KIND BRAVE BOLD
WELCOME TO TRI DELTA
OUR PURPOSE
The Purpose of Delta Delta Delta shall be to establish a perpetual bond of friendship among its members, to develop a stronger and more womanly character, to broaden the moral and intellectual life, and to assist its members in every possible way.
It shall also be the Purpose of Delta Delta Delta to promote and develop mutually beneficial relationships between the Fraternity and the colleges and universities where the Fraternity has established chapters, to develop qualities of unselfish leadership among its members, and to encourage them to assume, with integrity and devotion to moral and democratic principles, the highest responsibilities of college women.
Dear parents and family members,
It is both my privilege and pleasure to welcome you and your student to Tri Delta! Tri Delta is committed to providing a safe, meaningful, memorable experience for our members for a lifetime.
Our membership experience is designed to meet our members where they are, from offering transformational programming to providing the necessary resources and support to tackle today’s unique challenges to offering careerreadiness training that will set them apart post-college. The Tri Delta experience remains as relevant and valuable to today’s college students as ever before.
Tri Delta was founded by women, for women at Boston University in 1888, when our Founders created an organization that would “be kind alike to all, and think more of a woman’s inner self and character than her personal appearance.” It was a society in which three ideals—truth, self-sacrifice and friendship—were authentically woven into the fabric of a sisterhood that would last a lifetime.
Fast-forward more than 135 years. Today, Tri Delta is bound by sisterhood, inspired by kindness and committed to belonging, empowering women to lead bravely, act boldly and use our voices to change the world for the better.
By the numbers, Tri Delta is a dynamic force of more than 20,000 collegiate members in 138 chapters across North America and more than 230,000 alumnae across the world—a powerful network of sisters and friends. We’re thrilled your student has joined us and hope you are, too!
In this publication, you’ll find information designed to introduce to you the Tri Delta experience, from your student’s first year through their college graduation and beyond. We are also happy to share with you all the ways Tri Delta supports a lifelong journey of growth and development for our members, while encouraging them to leverage their influence in service and kindness to others worldwide.
As your student begins their time as a Tri Delta, please know they’ve been welcomed with much “Delta Love” into a sisterhood that is distinctive, dynamic and worthy of the best of each of us.
Kindest regards,
Elizabeth Howard DiMartino, Boston Tri Delta Fraternity President
First Year Experience
Bid Day was the first step in lifelong membership for your student, as they were welcomed with open arms by the women they will now call sisters! Bid Day is a time for chapters to celebrate new members by engaging in fun activities to begin building relationships and a sense of belonging.
Following Bid Day, your student will participate in Tri Delta’s Pearl to Pine: First Year Experience, designed to build a strong foundation for new members as they begin their lifelong journey of development and growth as members of Tri Delta. Pearl to Pine focuses on Tri Delta’s values, virtues and principles that all members should aspire to in their daily lives, including kindness, friendship, personal responsibility and unselfish leadership. The experience also offers opportunities for new members to develop a sense of belonging, create meaningful friendships and connect to Tri Delta through a hybrid of in-person meetings and online learning modules.
As a new member, your student will be paired with a sponsor—an initiated chapter member—who will mentor, guide and teach them about membership in Tri Delta. The sponsor is there to advise, support, develop, listen and contribute to their journey through Tri Delta membership. Some organizations refer to this person as a “big sister,” or “big,” but Tri Delta uses the term “sponsor” to indicate the significance of this role.
Delta Week is the week leading up to the Initiation ceremony for a new member class. This week is designed to gather the new member class together to celebrate the end of their new member program and the beginning of lifelong membership while focusing on the ideals and Rituals of Tri Delta.
Initiation includes two degrees: Trident Degree and Stars and Crescent Degree. The Trident Degree focuses on the individual development of each member provided through the collegiate years, while the Stars and Crescent Degree reveals how the individual development is dependent upon relationships. Both ceremonies were carefully crafted and worded to welcome new members into lifetime membership in Tri Delta. A third degree of Initiation, the Circle Degree, will be celebrated by your Tri Delta as they transition to life after college.
Lifelong Growth and Development
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The Tri Delta member experience provides your Tri Delta with opportunities to develop qualities of unselfish leadership—whether serving their chapter as an officer, leading a committee or mentoring a new member as a sponsor. These experiences will help prepare them for life after college.
PHILANTHROPY
For more than 70 years, Tri Delta and our members have focused our philanthropic efforts on changing the way the world treats and defeats childhood cancer. In 1999, we established a national partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and our collegiate members play the largest role in fundraising for St. Jude. Today, Tri Delta has been named the Official Partner of Kindness to St. Jude and has raised over $100 million to support their mission! Your Tri Delta will have the opportunity to help organize and participate in virtual fundraising and philanthropy events. Click below to learn more about the life-changing partnership between Tri Delta and St. Jude.
