CHAPTER EXCELLENCE PLAN
Assessment and reflection are two of the best tools to help you reach your goals. Our Chapter Excellence Plan lets chapters do just that.
PLANNING & REPORTING
The Chapter Excellence Plan (CEP) is a reporting and planning tool that ensures each Delta Upsilon chapter is operationally sound and firmly rooted in the Four Founding Principles. Through the CEP submission form, chapter Executive Board members can enter submissions at any time for IHQ staff to review and provide feedback on.
CEP has criteria separated into seven categories, with Required and Optional criteria in each. Chapters should strive to complete all Required Criteria, at least 50% or more of Optional Criteria, use the CEP Planning Form to set goals, and use CEP submission form to report what they have completed. CEP completion corresponds to the following Men of Merit levels:
- Aspiration: 90% of Required criteria and 60% of Optional criteria
- Expectation: 80% of Required criteria and 45% of Optional criteria
- Minimum: 70% of Required criteria and 30% of Optional criteria
If a chapter does not complete at least 70% of the Required criteria AND at least 30% of the Optional criteria, the chapter will be considered Below Minimum.
NOTE: On Jan. 1, 2024, CEP will move to a calendar year format to better align with most chapter officer terms. There will still be a fall 2023 CEP program for chapters that will have 31 required criteria and 13 optional criteria. Fall 2023 CEP is due Dec. 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
CEP Submissions
History of CEP
Before 2011, all chapters would submit binders of information regarding programming, policies, procedures and operations to IHQ at the end of each school year. These binders would then be reviewed and feedback sent back to the chapters. In 2011, CEP began in its online format to provide more direct and constant feedback to chapters about their programming and general operations. In 2020, CEP received its first major revision in more than a decade. The update was made based on feedback and recommendations from undergraduate members, officers, advisors and IHQ staff. While the previous CEP structure had 115 different criteria, the revised version seeks to streamline which criteria are crucial to a chapter’s success and allow for increased flexibility based on individual campus situations.
CEP BREAKDOWN
CEP submission criteria are broken into seven categories with Required and Optional criteria in each category.
Overall, for fall 2023, there are 31 Required criteria and 13 Optional criteria. As part of the Men of Merit Chapter Standards Program, on an annual basis (August – June) chapters must complete the corresponding percentages of CEP criteria to meet to the following Men of Merit levels:
- Aspiration: 90% of Required criteria and 60% of Optional criteria
- Expectation: 80% of Required criteria and 45% of Optional criteria
- Minimum: 70% of Required criteria and 30% of Optional criteria
If a chapter reaches one level in Required and a different level in Optional, their overall Men of Merit performance in the CEP standard will be based on the lower of the two (for example – if a chapter completes 95% of Required criteria but only 35% of Optional criteria, the chapter will be marked as Minimum overall).
Importance
There are many reasons CEP is important, here are a few of those reasons.
Reporting Chapter Operations: Since an IHQ staff member cannot be on your campus at all times, this is a great way to show off what the chapter does on a day-to-date basis. It is a way to receive feedback, continue to grow and even ask for assistance.
Collection of Data: CEP is a way for IHQ to collect data on chapters. Now that the online format has been used for several years, DU is able to see trends over time based on the the data provided. This data allows IHQ to better, and uniquely, advise chapters.
Men of Merit Standards: Completion of CEP is part of the Men of Merit Standards Program.
- Aspiration: 90% of Required criteria and 60% of Optional criteria
- Expectation: 80% of Required criteria and 45% of Optional criteria
- Minimum: 70% of Required criteria and 30% of Optional criteria
Best Practices
- Spend at least 10 minutes/week submitting as an Executive Board.
- Use submission criteria to create a chapter calendar.
- Utilize the 5Ws + H in all submissions. Explain the who, what, when, where, why and how for each submission criteria.
- Include a photo! This is especially beneficial for programs and events the chapter holds or attends.
- Include an attachment! Documents can be emails, letters confirming attendance, bylaws, written policies and procedures, excel spreadsheets, etc.
- Everyone on the Executive Board should submit. While it is great to have a member of the Executive Board managing CEP, everyone should be responsible for submitting in areas related to his role.
CEP Guidebook
This is Excel spreadsheet has each submission listed, with information related to the term in which it is to be submitted, the position responsible, criteria and helpful hints. This file can be manipulated by sorting using Excel functions.
CEP Criteria
This document has each submission broken down by executive board position. This is a great document to help chapters keep track of submissions that have been completed and what to focus on next.