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Leadership Academy scholarships furnished by the AOII Foundation provided 31 chapters with the opportunity to attend #AOIILA2015!

The iper ALPHA OMICRON PI | FEBRUARY 2015

what’s inside AOII Elections Process AOII Foundation News

Leadership Academy 2015 Wrap Up Save the Dates

AOIIs on Capitol Hill ...and more

Letter from Linda Grandolfo |AOII Foundation Board Director

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Alumnae SOEs dueMarch 1

Convention Awards Submissions due March 1

AOII Summer Intern Applications due March 1

AOII Foundation ScholarshipApplications dueMarch 1

Strike Out Arthritis! Event Report Forms dueMay 8

AOII International ConventionJune 24-28

STAY CONNECTED!

SAVE THE DATES

Dear sisters,

February is one of my very favorite months – it’s the month of many of our Founders’ Day events and a chance to see sisters whom we haven’t seen in a while. It’s also the month that we celebrate the Ruby Fund; often referred to as the “heart” of AOII.

I have the pleasure of serving as the Foundation Board liaison to our Ruby Fund Committee. We’ve had several requests granted this year ranging from a sister suffering from a terminal illness, to assisting a senior collegiate member who was in dire need of housing, to supporting a sister through an unforeseen personal crisis. Fulfillment of these requests is possible through AOII donor support of the Ruby Fund.

Our Foundation strives to make an impact on our sisters throughout each year and in all seasons. As you pass the basket during Founders’ Day this year, think of the women whom you are directly supporting through your donation. The Ruby Fund is how we support our sisters when they have nowhere else to turn. It is the fund that allows us to remember our pledge to one another and to the four women who started it all.

Through the generous donations of sisters both past and present, the Ruby Fund has awarded grants of more than $850,000 to sisters in dire need. Won’t you join us in continuing to support our sisters in their times of greatest need? Donations to the Ruby Fund can be made during your Founders’ Day event and by visiting our website at www.aoiifoundation.org. Your gift at a Founders’ Day event or at anytime makes a difference!

On behalf of the AOII Foundation Board, thank you for your continued support of our sisterhood in 2015!

Linda Click here for the 2015 Ruby Fund Message under the “Programs” tab.

The Human Resources Committee is responsible for reviewing cadidates for International Volunteer positions and accepts applications year-round. To speak to a member of the HRC team about which position is right for you, please e-mail hrc@alphaomicronpi.org. To complete a volunteer application, visit www.alphao-micronpi.org and click Alumnae > Volun-teer Opportunities.

The following positions are currently open !

New Chapter DevelopmentNetwork Specialist - DevelopmentAlpha Mu (Duquesne University)

Network Specialist - DevelopmentAlpha Rho (Oregon State University)

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Alpha Omicron Pi 2015-2017 Executive Board Election ProcessWe are getting closer to AOII Convention 2015 in Los Angeles, California! Although we’re looking forward to fun in the sun with sisters, we’re also gearing up for the most critical function of AOII’s International Convention, which is conducting the business of our Fraternity. This includes electing members of the Alpha Omicron Pi Executive Board! AOII’s Nominating Trustees have been hard at work preparing for the elections of what will be AOII’s Executive Board leadership for the 2015-2017 biennium. Stay connected to the process by reading updates on the Executive Board Election Process page on the AOII website. Below is the remainder of the elections process timeline. Contact NT@alphao-micronpi.org with questions or comments!

Jan. 17 - Feb. 15Candidate interviews and reference checks.

Feb. 15 Initial Ballot is announced via email from HQ.

Feb. 15 - 24 Candidates solicit four endorsements from members of Council.

February - March 2015 Candidate Forum is open for members to pose questions to candidates.

March 1 Final Ballot is announced via email from HQ and in the Call to Convention.

Members of Council participate in Fraternity Business Sessions at AOII Convention 2013.

Become an AOII Volunteer

We are excited to be in the process of inviting all collegiate officers and advisers into AOII’s new database!

