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.
2024 Chapter Excellence Plan
In 2024, CEP is moving to a calendar year format (January-December) to align with most chapters' officer terms. (Versus an academic year format as done in the past.)
CEP has criteria separated into nine categories, with Required and Optional criteria in each. Chapters should strive to complete all Required Criteria, at least 50% or more of Optional Criteria to meet the Expectation level of the Men of Merit Chapter Standards Program. The CEP Guidebook and CEP Overview documents note which criteria should be completed in the fall, spring and/or just once per officer term.
Fall 2024 CEP submissions are now open and due Dec. 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
CEP Links and Resources
**Denotes if there is a CEP criterion that is due both in the Fall and the Spring. Pay close attention to the Deadline column to know when items are due. Any item marked as Year means that particular CEP criterion just needs to be completed during the course of that officer's term.
CEP BREAKDOWN
CEP submission criteria are broken into nine categories with Required and Optional criteria in each category.
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 at least 60% of Optional criteria
- Expectation: 80% of Required criteria and at least 45% of Optional criteria
- Minimum: 70% of Required criteria and at least 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: 80% of Required criteria and 60% of Optional criteria
- Expectation: 90% 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.
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 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.
CEP For Associate Chapters
As associate chapters work their way toward chartering requirements, there is a special CEP for Associate Chapters form that they should complete. This form includes the CEP criteria DU wants associate chapters to focus on to continue building successful chapter operations. Upon receiving their charter at the Installation/Reinstallation Ceremony, chapters will be expected to complete all regular CEP requirements as found on the main CEP form.