The Piper - May 2016

TheP i p e rAlpha Omicron Pi | May 2016

Theta Omega (Northern Arizona U)
seniors celebrate with a photoshoot
on campus. Congratulations to all
of our members graduating from
school this year!

Congrats, Grads!

2016 Jingle Bell Run Announcement
Donate a Panda for the JA Conference
AOII Foundation Reminders... and more!

SAVE THE DATES BoPardropMerteiesssage

SUMMER MLB EVENTS Julie Bishop
June 11 with LA Angels
June 16 with NY Mets (Gamma Theta/U of South Florida)
June 19 with Oakland A’s
AOII Properties Board
Check AOII’s website for Vice President
dates throughout the year
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE This is the time of year that spring semesters
June 24-26 are coming to a close and summer vacation
planning is well underway. While many
1 have visions of getting their toes in the sand,
AOII Properties is about to embark on its
busiest months. It is now time to execute
months of research, information gathering
and planning. Here is a sneak peek of what
“go time” looks like in Nashville.
Leadership Institute is right around the corner. Registrations and travel plans
for attendees made possible from Corporations budgets are in the final stages.
Staff is ensuring that all travel arrangements and hotel accommodations are
secured and payments are distributed. Based on preliminary registration lists,
almost every corporation has registered at least one additional sister.
Simultaneously “wish list” items have been consolidated to identify all
items that can be purchased for bulk discounts. Requests range from Ritual
equipment and organizational items for storage facilities to miscellaneous
kitchen supplies. We are also utilizing this time to ensure any chapter meeting
space and storage needs are in place and ready for use when the new semester
begins.
Houses are closing for the summer break. Necessary deep cleaning and general
maintenance ensure that houses are in pristine condition upon the members’
return. Numerous houses are receiving much needed “face lifts” while vacant.
Summer may be better in flip flops, but we are lacing up our tennis shoes
and hitting the ground running. While there is much to do, many hands are
lightening the load and everyone is excited to see the end results.
Fraternally,
Julie Bishop
AOII Properties Board Vice President

It’s Worth Talking About

AOII Culture Principles

Alpha Omicron Pi’s Culture Principles were created to provide our
membership with a consistent approach to “how” we do things. Their
purpose is to help all members achieve the meaning of Fraternity as outlined
in our Ritual.

INNOVATION
We have the courage to embrace new ideas that will create value for our
members. We challenge the status quo when appropriate and are open
to smart risk-taking in order to meet our short and long-term goals. We
leverage new technologies and practices to connect and share information
with our members.

Ritual Moments

Spend some time with AOII’s Founders! The Rituals, Traditions and Jewelry Committee
(RT&J) has recorded and developed a monthly podcast series called “Ritual Moments,”
where members can learn, understand and reflect on AOII’s rich history. A new podcast
will be released on the AOII Facebook page on the second Monday of each month.
May’s recording is the “Founders’ Day Greeting” from 1955. Watch for a new “Ritual
Moments” installment on the second Monday of each month! Members can also access
a transcript of each recording in the Ritual section of the Officer Resource Library on
Fulfilling the Promise (edu.alphaomicronpi.org > Officer Recourse Library > Ritual >
Ritual Moments & Ritual Moments Transcripts).

Stay Connected:

AOII’s social media outlets are the best way to stay up-to-date on AOII news. From recruitment results
and photos, to Strike Out Arthritis! and other philanthropic events, to notes of congratulations to
exemplary members and chapters for accomplishments and good works in the community, we are
always sharing the latest information. If your chapter has news or photos to share with us, please send
them to [email protected]! Photos to be considered for To Dragma should be sent to
[email protected] and must be 1MB or larger in size.

facebook.com/aoiifraternity aoiisuitcasediaries.com
twitter.com/alphaomicronpi apieceofthepiblog.com
Instagram: @alphaomicronpi
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AOII Foundation News 12

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1 DON’T FORGET: Order Rose Tributes for Leadership Institute

Rose Tributes are a special way to honor your sisters at Leadership Institute and help raise money for
the Loyalty Fund, which supports all AOII Foundation programs. For each $5 contribution, you can
send a sister a Rose Tribute, and she will receive an acknowledgement card and an embroidered rose
for her name badge.
Each Rose Tribute is $5, and they can be purchased online under Donate Now/Donate Online at
www.aoiifoundation.org, by mail and throughout event registration. Please contact Michelle
Ceylan at [email protected] with any questions about your order. The deadline to
purchase Rose Tributes for them to be included in the on-site Leadership Institute registration
packet is Wednesday, June 1.

2 DON’T FORGET: Honor Your Graduating Seniors

It’s almost the end of the school year, don’t forget to honor your graduating seniors! Support your
sisters through purchasing Senior Tribute e-cards!
Each $10 donation allows the AOII Foundation to continue providing scholarships, educational
grants to the Fraternity and Ruby Fund assistance for our sisters.

Click here to send a Senior Tribute in honor of a special senior!

3 DON’T FORGET: Submit Chapter SOA! Proceeds

As the academic year comes to an end, don’t forget to submit your chapter’s Strike Out Arthritis!
event proceeds to the AOII Foundation!

