Delta Phi Omega
Delta Phi Omega (commonly referred to as DPO, or ΔΦΩ) is a nationally-based, South Asian-interest, multicultural sorority in the United States, with over 2,600 sisters in twenty-five chapters and twenty-six colonies across the nation. It is categorized as a social, service and philanthropy-based Greek letter organization whose main focus is to empower women and promote cultural awareness through involvement with their universities and communities. It has joined organizations such as the National APIDA Panhellenic Association (NAPA) to better convey its efforts to promote the greater good alongside other communities.[1] Delta Phi Omega Sorority, Inc. is the largest South Asian interest-based sorority in the nation.
Delta Phi Omega | |
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∆ΦΩ | |
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Founded | December 6, 1998 University of Houston |
Type | Social, Service, Academic |
Motto | “We Dreamt, We Saw, We Conquered” |
Colors | █ Red, █ Black, and █ Silver |
Flower | White orchid |
Jewel | Red ruby, diamond |
Mascot | Bengal tiger |
Philanthropy | Children’s education and literacy |
Chapters | 25 |
Colonies | 26 |
Purpose | The purpose of Delta Phi Omega shall be to foster unity among South Asian women, build community awareness, and gain a greater understanding of oneself and others. The sorority aspires to instill leadership traits, excel in all academic endeavors, to encourage an active relationship between the sorority and its respective university, and shall do so with the utmost compassion, dignity, and fortitude. |
Website | Official website |
Origin
Established on December 6, 1998 at the University of Houston by sixteen South Asian women, Delta Phi Omega was envisioned as an organization that would focus on the diverse Indian culture through participation in various community and service projects, promote the advancement of South Asian women, and unite women among the South Asian community. Its pillars are Sisterhood, Honesty, Loyalty, Respect, and Friendship.
The Honorable National Founding Mothers:
- Simran Bakshi-Guiterrez
- Heena Bhakta-Palmer
- Leena Cherian-Joseph
- Bonna Choudhari
- Rita Dhanani-Rauniyar
- Anita Jari-Kharbanda
- Amitha Nikam-Verma
- Avni Patel
- Jesika Patel
- Jolly Patel
- Shevon Patel
- Sonal Amit Patel
- Arati Shah
- Deepa Swamy-Kurian
- Manisha Vakharia-Patel
- Sarika Wadhawan[2]
Organization
In 2001, sisters foresaw a rapid expansion of Delta Phi Omega and recognized the need for a central governing body that would keep the sorority running smoothly from a national perspective. Therefore they founded the first National Council of Delta Phi Omega on February 1, 2002, which became the administrative entity of the sorority. The National Council ensures the continuity of the original purpose, mission, and ideals of the National Founding Mothers. Its functions also include handling matters of controversy, coordinating national-level programs, and overseeing chapter compliance with the national policies. Each year at the National Conference women are elected to the National Council, Board, and Regional Director positions.[3]
After National Council the next tier is National Board, which is made up of positions that are more geared towards expansion and maintaining the sorority on an organizational level, keeping records and ensuring everything continues to run smoothly and professionally.
Following National Board are Regional Directors. Delta Phi Omega is currently divided into nine regions, with each region consisting of about four to nine schools. In order to make sure that National Council is able to run smoothly, Regional Directors are put into place as proxies to ensure that all schools remain functioning properly. Monthly reports and other paperwork are sent to the appropriate Regional Director from every school. This allows the Director to review the paperwork and plans of a particular charter, and advise the school appropriately on how they could improve. The Director may also refer a specific charter to National Council if the charter is starting to show signs of an oncoming issue. Regional Directors are easy people to reach when a school does have a problem regarding small situations, and are even the first link in the chain of command for major issues. They provide direction, guidance, solutions, and leadership to the schools within the region until National interference is needed.
The final tier is an Alumna Advisor, which each charter has. These are usually members that have attended the school the charter resides within. This position plays an important role to ensure that the colony runs smoothly and that all the members within it feel comfortable in the sorority, allowing each member to always have someone to confide in when conflict may arise.
National initiatives[4]
- Literacy Through Unity Week, benefiting Pratham, CARE, and Asha for Education
- "Be The Change" National Community Partner
Literacy through Unity Week[4]
The annual Literacy through Unity Week supports children’s education and literacy by choosing a beneficiary each year for donation of its fundraising proceeds from every charter. Literacy Through Unity week is dedicated to raising awareness concerning children’s education and literacy, along with fundraising at the respective universities and cities.
