2nd Century Vision

Our Vision

To be the premier fraternity
building values, skills and relationships
for lifelong personal
and professional success
in the food, fiber, and
life sciences industry

Our Purpose
To make better men, and through them a broader and better agriculture by surrounding our members with influences tending to encourage individual endeavor, resourcefulness and aggressive effort along lines making for the development of better mental, social, moral, and physical qualities; to promote a wider acquaintance and a broader outlook on the part of agricultural men through fellowship in a national organization that stands for the best social, mental, and moral development.

Our Values
...what the fraternity values...what Brothers believe in...

1. Exemplary personal character and ethical conduct
2. Commitment to academic excellence
3. Commitment to interpersonal growth and management experiences resulting from group living
4. Lifelong relationships, commitment and support among collegiates and alumni
5. Quality membership growth and diversity of membership representing all eligible men
6. Caring, capable, and committed advisers, alumni, and housemothers
7. Sound financial management at the personal, chapter, and national fraternity levels
8. Local responsibility and control with proactive national direction and standards
9. Professional leadership to support the food/fiber and life sciences industry

Our Plan

Key Goals
1. Grow AGR Membership and leadership presence worldwide
2. Maximize individual and professional development for all brothers
3. Endow programs and services

Essential elements for success
1. Establish quality group living models appropriate for local circumstances
2. Implement an ongoing strategic planning process for each chapter and alumni corporation
3. Reinforce measurable objective national standards
4. Assure an effective governance structure

Supporting Strategies

1. Build strong lasting partnerships
a) Identify a prioritized list of organizations where on-going relationships would produce short-term high “return”
b) Recommend a set of outcomes that should be expected from each relationship
c) Develop a process in which to measure success
d) Evaluate and recommend how AGR can maximize the community service project related to food and fiber industry
e) Strengthen our university partnerships, resulting in stronger campus support for AGR’s membership model, personal development programs and risk management policies and which yield good quality candidates for chapter advisers

2. Expand support and involvement of alumni

Outcomes for each goal

1. Grow AGR membership and leadership presence worldwide
a) A significant increase in the number of men who benefit from the AGR experience
b) A greater and more positive leadership impact by AGR members
c) Membership will reflect involvement of food, fiber, and life sciences students

2. Maximize individual and professional development for all brothers
a) Greater recognition of the benefits/value of becoming and AGR brother
b) Greater individual and professional success for all brothers

3. Endow programs and services
a) Expanded programs and initiatives
b) Continuation of essential programs
c) Broader participation of all members
d) Best management and stewardship of all operation

Action Steps for each Goal

(to be implemented as appropriate)

1.  Grow AGR membership and leadership presence worldwide

a)  Clearly communicate eligibility requirements to build understanding among advisers and chapter officers for effective        recruitment

b)  Develop an effective recruitment plan in each chapter and implement better training and management of VNR - Recruitment and all officers

c)  Increase the number of  “meaningful” scholarships for AGR interns to assist chapters in their marketing and recruiting efforts

d)  Evaluate alternatives to the current use of “College of Ag” as the available recruiting pool; develop a market share methodology

e)  Develop and implement a plan to address cultural and ethnic diversity issues

f)  Create a process for finding and initiating more post-graduate eligible men to include clarifying eligibility requirements, the path to initiation and whether (and if so, by whom) initiations outside the undergraduate chapter authority should be permitted in AGR

g)  Develop an international growth strategy and business plan

h)  Evaluate AGR's existing Chapter officer and leadership training programs and recommend changes to improve effectiveness that includes fully integrating alumni/alumni boards

2.  Maximize individual and professional development for all brothers

a)  Extend currently successful efforts in individual development throughout the fraternity

b)  Increase alumni participation in Chapter activities and undergraduate development programs

c)  Identify and take advantage of partnering opportunities with others for individual development programs

d)  Improve personal career development for all members (students and alumni) that relates to industry needs

e)  Review the Awards program and adjust so recognition is consistent with priorities

3.  Endow programs and services

a)  Implement top-notch management, financial and budgeting systems in undergraduate Chapters and alumni corporations (CHAMP).  Suggest a specific timetable for accomplishment

b)  Insure that all AGRs demonstrate competence and responsibility in managing their personal financial affairs

c)  Create a strong sense of ongoing financial responsibility to Alpha Gamma Rho among all AGR’s

d)  Pursue non-membership revenue sources

Supporting Strategies

1.  Build strong lasting partnerships

a)  Identify a prioritized list of organizations where on-going relationships would produce short-term high “return”

b)  Recommend a set of outcomes that should be expected from each of the identified relationships

c)  Develop a monitoring and reporting process to measure success

d)  Evaluate and recommend how AGR can maximize the community relations benefit and consider adopting a single, nationwide community service project related to food and fiber industry

e)  Develop a recommended approach to strengthening our university partnerships, resulting in visibly stronger campus support for AGR’s membership model, personal development programs and risk management policies and which yields good quality candidates for chapter advisers

2.  Expand support and involvement of alumni

The following Initiatives were used as the points of origin for the work of a number of Task Forces and discussions over several months involving hundreds of AGRs that resulted in the foregoing Goals, Essential Elements of Success, Action Plans and Strategies.  Copies of the Task Force reports are available upon request.

Strategic Initiatives

… what we need to achieve to be premier …

1.  Grow our membership and leadership presence, recruiting for positive impact and diversity, among all eligible men in every chapter.

2.  Establish and reinforce measurable, objective national standards that are both challenging and motivational for total chapter performance.

3.  Build and implement a comprehensive collegiate and alumni development system to include strategic planning, leadership and management training and quality group living.

4.  Implement individual development programming for undergraduate and alumni brothers to fully achieve our Purpose.

5.  Build strong partnerships with college administrators, community and industry leaders.

6.  Expand programming to support career development so that AGR’s give and receive lifelong value from our social/professional organization.

7.  Expand our presence worldwide to campuses, which have an agriculture, food, fiber, forestry, natural resources, and/or life sciences program.

8.  Develop strong financial management and stewardship at the personal, chapter, and national fraternity levels.

9.  Provide sufficient financial resources to fund strategic priorities including technology, housing, leadership, academic, and other needs.