DEVELOPMENT
Online and in-person events, demand training are all available Delta’s lifetime, helping her develop a leader and woman.
• LEADDDer.org offers dynamic development, including on-demand, training and exclusive personal leadership content for all Tough Topics” in this publication some of the important programming Tri Delta on LEADDDer.org.
• Brave & Bold Dialogues is diversity, equity, inclusion, (DEIAB) course offered to LEADDDer.org, using real-life their awareness and understanding issues surrounding identities orientation, gender, ethnicity status.
• Tri Delta offers our sisters collaboration with Miami School of Business, one of schools in the country. Participants essentials of a full 2-year entrepreneurship, accounting fraction of the time and at
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
programming and onavailable throughout your Tri develop new skills and grow as dynamic learning and on-demand, self-paced personal and professional members. See “Taking on publication to learn more about programming available to your LEADDDer.org. is an interactive online inclusion, access and belonging to all members on real-life scenarios to increase understanding of the complex identities including race, sexual ethnicity and socioeconomic
sisters the miniMBA in Miami University’s Farmer of the top-ranked business Participants explore the MBA, such as leadership, accounting and finance, in a at a fraction of the price.
LIFE AFTER COLLEGE SERIES
As an upperclassman, your Tri Delta will have the chance to participate in exclusive opportunities, designed to launch our members from college to career by providing tools and resources to confidently navigate this exciting, but often stressful, transition. The following opportunities are designed just for our juniors and seniors:
• AAUW Start Smart Salary Negotiation Workshop
• Let’s Talk Tri Delta: Collegiate Edition e-Newsletter
• Virtual personal and professional development sessions
• Career connections and networking events
As your Tri Delta begins their career, they will have access to a network of dynamic and accomplished sisters to mentor and support them through every stage and phase of life.
ALUMNAE MEMBERSHIP
Alumnae members continue nurturing and celebrating the incredible bonds that unite us—and even create new ones. Tri Delta alumnae have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, participate in philanthropic and community service projects, and assist Tri Delta’s collegiate chapters— all while receiving the benefits of lifelong growth and friendship. Additionally, Tri Delta has more than 200 alumnae chapters worldwide, offering alumnae members the opportunity to build friendships, serve unselfishly and continue to grow with other alumnae members.
Assisting Our Members in Every Possible Way
TRI DELTA’S FOUNDATION
The changing higher education landscape, rising cost of college and the challenges women face throughout their lifetimes are major concerns for Tri Delta, as it relates to our ability to “assist our members in every possible way.” As our philanthropic arm, Tri Delta’s Foundation invests in women by providing transformational programs, scholarships and emergency financial support to empower our members for a lifetime. Tri Delta’s Foundation is 100% supported by the donations of Tri Delta sisters and their friends and family.
TRANSFORMATIONAL PROGRAMS:
Donors to Tri Delta’s Foundation help fund educational initiatives and our premier leadership conferences that enable a lifelong journey of development and growth for Tri Delta’s members. From leadership essentials and communication skills to positive body image and salary negotiation techniques, these powerful programs help empower our members for a lifetime.
NEED- AND MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS:
With the rising cost of higher education, we are grateful to be able to provide more than 150 undergraduate and graduate scholarships each year to sisters through the generosity of our donors. For many, these scholarships mean the difference between taking out additional student loans or working extra hours to cover college expenses. Applications open Nov. 1 and are due March 1.
EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
A grant from Tri Delta’s Crescent Fund is a lifeline for a collegiate or alumnae sister facing an unforeseen financial crisis, such as unexpected medical expenses, a job loss or a natural disaster.
“This has been such a rough year for my family. If it weren’t for Tri Delta, I may not have made it through my last semester of college. My family and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” —Collegiate Crescent Fund Grant Recipient
Living in the Tri Delta House
When your Tri Delta is starting to plan for where they’ll be living next year, we hope you’ll think of Tri Delta as a safe, supportive environment where your student will be comfortable and happy—surrounded by people who care about them and are committed to their success.
Tri Delta provides homes away from home for more than 4,200 members on 93 college campuses across North America. Living in a Tri Delta home is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy a safe and welcoming space where members can be themselves and belong to something bigger, create lifelong memories with friends who feel like family and experience that special thing we call “Delta Love.”
THE TRI DELTA DIFFERENCE
While living in a Tri Delta home, your student can expect amenities and services that set us apart from other student living options. Amenities and services vary depending on the size and capacity of your Tri Delta house.
