Category: Ceremony Information

Adviser and Chapter Planning in Another Academic Year of COVID

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Advisers, Ceremony Information, Remote Events, Remote Initiations

Last academic year during the ongoing global pandemic, Sigma Delta Pi’s chapters demonstrated great resiliency through remote initiations of new members and various creative activities of engagement. Although we are not yet back to the “normal” campus environment we had anticipated, we do know how to keep Sigma Delta Pi alive and active at our respective institutions and despite present circumstances.  As you plan for your chapter’s activities in the 2021-22 academic year, please remember these important resources and opportunities:

Wishing all our chapters a successful and productive academic year, and as always, please e-mail us with any unanswered questions at sdpnational@gmail.com.

Important Faculty Adviser Resources for Induction Ceremonies, National Awards, Merchandise, and Calendar of National Events

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Calendar, Ceremony Information, Remote Initiations, Sigma Delta Pi Day

Guidance for initiating new members and conducting remote events this spring:
https://sigmadeltapi.org/chapter-resources/planing-your-first-induction-ceremony/
https://sigmadeltapi.org/sigma-delta-pi-and-shle-policy-for-remote-events/

Important chapter resources:
https://sigmadeltapi.org/chapter-resources/ for the initiation ritual (passcode: 1919), the guide to printing membership certificates, Zoom backgrounds, the Chapter Handbook (for both faculty advisers and student officers), purchase information for Sigma Delta Pi merchandise, and much more!

Sigma Delta Pi’s MANY national awards and recognitions for existing members and distinguished colleagues:
https://sigmadeltapi.org/blog/awards/

National calendar of activities and deadlines:
Share and bookmark our regularly updated, Sigma Delta Pi Calendar for 2021: https://sigmadeltapi.org/sigma-delta-pi-calendar/

Sigma Delta Pi Day on Saturday May 1:
Join us via Zoom for Sigma Delta Pi Day on Saturday, May 1 at 5:00pm Eastern Time to commemorate the first official initiation ceremony of new members that took place on May 1, 1920 at the University of California, Berkeley.  Zoom link: https://cofc.zoom.us/j/9022199457

Sigma Delta Pi: Limited Edition Ruth Barnes Replica Membership Pin for New Members Inducted Fall 2020

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Ceremony Information, Remote Events, Ruth Barnes

Remember that the limited-edition, Ruth Barnes replica membership pin will continue to be issued to every new member initiated through fall 2020 to commemorate Sigma Delta Pi’s very first, formal initiation ceremony on May 1, 1920.
 
The Ruth Barnes membership pin is a faithful copy of the original that founder Ruth Barnes and her six co-founders designed and adopted for all the Society’s inaugural members during the 2019-20 academic year at the University of California, Berkeley.  Through their home chapters (via faculty advisers), existing members may also acquire this pin for purchase with the online order form: https://sigmadeltapi.org/chapter-resources/order-forms-for-initiation-materials/.

Beginning January 1, 2021, all newly inducted members will receive the standard membership pin.

Need a Zoom background for your remote activities?
See “Adviser Resources” at https://sigmadeltapi.org/chapter-resources/

Have you planned a fall 2020 initiation of new members?
This past spring, many chapters delayed inducting new members.  Help us recognize those qualifying students who are still waiting to become members by planning an initiation, even virtual, of ALL qualifying individuals this fall. This will refortify your chapter membership base and sustain the vitality of both your chapter and our national organization. It will also give qualifying students one last opportunity to receive the Ruth Barnes replica membership pin

Have you considered multiple initiation ceremonies, one this fall term and one in spring 2021, to provide ample opportunities for all your qualifying students?
Holding two ceremonies (fall and spring) will help rebuild your chapter and provide more students with Sigma Delta Pi’s exclusive membership opportunities such as graduate research grants, study abroad awards, chapter grants, and various national recognitions. Stay tuned for future announcements of these programs.

What guidance is there for planning virtual chapter activities, to include remote initiations?
Please visit: https://sigmadeltapi.org/sigma-delta-pi-and-shle-policy-for-remote-events/.

