The chapter house at 87 Franklin Boulevard in Pontiac: a three-story yellow brick house with green tile roofs, a carriage porch, and the letters Theta Chi above the front windows.

The Eta Phi Alumni PlanResolute Men

The plan to rebuild Eta Phi's alumni program so the work is shared. This page covers what's going on and where you might help. The other pages have the details.

87 Franklin Boulevard, Pontiac. Built in 1914 and owned by Eta Phi alumni since 1986. Chartered at Oakland University in 1981, more than 600 brothers since.

The short version

Where we are

For years, almost all of the alumni work on the house, the books, mentoring, and events has rested on a few people. We owe them real thanks. But it's too much for a few people, and the house is at risk whenever one of them steps back.

What we're doing

Splitting the work into clear roles, each with a backup and an end date.

When

Applications now. A new housing board in early December. Mentors and alumni leads through the spring.

Who we need

About 33 alumni. Most of the asks are small.

Leadership seat, three-year termVolunteer role, one yearA few hours a yearComing soon

Where you might fit

How it fits together

Theta Chi's recommended model for a strong chapter, plus Eta Phi's own foundation. Each part has one job and its own people.

For years one or two people have been the landlord, mentor, event planner, and fundraiser all at once. Splitting those jobs across five groups gives each one its own people, and the chapter knows who to call for what.

Housing corporation

Owns and runs the house at 87 Franklin: the budget, rent, insurance, and repairs. Seven directors.

Chapter Advisory Board

Alumni mentors for the chapter's officers, led by the Chapter Adviser. Our strongest part through the years. The adviser seat is filled and a handful of mentors are in place.

Delta Alpha Sigma Foundation Coming soon

Eta Phi's own charity, for scholarships, leadership programs, and the study spaces in the house. It isn't set up yet and needs one champion to get it started.

Alumni association

Keeps alumni in touch: the alumni list, updates, and events.

Program-wide support

A few professionals who give advice when asked.

The Alumni Council

The housing President, the Chapter Adviser, the Foundation President, and the Association Chair meet once a quarter for an hour. They keep one shared calendar and hold one retreat a year for every alumni volunteer. The chapter President sits in without a vote.

Where money goes

Rent and gifts to the houseHousing corporationMortgage, taxes, insurance, repairs

Scholarship and education giftsDelta Alpha Sigma FoundationScholarships, leadership, study spaces

One appeal a year, with a choice of the two. Scholarship giving opens once the IRS approves the Foundation, and those gifts will be tax-deductible.

Who handles what when something comes up

Situation	Who owns it	Who helps
A resident damages a room	Housing	Chapter Advisory Board, if it becomes a conduct issue
The chapter Treasurer falls behind	The Treasurer's mentor on the Chapter Advisory Board	Housing, for the rent portion
Occupancy is falling	Housing sets the target	Advisers help with recruitment; alumni send referrals
Golf outing or casino night	Association: alumni list, invitations, and sponsors	The chapter runs the day. Proceeds split agreed in advance.
Scholarship awards	Delta Alpha Sigma Foundation	The chapter's Scholarship Chairman; the association announces winners
Officer transition each year	Chapter Advisory Board	Housing (House Manager and Treasurer handoff) and the association

Every role, written down

Open any role to see what it involves and when the work happens.

What we ask

And what you get back. Bigger roles come with more in writing, and every role has an end date.

	Tier 1One thing	Tier 2A role	Tier 3A leadership seat
Time	A few hours a year	1 to 4 hours a month	1 to 6 hours a month
Term	One task	One year	Three years
In writing	Nothing	A one-page role card	A signed commitment
Leaving	Any time	Hand off to someone	60 days' notice

If you take a leadership seat

There are nine: seven directors on the housing board, the Chapter Adviser, and the Association Chair. The Foundation's seven seats open once it's set up.

We give

A named backup
An end date
Liability insurance before you're seated
Agendas, minutes, and reminders drafted for you

Leadership seats don't

Run chapter discipline or events
Fix things at the house themselves
Spend alone above their seat's limit
Get paid or get asked to give

The leadership commitment

Read this before applying for a leadership seat. If you're chosen, you'll sign it.

Term. Three years, staggered so about a third of the board turns over each year. Up to three terms in a row, then a year off. The first board picks one, two, or three-year terms.
Meetings. Four quarterly meetings of your board or group, 90 minutes on video, plus the annual meeting at Homecoming. Attend at least three of the four.
Your seat's work. Do your seat's monthly work, and send a one-page report three days before each meeting.
Replies. Answer board messages within two business days. Life-safety issues get a same-day answer from the people responsible for them. If you'll be away more than a week, tell your backup.
Shared accounts. Keep files, email, and logins in the organization's shared tools, never personal ones.
Conflicts. Disclose anything that could look like a conflict when you join and every year after, and step out of that vote.
Privacy. Residents' balances, donors' gifts, and anything about a member's conduct stay with the people who need to know.
Leaving. Stepping down is fine. Give 60 days' notice, finish your seat's handoff checklist, and return your access.
If you go quiet. Two missed meetings in a row, or 60 days of undone work, starts a private check-in from your board's President. If it isn't resolved in 30 days, the seat can be opened.