4 Foundation Scholarship Notifications

All applicants who applied for a Foundation scholarship will be notified by May 31 as to whether
they received a scholarship. Thank you to everyone who applied and we look forward to
announcing our recipients during Leadership Institute!

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Volunteering for AOII

The Human Resources Network 1
Committee always accepts HR Ambassador Network 1
volunteer applications. To speak Network 2
to a member of the HRC team Network Specialist-Alumnae (vacancy 6/15/2016)
about which position is right for Network 3
you, please email No vacancies
[email protected]. To Network 4
complete a volunteer application, Network Specialist- Development–Phi Alpha/East Tennessee State U (Fall 2016 colonization)
visit www.alphaomicronpi.org/ Network 5
volunteer-opportunities1 and No vacancies
click on the link at the bottom of Network 6
the page. Network Specialist–Finance**
The positions listed here are Network 7
currently open - HRC is actively Network Specialist–Recruitment (vacancy 6/15/2016)
recruiting to fill these vacancies Network 8
as of May 17, 2016: Human Resources Ambassador (anticipated)
Network Specialist-Development–Zeta Theta/California State U, Chico (vacancy 6/15/2016)
Network Specialist–Leadership**
Network Specialist–Recruitment**

** Indicates a new position in the Network. Please reference the Network Structure
Update on the AOII website.

AOII Career Center

Alpha Omicron Pi is excited to have launched a new career center for all members! This database, accessible 4
through a link on the AOII website main toolbar (www.alphaomicronpi.org) will provide alumnae and
collegiate members with a safe and easy place to:

• search for potential employment
• feature internships or jobs
• upload resumes for employers to view
• find employment positions within AOII
• search for potential employees
Another added bonus to the new career center is our partnership with FinLogic and Lorman Education
to provide resources for continuing professional education for alumnae at a 10% discount!

Arthritis News

Announcing

Gayle Fitzpatrick

AOII International President

2016 Jingle Bell Run
National Chair

Alpha Omicron Pi and the Arthritis Foundation are pleased to support AOII’s
International President, Gayle Fitzpatrick, as the National Chair for the 2016 Jingle Bell
Run series. Gayle will serve as a spokesperson for the event and lead a team of AOII staff and
volunteers on a National AOII Jingle Bell Run Committee. The committee will lead the Fraternity toward a
fundraising goal of $150,000 for 2016 events as the Arthritis Foundation strives to achieve a national goal of
$9,000,000. Are you interested in joining AOII’s National Jingle Bell Run Committee? Contact
[email protected] or [email protected] for more information.
In order to meet AOII’s commitment, all members and individuals are encouraged to participate!
Information will be updated throughout the year.

Form a team. Run or walk for a great cause.
Become a part of Team AOII National.
Step Up Today!

International President Gayle Fitzpatrick has
participated in numerous Jingle Bell Runs over
the years as an AOII. Pictured here are photos

5 from the 2015 Portland, Oregon Jingle Bell Run.

Strike Out Arthritis with AOII!

Since 2010, Alpha Omicron Pi has partnered with 25 of the 30 Major League Baseball teams across North America to host
fundraising events in support of the Arthritis Foundation through our Strike Out Arthritis! initiative. Each year, ticket sales
and attendance grow, which allows for our donation to our international philanthropy to increase significantly. In addition
to these Fraternity-wide SOA! events, our collegiate and alumnae chapters host local SOA! events that also contribute
to AOII’s overall mission to Strike Out Arthritis! This year, the Fraternity’s goal is to host fundraising events with all 30
individual MLB teams in our ongoing effort to secure an AOII/Major League Baseball partnership.
This will become a reality with the help, support and attendance from each of our collegiate and
alumnae members. We hope to see you at the ballpark!

To find an AOII sponsored MLB event near you, please visit
www.alphaomicronpi.org/soa-with-aoii-and-mlb

or contact Alex LeForge at [email protected].

For Further Discussion

In the Spring 2016 issue of To Dragma, you read about
a sister’s battle with melanoma and the support she
received from AOII sisters during her treatments. Don’t
forget to share your stories of AOII sisters supporting
you on the AOII Facebook page May 26. Watch for a post
that morning from the Fraternity getting the discussion
started. We’ll then select a few of your comments to run in
the next issue of To Dragma. If you haven’t had a chance to
read the story yet, click here.

Donate a Panda!

Alpha Omicron Pi will be donating one panda to every
child who attends this summer’s Juvenile Arthritis
Conference! We still need several hundred more pandas
to fulfill our promise to reach 750! Please help us be “A
Champion of Yes” by donating a panda. You can: 1) bring
it to Leadership Institute this summer, 2) mail one directly
to headquarters or 3) follow this link to order a panda
through the Emporium at www.aoiiemporium.com.