• With a focus on safety, many Tri Delta homes include: full-time Tri Delta employee, known as a house director, who lives onsite and works to make the house a home; property management and oversight; and safety and security equipment such as fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems, a security system with offsite monitoring, exterior close-circuit security cameras and access control systems located at entrance points to the house.
• With a focus on comfort, many Tri Delta homes include: a beautiful home with interior furnishings that fit the spirit of the property and community; a residential meal plan prepared onsite in a commercial kitchen by a trained culinary professional; professional housekeeping services; a location near campus, classes and community amenities.
• With a focus on competitiveness, we provide a turnkey experience for you and your Tri Delta—one bill, fully furnished spaces, no utilities to set up, academic year leases, study spaces for individuals and small groups and pricing in line with on-campus living rates.
ButlerLiving Room
North Dakota StateResident Bathroom
Taking on Tough Topics
SUPPORT FOR THE CHALLENGES FACED BY TODAY’S COLLEGE STUDENT
39% of students in college experience a significant mental health issue.
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health has quickly become one of the most critical topics facing college students. Tri Delta offers a comprehensive and holistic approach to wellness through our mental health initiative, Behind Happy Faces. Behind Happy Faces uses educational videos and engaging discussions to reframe the conversation around mental illness, emphasize the importance of taking care of our mental health and provide members with the tools and resources to refer a friend to a mental health professional.
BODY IMAGE
In today’s society, it’s a challenging time to be a sorority woman. As a result of trying to achieve an unattainable ideal, self-esteem, optimal body image, health, relationships and confidence all suffer. The BodyImage3D Program is offered to all members and will allow your Tri Delta the opportunity to identify ways to be brave, bold and kind in an ever-changing landscape. The program focuses on a multi-dimensional approach that promotes a well-rounded, in-depth body image focused on three key components: a healthy body, mind and spirit.
91% of members who have completed Not Anymore say they now better understand how to support survivors of sexual assault.
CAMPUS SAFETY
The BodyImage3D Program reminded me how beautifully different we all are yet equally worthy and important. The program reminded me of my own value and commitment to growth. I will remind myself of this experience as I experience hard times.
—Tri Delta collegiate member
Tri Delta demonstrates a strong commitment to campus safety through member education. Two important programs will be part of your member’s first year experience in Tri Delta. Our Hazing Prevention: It’s Everyone’s Responsibility™ program focuses on understanding hazing, its impact, Tri Delta’s Human Dignity Expectations and ways to create a safe chapter and community. In addition, your student will participate in our Creating a Community That Cares online modules which empower members to understand the role they play in caring for themselves and others at social events.
Sharing the Experience
MEMBERSHIP EXPECTATIONS
Your Tri Delta will be required to meet and exceed certain expectations outlined in our Obligations of Membership. These expectations are set forth by their chapter and include personal, academic, financial and housing requirements to be met over the course of their collegiate membership. As part of our membership expectations, Tri Delta and members must comply with all federal, state, provincial and local laws and host academic rules and policies regarding hazing and the Tri Delta Anti-Hazing policy, which precludes hazing.
As a new member, your Tri Delta will be asked to review and sign the Obligations of Membership, as well as the Statement of Financial Obligations, prior to being able to participate in chapter activities. If your Tri Delta is under the age of 18, an additional parent/guardian signature will be required. These documents effectively serve as the contract of membership and financial commitment between your Tri Delta, their chapter and the national organization.
All collegiate members, including our new members, are able to pay their dues through an installment plan. If your Tri Delta would like to request an installment plan, they should email their chapter’s director of member finance.
TRI PSI MOTHERS’ SORORITY
For more than 100 years, Tri Delta has been the only sorority to have a Greek letter sorority for their mothers. Our mothers’ organization, Tri Psi, consists of dedicated mothers, or anyone acting in the capacity of a mother, who come together each year to support their Tri Delta daughters and assist our members in every possible way. Tri Psi awards $1,500 undergraduate scholarships to selected members entering their junior year. To learn more about Tri Psi, visit tripsisorority.com.
SUPPORTING YOUR TRI DELTA
As a parent and family member, you can help your Tri Delta get the most out of their experience. College is a time for self-discovery, and in Tri Delta we provide a place for them to belong, as they become the best versions of themselves. Tri Delta and our host institutions offer abundant opportunities for meaningful experiences, inside and outside of the classroom. It may seem overwhelming to them to balance all of these priorities. Talk with them about how they can best create balance by making healthy and thoughtful choices. Check in and ask questions about Tri Delta, using the First Year Experience section to help guide your conversation.
