About Us

The Basics

The Western Reserve chapter of Delta Upsilon is a non-secret men's fraternity chartered at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Having been established in 1847, the chapter is the oldest continuously active chapter on the CWRU campus and is the only non-secret social fraternity at the university. Membership in the fraternity is available to any individual who identifies as a man and who is not a part of any other secret social fraternities or sororities (honor societies excluded).

The chapter enjoys the support of a dedicated local alumni base that works to help the undergraduates succeed as members of the fraternity and as working professionals. The chapter seeks to add a sense of brotherhood to the college experience for all of its members, helping them to leave CWRU with lifelong friends and the skills necessary to propel them to new personal and professional successes.

As is the case with the international fraternity, the local chapter's motto is "Dikaia Upotheke," which, when translated from Greek, means "Justice, Our Foundation."

The chapter's mission is the same as the international fraternity's: Building Better Men.

Service and Philanthropy

Service

The Western Reserve chapter proudly partners with numerous organizations in and around Cleveland in an endeavor to serve others and make a positive difference in our community. In the past year, we have worked with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the Cleveland Kids Book Bank, MedWish International, the Doan Brook Watershed, and the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. Brothers of the Western Reserve chapter make a commitment to 10+ hours of service per semester through these partnerships and individual service work, with an average of 16+ hours of service per brother in the past semester.

Philanthropy

The philanthropic partner of the Western Reserve chapter is the Delta Upsilon Global Service Initiative, an immersive service learning and philanthropic experience wherein participants help build and rebuild vital educational facilities and infrastructure in Jamaica. All proceeds raised by the Western Reserve Chapter throughout the academic year are used to purchase supplies on the island. It is a time to assist those in need, particularly children, while also learning about other cultures and oneself.

Academic Performance

As evidenced by having a Vice President dedicated to it, the Western Reserve chapter takes academic excellence very seriously and works diligently to help all brothers succeed in their chosen field(s) of study. Simply put, grades come first.

The chapter has a mentorship program in place so that brothers who need help in certain areas can be paired with a mentor who will help them through their coursework and advise them on their academic track. Additionally, the chapter Career Planning Chair helps brothers find internships, co-ops, and full time employment throughout their time in the fraternity. This chair holds Career Fair preparation events for the chapter and is always available to give professional advice or look over a resume or do whatever they can to help brothers succeed as professionals. To us, Building Better Men starts with making sure they are successful beyond the doors of Case Western Reserve University.

National Recognition

2020

In 2020, the Western Reserve Chapter was recognized as a "Sweepstakes Finalist" by the International Fraternity for the second year in a row, keeping it one of the 7 best DU chapters in existence. Additionally, the chapter received the Outstanding Chapter Excellence Award for a fourth year in a row and was one of the recipients of the inaugural Excellence in Virtual Brotherhood Award. At the 2020 CWRU Giortaste Awards Banquet, the chapter was awarded Excellence in Ritual, the chapter's first-ever Excellence award, and the only chapter to receive an Excellence award in Ritual at the banquet.

2019

The Western Reserve Chapter was recognized as a "Sweepstakes Finalist" by the International Fraternity in 2019, making it one of the 7 best DU chapters in existence. Additionally, the chapter received the Outstanding Chapter Excellence Award for a third year in a row and the Innovative Membership Development Award for a second year in a row. Brothers Clayton Cooper and Donovan Rivera were awarded McQuaid Scholarships for outstanding academic and fraternal achievement.

2018

In 2018, the Western Reserve chapter was presented with the Outstanding Chapter Excellence Award for best overall completion of the Delta Upsilon Chapter Excellence Plan with a record 96%. Notably, the chapter won every category of the award (Four Founding Principles + Operations) and was the only chapter in the fraternity to have achieved the "Aspiration" level of completion of > 90%.

The chapter also received the Innovative Membership Development Award in 2018 for its exemplary brotherhood-building retreats.

2017

The Western Reserve chapter was again recognized nationally by the international fraternity in 2017 with the Campus and Community Impact award. The Western Reserve chapter was chosen for this award for its tutoring program at Roxboro Middle School in Cleveland Heights, OH which has contributed to marked improvement in the school's performance on the Department of Education's annual evaluation of student performance.

2016

The Western Reserve chapter was the winner of the 2016 Most Improved Chapter Award from the international fraternity due to its tremendous increase in completion of the fraternity's Chapter Excellence Plan, in service hours completed in the Cleveland community, and in average chapter GPA.