are planning to attend Convention in Indianapolis this summer, pick up a copy/download "Our Iceberg Is Melting" by John Kotter. This quick read provides a great overview of how organizational change happens and how you can effectively participate.

As a Sorority, one of our goals is to ensure that our members are living in safe, healthy and appropriate living environments. Cindy Stellhorn, our insurance broker from MJ Insurance, attended the meeting to provide insight and facilitate conversation on how to enhance the living environments of our collegians and strengthen our housing position as a National organization.

The National Council achieved several governing document and fiduciary responsibilities at this meeting. The 2010-2011 Financial Statement was approved. Training was conducted on several financial topics by National Council and staff experts and by Drew Christian, our financial broker from Stephens, Inc., who also reviewed the Sorority's investment positions.

Additional meeting time was devoted to communication and National Council development. Attendees reviewed the communications inventory conducted early this year by Desktop Media.  Cate Indiano, principle in the communications firm, provided an overview of our communications and recommendations that will allow the Sorority to create a map for improving communications and marketing.

The National Council also completed a board self-evaluation facilitated by Ginny Carroll, of inGinuity; evaluated the Executive Director; conducted planning and goal setting; and implemented board development with training on individual and collective board duties, team development, financial and communications topics.

The National Council of the Sorority meets in person at least twice each year to focus on organizational advancement. Each meeting includes stakeholders and vendors to support the meeting objectives and provide unique perspectives as the board brings clarity to the strategic areas of focus.

The National Council will hold its next in person meeting in conjunction with the 39th National Convention in Indianapolis IN, June 21 to 24, 2012.

About Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority

Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority was founded November 4, 1899 at Easter Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The purpose of Alpha Sigma Tau is to promote the ethical, cultural, and social development of its members. The sorority offers membership programming with an emphasis on academic achievement, community service, leadership development, and personal growth opportunities. For more information visit the Alpha Sigma Tau National Homepage at www.alphasigmatau.org

###

Alpha Sigma Tau has grown and evolved over the last 113 years. Throughout the Sorority’s history, it has been the National Council at the helm guiding the sisterhood. Willingness to serve on the National Council of AST is a commitment to the Sorority’s values. The commitment involves time, vision, leadership, and a great many other abilities. Every two years at the National Convention, sisters join together to elect the National Council; to do this the Sorority needs the best and brightest leaders from the organization.

The approval of revised governing documents at the 38th National Convention in 2010 created a National Council position to be held by a current collegiate member. The National Council will have the following structure-a President and five Vice Presidents (four vice presidents are to be alumnae members and one is to be a collegiate member at the time of election.) This is an amazing opportunity for collegiate sisters to have a voice and vote in all leadership discussions and decisions! The Nominations Committee is seeking sisters who practice the values of Alpha Sigma Tau in their daily lives and want to lead the Sorority into the future.

As the 39th National Convention draws near, the Nominations Committee invites qualified sisters interested in seeking National Council positions to contact us with any questions.  Applications to be considered must be emailed to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The slate of candidates will be announced no later than March 1, 2012, per the Bylaws of Alpha Sigma Tau.

All National Council applicants for the slate must be interviewed by the Nominations Committee. Nominations from the floor are accepted until seven days before the open of Convention (June 14, 2012.) Nominations from the floor must include a completed application for verification of eligibility and statement of qualifications.

Any sister with questions or interest in learning more about the process may contact the Nominations Committee. We look forward to all applications.

Applications may be downloaded by clicking the following link: National Council Candidate Application

In sisterhood,

Sarah Hinshaw

Alpha Sigma Tau National Sorority
Nominations Coordinator
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Alumnae who step forward to fill the Volunteer Personnel, Committees, and Advisory Boards for Alpha Sigma Tau help the Sorority to live its Vision of Beauty of Spirit. Fulfillment of Self. Exceptional Sisterhood! The volunteer leadership and Headquarters team want to thank you for your service.

Due to the growth of the Sorority and other Headquarters Staff changes, the Sorority is seeking qualified candidates to serve as Educational Consultants for a start date of January 2, 2012, as well as qualified candidates to serve the 2012-2013 academic year, beginning July 15, 2012.

Educational Consultants are employees of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority and therefore official representatives of the Sorority. The position provides alumnae the opportunity to further develop their professional skill sets as well as improve their leadership skills. The position requires 90% of the employee’s time to consist of travel to college campuses.

The Alpha Sigma Tau Educational Consultant conducts chapter visits to meet with chapter officers, assist with recruitment, assess the chapter’s operational status, and review financial status of the chapter. An Educational Consultant may visit a chapter to assist with recruitment programs, elections, or officer transition and training. Some chapters may require an extended visit to help define its goals and objectives and to further improve chapter operations. A thorough understanding of Sorority policies and procedures are a vital requirement for this position as well as the ability to actively support the purpose and ideals of the Sorority while empowering and mentoring collegiate chapters and members. The Educational Consultant is directly involved in enhancing the collegiate chapters of the Sorority, developing individual leadership among collegiate members, and thus strengthening the foundation of the Sorority.

Click here to access the Educational Consultant Application Materials.

Qualities of a successful Educational Consultant:

• Knowledgeable of the operational functions of the Sorority
• Recent college graduate and available for start date of January 2, 2012
• Outgoing, energetic, and enthusiastic attitude
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the policies, procedures and Ritual of the Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority
• Ability to work independently
• Excellent presentation skills
• Ability to work and adapt to an ever changing work environment
• Ability to conduct meetings with university administrators and area alumnae
• Willing and able to work with Headquarters Staff and Volunteer Personnel
• Commitment to the growth of the National Organization
  Exposure to the operational functions of the Sorority

To be considered for this position, candidates are required to:

• Be an initiated member of Alpha Sigma Tau in good standing
• Possess an undergraduate degree
• Have excellent oral and written communication skills
• Be highly motivated and able to motivate others
• Have the stamina and flexibility as consecutive days of travel are likely
• Hold a valid United States drivers license
• Be able to operate a vehicle
• Have current automobile liability insurance
• Be able to lift 50 pounds