Kappa Alpha Theta
General Information
National Founding Date: Jan. 27, 1870
Chapter Founding Date: April 29th, 1944
Colors: Black and Gold
Flower: Black and Gold Pansy
Symbol(s): Kite and Twin Stars
Values: Faith, Hope, Love
Motto: "Leading Women"
Philanthropy: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Minimum Collegiate GPA: 2.7
Minimum High School GPA: 3.0
D&I Training Attendance: 100%
Purpose and Mission
The intellectual ambition of the Fraternity shall be the attainment of highest scholarship. The social ambition of the Fraternity shall be to exercise the widest influence for good. The moral ambition of the Fraternity shall be the standard of love.
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, Kappa Alpha Theta exists to nurture each member throughout her college and alumnae experience and to offer a lifelong opportunity for social, intellectual and moral growth as she meets the higher and broader demands of mature life.
Service and Philanthropy
At Carnegie Mellon, Theta’s are leaders on campus in service, athletic and student government organizations. Our chapter holds two major philanthropy events a year, each to benefit our national philanthropy – CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), as well as the Theta Foundation. CASA is a network of volunteers who advocate for neglected and abused children in the foster care system. In the past Theta has held a variety of events such as Kicks for CASA, Thetathon, Theta Pizza Kitchen, Theta Throwdown, Theta Trivia Night and the CASA Superhero 5k in an effort to raise money and awareness for our philanthropy. This spring we will continue our very popular philanthropy event, Theta Trivia Night (a trivia competition with those who sign up) as knowledge and food is something Theta holds dearly.
A commitment to service is one of the pillars of being a Theta. This commitment can be seen by the incredible number of hours’ members put in each semester. For the 2017 – 2018 school year, Theta totaled 1786.5 hours of service – the most of any other Greek organization on campus. Although each member is only required to complete 5 hours of service a semester, we are proud to say that on average each member completes 14 hours of service a semester. Sisters travel on service trips to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Rwanda, and many other countries; and as a chapter we participate in Theta Day of Service by giving back to our community.
Leadership
When it comes to leadership, our sisters are involved in all parts of campus! Theta’s balance sorority life with not only academics and work, but also with involvement and leadership in numerous campus organizations. With fellow sisters involved in over 80 organizations, new members are highly encouraged to get involved and most find this a huge advantage and ease of going Greek. Additionally, our sixteen officer positions give sisters an awesome way to build their leadership skills. Kappa Alpha Theta believes that leadership is not conveyed by a title but is, instead a process. Theta promotes leadership by enhancing self-knowledge and nourishing each member’s capacity to mobilize herself and others to serve and work collaboratively.
Sisterhood
Campus traditions such as Booth and Greek sing are also the core of our sisterhood. When it comes to Booth, Theta has embraced the tradition, turning the process of creating an incredible structure into an unforgettable several weeks of sisterhood. Booth is one of the highlights of being a Theta, and we take pride in our two story Booths! Sisters enjoy the talking, late night food, crafting, and getting a chance to grow closer together. Similarly, Greek Sing is a great opportunity for our sisters to bond during the winter. But the one thing that means the most to Theta is not the happiness in winning. It is the incredible feeling of knowing what our Greek community had done together, and all the money we had raised for Camp Kesem.
Sisterhood is the bond we make as Theta’s with other sisters within our sorority. It’s the memories, laughs and late night talks that make joining Theta and being in college some of the best years of a Theta’s life. From always having someone to lean on to always having a safe place to be yourself, Theta provides a home to all of its members. This is sure to be seen by our sisters around campus – getting food, studying, exercising, exploring, and simply hanging out together. It’s what makes Theta, Theta! We cannot wait to meet you during FMR!
Academics
To honor the hard work Thetas do, the Scholarship Committee hosts a Scholarship Banquet every semester where sisters are recognized for high achievement in their academic endeavors. Sisters invite a professor or faculty member they would like to network with or who has helped them on the road to success. Several times a week Theta has study hours where tutoring from older sisters is also available. Proudly, we have the highest chapter GPA amongst all of the Greek organizations.
Scholarships
The Theta Foundation offers both scholarships and grants to initiated members in good standing with the fraternity. For the 2019-2020 academic year, $754,425 in scholarship funding was awarded to 316 collegians and alumnae. The Theta Foundation provides a minimum scholarship of $1000. Both scholarships and grants can be used for academic expenses, but not for dues or personal expenses.