2026 Academy
The Academy, conducted each year in early January, is designed to give new chapter officers a strong foundation so they can dynamically and courageously lead their chapters. Brothers participating are exposed to the basic elements of chapter operations as well as higher level leadership development, providing them with the knowledge and leadership skills needed for effective chapter management.
The 2026 Academy will be held January 2-4, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton.
Registration
We strongly encourage Presidents, Recruitment Chairmen and Built to Lead Chairmen to attend. However, educational tracks are also provided for Treasurers, Recording Secretaries, Corresponding Secretaries, Historians, Purple Legionnaires, Section Leaders and other graduate advisors.
The registration deadline is Friday, December 5 (hotel accommodations cannot be guaranteed if this deadline is missed).
Undergraduates
Every chapter/provisional chapter is billed for THREE undergraduate delegates ($550 each for a $1,650 total) to attend the Academy. Additional delegates are encouraged to attend and will be invoiced ($550 each) to the chapter/provisional chapter after the event.
Registration Includes:
- Shared accommodations (up to four undergraduates per double-bedded room from the same chapter) at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel for Friday, January 2, and Saturday, January 3, nights. Brothers will be required to provide a credit card to the hotel for incidental charges.
- The Fraternity will make all hotel room reservations based on Academy registration.
- If you need a room for Thursday, January 1, LET US KNOW. Your chapter will be billed extra room nights (approximate cost: $128/night).
- Undergraduates may request additional room(s) so that a maximum of two (2) brothers share a hotel room. These are available on a limited (first-come, first-serve) basis, and your chapter will be billed for the additional room(s). Let us know if you would like to request additional rooms.
- All meals beginning with Friday’s Opening Dinner and concluding with Saturday’s Pig Dinner.
- All conference materials.
Graduates
Purple Legionnaires and Section Leaders are provided complimentary registration, and other graduate advisors/volunteers will be charged a $550 registration fee.
Registration Includes:
- Shared accommodations (up to two graduates per double-bedded room) at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel for Friday, January 2, and Saturday, January 3, nights. Brothers will be required to provide a credit card to the hotel for incidental charges.
- The Fraternity will make all hotel room reservations based on Academy registration.
- If you need a room for Thursday, January 1, LET US KNOW.
- Graduates may request a single room at their own expense (approximate cost: $64/room night), payable payable to the Union Station Hotel at checkout. You may make this request as a part of the Academy registration.
- All meals beginning with Friday’s Opening Dinner and concluding with Saturday’s Pig Dinner.
- All conference materials.
Pig Dinner Only
This registration is for local brothers who will only attend the Pig Dinner on Saturday, January 3.
Sessions & Schedule
Pursuing Excellence Sessions: Menu Experiences
Friday, January 2, 2026 (Beginning at 1:30 pm CT)
This year’s Pursuing Excellence Sessions showcase Built to Lead’s Menu Experiences. These mini conference sessions will support undergraduate brothers with chapter operations and individualized coaching. If your chapter is interested in an individualized coaching session, the Chapter President must indicate so on the Academy Registration form.
Breakout Sessions: Leading Brothers
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Saturday’s Breakout Sessions focus on leading brothers. These sessions are available to undergraduates registered for the Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Historian or Built to Lead Chairman tracks. Brothers must rank your top two choices (from the below sessions) on the Academy Registration form, and you will be notified of your assigned session before arriving at the Academy.
Building the Next Courageous Leaders
One of the responsibilities of Phi Gam membership is to “Replace Yourself.” We often talk about this in the context of recruitment – being responsible for recruiting men into the Fraternity each year. However, this also extends to how you share your talents and encourage other brothers to lead in the chapter as you have led. This session will help you see how you play a role as a mentor in your chapter and provide tangible steps to replace yourself as a leader.
The Five Practices of Leadership
Building courageous leaders starts with understanding how you lead and how your actions impact those around you. In this session, brothers will complete the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) self-assessment to understand how they use the five practices of exemplary leadership as described by Kouzes and Posner. Then you will work together to see how these five practices of leadership can help chapters tackle everyday challenges of participation and involvement.
P.L.A.T.E. Up Strong Committees
Committees are an important part of chapter operations as they help engage members, develop leadership skills and share the workload of important projects. However, running committees well is HARD! This workshop will help brothers understand how to P.L.A.T.E. up the best committees for their chapter.
