Membership Policies & Expectations

In any activity or event sponsored or endorsed by the chapter, including those that occur on or off chapter premises:

1. The chapter, members, and guests must comply with all federal, state and local laws. No person under the legal drinking age may possess, consume, provide, sell or be provided alcoholic beverages.
2. Chapters, members and guests must follow the federal law regarding illegal drugs and controlled substances. No person may possess, use, provide, distribute, sell and/or manufacture illegal drugs or other controlled substances while on chapter premises or at any activity or event sponsored or endorsed by the chapter.
3. Alcoholic beverages must either be: (1) provided and sold on a per-drink basis by a licensed and insured third-party vendor (e.g., restaurant, bar, caterer, etc.); or (2) brought by individual members and guests through a bring your own beverage (“BYOB”) system.
   • Third-Party Vendor
     • The Third-Party Vendor (TPV) must be properly licensed by the appropriate local and state authority. This might involve both a liquor license and a temporary license to sell on the premises where the function is to be held.
     • The TPV must be properly insured with a minimum of $1,000,000 of general liability insurance.
     • The TPV must assume, in writing executed in the chapter name of Sigma Delta Tau Sorority, all the responsibilities that any other purveyor of alcoholic beverages would assume in the normal course of business.
   • BYOB
     • BYOB social functions are permitted if they are compatible with the campus/university social policy.
     • The alcohol that each person may bring and consume to a BYOB event is no more than: six standard drinks below 15% alcohol by volume/ABV for each person of legal drinking age who will be consuming alcohol at this event.
4. Common sources of alcohol, including bulk quantities, which are not being served by a licensed and insured third-party vendor, are prohibited (i.e., amounts of alcohol greater than what a reasonable person should consume over the duration of an event).
5. Alcoholic beverages must not be purchased with chapter funds or funds pooled by members or guests (e.g., admission fees, cover fees, collecting funds through digital apps, etc.).
6. A chapter must not co-host or cosponsor, or in any way participate in, an activity or event with another group or entity that purchases or provides alcohol, illegal drugs or controlled substances.
7. A chapter must not co-host or cosponsor an event with a bar, event promoter or alcohol distributor; however, a chapter may rent a bar, restaurant, or other licensed and insured third-party vendor to host a chapter event.
8. Event Monitors are required for all events with alcohol.
9. Attendance by non-members at any event where alcohol is present must be by invitation only, and the chapter must utilize a guest list system. Attendance at social events (e.g., date parties, mixers, socials, formals, parents’ events, etc.) is limited to a guest-to-member ratio not to exceed 3:1 and must not exceed local fire or building code capacity of the host venue.
10. Any event or activity related to the new member joining process (e.g., recruitment) or the new member experience must be substance free. This includes, but is not limited to, new member activities and meetings, “bid night,” “Big/Little” events or activities, “family” events or activities and any ritual or ceremony.
11. Chapters, members, or guests must not permit, encourage, coerce, glorify or participate in any activities involving the rapid consumption of alcohol, such as drinking games.
12. Personal storage and consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on chapter property, in the chapter house, suite or any other recognized chapter facility, including residence hall floors used by Sigma Delta Tau.
13. No function at which alcohol will be available shall be designated as required or mandatory for any collegiate member of Sigma Delta Tau.
14. Sigma Delta Tau chapters must not host events with organizations (e.g., fraternities, clubs, sports groups, etc.) who are suspended (e.g., prohibited from functioning as an organization or hosting events with alcohol) for reasons of organizational misconduct either by the university/college, international/national organization or respective Governing Council (e.g., IFC, Greek Council, Panhellenic, etc.).
15. No overnight social functions are allowed.

Events Away from the College/University Area

In the event a chapter holds a social event away from the college or university area, all members and guests attending shall travel to and from the event by a licensed and insured commercial transportation (e.g. bus or large vans) within the same day or evening.

If a chapter hires a vendor to transport members and guests, the vendor must meet the following requirements:

1. Commercial Auto Insurance that provides coverage for transporting people and property for a fee.
2. Commercial Auto Insurance that provides, at a minimum, primary coverage of $1,000,000 combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage.
3. A professional driver who has a current valid commercial vehicle operator’s license in the state in which the driver is located.

When commercial transportation is used, for Third-Party Vendor events, no alcohol is allowed in any part of the vehicle. For BYOB events, no alcohol will be transported in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Events Within the College/University Area

In the event a chapter holds a social event within the college or university area, transportation options include:

1. Licensed and insured commercial transportation.
2. A chapter can utilize public transportation services including but not limited to taxi, Uber, Lyft, subway, campus bus, or city bus.
3. Members and guests can choose to walk to the event.
4. A chapter can utilize a designated driver program.