Where is the national calendar of activities and deadlines for chapters and members?
For the current 2020-21 academic year: https://sigmadeltapi.org/sigma-delta-pi-calendar/

Maximizing Student Membership and Engagement Virtually in AY 2020-21. Official Policy for Remote Events, Official Online Calendar of Events and Deadlines

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Calendar, Ceremony Information, Remote Events, Remote Initiations

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As we collectively begin a new academic year with ongoing challenges due to COVID-19, we must also sustain future opportunities for our students, to include membership for ALL qualifying students, worthwhile activities that reflect the mission of our Society, and continued engagement with our members and campus communities throughout the 2020-21 academic year. 

This past spring term, many chapters delayed initiating new members until this fall with hopes that “normal” campus activities would resume, and face-to-face induction ceremonies would again be feasible.  However, we all recognize now that such desired “normalcy” is still elusive. 

What to do?: Plan on a regular schedule of activities, even if they must be remote due to social distancing protocols and/or an online semester.

If your chapter delayed a spring 2020 initiation of new members or only inducted graduating seniors this past spring:
Plan an initiation, even if virtual, of ALL qualifying members in September (next month). This will refortify your chapter membership base and sustain the vitality of both your chapter and the national organization.

Plan multiple initiation ceremonies, one in fall and one in spring, to provide ample opportunities for all your qualifying students:
Holding two ceremonies (fall and spring) will help rebuild your chapter and provide more students with Sigma Delta Pi’s exclusive membership opportunities.

What guidance can you provide for virtual chapter activities, to include a virtual initiation ceremony?
See the following webpage for your virtual planning:
https://sigmadeltapi.org/sigma-delta-pi-and-shle-policy-for-remote-events/.
Also share and bookmark our new Sigma Delta Pi Calendar for 2020-21:
https://sigmadeltapi.org/sigma-delta-pi-calendar/

Sigma Delta Pi and COVID-19: Virtual Initiations and Options for the Remote Collection of Student Membership Dues

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Ceremony Information, COVID-19, Venmo

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Sigma Delta Pi Chapter Advisers,

Please find the following information to assist with membership dues payments this spring and until further notice:

First, Sigma Delta Pi can send membership materials to your home or university address.  Under the shipping section on the order form, simply indicate your preference.

Generally, Sigma Delta Pi does not accept payment from individual students as it will overburden the national office, and because we rely on chapter advisers to confirm membership qualifications at the chapter level. However, some chapters are facing challenges with the collection of membership dues from students who are no longer on campus.  Some options:

OPTION 1

If willing, the chapter adviser can create a Venmo or Paypal account.  Students appear to be very comfortable with this technology and can send the adviser membership payment ($25) directly.  After payments are made the adviser can then place a Sigma Delta Pi order (that will need to include $10 or $35 for shipping) on our website.  Click HERE for ORDER FORM.

OPTION 2

If you are unable to create an account, Sigma Delta Pi will accept Venmo payments from students directly.  If you choose to take advantage of this, please do the following:

  1. Email  sdpnational@gmail.com to let us know you plan to have students send us payment directly.  Include a complete list of students’ full names and emails. Without this information, we cannot accept payments directly from students.
  2. Copy sdpnational@gmail.com on the instruction email sent to your students so we know to expect payments.
  3. Include in the email to students a deadline for payment and the payment amount for new membership ($25)
  4. The Venmo account the student should use is: @SDPNational.  The name associated with the account is “SDP National”.
    The following logo is associated with the account:
    Venmo Logo
  5. Instruct students to include their name, email address and university when making payments.  Sigma Delta Pi must know the names of those submitting payments and chapter affiliation.
  6. Once payments from all the candidates have been received OR the deadline has been reached, Sigma Delta Pi will email the adviser with instructions for completing the order.
  7. Please keep in mind that shipping and handling charges ($10 or $35 for express) must be paid.  This payment can be made by the adviser using Venmo (please include your name, university, email and the address you wish us to ship to) or our online ORDER FORM (enter “0” for memberships and select desired shipping option.
  8. As Sigma Delta Pi begins an untested method of payment, your patience will be appreciated.

It has been true through our 100-year history, the strength of our organization lies with the dedication of our chapter advisers and members.  We are grateful that many of you have reached out with questions, concerns and creative suggestions. Please continue that communication with us.

Sigma Delta Pi and COVID-19: More Updates and Tips

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Ceremony Information, COVID-19

In response to additional questions about Sigma Delta Pi’s COVID-19 preparations:

  • There will be no disruptions with service from our national office.  Orders may continue to be placed at any time.
  • Ordered materials may be shipped to a chapter adviser’s home address.
  • Click HERE for guidelines for conducting remote initiation ceremonies.
  • Click HERE for the 2019-2020 Annual Report Form access
  • Entre Nosotros submissions accepted through May 15, 2020. Click HERE for guidelines for submissions. Click HERE to upload a submission.
  • Previous e-mail guidelines re COVID-19 and related preparations included below.

