Enlightened Gentlemen’s Program & the Five Developmental Outcomes

The Enlightened Gentlemen’s Program (EGP) is Tau Delta Phi’s premier membership develop program, which is our current standard for new colonies.  Established chapters can vote to adopt the EGP or maintain a traditional education model.  In order to maintain congruence among all of our chapters regardless of member education programs, all chapters will demonstrate outcomes regarding the following objectives for all of their members.  The following five objectives are consistent with the development of a Tau Delt man and are used as the basis for continuous development during collegiate membership and for alumni involvement. 

  • Personal Membership Development
  • Chapter Development
  • National Development
  • Ritual Development
  • Community Development

Traditional chapters now develop an on-going education plan for all members based on their year of involvement after initiation and the manner of training members on each of the competencies in their end-of-the-year evaluation.

Program Introduction

Started in the 2012 Pyramid Leadership Institute, the Enlightened Gentlemen’s Program was born as a project for the Executive Council of Tau Delta Phi.  Later, the model was approved by the 2012 Grand Chapter that, since its adoption, has helped to spread a developmental model of personal and organizational improvement throughout Tau Delta Phi.  This developmental program has at its root student development and leadership development theories.  Our second version of the program, which will create minor changes to the original model, will also include elements of the Social Change Model.

The program is divided into five Challenges: Alpha Challenge and Postulant Challenge, which are the Pre-Initiation Challenges, and the Tau, Delta, and Phi Challenges, which are the Post-Initiation Challenges. The alumnus challenge is the Rampant Lion Challenge.

The Alpha Challenge and Postulant Challenge establish the developmental program within universal competencies necessary for a First Year Student.  The Tau Challenge establishes the competencies necessary for a Second Year Student; the Delta Challenge corresponds to Junior Year competencies.  The Phi Challenge gives our men the tools essential for graduation and for life after the college experience has ended.  The Rampant Lion Challenge seeks to engage the alumnus in extensive service learning.

The program helps to achieve some very successful outcomes in Greek Life.  First, the program works to remove opportunities for hazing by eliminating the traditional model that separates new members from initiated members.  Group inclusion begins from the moment a person affiliates with the organization: the attendance at meetings, understanding of most chapter business, and the feeling of interpersonal support start at the very beginning of the first challenge phase in the model.  Second, the program focuses our membership on personal, professional, and organizational development.  This helps to create an open and democratic chapter experience.  Finally, the modules of each program allow for student choice throughout the completion of each competency.  This allows personal interaction between the individual and their organizational membership.

Program Outcomes

  1. To create a continual learning program that emphasizes the personal development of our membership throughout their undergraduate and early alumni experience in the Fraternity.
  2. To broaden the horizons of our membership and assist in the physical, mental, emotional, and professional development of our members.
  3. To provide for continual education that creates a nexus between what students are learning in the classroom and what they are learning outside of the classroom in their fraternity.
  4. To improve retention rates for active membership, by giving fraternity membership purpose and learning at all stages of development from new member to alumnus.
  5. To eliminate risk management concerns that arises amongst the chapters and colonies.
  6. To create a positive model for new member education that focuses on developing new members into “good brothers” and not “good pledges.”
  7. To improve appreciation for the rituals of Tau Delta Phi and our fraternal values by providing more opportunity for ritual interaction, reflection, and training.
  8. To foster the “aggressive leadership” envisioned by our founders, and to develop the enlightened men they sought to make up the bricks of our Pyramid.

Program Resources

Download the Non-Esoteric version of the Enlightened Gentlemen’s Program and the E-workbooks for each challenge.  Each workbook is saved as an Adobe extended reader PDF.  This means you complete your workbook electronically using the type tool and save your work as you go through each challenge. 

Remember your workbooks will be reviewed by the High Tribunal of your chapter and by your Board of Alumni Advisors.  They may also be reviewed by the National Office.

  • Enlightened Gentlemen’s Program – Non-Esoteric Version
  • Alpha Challenge Workbook
  • Postulant Challenge Workbook
  • Tau Challenge Workbook
  • Delta Challenge Workbook
  • Phi Challenge Workbook
  • Rampant Lion Challenge