During Sigma Phi Epsilon's 1989 strategic planning process, the Strategic Planning Committee adopted the vision statement, Building Balanced Leaders for the World's Communities.

To ensure that the Fraternity achieved its vision in undergraduate chapters, a committee of Fraternity leaders gathered to develop a new four-year membership development program. Specifically, the committee envisioned a continuous membership development program which would address the following undergraduate and chapter needs:

• Little involvement of older members
• Limited campus involvement and community involvement
• Poor understanding of the values articulated in the Fraternity's Ritual
• Limited focus on good leadership practices, including goal setting, mentoring, and respect for self and others
• With the assistance of volunteers and undergraduates, the committee created the Balanced Man Program.

The Program

The Balanced Man Program is a four year membership development program implemented in chapters on a voluntary basis. Implementation began in Fall of 1992.

The Balanced Man Program appeals to undergraduates because it concentrates on individual and chapter development. In particular, the BMP focuses on mentoring, campus and community involvement, and the Ritual. The BMP also focuses on the development of a sound mind and a sound body.

The Balanced Man Scholarship

SigEp has the largest endowment fund, $19 million, of any fraternity. The Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation, which assists chapters with educational programs and scholarship opportunities, distributes this fund. One opportunity is the Balanced Man Scholarship. The Balanced Man Scholarship is a competitive $500 scholarship, which is available for all incoming freshmen.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Why has the Fraternity changed?
  
  A: In 1901, twelve men decided that the status quo was not good enough and set out to make a change for the better. Their changes resulted in the birth of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Their vision of striving to be the best has survived through the years and is the momentum behind the Balanced Man Program.
  
  As the founders addressed changes in their environment, the Balanced Man Program addresses changes in today's fraternity world. At a time when risk management and regulation have become common concerns, Sigma Phi Epsilon has learned to surpass these problems and focus on the principles of self-improvement and true brotherhood on which it was founded in 1901. Change created Sigma Phi Epsilon. Change, propelled by the Balanced Man Program, will perpetuate Sigma Phi Epsilon.
  
  
  
• Q: Why is the Balanced Man Program based on the idea of a Journey of Brotherhood?
  
  A: Neither brotherhood nor individuals can develop and flourish overnight or through one brief experience. In addition to strengthening fraternal bonds and developing individuals, continuous experiences are critical for a man to appreciate and understand the values and ideals of the Fraternity. Brotherhood is not a destination, but a road to be traveled.
  
  
  
• Q: Why should a chapter become a Balanced Man Program chapter?
  
  A: The Balanced Man Program offers many unique opportunities for SigEps. The project builds a strong brotherhood by developing individual members and group bonds. Implementing the Balanced Man Program provides chapters with many advantages including:
• programming for older members which keeps them involved.
• new opportunities for alumni and community members to be involved.
• an organized mentoring program for all members.
• year-round recruitment opportunities.
• programming that promotes the development of a sound mind in a sound body - the Balanced Man Ideal
• Q: What happens to tradition in the face of change?
  
  A: There is ample room in the Balanced Man Program for traditions. However, tradition for the sake of tradition is not healthy. If activities have become a tradition because they have value in and of themselves, there is nothing wrong with keeping them around. It is those non-productive, or counter-productive, traditions, kept because "we have always done it that way," which tend to cause the most problems.
  
  
  
• Q: When can a member vote?
  
  A: He can vote immediately following his participation in the Sigma Rite of Passage.
• Q: Can a man join as a junior or senior and still reach the Brother Mentor Challenge?
  
  A: Yes. If a man is a junior or older, and he can demonstrate that he has met all of the requirements of the Challenge, the minimum times may be waived for the Phi or Epsilon Challenges. The minimum time for the Sigma Challenge may not be waived. It should take at least four weeks for a man to become acquainted with all the men of the chapter.
• Q: Why can older men move through the challenges more quickly?
  
  A: Sigma Phi Epsilon and the Balanced Man Program are committed to the personal development of every member. After two years on a college campus, a man will already have undergone a certain amount of development outside of the chapter. In this case, it is possible that the imposed minimum time will be a detriment to a man's undergraduate experience, rather than an enhancement. This delay would be inefficient and counterproductive to the man's development.
  
  The minimum times may be waived for those members who:
  have less than two school years remaining before graduation.
  are approved unanimously by the Standards Board.
• Q: When does a man become a "brother?"
  
  A: The Bylaws of the Fraternity define a brother as a man who has learned the Ritual secrets of Sigma Phi Epsilon. For chapters participating in the Balanced Man Program, this occurs for members when they enter the Epsilon Challenge. Being a true brother, however, is much more than a term to be used lightly. A man becomes a "brother" when he is trusted, admired, respected, and loved by his fellow men in the fraternity and when he feels the same for them. A man becomes a brother when his relationship with the other men in the fraternity is one of trust and respect. When men truly seek to become brothers and do not worry about the title, the chapter will provide a more positive experience.