Events associated with Literacy through Unity Week include:
- Community service projects
- Informationals by organizations, such as Asha for Education, Pratham, and CARE
- Movie nights
- Book discussions
- Panel discussions
- Fundraising percentage nights
Charters[5]
Chapters
Chapter | Institution | Location | Establishment Date |
---|---|---|---|
Alpha | University of Houston | Houston, Texas | December 6th, 1998 |
Beta | University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, Texas | May 17th, 1999 |
Gamma Citywide | Drexel University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | March 17th, 2000 |
Delta | DePaul University | Chicago, Illinois | November 4th, 2001 |
Epsilon | University of Texas at Austin | Austin, Texas | April 13th, 2002 |
Zeta | University of Maryland College Park | College Park, Maryland | May 4th, 2002 |
Eta | Florida International University | Miami, Florida | November 11th, 2001 |
Theta | University of Oklahoma | Norman, Oklahoma | September 14th, 2002 |
Iota | Northeastern University | Boston, Massachusetts | January 25th, 2003 |
Kappa | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, Virginia | January 11th, 2003 |
Lambda | University of South Florida | Tampa, Florida | October 17th, 2004 |
Mu | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | April 17th, 2005 |
Nu | Oregon State University | Corvallis, Oregon | May 28th, 2006 |
Xi | University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, Tennessee | July 28th, 2007 |
Omicron | University of Georgia | Athens, Georgia | July 14th, 2009 |
Pi | Texas A&M University | College Station, Texas | October 2nd, 2006 |
Rho | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, Alabama | January 8th, 2011 |
Sigma | University of Florida | Gainesville, Florida | April 13th, 2003 |
Tau | Georgia State University | Atlanta, Georgia | October 23rd, 2011 |
Upsilon | Rutgers University–New Brunswick | New Brunswick, New Jersey | August 2nd, 2010 |
Phi | Wayne State University | Detroit, Michigan | January 30th, 2011 |
Chi | Rutgers University-Newark | Newark, New Jersey | April 20th, 2013 |
Psi | University of Central Florida | Orlando, Florida | September 7th, 2012 |
Alpha Alpha | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, Minnesota | May 1st, 2011 |
Colonies
Institution | Location | Establishment Date |
---|---|---|
Pace University | Pleasantville, New York
New York City, New York |
May 10th, 2003 |
University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, Texas | July 12th, 2003 |
University of Washington | Seattle, Washington | September, 21st, 2003 |
Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York | April 14th, 2004 |
Penn State University | University Park, Pennsylvania | May 6th, 2004 |
Denton Citywide Colony: | Denton, Texas | August 28th, 2004 |
New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, New Jersey | July 11th, 2005 |
University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Baltimore, Maryland | July 27th, 2005 |
University of California at San Diego | San Diego, California | December 3rd, 2005 |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | October 20th, 2006 |
Purdue University | Lafayette, Indiana | March 3rd, 2007 |
Indiana University at Bloomington | Bloomington, Indiana | April 15th, 2009 |
Boston University | Boston, Massachusetts | May 8th, 2009 |
Baylor University | Waco, Texas | September 30th, 2009 |
Emory University | Atlanta, Georgia | November 21st, 2009 |
University of California Davis | Davis, California | February 24th, 2010 |
University of Rochester | Rochester, New York | April 25th, 2010 |
University of Miami | Coral Gables, Florida | March 30th, 2011 |
George Mason University | Fairfax, Virginia | November 11th, 2011 |
East Carolina University | Greenville, North Carolina | April 14th, 2012 |
Texas Tech University | Lubbock, Texas | February 18th, 2013 |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Urbana, Illinois | April 21st, 2014 |
College of William & Mary | Williamsburg, Virginia | November 6th, 2016 |
Binghamton University | Binghamton, New York | November 12th, 2016 |
University of Connecticut | Storrs, Connecticut | November 11th, 2017 |
References
- "About - National APIDA Panhellenic Association". National APIDA Panhellenic Association. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- "History". Delta Phi Omega. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- "National Council and Board". Delta Phi Omega. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- "Philanthropy". Delta Phi Omega. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- "Charters". Delta Phi Omega. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-19.