If you are a New Member Educator, informa-tion on new member processes in AlphaLink, including how to add new members into the database, can be found now in Fulfilling the Promise under the ‘New Member Education’ tab of the Officer Resource Library. For all other officers, more information will be sent to you next week regarding reports and forms for your office. A new Supply Order Form is also available in the Officer Resource Library.

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#AOIILA2015 WRAP UP

On February 6 - 8, AOII’s Collegiate Chapter Presidents, Vice Presidents of Standards and Standards Advisers came together for a weekend of education vital to the “protect and serve” aspects of these important AOII positions. These sisters learned more about handling difficult conversations, applying AOII’s ritual in the standards process, how standards can be a crucial part of membership retention, maintaing AOII standards on social media, and more. They also had the opportunity to visit AOII Headquarters and connect with sisters from other chapters throughout the weekend! Attendees should look out for a post-LA webinar in March that will reiterate some of these key messages and provide insight on implementing the event’s takeaways throughout the rest of the year.

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AOII is gearing up for colonization at University of Nevada, Reno!Alpha Omicron Pi will colonize our newest chapter February 27 thru March 1 at University of Nevada, Reno! Follow our colonization activities online for all of the latest updates and announcements about this exciting process. Click the icons above to interact.

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AOII Awards atInternational Convention 2015Want to see your chapter’s name here in 2015? It’s time to start working on your chapter’s awards submissions for Convention 2015 in Los Angeles! The awards submission deadline is March 1, 2015. Consideration for awards will be dependent upon chapters meeting their Standards of Excellence deadlines of February 1 for collegiate chapters and March 1 for alumnae chapters. The submission process is available online here! Click “Submissions” and then “2015 Convention Awards Competition” to get started.

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Apply to be an AOII Intern!Every summer, AOII hosts interns in a variety of operational areas at our International Headquarters in Brentwood, TN. The application for Summer 2015 is now available! Click here to access the application - choose “Summer Intern Application” to get started. All submissions are due by March 1.

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Late last summer, the Performance Committee conducted a survey with current and former volunteers serving in the Network Specialist – Development (or similar titles from recent history) role. In total, 58 surveys were distributed and 48 completed (83%). Of those completed, 22 were current NS-Ds (18 of which were NS-Ds for more than a year).

For context and perspective, the Performance Committee specifically focuses on the many and most critical human resources needs - supporting and empowering members while also assisting in the meeting of strategic objectives. The Committee ensures that the volunteer structure is nimble and aligned to meet the needs of both volunteers and chapters to enable success and encourage implementation of best practices throughout the organization. Thus, while we recognize that there are numerous operational components for each portion of the structure, such questions were not asked in this survey because we believe they are best asked and responded to by our staff.

The goal of this survey was to identify what is working well, zero in on any gaps that we may have, learn what we can do to improve, and gather suggestions from a variety of sources. Information from this survey as well as the data collected at Leadership Institute 2014 and from the 2013-2014 ELCs provided a multi-faceted view of our strengths and opportunities.

We are truly fortunate in AOII to have such dedicated volunteers. Although 55% of the current NS-Ds have been in their role for less than a year, they brought with them a wealth of knowledge. Half had 5-9 years of volunteer experience and some had over 10 years. Of all of the current NS-Ds, several have other Network experience and the vast majority have served in a collegiate advisory capacity. In addition, 55% have collegiate chapter officer experience and 45% have alumnae chapter officer experience. It is rewarding to see the lifetime com-mitment to AOII in action through these women! The positive themes from the study include items that we want to do more of and ensure we capitalize on as our strengths:

l 50% of the current NS-Ds felt prepared or very well prepared to start their new role.l 58% of the current NS-Ds rated their initial training as Good to Excellent; this is up from 40% previously. l Combining the training and support received at the time of the survey, 80% felt Prepared or Very Well Prepared to be successful during the 2014-2015 academic year.l 80% believed the team approach (NS-D, ADNCD, CA, and ELC) was Effective or Extremely Effective at supporting the needs of the assigned chapter.