 Designated Driver Program

• Designated driver programs are permitted when they are associated with Sigma Delta Tau, are voluntary and the event is held within the college or university area.
• Members should not participate in designated driver programs facilitated by other organizations.
• Drivers must have a valid driver’s license and personal insurance. Sigma Delta Tau does not provide insurance for personal vehicles used for the event.

Sigma Delta Tau chapters and members must comply with all federal, state, and local laws regarding hazing. The term “hazing” means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person, whether individually or in concert with other persons, against any individual or group of individuals, regardless of affiliation, whether or not committed on chapter property, for the purpose of recruiting, joining, pledging, initiating, admitting, affiliating, or for the purpose of retaining membership in an organization that causes an individual or group of individuals to do any of the following, regardless of a person’s willingness to participate:

1. Be coerced to violate federal, state, local law, or organizational policy.
2. Be coerced to consume any food, liquid, alcoholic liquid, drug, or other substance in any non-customary manner which subjects the individual or group of individuals to a substantial risk of emotional or physical harm which includes but is not limited to sickness, vomiting, intoxication, or unconsciousness.
3. Endure activities of a physical nature, including but not limited to whipping, beating, paddling, branding, dangerous physical activity, or exposure to elements or endure threats of such conduct that results in mental or physical harm.
4. Endure activities of a mental nature, including but not limited to any activity adversely affecting the mental health or dignity of the individual, sleep deprivation, exclusion from social contact or conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment or endure threats of such conduct that results in mental or physical harm.
5. Endure any other activity which adversely affects the health and safety of an individual, including but not limited to the disruption of academic performance or class attendance, required designated driving programs, line ups, calisthenics, or personal, physical, or financial servitude.

Sigma Delta Tau chapters and members must comply with all federal, state, and local laws related to sexual misconduct. This is including, but not limited to, definitions around consent, sexual violence, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation.

In any activity or event sponsored or endorsed by the chapter, including those that occur on or off chapter premises, no chapter, member or guest shall engage in assault and battery, as defined in the state statutes in which the activity or event occurs.

Sigma Delta Tau chapters and members must comply with all federal, state, local laws and campus policy as it relates to firearms, weapons, explosives or incendiary devices. Firearms, weapons, explosive or incendiary devices are prohibited from the chapter facility and at all sorority activities or events.

Sigma Delta Tau prohibits behaviors that intend to be, or are reasonably foreseeable to be, undignified, threatening, intimidating, or harassing to another person or group or within member activities. This behavior includes, but is not limited to lying, cheating, theft, libel, slander and/or participating in activities that are discriminatory, demeaning, or destructive.

The employment or use of strippers, exotic dancers or similar, whether professional or amateur, at any sorority activity or event as defined in this policy is prohibited.

Sigma Delta Tau owns the trademark for official versions of the Sorority insignia*, including the name “Sigma Delta Tau,” the Greek and/or Roman letters Sigma Delta Tau, the crest, the torch symbol, the new member pin and the badge.  The design or representation of Sorority insignia shall not be manufactured, created, used, or offered for sale by any person, company, or firm except as authorized in writing by the National Board of Directors or its designees. The executive director, or their designees, shall maintain a list of authorized persons and companies. Members of Sigma Delta Tau shall obtain items of official Sigma Delta Tau insignia only from authorized persons and companies.

Sigma Delta Tau mandates that its name, letters and insignia may not be used in a manner that does not align with Sigma Delta Tau’s mission, values, policies, and standards.  Examples that are inconsistent with Sigma Delta Tau’s mission, values, policies, and standards include but are not limited to:

• Reference to illegal behavior, including drug use/abuse, underage drinking, or high-risk drinking
• Depiction of hazing or references to hazing
• Lewd photographs or language
• Text or images pertaining to Sigma Delta Tau ritual
• Language that libels or slanders Sigma Delta Tau and/or the fraternity/sorority community

Sigma Delta Tau prohibits chapters allowing non-members to wear Sigma Delta Tau insignia* that may imply membership. The crest and badge are to be used or worn only by initiated members of Sigma Delta Tau.

Sigma Delta Tau chapter websites and social media accounts must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and Sigma Delta Tau National Policies.

Sigma Delta Tau prohibits retaliation against any individual – members and non-members – for reporting, inquiring, or cooperating with a report around a violation of Sigma Delta Tau’s Risk Management Policy.

Retaliation is any action, statement, or behavior that is designed to punish an individual for filing a compliance report, cooperating with a compliance investigation, seeking guidance regarding a compliance concern, or to deter one from taking such action.