Contact: Michelle Snyder, Executive Director
(410) 799-1224 x21

New Task Force Formed to Study Alignment between Phi Sigma Sigma's Success and Organizational Structure

Elkridge, Maryland (July 22, 2005)—Phi Sigma Sigma is clear that our strategic future is about inspiring the personal development of each sister and perpetuating the advancement of womanhood. We envision a future where Phi Sigma Sigma is a dynamic sisterhood of powerful women fostering uncompromising principles, igniting positive change, and embracing individuality. To fulfill our mission and vision, we need to ensure that the Fraternity is organized in a strategic manner that meets the realities of our members and our world today. To that end, we have formed the Organizational Structure Task Force to review the Fraternity's organizational structure and make recommendations for our strategic success.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Phi Sigma Sigma experienced a period of phenomenal growth. At that time, the Fraternity worked with an organizational consultant to restructure Supreme and Grand Councils to provide the services needed to support this growth. Since that time, several factors have changed including:

• Trends show that the growth of new chapters has slowed. As a result, the Fraternity's focus now centers on improving the service to our existing collegiate chapters while carefully evaluating opportunities for expansion.
• Phi Sigma Sigma Headquarters has transitioned from an administrative support staff to a professional services staff. Our Headquarters now has the capacity to drive programs and deliver enhanced services.
• Supreme Council has developed a results-focused outlook, via our strategic planning process.
• Supreme Council and other Fraternity positions have become extremely time-consuming, detail-orientated volunteer jobs.
• Our organizational structure has become very "team-focused" with little communication across teams.

In addition, Phi Sigma Sigma launched a community pilot two years ago in various regions. The goal of the pilot program was to become less focused on individual areas (e.g., collegiate, alumnae, finance, programming), and more focused on meeting the needs of the members within the region. Evaluation of the program indicates that the pilot has met with limited success. Some believe that a key factor in the lack of success may be the current overarching organizational structure.

To determine the best possible organizational structure, Supreme Council appointed an Organizational Structure Task Force. The objective of the task force is to examine our current structure and recommend any changes that may be needed in order to achieve the mission and vision of Phi Sigma Sigma. The task force will seek professional advice from Dream Dare Do (D3), a consulting firm specializing in organizational structures. Together, they will gather data from a variety of sources including Phi Sigma Sigma members. The task force and D3 wish to involve collegiate and alumnae members at all levels of involvement (e.g., collegians, past international presidents, current volunteers, former volunteers, older alumnae, disconnected alumnae, past chapter consultants, future leaders, etc.). In addition, the task force and D3 will research other non-profits and associations, with needs similar to the Fraternity's, that currently employ successful organizational structures.

Visit Dream Dare Do's Web site

The Organizational Structure Task Force is chaired by Melanie Boone. Members of the task force include:

• Joanne Barrick
• Claire Gregory
• Kim Hildred
• Heather Kelley
• Jennifer Lenhart-Rogish
• Chris Senseney
• Sandy Grossman (ex-officio member)

Members of the Organizational Structure Task Force were appointed based on their varying experience within the organization and their geographic location. Their bios will be posted soon to www.phisigmasigma.org. The task force will report its activities to Supreme Council and Fraternity membership on a regular basis. The task force intends to make its recommendations by early 2006. If changes are proposed, they will be published and distributed during spring 2006. Any changes to our current structure must be approved by voting delegates at our international conclave.

Questions or comments for the task force may be sent to organizationalstructure@phisigmasigma.org.

Phi Sigma Sigma is an international women's fraternity founded in 1913 at Hunter College in New York City. Currently, Phi Sigma Sigma has over 55,000 initiated members worldwide, with 107 collegiate chapters and colonies and 35 alumnae groups across North America. More information on the organization can be found at www.phisigmasigma.org.

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