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
∆ΦΩ
FoundedDecember 6, 1998 (1998-12-06)
University of Houston
TypeSocial, Service, Academic
Motto“We Dreamt, We Saw, We Conquered”
Colors█ Red, █ Black, and █ Silver
FlowerWhite orchid
JewelRed ruby, diamond
MascotBengal tiger
PhilanthropyChildren’s education and literacy
Chapters25
Colonies26
PurposeThe 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.
WebsiteOfficial 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[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

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

Temple University

Thomas Jefferson University

Widener University

University of Pennsylvania

 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:

Texas Women's University

University of North Texas

 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
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See also

References
  1. "About - National APIDA Panhellenic Association". National APIDA Panhellenic Association. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  2. "History". Delta Phi Omega. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  3. "National Council and Board". Delta Phi Omega. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  4. "Philanthropy". Delta Phi Omega. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  5. "Charters". Delta Phi Omega. 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
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