Associate Members get the most out of the AM period when they're building two things at once: a tight bond with their own class, and real relationships with active brothers. Neither one replaces the other. This guide gives you, the MOO, plain-language explanations and real examples you can share with your AMs — plus quick ideas to get both kinds of involvement started.
For: Membership Orientation Officers (MOOs)
When: Throughout the Associate Member period.
In this article
What "as a class" involvement means, with examples
What "with brothers" involvement means, with examples
Why a chapter needs both, not just one
Ideas you can use
Why both matter
Some AM classes bond tightly with each other but stay strangers to the rest of the chapter. Others try to fit in with active brothers right away but never build their own class identity. Both patterns cause problems later — the first leaves a class feeling like outsiders after initiation, the second leaves a class with no shared foundation to lean on. The strongest classes do both at the same time.
Involvement "as a class"
This means the AM class doing things together, as a unit, so they build their own identity and trust before they're even initiated. It's the foundation everything else is built on.
Real examples:
Class study table — the same two nights a week, the whole class studies together in the library or chapter room.
A class-only service project — the AMs pick one cause themselves and volunteer together, separate from a full-chapter philanthropy event.
A class identity — a class motto, or shirt design the AMs come up with together.
A class outing — something low-cost and simple, like a cookout or a hike.
Practicing ritual material together — AMs quizzing each other on readings and history, and learning through conversation instead of learning alone.
💡 Tip — The activity almost doesn't matter. What matters is that it's the whole class, at the same time, doing it together — that repetition is what builds the bond.
What it builds: a support network that gets AMs through hard weeks, a shared identity that outlasts initiation, and a class that's less likely to lose members to attrition because they already feel like they belong to something.
Involvement "with brothers"
This means AMs building individual relationships with active, initiated brothers — not just their own class. It's how AMs actually learn the chapter's culture, not the version written down in a handbook.
Real examples:
Big Brother one-on-ones — an AM and their Big grabbing a meal or coffee, not just checking a box on a pairing sheet.
Sitting with brothers, not just AMs — at the chapter house, in the dining hall, or at socials, intentionally sitting somewhere other than "the AM corner."
Helping on an active's committee — an AM assisting a brother who chairs recruitment, philanthropy, or a social event (see the companion article on chapter leadership opportunities).
Showing up outside chapter events — going to a brother's intramural game, a birthday, or a study group they're already part of.
Working side-by-side at a chapter-wide event — same philanthropy shift or move-in crew as brothers, not a separate AM-only shift.
✅ Best practice — Encourage AMs to build more than one brother relationship, not just their Big. A class that only knows one brother each still feels like outsiders to the rest of the chapter.
What it builds: Mentorship that AMs can't get from each other, an inside understanding of how the chapter actually runs, and a sense of belonging to the whole chapter — not just to their class.
Ideas you can use
Get "as a class" started
☐ Set a recurring class study time and place
☐ Ask the class to pick one cause and plan a small service project
☐ Have the class agree on a motto or shirt design
Get "with brothers" started
☐ Remind Big Brothers to set up a first one-on-one
☐ Invite 2–3 brothers to sit in on part of a class study table or meeting
☐ Point AMs toward one committee or event where brothers are already working
⚠️ Watch out — Don't let "as a class" bonding turn into isolation. If a class only ever does things together and never with brothers, they'll struggle to feel like full members after initiation.
Involvement with the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation starts NOW...not just after graduation & becoming an alumnus
The Phi Kappa Tau Foundation is the fraternity's separate 501(c)(3) charitable arm, established in 1945 to fund the educational and leadership side of the Phi Tau experience so those opportunities don't depend on chapter dues alone.
The Foundation offers numerous scholarships every year. Members can access academic scholarships (including named endowed scholarships and UIFI Scholarships covering tuition for the NIC's Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute), Chapter Educational Grant Funds that help pay for leadership conferences and academic programs, and stipends to volunteer at SeriousFun Children's Network camps, Phi Kappa Tau's national philanthropy.
Getting involved is just as accessible: Undergraduates can join the Brothers Trust — the Foundation's undergraduate giving society — with an annual gift of $19.06 (a nod to the fraternity's founding date), which shows support for the Foundation and helps with educational programs, expansion, and other membership development initiatives.
FAQ
What if our class doesn't get along with each other yet?
If a class hasn't bonded yet, start smaller — a single low-pressure hangout works better than jumping straight to a big project. The goal is repetition, not a perfect first event.
What if an AM's Big Brother isn't putting in effort?
If a Big Brother pairing isn't working, don't wait it out — help that AM build a relationship with another brother (a committee chair, an officer, a brother in their major) so they still get that side of involvement.
How much time should this take each week?
A little, often, beats a lot, rarely. One class activity and one brother interaction a week is enough to build both kinds of involvement steadily.
Is one type of involvement more important than the other?
No — a class strong in one but weak in the other tends to struggle later, either feeling like outsiders after initiation or lacking a support system during the AM period. Aim for both.
Could asking to meet an alumnus named in The Laurel be considered involvement?
You bet! Getting to know alumni is a great way to be involved across the fraternity. The Laurel (Phi Kappa Tau’s National Magazine) often spotlights chapters and alumni, writes about them, and even lists names by chapter when they donate or make an impact elsewhere. When Associate Members meet these guys, it can create a tangible bond that may inspire similar involvement as what they read about.
Last reviewed: August 2026.