This page serves to be a guide on all things Pytte Cup. Pytte Cup is a unique developmental tool used here at CWRU to assist chapters in growing and creating sustainable, meaningful, and powerful change both their chapter and the larger Greek community.
Below are some frequently asked questions about Pytte Cup, as well as resources for Pytte Cup Chairs and chapters to assist them through their journey!
What is Pytte Cup?
Pytte Cup is half of the Order's developmental programming and aims to support chapter's and their leaders by utilizing a reflection process to achieve specific long-term goals with relation to the four Greek pillars: scholarship, ritual, citizenship, and leadership. Chapter's undergo individual modules to assist with outlining where they are (their current atmosphere, chapter engagement, involvement), where they hope to go (their ideal endpoint), how they will get from where they are to where they want to be (their action plan and milestones), and finally a reflection on the learning process (self and chapter reflection). This process is heavily based on Bloom's Taxonomy and Intentional Change Theory.
What is Bloom's Taxonomy? What is Intentional Change Theory?
Bloom's Taxonomy is a developmental tool for change. The taxonomy itself is based on a set of actions that build on each other, like a pyramid, to promote educational learning. The hierarchical framework works as follows:
1) Remembering: This level works on finding or remembering information. (List, Identify, Describe)
2) Understanding: This level works to find understanding and sense from the information found in remembering. (Interpret, Discuss, Summarize)
3) Applying: This level works to use the information in a new or similar form. (Apply, Diagram, Draw)
4) Analyzing: This level takes the gathered information apart and looks at relationships between given parts. (Categorize, Compare/Contrast, Organize)
5) Evaluating: This level critically examines information to draw conclusions and judgements. (Critique, Defend, Judge)
6) Creating: This level uses all the information from lower levels to create something new. (Design, Build, Invent)
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Intentional Change Theory is also a developmental tool for positive change. (Fun fact: Intentional Change Theory was coined by Richard Boyatzis, a CWRU professor!) This theory aims to make positive, lasting change through a series of five "discoveries" that continue to occur in a cyclic process. This change can be behavioral, habitual, competency-based, or aspirational. The five steps in this cycle are:
1) Ideal Self and a Personal Vision: Ideal self is the process of identifying what you want to be. This is you or your team's larger goal or aspiration you are all aiming for in the long-term. Your personal vision statement is a conglomeration of your ideal self formed as a goal statement.
2) Comparing Real and Ideal Self: Real self is the image of where you or your team is now. This is what the outside world sees you as, as well as your current strengths and current weaknesses. It is critical to find aspects about you or your team that you value, you want to keep, and you want to change.
3) Developing a Learning Agenda/Plan: The learning agenda is a plan for anticipated change when travelling from your real self to your ideal self. The timeline of this plan varies between situation to situation, but includes actionable items and a positive belief in both the team's capability and hope for growth and improvement.
4) Putting Things into Practice: After creating your learning agenda, it is time to put it into action! Here you can try new practices in a safe environment and receive critical feedback on the actions you are taking. During this time, you or your team also have time to self-reflect on how your progress is coming along.
5) Developing Meaningful Relationships: Creating meaningful relationships is critical to growth and personal change. These relationships can be points of support and feedback during the learning and growth process.
Pytte Cup includes elements of both of these tools and combines them in a form that best suits our Greek community here at CWRU. It is important to understand that these changes occur over time. Approach Pytte Cup with curiosity and openness and plan to focus on elements of your community or chapter that you are excited or passionate about!
How does Pytte Cup work?
Pytte Cup consists of four modules (called portfolios) that are completed in conjunction with coaching sessions with each chapter's Pytte Cup advisor(s) over the course of a 12-month period. The Pytte Cup cycle starts in the spring and concludes in the fall with a presentation outlining the chapter's work and their progress throughout the year. The portfolios that chapters complete are designed in a way that in corporates both Intentional Change Theory and Bloom's Taxonomy to identify a vision and plan accordingly to align the chapter's actions towards that vision. The portfolios are outlined as the following:
1) Portfolio #1: Vision and Planning - Your Chapter's Why
2) Portfolio #2: Assessment - Measuring Success
3) Portfolio #3: Presentation - Sharing Your Story
4) Portfolio #4: TBD
How is my chapter's progress evaluated?
Pytte Cup is evaluated by a group of individuals, namely a Greek Life Office member, the chapter Pytte Cup Advisor and two non-chapter related Order of Omega members. These evaluators listen to your presentation and place each chapter into a recognition benchmark per each of the Greek Pillars (Scholarship, Citizenship, Ritual, and Leadership). The rubric the evaluators utilize is below. These benchmarks are as follows in the order of highest to lowest:
1) Excellence. A recognition benchmark of Excellence signifies that the chapter has a strongly defined vision and has worked to incorporate intentional membership experiences, impactful alumni engagement, and meaningful, sustainable culture to not only their chapter but their individual members. Excellence signifies a holistic approach where chapters are creating original, sustainable, and impactful programming, infrastructure, and membership through reflection and feedback.
