Associate Member Onboarding
In The Bond
You have the opportunity to set the tone for your chapter and the next generation of Delta Chi members. With a great Associate Member Onboarding experience, you’re building the foundation for your new brothers’ Delta Chi experience. And from day one, that should be an experience each of us can be proud of, one that brings value to their lives in college and far beyond; one that is safe and builds true brotherhood. It all starts with the Associate Member Education and Onboarding.
In The Bond, our education and onboarding program, is what will give each and every member the knowledge and connection they need to be initiated into full membership.
Resources you will need for success are linked below under the “What You’ll Need” drop-down menu.
Why It Matters: Four Values, One Purpose
PROMOTE FRIENDSHIP
Build real bonds, fast. Create friendships that will last throughout the fraternity experience.
DEVELOP CHARACTER
Start shaping their leadership from the start. Build lasting bonds for a lifetime of success.
ADVANCE
JUSTICE
SOUND EDUCATION
It’s not just about reaching Initiation. It’s about helping members build genuine connections, grow personally, and start shaping their future right away. By the end of onboarding, Associate Members won’t just have learned the fundamentals of Delta Chi knowledge, they’ll have developed important skills and created a clear vision for their path forward.
RESOURCES :
AMC Workbook
AMC Facilitator Guide
For more information on the Fraternity’s Mentor Program, click here.
Week 1: Introduction & Promote Friendship
- Ceremony: Associate Member Ceremony
- Session 1: Building Brotherhood & Understanding Expectations
- Session 2: Delta Chi’s History and Our Campus Community
Week 2: Develop Character
- Session 3: Delta Chi Structure and Risk Management
- Session 4: Hazing Prevention and Values-Based Leadership
Week 3: Advance Justice
- Session 5: Alcohol and Social Responsibility
- Session 6: Advancing Justice through Philanthropy and Service
Week 4: Assist in the Acquisition of a Sound Education
- Session 7: Academic Success and Career Support
- Session 8: Personal Development and Wellness
Week 5: Integration and Preparation for Initiation
- Session 9: Brotherhood Integration and Lifetime Membership in Action
- Session 10: Ceremony Preparation and Final Reflections
- Initiation Ceremony, welcoming them In the Bond of Delta Chi
From joining to Initiation – this 35-day period is the foundation of the Delta Chi experience, but it’s simply a solid start to welcome them In the Bond! Once initiated, members move into the Mentor Program and ongoing education throughout their Delta Chi experience.
Your Role as an Associate Member Counselor
According to Delta Chi’s risk management policy, beginning with the Fall 2025 term, chapters will have a maximum of thirty-five (35) calendar days for Associate Member Onboarding and Education to occur. The Associate Member Ceremony will be considered “Day One,” and the Initiation Ceremony must occur on or before calendar Day 35. It is recommended that there be no more than five calendar days between bid acceptance and the Associate Member Ceremony.
The Associate Member Counselor, you’re the guide, the example, and the person that associate members will look to for what it means to be a Delta Chi.
You’ll facilitate the educational content over the course of (no more than) 35 days. We recommend leading two sessions each week, but on a big-picture level, plan a schedule that makes sense for your chapter, as long as Initiation is completed within the 35-day window.
The AMC Facilitator Guide has week-by-week guides for leading each of the 10 sessions.
Looking at your recruitment and class schedule, the Headquarters staff has set and communicated a recommended timeline for your program.
Provide each AM the Cornerstone during the AM Ceremony, as well as an Onboarding Workbook, either digitally or printed out.
AMs must also complete Tightrope, an online program on Delta Chi’s Learning Management System, before being initiated. AMs can access this by logging into MyDChi, clicking on “Learning Management System” in the upper left corner. Then, they should select the tile in the middle of their screen to enroll in Tightrope and complete all lessons.
Associate Member Onboarding isn’t just a checklist. It’s the launchpad for Brotherhood for a Lifetime. As the AMC, you’re leading that charge. Let’s make it count.
What’s Different (and Non-Negotiable)?
You have 35 calendar days max between the Associate Member Ceremony and Initiation. Period.
Chapters must use Delta Chi’s official In the Bond: Associate Member Onboarding program provided by Delta Chi, vs creating one. It has what’s needed to create the foundation for Brotherhood for a Lifetime.
Chapters can and should mix in their own unique brotherhood and bonding activities, like intramurals, service, and brotherhood activities.
Associate Members are assigned a mentor and Mentor Committee after Initiation. This is to provide long-term support and mentoring.
