Values-Based Alcohol Education & Risk Management

  • The Education, Responsibility, & Action Program (ERA)
  • The Pursuit
  • The Risk Management Education Program

The Education, Responsibility, and Action Program (ERA)

The E.R.A. Program (Education, Responsibility, and Action) is a values-based alcohol education program that employs a detailed discussion of Chi Psi Fraternity values to stimulate the development of responsible behavior.  The program was designed to complement the Fraternity’s existing risk-management policy and strategy programming with a higher-level discussion that frames alcohol abuse within the context of values-congruence.  The E.R.A. Program goes beyond the typical "thou shalt not” alcohol program by speaking to values, character, and loyalty to Brothers and peers.  

The Program was developed following the success of an alcohol education program facilitated in 2006–2007 by Cal Hackstaff, ΨΔ '06.  It is administered every year at each Alpha for every Brother and new member.

We know its working.  Several Alphas have reported that since the program’s implementation, Brothers and their peers are more aware of activity that can lead to dangerous situations.  They are taking steps to prevent it and have reacted to un-prevented dangerous scenarios by doing the right thing.

The Pursuit

The PURSUIT is designed to integrate new recruits into the Alpha before their initiation. It is a process that breaks down barriers between participants and Brothers through shared activities. It prepares participants for leadership opportunities by modeling for them the behavior expected of Brothers and teaching them important social skill sets. Finally, it builds lifelong friendships that supersede the lines of class year and initiation class.

The typical fraternity pledge semester was developed after World War II and was not, in fact, part of the Chi Psi experience for many decades. Generations of Chi Psis were initiated without any sort of pledging activity. They were evaluated on the strength of their character and the congruence of their values with that of Brothers. They were assigned no quizzes, no reading, and no tasks. The focus remained entirely on making them the Brothers’ true friend. It is in this simple spirit of building lifelong relationships that The PURSUIT
is designed. 

The Risk Management Education Program

In accordance with Chi Psi's risk management policy, the Fraternity requires that all undergraduate Brothers and new members participate in a 5-unit training course that explains our current insurance policy, gives examples of past incidents, and shares strategies for dealing with emergency situations. Most importantly, the course educates the actives on risk avoidance – the crux of the Fraternity’s overall risk management policy.

Each program unit is catered to the specific needs of the undergraduate collegiate career.  Through the course, undergraduates learn to work together to make their Alphas and lifestyles safer and more responsible. It emphasizes the importance of cohesion and consensus in preventing and managing high-risk situations. Each member is responsible for his own actions as well as for the actions of others around him.

The Program is designed to work alongside local programs, with incentives for undergraduates to seek out local officials who will talk about risk reduction techniques. Chi Psi is committed to team building to address the risk responsibility problems prevalent on college campuses today. The group focus on risk avoidance has proven to be very effective since the inception of the Fraternity's focus on risk management education many years ago.