Sigma Delta Pi and COVID-19: Tips for Remote Initiations

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Ceremony Information, COVID-19

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With more colleges/universities transitioning to e-learning due to COVID-19, your chapter of Sigma Delta Pi will likely need to plan for remote induction of new members this spring.

Some suggestions to prepare:

Prior to the remote ceremony

  • Order and prepare ceremony materials to include membership packets (pins and certificates) and appropriate ceremony table items for display; a small desk/table in an office will suffice for this purpose.
  • Schedule the virtual ceremony in a space that has internet access and an operable webcam.
  • Work with your institution’s IT department to determine best software for video conferencing with multiple users: Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc. Once determined, do a test run with the software prior to your ceremony.
  • Confirm that your student candidates for membership have access to the selected software and are familiar with its use.  Provide them with details related to the scheduled ceremony such as access instructions.
  • Display a Sigma Delta Pi poster or banner behind you during the video ceremony to reinforce the nature of the event.
  • Due to the special nature of the video ceremony, you may wish to use the “formula abreviada” of the Ritual (click here for access); to access the ritual, use the password: 1919. Be sure to review the Ritual prior to executing the remote ceremony and make small adjustments as necessary since many of the F2F practices cannot be managed remotely: e.g., sitting in a semi-circle, retrieving membership items, signing the registry.
  • Prepare the membership certificates per the instructions included in the mailing.

During the ceremony

  • As done with the F2F ceremonies, play some appropriate Hispanic music in the background (e.g., classical guitarist Andrés Segovia)
  • When reading the name of each initiate, hold up their printed certificate in front of the webcam along with a membership pin.

After the ceremony

  • Plan to either mail the membership certificates and pins to the students, or arrange for their retrieval when your institution resumes F2F classes. In many cases, mailing might be the only reasonable option.
  • Work with your marketing/public relations department to announce as appropriate the video induction of your new members.
  • For those video-inducted members who will eventually return to campus, arrange an appropriate reception in the department to recognize their Sigma Delta Pi membership.

Remind all students who are inducted remotely, and all involved with this important recognition, that despite the unique modality of the initiation, their membership is no less meaningful than those initiated before them. All Sigma Delta Pi members satisfy the same high national criteria, and being confirmed for membership is an honor that ALL current members of the Society share equally as well as share the same available benefits afforded to ALL Sigma Delta Pi members:  https://sigmadeltapi.org/about/member-benefits/.

Finally, thanks to all of you, our chapter advisers, for your hard work to ensure all qualifying members of Sigma Delta Pi are recognized this spring and despite the hurdles that face us all during this challenging time.

If you have any additional ideas regarding remote induction ceremonies, please feel free to share as we continue to try to provide the best guidance to our chapters and their related activities.

Spanías Didagéi Proágomen,

Mark

Sigma Delta Pi and COVID-19: Important Updates

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Ceremony Information, Coronavirus, COVID-19

Estimados Consejeros Capitulares:

In response to COVID-19 and related challenges, Sigma Delta Pi announces the following:

  • Induction of new members this spring term and until further notice may be done remotely with video: Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, etc.
  • Sigma Delta Pi’s national office will remain open and will receive and process orders 7 days per week, as is customary.
  • The 73rd Kentucky Foreign Language Conference (April 16-18) has been cancelled, which means that Sigma Delta Pi’s 18th annual Informative Session and 3rd Annual Graduate Research Symposium are also cancelled.
  • The inaugural “Día de Sigma Delta Pi”/”Sigma Delta Pi Day” will still be celebrated on May 1, 2020.
  • Sigma Delta Pi’s Student Best Practices Session and History Panels at the 102nd Annual Conference of the AATSP in Puerto Rico in July are still tentatively scheduled.
  • All other Sigma Delta Pi program and award nomination deadlines (see https://sigmadeltapi.org/blog/awards/) remain in effect.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  As we collectively prepare for the Coronavirus, we wish all our members and soon-to-be members a healthy, safe and productive stretch ahead.