Approved expenses are reimbursed with receipts.

How we work

Every role has a backup

Someone else can step in.

Shared accounts

When you leave, nothing leaves with you.

Two people approve money

No one spends or reconciles alone.

Three phases, starting small

We're building this in stages, starting with the housing board, so we only recruit for what each stage needs.

Phase A · First 90 days

Restart

An open call to every alumnus, and a written reply to everyone who answers
Seat a full housing board
Get the alumni list clean enough to reach everyone
Put every account and record in the organization's name

Phase B · Months 3 to 12

Build

A mentor for each core chapter officer and the House Manager
An alumni update twice a year and an alumni-run events calendar
A budget, a capital plan, and a regular inspection rhythm for the house
Delta Alpha Sigma incorporated and approved as a 501(c)(3)
The Alumni Council meeting quarterly

Phase C · Year 2 and beyond

Grow

An annual giving campaign tied to specific outcomes
A capital campaign for the house, once there's a capital plan
A career network for undergraduates beyond the officers

The next few months

NowApplications open
Within two daysA written reply
About two weeks inApplications close
Late NovemberApplications reviewed
Early DecemberNew boards seated
Winter and springMentors and leads

How we'll know it's working

Measure	Year 1	Year 2
Alumni we can reach by email	60 percent	75 percent
Active volunteers, any tier	15	30
Alumni who gave, to the house or the Foundation	5 percent	10 percent
Alumni at one or more events	10 percent	15 percent
Chapter officers with an active mentor	5 of 5 core	Full executive board
Roles with a named backup	All	All

Targets are starting points. We'll reset them once we have a baseline.

Questions people ask first

If yours isn't here, reply to the email that brought you here.

How much time is this, really?

Every role lists its hours. Most volunteer roles are one to three hours a month. Leadership seats are one to six. Class captains and expert advisers give a few hours a year. Spring and summer are busier for some seats, and each role says when.

Do I have to live near Pontiac?

Only the Facility Maintenance Officer, who manages repairs at the house. Everything else works remotely, with meetings on video.

Am I personally liable if something goes wrong at the house?

Directors' and officers' insurance will be in place before anyone is seated, and directors acting in good faith are indemnified by the corporation. Volunteers outside the board don't take on legal duties for the house.

What if life gets busy or I want out?

Every role has a backup and an end date. You can step down any time. Volunteer roles hand off to a successor, and leadership seats give 60 days' notice and fill out a handoff checklist. Just tell us, so someone can pick up the work.

Will I be asked for money?

No. Volunteers, board members included, aren't asked to give. Your time is what we need. When the alumni appeal starts, anyone can give if they want to.

Who picks the board?

The directors still serving read every application together, rate them against the skills the board needs, agree on a slate, and vote it in at a board meeting in early December. There aren't interviews, so your written application is what they'll go on. Be specific.

I wasn't very involved as an undergrad. Should I still apply?

Yes. Theta Chi's own guidance is never to judge an alumnus by how involved he was as an undergraduate. Plenty of the most reliable volunteers weren't chapter officers.

What happened? Why now?

For years the alumni work rested on a few people, and the board that owns the house thinned out. They kept things running, and we're grateful. We're spreading the work out now, while the chapter is strong, before it turns into a bigger problem.

What is the Delta Alpha Sigma Foundation?

Eta Phi's own charity, named for the local group that became our chapter in 1981. It funds scholarships, leadership and Sacred Purpose programs, and the educational parts of the house. Eta Phi alumni wrote its bylaws in 2025, but it isn't incorporated yet. Before we fill its seven seats, we need one champion to incorporate it, get IRS approval, and recruit its board. If that's you, say so on your application. Scholarship giving opens once the IRS approves it.

Can I just help a little?

Yes. Be a class captain for your era, answer a question in your field a couple of times a year, or come to an event. That's how most people start.

Raise your hand

You apply online, and a person writes back within two days.

How to apply

Pick a role or two. The Roles page has a three-question helper if you're not sure.
Fill out the form below. It takes about two minutes. Board seats have two extra questions.
Hear back within two days. Volunteer roles start right away. Leadership seats are decided in early December.

Your application

Name Email Phone optional Graduation year optional City and state optional

Which roles interest you? Pick any.

Anything else we should know? optional, including any conflicts

A person writes back within two days.

Not ready for a role?

Make sure we have your current email and phone
Forward this plan to a brother from your era
Come to the next alumni event