2) Distinction. A recognition benchmark of Distinction signifies that the chapter is supporting and permeating a culture of meaningful impact that not only has the chapter as a whole reflecting and analyzing, but its individual members, especially on their experience within the chapter. Distinction signifies an organizational connection to membership, vision, and culture through the use of dynamic relationships, measurable feedback, and active change from reflection and evaluation.
3) Honor. A recognition benchmark of Honor signifies that the chapter has begun to connect individual parts of their long-term vision to their programming, infrastructure, and membership by implementing an evaluation process to receive feedback and proactive communication. Honor signifies a culture change in chapters where chapters are applying feedback and communication they receive from both outside and internal sources to create, execute, sustain, and evaluate goals.
4) Merit. A recognition benchmark of Merit signifies that the chapter has identified an area of change and is working to understand the innerworkings and relationships in their chapter and between their members. A small group of individuals, rather than the chapter as a whole, is engaged and communication between chapter members is on a "needed" basis. Merit signifies a nominal understanding and recognition of chapter programming, infrastructure, and membership.
It is important to note that this evaluation process is not a grade, but rather a snapshot of where chapters are. Pytte Cup is tool to assist chapters in growing in whatever capacity they choose to focus on. Pytte Cup pushes chapters to connect to their long-term vision and values, design intentional membership experiences with reflection processes, articulate the chapter's impact, actively seek feedback, holistically communicate, create a deeply permeating culture of members, alumni, and community, and showcase sustained progress and/or change towards their long-term vision.
When do I submit the Portfolios?
Portfolios are submitted throughout the semester. This semester's snapshot is outlined in the following document. Take note of key dates, especially deadlines for coaching sessions. As more dates are finalized, this calendar will be updated.
Currently, the key dates for Fall 2021 are as follows:
September 12th - September 24th: Coaching Meeting #1
October 3rd: Presentation PPT Drafts Due by Midnight
October 17th - October 29th: Coaching Meeting #2
November 8th: Presentation Recordings Due by Midnight
Where can I learn more about Pytte Cup and its related updates?
The best place to stay up to date on current updates, upcoming deadlines, and helpful resources for Pytte Cup is What's Up Pytte Cup? What's Up Pytte Cup? is a semi regular update newsletter sent to chapter presidents and their respective Pytte Cup chairs, written by the Pytte Cup Coordinator. These updates contain clarifications as well as reminders for upcoming deadlines and dates for portfolio submissions, trainings, or even helpful resources! Below, each issue of the newsletter is linked:
September 8th, 2021: What's Up Pytte Cup? #1
September 28th, 2021: What's Up Pytte Cup? #2
October 25th, 2021: What's Up Pytte Cup? #3
November 15th, 2021: What's Up Pytte Cup? #4
December 13th, 2021: What's Up Pytte Cup? #5
Who is the Pytte Cup Coordinator, and what do they do?
The 2021-2022 Pytte Cup Coordinator is Joel Linebach. Joel is a graduate student in the BS/MS program completing his M.S. in Macromolecular Science & Engineering. In May of 2021, he graduated with his B.S. in Polymer Science & Engineering and his B.A. in Dance. He is a member of Sigma Nu, and has dove head first into his brother's developmental programming while active. He pushed to incorporate Intentional Change Theory in the leadership and chapter developmental programming and has taken his passion for advising and helping his peers towards the position of Pytte Cup Coordinator for the Order of Omega, Eta Sigma chapter.
The Pytte Cup Coordinator is an executive position in the Order of Omega responsible for coordinating the inner workings of Pytte Cup between involved chapters and the Greek Life Office. This includes, but is not limited to organizing the submission of portfolios, organizing trainings on presentation or poster creation, disseminating deadlines and information to chapter's Pytte Cup chairs, and communicating with chapter's with respect to the Pytte Cup process and specific needs. For this year, Joel has three main goals related to his position:
1) Promote and increase awareness, understanding, and excitement of Pytte Cup to chapters and their members;
2) Work towards increasing chapter buy-in with respect to Pytte Cup involvement; and
3) Be swift, clear, and constant in communication to sustain dialogue/discussion around Pytte Cup and its ever-evolving future.
Joel encourages anyone curious about the Pytte Cup process to reach out to him at jkl91@case.edu with questions or concerns. He deeply cares about the growth of the Greek community here at CWRU and appreciates all feedback that you have concerning Pytte Cup and its workings.