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NPC Information
Judicial Process for Recruitment Infractions

Whether your chapter has recruitment in the fall or spring,
the topic of recruitment infractions is bound to come up. It is
important to understand the steps in the Panhellenic judicial
procedures – as the procedures are the same for an alleged
violation during recruitment, socials or philanthropy events.
The NPC judicial process is outlined in the 21st Edition
2016 Manual of Information on pages 81-94. The process
exists to facilitate a productive conversation between chapters
or parties who have concerns regarding a potential violation
of the Unanimous Agreements, College Panhellenic Bylaws,
standing rules, code of ethics or recruitment rules.
With all the efforts in creating a cohesive Panhellenic
community, these five steps of the judicial process can aid
in educating all chapter members each year, and especially
prior to recruitment events taking place. When an allegation of an infraction is made, all parties should commit to finding
resolution through the following ways:

1. Discussion – Start with having an informal discussion between the parties to address a concern. Ask yourself, how can

rational people come to an agreement on what mistakes were made, and how can justice be restored? What action/behavior
would you like modified if your chapter has been wronged? If our sisters have made the error, offer suggestions on how
to educate the chapter members and discuss how communication can improve with all parties involved. Often a mutual
understanding can be reached and the situation is resolved between the two parties without any further action needed.
• If a mutual understanding is reached, the parties must contact the Panhellenic President to inform her of the
discussion. No further action is needed.
• If a mutual understanding is not reached or the concern cannot be resolved, move to filing a Violation Report
Form. This form must be filed within 30 days of the incident (including university/college breaks). For non-
recruitment related infractions, the form may be completed by the president of a chapter on behalf of her chapter,
an executive officer/board member of a chapter, College Panhellenic officer, or fraternity/sorority advisor. For
recruitment infractions, the form may be reported and signed by the president of a chapter on behalf of her
chapter, College Panhellenic officer in charge of recruitment or a recruitment counselor, potential new member
or the fraternity/sorority advisor. The form should be turned in to Panhellenic. Panhellenic will give a Notice of
Infraction Form to the accused chapter. The College Panhellenic Notice of Infraction shall be delivered to the
president of the accused fraternity within one week of the College Panhellenic president’s receipt of the College
Panhellenic Violation Report.
• Upon receipt of the College Panhellenic Notice of Infraction, the accused fraternity shall contact the College
Panhellenic president within one week to schedule mediation or choose to proceed directly to a judicial hearing.
A mediation will be scheduled between the parties, unless the accused party would like to go to a judicial hearing.
Many times the mediation is scheduled up to several weeks after the infraction is filed. Again, consider if the
alleged violation can be discussed between the parties involved to come to a mutually agreeable conclusion on how
to address the behavior.

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2. Mediation – A mediation is a facilitated discussion between the parties where the concern exists. This process allows

for assisted negotiations and all parties must be willing to be open and candid. Mediations are closed to the public. The
mediation outcome is dependent on the parties involved, a willingness to work toward an agreement with solution based
action and a commitment that the discussion will be confidential. All parties involved may have up to three representatives
including their chapter advisor. The representatives need to have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the parties.
Each party will tell their version of what took place and be uninterrupted by the other party(ies). The accused chapter may
provide a letter or have a conversation with the individual who committed the infraction in order to provide her opinion.
The parties will negotiate appropriate actions and expectations to be completed and file and distribute the Mediation
Summary report.
• The mediator for all sessions must be an unbiased third party who has no interest in the outcome of the
mediation. The person needs to be familiar with the mediation process and could be a student affairs professional
in student conduct, residence life, or a faculty member in business or law studies. The mediator is usually not
the Panhellenic advisor and cannot be an undergraduate student. If the mediation does not satisfy a mutual
agreement between the parties, move to scheduling a judicial hearing.

3. Judicial Hearing – If a personal discussion or a facilitated mediation don’t provide any resolution to the concerns or

incident, judicial proceedings are the next option. A Panhellenic judicial board should be trained each year after the
election/selection process and be ready to hear any cases throughout the year. Hearings are closed to the public. All parties
need to be present in the hearing and each party may have up to three representatives, including a chapter advisor. The
proper documentation and forms are found in the Manual of Information on the NPC website (www.NPCwomen.org)
and should be completed and signed by the judicial board chair.
• Sanctions – The appropriate outcomes of a mediation or judicial hearing need to be measurable (and outline who
is responsible, the time frame the actions need to be completed, and who the audience is to be apart of the action).
Fines should be used sparingly. Education is the mostly widely used outcome.
• Appeal – If any party is not satisfied with the outcome of the Judicial Hearing, the chapter can appeal to the NPC
Judicial Appeals Committee within seven (7) days of the formal notification of the hearing outcome. The process is
further explained in the Manual of Information.
Building trust in your Panhellenic community, including amongst leaders
of the chapters and your Panhellenic officers, is a must. Situations,
errors and misunderstandings arise on campuses each year. If proper
relationships have been built throughout the year within the community,
then reasonable agreements and personal discussions can swiftly take
place with the hope that immediate actions/behaviors can be amended.
All AOII chapters should have annual education sessions on Panhellenic
infraction procedures.

Shop the Emporium!

The Emporium is your one stop shop for AOII summer gear. Visit
AOIIEmporium.com to fill your beach bag with AOII tees, hats,

shorts, cups and sunglasses.

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