As brothers, we see each other in our best moments and in times when we feel low. It can be difficult to know what to say or do when we know a brother needs help. This session will help chapter leaders identify signs they should talk to a brother about his wellbeing, how to encourage him to use support resources and when to know to ask for additional help.
Conflict is a common part of life and a frequent topic for leaders to address. Conflict is also something many of us struggle to navigate. This session will help you identify your conflict resolution style, ways to apply different conflict resolution styles and strategies as a chapter leader. The program also includes a Behind Happy Faces lesson brothers can use in their chapters.
Tentative Schedule
All times are in Central Time (CT).
Friday, January 2, 2026
- 12:00 – 6:00 pm: Registration
- 12:00 – 6:00 pm: Roster Updates
- 1:30 – 2:00 pm: Mini Sessions
- 1:30 – 3:30 pm: Chapter Support Coaching for Built to Lead, Growth & Scholarship
- 2:00 – 4:00 pm: New Purple Legionnaire/Advisor Training
- 2:15 – 3:15 pm: Pursuing Excellence: Menu Experiences Showcase
- 3:30 – 5:00 pm: Built to Lead Planning Sessions
- 5:15 – 6:30 pm: Vendor Gathering
- 6:30 – 8:00 pm: Opening Dinner
- 8:00 – 10:30 pm: William R. Miller Model Initiation; Provisional Chapter Education
Saturday, January 3, 2026
- 6:45 – 7:30 am: Fun Run
- 7:30 – 8:30 am: Breakfast
- 7:30 am – 6:30 pm: Registration
- 8:30 – 9:45 am: Opening Session: Motivating the Middle
- 10:00 am – 12:30 pm: Educational Tracks for Officers, Recruitment Chairmen, Built to Lead Chairmen & Graduate Volunteers
- 12:30 – 2:00 pm: Foundation Luncheon
- 2:00 – 5:45 pm: Educational Tracks & Breakout Sessions continue
- 6:30 – 8:30 pm: Pig Dinner
- 8:30 – 11:30 pm: Game Night & T-Shirt Exchange
Sunday, January 4, 2026
- All Day: Departures
- 8:30 am – 12:00 pm: Board of Conduct Meetings (chapters will be notified)
Travel
Attendees are responsible for their own travel to/from the Academy and for all parking fees if driving (see below).
- Arrive: Friday, January 2, 2026 (sessions begin at 1:30 pm CT)
- Depart: Anytime on Sunday, January 4, 2026
St. Louis Union Station Hotel:
- Address: 1820 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63103
- Phone: 314-621-5262
Driving Directions & Parking Fees
Visit the hotel’s Maps & Directions page for detailed driving directions.
The Fraternity has negotiated hotel parking rates of $20/day for self-parking or $25/day for valet. The parking fees are your responsibility.
Brothers flying to the Academy should arrive in St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), approximately 15 miles from the Union Station Hotel.
From STL Airport to the Hotel:
- Metrolink: A light rail train system connects both terminals of the airport to the downtown area. From the airport, take the Red Line to the Union Station Metrolink Station. Upon arrival, proceed to 18th Street and right onto Market Street to get to the hotel entrance. Reference these directions.
- The total travel time is 27-30 minutes, and trains depart approximately every 20 minutes. Fare from the airport is $4.00.
- Note: As in any setting, be cautious of your surroundings, especially on public transportation.
- Taxi/Ride-Share Services: There are taxis available outside of baggage claim at the airport or from the lobby of the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Cab fare is approximately $45 each way. Shared ride services such as Uber or Lyft may also be available. Fares generally are between $30-$40 each way.
Because of the timing and location of our Academy, it is important to be prepared for travel delays. If you are delayed, do not worry. Just get to St. Louis and the Union Station hotel as soon as you can. If you are delayed to the point you will not arrive on your scheduled day, contact Todd Rotgers to adjust your hotel reservation.
Undergraduate Travel Reimbursement
Each chapter receives one reimbursement at a rate of $0.14 per mile for the round-trip mileage from your chapter to St. Louis, Missouri. The reimbursement will be applied to your chapter’s account at the International Headquarters following the Academy. To receive your reimbursement, your chapter’s delegates must attend.
