Our Founding and Earning Our Charter
The Sigma Epsilon colony at the University of Tennessee at Martin was started March 7, 1993. The reason the colony was founded was based on a preliminary expansion visit by Brother Mark Davis at the request of then District Governor, Craig Diller. Brother Diller chose UTM because it was the fastest growing four-year institution in District 13 (Tennessee and Kentucky).
The Regional Director at the time, Mark Sutton, and Brother Davis scattered flyers across campus and held an informational meeting followed by interviews. Sutton and Davis extended a total of thirty-two invitations to membership, twenty-nine of which were accepted immediately. Next, Sutton and Davis appointed men to all executive and committee positions.
The new colony immediately began participating in intramurals and carrying out community service projects. Numbers steadily began to grow. Sigma Phi Epsilon was well received on the campus by both faculty and student body because of its commitment to balanced programming, personal development, and overall advancement of the university. The expanded definition of “social fraternity” was a breath of fresh air in a rather stale fraternity system. The continuing theme of excellence and balance in its members is the hallmark of SigEp brothers on campus.
The fraternity’s first triumphs were seen in the fall of 1993. The fraternity participated in homecoming with the Chi Omega sorority and placed second in the float competition. Community activities included activities with one of our local philanthropies, D.A.R.E., a drug prevention program for junior high students. Sigma Phi Epsilon held the highest GPA on campus after only one semester at UT Martin. The following spring semester of 1994 marked Sigma Epsilon Colony’s first anniversary. During this time, the fraternity continued its focus on community service, all the while maintaining the highest GPA on campus.
The following fall of 1994 marked a renewed focus on finding and befriending the Balanced Man to join the fraternity. Over the course of the semester, 30 new members were recruited, and the chapter moved to fourth largest on campus. The fraternity’s perseverance in intramural and other Sound Body events paid off with a second place in the Homecoming Rope Pull competition.
In the spring of 1995, a little over two years since the decision was made to start a colony at Martin, Sigma Phi Epsilon’s UT Martin colony earned its Charter. The new Tennessee Kappa Chapter was welcomed in grand style with a banquet in honor of the men who had brought the ideals of the nation’s largest fraternity to our West Tennessee home. The event was attended by fellow fraternity and sorority members, parents, campus administrators and professors. Every spring, the Tennessee Kappa chapter hosts "Family Day" as a time for alumni and parents of our undergraduates to come together and celebrate the accomplishments of our brothers.
The Chapter Today
Tennessee Kappa celebrated our 25th anniversary on campus in the spring of 2020. The college experience for our undergraduate members has changed a great deal in our more than quarter century on campus. The chapter was the only one at UT Martin to begin without the "pledge" model in favor of our Balanced Man Program to promote equal rights and responsibilities from a member's first day with the chapter. Since our local founding, SigEp has also introduced the Carlson Leadership Academy, Ruck Leadership Institute and Tragos Quest to Greece to our leadership continuum to offer a chance for those truly exceptional campus leaders to hone their skills for both their chapter leadership roles and life after college.
Sigma Phi Epsilon's Grand Chapter, comprised of the undergraduate members from across the country, voted in the summer of 2017 to mandate substance-free facilities nationwide. It marked a turning point for the SigEp experience to be one that truly focuses on developing the Balanced Man instead of "fraternity as usual" that far too often leads to poor academic performance and dangerous behavior. We believe this decision creates a safer and more conducive environment to learn and grow into a Balanced Man.
Sigma Phi Epsilon is a member of the UT Martin Interfraternity Council and is committed to working with our host institution to provide a positive and enriching environment for our members.
Chancellor's Cup Winners
We are honored to have won the Chancellor's Cup twice in recent years representing the IFC. The Chancellor's Cup seeks to recognize the achievement of fraternities and sororities in five different categories: scholarship, community service, intrafraternal relations, philanthropy and campus involvement.
| 2020 Chancellor's Cup Winner IFC Chapter of the Year |
2019 Chancellor's Cup Winner IFC Chapter of the Year |
Academic Excellence
We strive to support each member in his pursuit of academic excellence. Our minimum member GPA is 2.6, while members must earn a 3.0 to fully participate in all fraternity activities.
| Semester | SigEp GPA | IFC Ranking |
| Spring 2019 | 3.16 | 1st |
| Fall 2019 | 2.81 | 1st |
| Spring 2020 | 3.32 | 2nd |
| Fall 2020 | 3.03 | 1st |
| Spring 2021 | 2.98 | 3rd |
| Fall 2021 |
2.95 | 1st |
| Spring 2022 | 2.98 | 1st |
Chapter House
Our Chapter House was built in 1932 and has room for up to four residents. The property is owned by the Tennessee Kappa Alumni & Volunteer Corp., along with an adjacent parcel used for parking. The Chapter House is a substance-free facility, meaning we have do not allow alcohol and illicit substances on chapter property.