Tartan Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards
The annual Tartan Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards is a collaborative event hosted by the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), Panhellenic Council (PHC), and the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) office. This event recognizes and celebrates the achievements of our fraternity and sorority organizations. Each award category has specific criteria designed to serve as a roadmap for best practices. We encourage all chapters to use these criteria to guide their operations, set goals, and demonstrate excellence in embodying our community's highest ideals.
Award Applications close at 11:59 PM on January 12, 2026. For questions regarding applications or awards, please contact Sarah Irvin at sirvin@andrew.cmu.edu.
Tartan FSL Award Categories
Chapter Awards
Chapter of Excellence
This award recognizes a chapter that excels in all areas: leadership, service, scholarship, and community involvement. Criteria emphasize well-rounded excellence, values, and broad community impact.
Most Improved Chapter
This award will go to any organization(s) who have demonstrated significant organizational change in multiple areas during the past year. Please provide a detailed explanation and documentation about how your organization has improved over the past 12 months. Please include any challenges your organization is facing and how you plan to address them in the upcoming months.
Outstanding Community Service Initiative
To recognize chapters that planned and executed a successful service event for their members. Service is defined as the action of volunteering your time to help or do work for someone.
Outstanding Philanthropic Initiative
To recognize chapters that planned and executed a successful philanthropy program that had a significant positive impact on the community. Philanthropy is used here to describe fundraising efforts for community partners, agencies, or foundations which the chapter supports.
Excellence in Harm Reduction
Awarded to chapters who exceed expectations in providing Harm Reduction efforts not only in the new member process but for all years of a members' of their chapters or the sorority/fraternity experience. This award is judged on the comprehensive plan, not a single harm reduction program (i.e. a lecture, brother/sisterhood event).
Excellence in Organizational Development
Awarded to chapters who exceed expectations in providing organizational development opportunities not only in the new member process but for all years of a member's chapter or the fraternity/sorority experience. This award is judged on the comprehensive plan, not a single organizational development event (i.e. a lecture, brother/sisterhood event).
Excellence in Alumni Engagement
This award honors the chapter that most effectively builds and maintains alumni relationships. Recognition focuses on alumni outreach, event planning, and communication efforts.
Academic Excellence Award
This award recognizes the chapter that has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement. It is specifically awarded to the chapter that achieves a high QPA but also prioritizes a culture of academic priority.
Excellence in New Member Academics
This award recognizes the chapter whose new member class has achieved a high cumulative QPA. It highlights the organization's dedication to fostering strong academic habits from the start and prioritizing scholastic achievement.
Shared Leadership Award
This award recognizes a chapter that exemplifies the principles of shared leadership by fostering collaboration with chapter members, councils, and stakeholders. Criteria involve demonstrating a clear commitment to the shared leadership model and promoting collaboration, trust, and mutual respect.
Excellence in Interfraternal Relations
This award recognizes organizations from different councils who have worked together on a program, event, or initiative that had significant positive influence on the FSL community and whose partnership facilitates success of individual members, chapters, or the FSL community.
Excellence in Innovation
This award will go to any individuals or organization(s) that have coordinated and/or participated in innovating meaningful and impactful educational programs, processes, or events during this academic year. Please provide a detailed explanation and documentation about the program/initiative.
Individual Awards
Member(s) of the Year
(This award only accepts self-nominations.)
This award recognizes an individual who demonstrates exemplary leadership within their organization, council, and/or the greater community. Recognition is awarded to the member whose commitment to values exceeds expectations. This award requires self-nomination only.
This award recognizes an individual who demonstrates exemplary leadership within their organization, council, and/or the greater community. Recognition is awarded to the member whose commitment to values exceeds expectations. This award requires self-nomination only.
Outstanding Chapter President
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award honors a chapter President who demonstrates exceptional leadership and impact during the calendar year. Criteria include leadership, inspiration, values, chapter impact, and FSL community service.
