The mission of Tau Delta Phi is to foster character formation through scholastic achievement, camaraderie, and the building of authentic communities, while encouraging a spirit of honoring tradition and questioning authority. Established June 16, 1916, Tau Delta Phi is San Jose State University’s oldest fraternal organization and honor society. For over 95 years, the fraternity’s objective has bee
n to promote scholastic achievement, create a forum for students and professors to share ideas, and improve the intellectual life in the academic community at San Jose State University. In Tau Delta Phi, students convene with a common enthusiasm for learning. From this meeting of minds, the nationally acclaimed Tower List was born. From 1927 to 1963, Tau Delta Phi occupied the top three stories of Tower Hall, a privilege granted by the late President Thomas McQuarrie as a reward for our scholarship and honor. In 1963, the Tower was lost to the fraternity when it was closed for structural repairs. Since then, Tau Delta Phi has kept alive the spirit and ideals of the Tower. In deference to tradition, however, the fraternity has been extended the privilege of using the President’s conference room (located on the first floor of the Tower) for its regular meetings. What We Do
Tau Delts know that school is important, but there’s more to life than studying. Thus, we strive to promote a balanced lifestyle supported by a range of activities:
Scholarship
Scholarship is important to all Tau Delts and is nourished through academic activities ranging from informal ‘fireside’ discussions with professors and community members, to university-wide forums on current issues. Since Tau Delta Phi is interdisciplinary, a stimulating discussion is never too far away. Service
Service activities provide a way for Tau Delts to team up and give back to the campus and Silicon Valley communities. Past events have included park cleanups and bake sales to support the local women’s shelters. Social
No semester would be complete without the requisite slate of social events! From casual barbeques, to the traditional dress-up formal banquet, or the occasional party, Tau Delts prove that just because you’re an honor student doesn’t mean you don’t know how to have a good time. (And by the way, did we mention we’re co-ed?)
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Prospective Member Information
Entrance requirements:
1) Current enrollment at San Jose State University.
2) A combined GPA of 3.0 of college credits or A combined GPA of 3.0 High school transcript freshmen
3) Completion of an introspectus (described below).
4) Attendance of the informal initiation.
5) Successful completion of six weeks of pledge activities and the formal initiation.
6) Mandatory attendance of the meetings and required participation in fraternity events
Introspectus
An INTROSPECTUS is a paper about you! The reason for the introspectus is to help us select a well-matched member which will be your big sibling and help you along the pledging process. Please give us an honest representation of yourself and your ideas. The content of your introspectus can be broken into two parts as follows:
-Part I: What is you philosophy of life? We are interested in what you think. Has there been an important turn in your life, or have there been many? What are the influences that have shaped your thoughts and ideas? This might include your religious and moral views, political philosophy, or other personal thoughts or ideals which are important to you. We want to know what makes you, You.
-Part II: How do you perceive Tau Delta Phi? Explain what you think the fraternity is about, what you expect to gain from your membership, and what you feel you can contribute to us. - Your paper Must be received by Feb 24th 5:00pm Student Involvement Center box #4 Clark Hall. - You may also E-mail your paper to [email protected]
-Included with your introspectus, please attach your transcript (unofficial is ok). If you are unable to obtain your transcript upon the due date, we will accept it at a later date. AND REMEMBER--HAVE FUN WRITING IT! Cost
Membership dues are $150 for the pledging process, but payments can be broken down into parts and be paid over time.
