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Unit II - The International Organization

Alpha Delta Pi is organized into three basic levels of decision-making: Strategic, Tactical, and Operational.

A. Strategic Level

Grand Council serves Alpha Delta Pi at the Strategic Level much like a Board of Directors.  Grand Council is made up of eight alumnae, seven of whom are elected, and the Executive Director who is a non-voting, ex-officio member

Responsibilities of the Grand Council also include:

1. Overseeing the development and implementation of a strategic plan
   
2. Focusing on the common good of the sorority
   
3. Handling leadership issues
   
4. Reviewing and acting upon International Officer proposals
   
5. Ensuring adequate resources are available to accomplish approved goals
   
6. Leading the sorority's efforts in the greek (and, where appropriate, the non-greek) community
   
7. Providing strategic direction to International Officers, while supporting the tactical and operational roles of the sorority

Members of Grand Council are:

1. International President - the International President functions as the Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Delta Pi and presides over Grand Council, Grand Convention and the Installation of Chapters. She provides leadership in the development, implementation and evaluation of the strategic plan of Alpha Delta Pi.

Past International Presidents 
(The late Margaret Anne Macdonald Bundy, Beth Gentry Mannle, Chris Stecher Dickey, Virginia Rosenberg Stafford, Jane Fiedler Madio, and the late Maxine Blake)

1. International Vice Presidents of Collegiate Membership - the two International Vice Presidents of Collegiate Membership have general oversight of issues and matters relating to collegiate chapters and colonies.
   
2. International Vice President of Alumnae Membership - the International Vice President of Alumnae Membership has general oversight of issues and matters relating to alumnae and alumnae associations.
   
3. International Vice President of Finance - the International Vice President of Finance has general oversight of the financial matters of the sorority.
   
4. International Vice President of Organizational Relations-the International Vice President of Organizational Relations has general oversight of issues and matters relating to the relationships of the various entities of the organization.  
   
5. International Secretary - the International Secretary is responsible for the minutes of Grand Council meetings and Grand Convention, reporting on proceedings of Grand Convention, and the preservation of such documents for archival and historical purposes.

 B. Tactical Level

Alpha Delta Pi chapters and alumnae associations are divided geographically into six districts. Each district is supported by a district team, which consists of international officers who supervise collegiate chapters, alumnae associations, and house corporations. The team is led by a district team director and includes the following: Alumnae-Collegiate Relations Director, Alumnae Resource Director, Chapter Finance Director, Panhellenic Relations Director, Collegiate Province Directors, Housing Resource Director, Philanthropy Liaison, Recruitment Director, Total Membership Education Director and Academic Resource Volunteer.

The district team is charged with tactical level management, ensuring that collegiate chapters, alumnae associations, and house corporations are operating within the sorority's established policies and procedures. The team receives direction from Grand Council and translates it into action by designing plans to accomplish the desired outcome as it relates to the strategic plan.

Members of the District Team:

1. Serve in a consulting role to collegiate chapters, alumnae associations, and house corporations
   
2. Assist in providing additional direction to ensure that chapters, alumnae associations, and house corporations remain viable entities over the long term
   
3. Assume a shared responsibility in establishing annual priorities for assistance for each chapter, alumnae association, and house corporation
   
4. Analyze chapter or association trends and assist in planning for long-term growth
   
5. Interface with advisory boards, collegiate chapters, alumnae associations, and house corporations
   
6. Build a structure within chapters, alumnae associations, and house corporations that ensures stability and continuity from one year to the next

Each district is divided into provinces. Each province contains three to four collegiate chapters. Your collegiate province director is responsible for supervising the collegiate chapters in your province, with the assistance of local chapter advisors. She also recruits and trains the local advisors. They conduct their work through personal visits to the chapter and correspondence. 

C. Operational Level

The Alumnae Advisory Board serves Alpha Delta Pi at the Operational Level. Since officers of the chapter change yearly with elections, the Alumnae Advisory Board provides continuity and stability for the chapter from year to year.

The Alumnae Advisory Board, led by the Chapter Advisor, is responsible for the operational and day-to-day functions of individual collegiate chapters. The Advisory Board consists of the Chapter Advisor, Finance Advisor, Membership Education Advisor, Social Advisor, Recruitment Advisor, and Standards Advisor. Refer to the handout provided by your New Member Coordinator for members of your local Alumnae Advisory Board.

The Alumnae Advisory Board is supported by the International Officers on the district team. the Alumnae Advisory Board and its members should:

1. Ensure the collegiate chapter is adhering to Alpha Delta Pi policies and procedures (you will learn more about the policies and procedures in your next session.)
   
2. Guide the chapter in establishing goals and action plans and oversee the execution of those plans
   
3. Ensure the chapter is providing members with a positive and enriching sorority experience
   
4. Mentor chapter members and serve as role models, encouraging life long involvement in Alpha Delta Pi
   
5. Represent the sorority in appropriate matters on that campus

Chapters are always assigned greek letter names, alphabetically, in order of founding or installations. there have been a few exceptions to the alphabetical order method of assigning the chapter names.  (click here to view the chapter roll.)  

The National Officers at the time simply overlooked the letter “Xi” when assigning names, and skipped from Nu chapter to Omicron chapter, following more closely the english alphabet. Xi chapter at Ohio University was installed in June 1914, after Omega Chapter.

The chapter name Delta Alpha was reserved for a Georgia chapter to honor the Alpha chapter at Wesleyan, which was closed when the university banned all greeks from the campus. Delta Alpha chapter at Emory University was installed in May 1959, after Delta Mu chapter.

Other instances where chapters are ‘out of order' arose when there were several colonies established at about the same time, then they were not always installed in the order they were colonized. To eliminate this, Alpha Delta Pi established the policy during the late 1980s that chapters would be assigned greek letter names when installed rather than when the colony was established.