Parents

A fraternity offers its members a lifelong bond of brotherhood and activities to promote their educational objectives. A general characteristic of fraternities is that membership is by invitation only, membership is for life, and a ritual proclaiming the ideals of the organization is revealed to its members upon initiation. Fraternity members generally have a higher GPA and are more likely to graduate than the overall student body. A general fraternity can organize only the social life of its members, but as a professional fraternity, Theta Tau offers more: a common bond of interest in the pursuance of engineering in its various branches. Theta Tau along with twenty-five other groups representing various academic disciplines joined together in founding the Professional Fraternity Association in 1928. These groups offer so much more to our members than the commonly held (and often inaccurate) perspective of the greek system as a whole.

• A Professional Fraternity is a specialized fraternity which limits its membership to a specific field of professional education in accredited colleges and universities.  For Theta Tau, members must be studying an engineering field at the time of their initiation.
• Theta Tau is a member of the Professional Fraternity Association, which provides resources for educating out members, volunteers and staff, as well as serving the membership’s needs.

Theta Tau expects its members to obey all laws and to abide by the Fraternity’s policies and standards. Theta Tau has strict guidelines for hosting any social event, and chapters are expected to provide a safe environment at all times for members and guests. If any policies are violated, Theta Tau will investigate and ensure that additional education and appropriate disciplinary measures are instituted to ensure policy adherence.

Theta Tau is clear and concise in its stance against hazing. Hazing is illegal; therefore it has no place in the Fraternity. Theta Tau holds its members to the highest possible standard, and no chapter, Candidate Chapter, student or alumnus shall conduct nor condone hazing activities. Hazing activities are defined as: “Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether located on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: Forced use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with academic achievement, fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution, or applicable laws.”

Each Theta Tau chapter has fixed expenses including national and local dues, new member fees and housing fees (determined by the chapter). Additionally, there is a one-time initiation fee, and a membership badge must also be purchased. During recruitment a detailed statement of member financial obligations will be provided. Membership dues go toward leadership training, program development, chapter maintenance and a lifetime subscription to The Gear, Theta Tau Fraternity’s magazine. We are proud to have minimized changes to our membership costs over the past 20 years, making membership affordable to virtually all students who may be interested in Theta Tau.”

Recruitment (formerly known as rush) is a time set aside once or twice a year for students to meet fraternity members, learn about our brotherhood and decide if fraternity life is appropriate for them. Membership in a fraternity is voluntary and is the result of a mutual selection process.

• Favor and Company provides Theta Tau’s insurance.  You can find more information at  https://favorandcompany.com/, click on Fraternal Insurance in the upper right.
• Favor has provided this information to share with all of our chapters.

• Theta Tau Policies and Procedures Manual
• Theta Tau Membership Education Models, scroll down to Recruitment and New Member Education.
• Hazing Prevention Network
• Campus Resources – each campus has a department that the Theta Tau chapter reports to.  These are different at each campus but could be the Office of Student Activities, Student Life Office, Office of Fraternity/Sorority Life, etc.