Alpha Chi Omega

Purpose and Mission

The mission of Alpha Chi Omega is to enrich the lives of its members through lifetime opportunities for friendship, leadership, learning and service. Alpha Chi Omega’s motto is, “Together let us seek the heights.” Our motto reflects our sisters' dedication not only to achieving their dreams, but also their dedication to supporting each other along the way. We value true sisterhood, and provide a strong support system, helping each member to develop their academic excellence, character, and leadership ability.

Alpha Chis at Carnegie Mellon are dedicated to what they do, no matter what that is. Whether writing a paper, writing code, working in lab, or creating works of art, our sisters strive for excellence and take a sincere interest in their studies. Our members are some of the best role models on campus that can balance academic achievement with their other, non-academic passions. Sisters do world-class research, excel in the arts, dedicate hours to service work, and lead campus organizations. Our sisters are dedicated to Carnegie Mellon, and participate in it fully; whether it's a cappella like Counterpoint, philanthropy initiatives like Strive for College, student organizations like Women@SCS, or outreach like working as Pre-College Counselors and RAs, Alpha Chi Omegas not only lead, but excel in what they do.

This dedication is visible most clearly in Alpha Chi Omega sisters' dedication to our chapter. Whether it is impromptu sisterhood events, the Sisterhood retreat that happens every semester, Formal, big-little reveal, or a weekly chapter meeting, Alpha Chi Omegas dedicate ourselves wholly to sisterhood, empowering each other to be the best version of ourselves. 

Sisterhood

Sisterhood is incredibly important to us. Our first floor is often filled with laughter and spirited conversation well into the night, intermittent with study sessions and spontaneous movie parties. From attending regular Sunday brunch trips at our favorite Pittsburgh restaurants to cheering our sisters on at their performances and games, we love to spend time together and support each other. Past sisterhood events have included sisterhood retreats, visits to the Phipps Botanical Gardens and the Duquesne Incline, pumpkin carving, origami lessons, baking parties, family dinners, last day of classes parties, alumni luncheons, and more!

Service and Philanthropy

Alpha Chi Omega’s national philanthropy is Domestic Violence Awareness. When we fundraise, we donate the proceeds to the Women’s Center and Shelter of Pittsburgh, which offers assistance to survivors of domestic violence and their children. We also volunteer with Gwen’s Girls, an organization that provides after school programming for at-risk girls, as well as assistance and housing for single mothers. Last, we support the national Alpha Chi Omega Foundation, which helps to fund charities for domestic violence awareness, prevention and education, and assistance to survivors and their children. 

Our chapter acts to help survivors of domestic violence and aid domestic violence prevention by holding fundraising and awareness-raising events throughout the year. The annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is our largest philanthropy event, and we also host Nostalgic Noms, a Vera Bradley Sale, Alpha Chai Omega, and Luminaries on the Cut, all of which raise awareness and funds for sufferers of domestic violence.

Outside of our national philanthropy, we also fundraise for Greek Sing each year, collaborating with the Greek community to support philanthropies we can all support. The chapter supports multiple philanthropic interests. Groups of sisters have organized to participate in the Pittsburgh VisionWalk, the Walk Against Diabetes, and weekly visits to the local animal shelter, working together with a shared goal of philanthropy and service.

Academics

Alpha Chi Omega takes scholarship and commitment to academics very seriously. Every semester, Alpha Chis invite their favorite professors to a dessert reception, Apple Pie with Alpha Chi. This allows sisters to interact with faculty in ways that typically aren't available in a classroom setting. Alpha Chi Omega also has workshops for sisters on time management, stress management, and goal setting each year to help sisters balance their academic workloads with other commitments at CMU.

Sisters support each other in their academics, and celebrate one another’s intellectual interests. There are formal study hours several nights a week, as well as many informal study groups. There is even an in-house tutor-matching system, where sisters who are struggling in classes are paired with sisters who have already completed those courses.

If a sister is struggling to meet the QPA requirement, they work one-on-one with the VP of Intellectual Development to discuss any problems they are having, and they sign an Academic Contract. The contract, tailored to each sister's needs, requires that a sister works to improve her academic performance each week; by encouraging her to attend office hours, go to study sessions, and meet with tutors, Alpha Chi Omega helps any struggling sister achieve her academic goals.

Scholarships

Scholarship opportunities further Alpha Chi Omega’s mission by encouraging members’ academic pursuits and awarding members a chance to ease the financial burden of their education by covering some of the associated costs. Scholarships provide merit-based financial assistance for collegiate and alumnae members’ educational pursuits. Scholarship amounts vary each year based on the established criteria and distribution voted on annually by the Board of Trustees. The Alpha Chi Omega Foundation awarded more than $250,000 in merit-based educational scholarships to collegiate and alumnae members for the 2018-19 academic year. The 2019-2020 application will be available in January.

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