Saludos cordiales,

Mark

Sigma Delta Pi: SAVE THIS MESSAGE. Centennial Celebration and Important Chapter Planning Info for Spring 2020 term

Posted on by Sigma Delta Pi / La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española in Ceremony Information, Please Save

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Sigma Delta Pi’s Ongoing Centennial Celebration Through July 2020

Stay tuned for more centennial programming… Visit and bookmark: www.sigmadeltapi.org

Chapter Important Planning Information for Spring 2020 Term!  PLEASE SAVE THE FOLLOWING FOR FUTURE REFERENCE (click on highlighted links for related information)

Contact information for Sigma Delta Pi Vice-Presidents for your respective regions:

Northeast (CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT)
Marie-Lise Gazarian, St. John’s University, gazariam@stjohns.edu

Southeast (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)
Maria Rippon, Furman University, maria.rippon@furman.edu

Midwest (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI)
Heidy Cuervo Carruthers, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, hcarrut@siue.edu

Southwest (AR, CO, KS, LA, MO, NM, OK, TX)
Comfort Pratt, Texas Tech University, c.pratt@ttu.edu

West (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Isabel Asensio, Weber State University, isabelasensio@weber.edu

When planning for your chapter’s centennial activities and induction ceremonies for the spring term, please note:

  1. Chapter Handbook (3rd Ed.): For procedures, ideas regarding chapter activities, etc, all chapters advisers and student officers are encouraged to review. Chapter-initiated regional projects should be coordinated closely with neighboring active chapters to ensure there are no conflicts of interest with other chapters’ activities.  And NO chapter projects may be executed at the national level without authorization of Sigma Delta Pi’s national office.
  2. New Advisers: Click here if you are planning your first induction ceremony.
  3. No initiation of new members in past 3 years? Then please complete the Chapter Reactivation Petition to resume chapter activities and before planning future initiation ceremonies.
  4. Ordering membership materials: All chapters MUST pay national dues for new initiates, both active and honorary, BEFORE your ceremony.  Orders are now ONLY accepted online at https://sigmadeltapi.org/chapter-resources/order-forms-for-initiation-materials/. PLEASE DISCARD PREVIOUS PAPER/ELECTRONIC ORDER FORMS ON FILE AS THEY ARE NO LONGER VALID.
  5. Membership criteria are listed in the national by-laws: please ensure that your local criteria matches the national, including your chapter website information.
  6.  Initiation ritual (both 2007 and 1974 versions): password is the year of the founding of Sigma Delta Pi.
  7.  Orden de Don Quijote and Orden de José Martí: Procedures for nominating distinguished guest lecturers for either of the Orders along with details for other national awards found at https://sigmadeltapi.org/blog/awards/
  8.  Official ceremony paraphernalia (registry, table candle holders, altar runner), apparel and honor cords may be purchased at www.honorgrads.com
  9. Click here to purchase the official Sigma Delta Pi banner to display behind the ceremony table and/or during any chapter-sponsored event
  10. Click here to purchase the Sigma Delta Pi medallion; purchase by chapters only, not individual members, due to limited quantities.
  11. Chapter starter kit that contains many of the items necessary for your initiation ceremonies: https://honorgrads.com/products.php?product=Chapter-Starter-Kit
  12. Click here to purchase Sigma Delta Pi’s padfolio, bistro mug and graduation medallion.
  13. Lists of new members are to be included with your chapter’s annual report in the late spring 2020.
  14. Candidates who miss your induction ceremony may be initiated in a subsequent, condensed ceremony using the abbreviated ritual found at #6 above (many advisers conduct such ceremonies in their offices).
  15. Sigma Delta Pi’s national policy manual should be reviewed.  Please note the following policy found on page 7 under “Chapter Limitations”:


    “All national projects are to be initiated and executed by the national office.”

    And the following found on page 8:

    “… chapters may not charge their members more than double the rate of national membership dues;” (no more than $50 per member with $25 per member paid to the national office)

  16. Initiation ceremonies may be held ANYTIME during the year, and there is no limit on the number of inductions a chapter may hold.  Many chapters perform two inductions each year–in the spring and fall–and some also conduct initiations during the summer.  As the national office never closes, payments for membership dues/orders for membership pins and certificates may be submitted all year long.  Please read carefully the official order form for the quickest methods to request materials.
  17. Visit often our official news blog, “Like” our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay informed of the Society’s latest announcements and news.

Finally, do not hesitate to contact me at delmastromp@cofc.edu with any questions.