In addition, opportunities were identified and we have already begun the process of addressing through minor process changes, programmatic implementation, and operational changes. These include:

l Larger colonies/chapters may require more work and the single volunteer approach may need to be examined further. l During certain time periods, such as recruitment, there is a struggle with work balance and overall bandwidth and we need to develop ways to seamlessly bring in additional support.l The NS-Ds identified areas for additional training and/or support, including: AAC recruitment, collegiate formal recruitment, and chapter finances.l In general, the NS-Ds would appreciate additional collaboration with other volunteers, whether that is with those in the same role or other Network roles.

We are pleased that the volunteer structure that is in place is meeting the needs of our chapters and has enabled the overall growth and development of AOII. The opportunities identified through this process are already being addressed and will continue to strengthen our sisterhood as well as our standing in our communities. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure because as we grow and strengthen, our structure must remain nimble to support the strategic plan of AOII. As such, we welcome your ongoing feedback.

If at any time, you have a question regarding the Network Structure, we encourage you to com-municate directly with the Executive Board Performance Committee as we are charged with its continuous evaluation and improvement. You may reach the committee at performancecom-mittee@alphaomicronpi.org.

AOII NS-Development “Pulse” Survey Results

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NS-Ds and NS-Rs participate in training provided by Jess Gendron Williams and Phired Up Productions.

AOII Performance CommitteeRebecca Herman, ChairAmber CountisSusan DankoKrista WhippleAndrea Theobald, Staff Partner { {

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AOIIFoundation News

The deadline is approaching for AOII Foundation Scholarship Applications!Diamond Jubilee Scholarships are available for undergraduate, graduate and returning alumnae; several named scholarships are also available. Visit the Foundation website at www.aoiifoundation.org and click on Programs/Scholar-ships to apply. Applications are due no later than March 1.

AOII Performance CommitteeRebecca Herman, ChairAmber CountisSusan DankoKrista WhippleAndrea Theobald, Staff Partner

Applications for the Young Alumnae Council and Foundation Ambassadors are now available on our website! Both groups serve as vital Foundation volunteers who assist us in further sharing the mission and vision of the AOII Foundation. Additional information can be found on our website with both applications. The deadline to apply for both positions is April 15.

Apply to Join the Young Alumnae Council or Foundation Ambassadors

Two Sisters Selected to Represent AOII on Capitol Hill Each year, Alpha Omicron Pi sponsors two of our members and student leaders to attend lobbying efforts at our nation’s capital. They advocate for legislation that is important to the success of fraternity and sorority organi-zations across the country. If you or your chapter members are interested in this opportunity, applications are usually posted in November/December each year. Then the Hill visits take place during the final part of April each year. Alpha Omicron Pi is pleased to announce the following two women were selected to attend this year: Olivia Acker, Alpha Delta Chapter, U of AlabamaFrom Northport, Alabama, Olivia serves as an active member in her chapter and on a variety of committees. Olivia has been involved with SGA, one year as a member of First Year Council, and the following year as a Senator representing the business school. She is a member of the Cardinal Key Honor Society, Order of Alpha Junior Honorary, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, and the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Over the past year, Olivia served as the Vice President of Administration for the Panhellenic Executive Council, and she was recently elected as President for the next year and will work closely with all Panhellenic chapters at UA and the Greek System as a whole.

Madison Gibson, Omicron Chapter, U of TennesseeFrom Germantown, Tennessee, Madison was recently elected as Chapter President for AOII’s Omicron Chapter. In the past, she has served in various leadership roles including Historian, Vice President of Administration, Ethics Club of University of Tennessee, Recruitment Counselor, National Society of Leadership and Success, Management Society of University of Tennessee, and Leadership Knoxville Scholars including a two year commitment as a part of the 2014 Leadership Knoxville Scholars Cohort. As a strong leader within her chapter and on campus, Madison believes that both fraternities and sororities need to be represented in a positive light in the media.

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