Start a Chapter

Starting a chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta on your campus only takes a little bit of effort and offers countless benefits. Alpha Lambda Delta not only provides an incentive for incoming students to improve their academic performance and leadership skills, but also provides opportunities for students to win scholarships and fellowships. Download the ALD Talking Points – an overview of the benefits of an Alpha Lambda Delta Chapter on Your Campus, or the Start A Chapter publication.

Institutional Benefits

  • Improved retention of exceptional students - Your high-achieving students will be more inclined to stay the course at your institution if they're recognized for their accomplishments early on in their collegiate career.

  • Leadership identification - Student members of Alpha Lambda Delta begin leadership roles as early as their sophomore year. This is a great way to identify your future campus leaders.

  • Increased community service - Alpha Lambda Delta chapters are among the most engaged and involved groups on campus. Every year, Alpha Lambda Delta chapters around the nation improve their campus and local communities through thousands of service projects.

Starting Your Alpha Lambda Delta Chapter

To charter a chapter, the institution must:

  1. Be an institution currently accredited by an accrediting association

  2. Demonstrate support for a chapter from the institution's administration

  3. Appoint as chapter advisor a faculty or staff member who is committed to the tasks required for inviting eligible students to become members

Please contact Executive Director Eileen Merberg (eileen@nationalald.org, 585.364.0840) to learn more about Alpha Lambda Delta and to express interest in starting a chapter, then complete the New Chapter Petition Form.

The Process

STEP ONE:
Complete the New Chapter Petition Form. It will document institutional characteristics and require the administration’s indication of support for establishing a chapter.

Petitions are accepted year round and will be reviewed promptly by the Expansion Committee. The petitioning process for acceptance normally takes about two weeks.

STEP TWO:
Once the petition is approved, the chapter advisor will work closely with ALD Headquarters to invite students to become founding members and host an installation ceremony to officially welcome the chapter.

Steps during this process include following institutional guidelines for recognizing a student organization on campus, obtaining a list of eligible students, sending an invitation, and planning for initiation.

Please note: There is a $100 fee once a petition is approved. This covers the cost of a custom charter and insignia cloth that is displayed at the chapter installation ceremony. Other than the membership fee a student pays when joining (which is onetime, lifetime), there are no other fees charged to form a chapter.