Phi Gamma Nu


Phi Gamma Nu is one of the largest co-ed professional business fraternities in the United States, with the intent to prepare its members for professional endeavors in a business workplace. The organization cultivates professional behavior in its members through a variety of activities and committees. The organization promotes professional excellence through activities such as resume critiques, mock interviews, and etiquette dinners. Phi Gamma Nu requires members to spend time on philanthropic endeavors. Along with these activities, the organization also stresses the importance of physical interaction and camaraderie of its members. It is this last organizational feature that helps differentiate Phi Gamma Nu from the other national business fraternities. Currently, Phi Gamma Nu has 13 active collegiate chapters nationwide.

History

Phi Gamma Nu was founded on February 17, 1924 at the Chicago campus of Northwestern University. The original founder members were Sylvia Pekar Arnold, Elizabeth Conroy Fleming, Marge McInerney Hawes, Mary Chard Nalbach, Helen Vogel Purcell, and Celeste Weyl.
Phi Gamma Nu was founded as a sorority for women pursuing studies in business. The sorority spent the next 50 years operating much the same way, but the dynamics of the organization changed to a co-ed format in 1974 due to the Title IX act. While Phi Gamma Nu began accepting male members in 1974, it was not until 1981 that the National Chapter Congress changed the name of Phi Gamma Nu Sorority to Phi Gamma Nu Fraternity to comply with Title IX.
Some famous members from this fraternity include Dr. Lillian C. Budd, Dr. Virgil Loughbred, Robert E.J. Snyder, Joe Higgens, Nancy Barker, Honorable Barbara J. Hackett, Linda Batway, and Kate Rand Loyd.

Three Pillars

Three pillars form the organizational goals of Phi Gamma Nu. Each organization event is directed towards a pillar. Overall, four aims and purposes reflect the intent of the Phi Gamma Nu pillars.
1. Professional
"To foster the study of business in colleges and universities."
"To promote professional competency and achievement in the field of business."
Professionalism is a standard of behavioral guidelines for a business atmosphere. This standard includes concrete actions and speech etiquette, but it also encompasses a mindset guiding ones mannerisms. Phi Gamma Nu builds active professionalism through the following activities resume critiques, etiquette dinners, business presentations, cover letter workshops, company information sessions, mock interviews, and recruiter question and answer sessions
2. Social
"To uphold the interests of our Alma Mater throughout the encouragement of high scholarship, participation in school activities, and the association of students for their mutual advancement."
To ensure the stability and well-being of the chapter, social events are an important aspect of Phi Gamma Nu. A variety of different activities help build strong brotherhood. Some activities include movie nights, game nights, study hours, scavenger hunts, apple picking, and bags tournaments.
3. Philanthropy
"To further a high standard of business ethics and culture in civic and professional enterprise."
Beyond social and professional pursuits, Phi Gamma Nu encourages its members to actively participate in philanthropy. Active community service helps build a sense of communal ethics and culture. Activities to build this pillar include participating in Adopt-a-Highway, animal shelters, soup kitchens, women's shelters, and food pantries.

Membership

Selection
The recruitment period for Phi Gamma Nu occurs once each semester. During membership selection, rushes participate in a series of interviews with Phi Gamma Nu actives and are evaluated on their professionalism, leadership skills, potential and commitment to the organization. Phi Gamma Nu actives must vote on whether a rush satisfies these requirements before a rush initiates.
To be eligible to join Phi Gamma Nu, a candidate must meet the following requirements:
Participation
Once initiated into Phi Gamma Nu, members must still maintain several responsibilities. Varying from chapter to chapter, a point system requirement enforces an active participation and attendance at Phi Gamma Nu events. Furthermore, the active must attend the minimum required events established in the fraternity bylaws of Phi Gamma Nu. Financial obligations must also be met. If any of these criteria are not fulfilled, the active must appear before the executive board and face expulsion from the fraternity. On the founding date each year, Founder's Day is observed. Celebration and attendance of Founder's Day ritual is required for all chapters. At ritual, the National President reads the annual message to the chapters, and all present members renew the oath of Phi Gamma Nu.

Notable Chapter and Member Accomplishments

Delta Theta Chapter