AΣA Advantage

AΣA Advantage
Program Information

Objectives

AΣA Advantage focuses on individual, self-directed growth and learning. It carries the educational objectives of the sorority beyond the new member period into a lifetime of development. It is firmly founded on the rituals and values of Alpha Sigma Alpha and advances our aims - intellectual, physical, spiritual and social development. The program caters to the needs of every member during and after her undergraduate college experience. It offers a solution to senior member involvement and retention and assists in easing the transition to alumnae membership. It prepares our members to aspire, seek and attain future success. It gives Alpha Sigma Alpha members an advantage-as a woman, a student, a leader and a community member.

Objectives for the AΣA Advantage Initiative

To raise the level of expectation about what a good sorority experience should be and what it should provide to members. To raise the level of expectation of what women should expect from themselves and other members of the organization.
To increase retention of active, involved members throughout all four years of college.
To increase alumnae satisfaction and involvement.
To make members more aware of the history and heritage of the organization and the values it is founded upon.
To provide a premiere, prominent initiative for AΣA to market to members, potential members and potential expansion opportunities.
To assist members in developing more confidence in their personal skills.
To further define what the four aims mean.
To provide more concrete information to members about how to implement the initiative.
To have chapter and individual programming directly reflect the ritual and values of the organization.

Outcomes

For Undergraduates

Members will be more involved in the chapter throughout entire collegiate career.
Officers will feel confident administering initiative.
Members will have a greater understanding of the purpose and values of the organization and be able to clearly communicate that to others.
Members will want to stay involved (volunteer) locally or nationally after college.
Members will have a deeper understanding of the ritual and act more consistently with its values.
Members will have greater self-confidence.
Members have a concrete record of their experience and the ability to "sell" themselves through this experience to others, esp. when looking for a career.
Members are more purposeful in their academic pursuits.
Members are more purposeful in their service activities.
Members have developed personal skills and are able to apply that to chapter leadership positions.
Members appreciate the generational diversity and influence/benefits for the sorority.
Members connect with AΣA on their own time and at their own pace -the initiative is adaptable.
Members utilize the asa-advantage.org web site.
Cut down on chapter over programming.

For Alumnae

Look forward to installments of the initiative and feel they are relevant to their lives.
Incorporate AΣA into their everyday lives.
Feel informed about and connected to AΣA on a local or national level.
See evidence of personal growth.
Confident in their ability to talk positively about their experiences in AΣA.
Build on their life and AΣA experiences.
Inspired to renew past personal relationships in AΣA.
Understand the changes that have happened in the organization since they were collegiate members.
Contribute their history and story to the local or national organization.
Make connections to collegiate members.

For the AΣA National Organization

Have a greater pool of volunteers.
Volunteers have a greater understanding of the organization.
AΣA is perceived by campuses and other Greek organizations as innovative.
Have a plan for effectively communicating and marketing the initiative.
Comprehensive plan for training students and advisors to effectively administer the initiative.

Philosophy

BALANCED - between individual and group activities
FLEXIBLE - self-paced and self-motivated
APPLICABLE - learning opportunities that reflect members personal and professional goals at each level of membership
INTEGRATED - take advantage of existing learning opportunities on campus and community instead of re-inventing the wheel
INSPIRING - supports the core values, ritual, creed, and four aims
ASPIRE, SEEK, ATTAIN - challenge and stretch yourself, take risks, chose to do more than just get by, reap the rewards of learning and growth
BUILDING STRONG INDIVIDUALS LEADS TO A STRONGER CHAPTER!

Expectations

50 hours of total annual involvement
25 hours of community service annually
25 hours activities annually devoted to each of the four aims
Tracking of and reflection on activities

Program Components

Support team-chapter officers who work as a team to oversee implementation and to support members in meeting their goals
Annual Chapter Kick-Off Retreat and End of Year Retreat
Advantage partners and teams-chapter members pair up to motivate and support each other and to assist in holding each other accountable to accomplishing personal goals
Learning Journal and On-line Activity Log and Evaluation-allows members to track their activities and reflect on their learning
On-going individual activities> in each of the four aims
CD-ROM-interactive CD with history and heritage information about the sorority as well as resources and manuals
asa-advantage.org-includes message boards, resource information links and FAQs
Captsone experiences-allows members at the end of each module to reflect on and apply their experiences
Developmental transcript-serves as a resume to document extracurricular learning

Benefits to Members

Higher expectation of what a good sorority experience should be. You will also get more honest and complete information about what you can expect as a member and what you can expect from other members.
Better understanding of sorority history and heritage and values Alpha Sigma Alpha is founded upon.
Participation in activities and experiences that could give you a competitive edge in the job market.
A pathway of developing better habits associated with being a woman of poise and purpose.
An unofficial developmental transcript that documents all of your experiences and gives and increased ability to "sell" yourself as a leader when looking for a job.
Skills to be more purposeful and successful in academic pursuits.
A personal plan for your individual growth and development.
An opportunity to grow and learn with your sisters.
The ability to be flexible and personal with your involvement and to get what you want and need from your sorority experience.
The experience of working with both older and younger sisters to challenge and support your personal growth and to share your expertise.