HISTORY:

Tennessee Alpha was chartered on May 29, 1913 as a chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon.  In the early fall of 1910, a small group of men at The University of Tennessee decided that the six existing national fraternities on campus did not offer the seriousness of mind and spirit nor the dedication toward excellence they desired.  They formed a local fraternity, Phi Alpha Phi, and were given official status by the University.  Good reports about the growth of Sigma Phi Epsilon, a visit by William L. Phillips (“Uncle Billy”), and the interest in status as a national fraternity led to Tennessee Alpha’s chartering as SigEp’s 45th chapter.  Since then, over 2000 men have been initiated into Sigma Phi Epsilon at Tennessee Alpha.

Sigma Phi Epsilon at Tennessee celebrated 100 years of continuous operation in April 2013. We continue to be a vital part of the University of Tennessee's Greek system. 

Joining Sigma Phi Epsilon will give you the chance to become a part of Tennessee Alpha’s prestigious history, as well as a leader on campus. We are proud to say that "SigEps" hold top offices in the most respected of campus organizations. SigEp makes college life enjoyable as well as teaches the valuable social skills needed for a successful career. Strong alumni and volunteer support provide you with contacts and mentoring opportunities in the community and across the nation.  We hope you will visit us to learn more about our chapter and consider the benefits of our unique fraternity.  Feel free to contact us anytime and we will be glad to discuss the opportunities of SigEp in your future.

For a history of SigEp as a National Fraternity, Click Here.

CHAPTER CULTURE:

Tennessee Alpha has a long history of excellence on the University of Tennessee campus. Building upon the foundational tenants of the Balanced Man Program, the chapter utilize campus and fraternity resources to provide brothers continuous development opportunities on campus. Brothers are leaders of various student organizations on campus, participate in university intramural sports programs, and leverage university resources to provide brothers opportunities to grow intellectually and to promote physical wellness. In addition to leveraging university resources and an extensive alumni network of over three thousand initiated brothers, the chapter also takes advantage of the most robust leadership events of any fraternity through participating in the national fraternity's leadership events including Life After College, the Carlson Leadership Academy, the Ruck Leadership Institute, and the Tragos Quest to Greece. The latter two leadership events are highly selective and only a small percentile of the 13000 undergraduates across the country are invited to attend. As a testament to the quality of balanced men in the Tennessee Alpha chapter, Tennessee Alpha has had participants in both the Ruck Leadership Institute and in the Tragos Quest to Greece, the latter of which only accepts 15 brothers from across the country to attend. At both of these highly selective leadership events, brothers are mentored by world class CEO's and SigEp alumni. Below are images of Tennessee Alpha brothers in the company of other awarded brothers at both the Ruck Leadership Institute and at Tragos Quest to Greece during the 2018-2019 academic year. 

In addition to the valuable leadership opportunities brothers have access to on campus and through the leveraging of national fraternity leadership events, brothers promote positive change on campus through service learning and philanthropy. Just to give one example, our brothers helped raise hundreds of dollars for the East Tennessee Children's Hospital during the 2018-2019 academic year. 

Sigma Phi Epsilon is based upon three principles of Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love, and Tennessee Alpha strives to uphold these three cardinal principles on campus through the Balanced Man Program. This four-year, continuous development program strives to promote the growth of the Tennessee Alpha brothers by impressing the importance of intellectual growth and physical wellness. Consequently, being a brother in the Tennessee Alpha chapter is both a continuously challenging, but rewarding experience. Brothers hold each other accountable for academic performance through the implementation of an extensive Academic Plan, and the chapter encourages brothers to expand their intellectual capacity by hosting or attending a variety of speakers throughout the academic year. Find out more information about the chapter's involvement in intramural sports, campus involvement, and many of the other beneficial aspects of membership by reaching out to chapter leadership and asking about the benefits of membership here.