This award honors a chapter President who demonstrates exceptional leadership and impact during the calendar year. Criteria include leadership, inspiration, values, chapter impact, and FSL community service.
Advisor/Volunteer of the Year
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award recognizes an outstanding advisor or volunteer who supports and uplifts their chapter and the FSL community. Recognition is based on their mentorship, chapter support, positive impact, and the ability to lead by example in their advisory role.
This award recognizes an outstanding advisor or volunteer who supports and uplifts their chapter and the FSL community. Recognition is based on their mentorship, chapter support, positive impact, and the ability to lead by example in their advisory role.
Values in Action Award
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award recognizes individuals who embody their organization's values and lead by example, regardless of their official title. Honorees must serve as a role model, be values-driven, inclusive, and lead by example.
This award recognizes individuals who embody their organization's values and lead by example, regardless of their official title. Honorees must serve as a role model, be values-driven, inclusive, and lead by example.
Emerging Leader
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate strong potential for leadership within the fraternity and sorority community. This person has already shown initiative, a commitment to values-based leadership, and a positive impact on their chapter, council, and/or the broader university community.
This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate strong potential for leadership within the fraternity and sorority community. This person has already shown initiative, a commitment to values-based leadership, and a positive impact on their chapter, council, and/or the broader university community.
Excellence in Community Engagement
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award recognizes individuals for outstanding service to the CMU, Pittsburgh, or broader community. Recognition is based on service, engagement, volunteering, and overall social impact.
This award recognizes individuals for outstanding service to the CMU, Pittsburgh, or broader community. Recognition is based on service, engagement, volunteering, and overall social impact.
Rising FSL Tartan
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award recognizes individuals who have joined their respective organizations within the past year. These members show outstanding involvement within their organization as well as outside their organization. Criteria include being a new member, showing early initiative, demonstrating potential for future leadership, and having a positive chapter/FSL/university impact.
This award recognizes individuals who have joined their respective organizations within the past year. These members show outstanding involvement within their organization as well as outside their organization. Criteria include being a new member, showing early initiative, demonstrating potential for future leadership, and having a positive chapter/FSL/university impact.
Excellence in Facility Leadership
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award recognizes house managers who have excelled in managing or supporting their chapter facility. Criteria include facility operations, leadership, and improvement.
This award recognizes house managers who have excelled in managing or supporting their chapter facility. Criteria include facility operations, leadership, and improvement.
Excellence in Fraternal Engagement
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award recognizes students who have made significant contributions to the fraternity and sorority life community. Recognition is based on commitment to the FSL Community, cross-council and chapter collaboration, and serving as a positive role model and advocate for the community.
This award recognizes students who have made significant contributions to the fraternity and sorority life community. Recognition is based on commitment to the FSL Community, cross-council and chapter collaboration, and serving as a positive role model and advocate for the community.
Campus Impact Award
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
Recognizes students who have made significant contributions outside of the Fraternity and Sorority Life community at CMU.
Recognizes students who have made significant contributions outside of the Fraternity and Sorority Life community at CMU.
Excellence in Council/Greek Sing Leadership
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award honors a council/Greek Sing leader who demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact during the calendar year. The leader must demonstrate exceptional leadership within their council, inspire and motivate others, and make a positive impact on their council and the greater community.
This award honors a council/Greek Sing leader who demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact during the calendar year. The leader must demonstrate exceptional leadership within their council, inspire and motivate others, and make a positive impact on their council and the greater community.
Excellence in Chapter Leadership
(This award is open to nominations or self-nominations.)
This award honors a chapter officer who demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact during the calendar year. The officer must demonstrate exceptional leadership within their chapter, positively impact chapter operations, culture, and success, and uphold and model chapter and organizational values.
This award honors a chapter officer who demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact during the calendar year. The officer must demonstrate exceptional leadership within their chapter, positively impact chapter operations, culture, and success, and uphold and model chapter and organizational values.