Candidate Education Program

Is this Pledging?

Pledging is the process by which men join most college fraternal organizations. In Tau Kappa Epsilon, this process is known as the Candidate Education Program. Pledging often conjures up images of hazing and servitude, which have no place in TKE. Our cardinal prinicples are love, charity, and esteem, and we stand by those through our new member program by showing the same respect and dignity to candidates as brothers.

A Time of Learning

During the Candidate Education Program, you will learn about the Fraternity, its history, its membership, and its traditions. This will prepare you to understand and respect the deep meaning of the Ritual. This is also a time to build the bonds of brotherhood among the other new candidates and with the current brothers and alumni of the Fraternity. The challenege to become a Teke involves great responsibility, and the Candidate Education Program will help you to understand what is expected.

Not Hazing

The Candidate Education Program is not a time of hazing or servitude. Treating new members without respect would be inconsistent with the prinicples our brotherhood was founded on. We do not attempt to remove new members from the program by making it too hard or time consuming. When you are invited to join Tau Kappa Epsilon, it is because we have already seen qualities in you that are consistent with our principles. The activities required of you during the Candidate Education Program are necessary for you to learn our traditions, history, and build trust and brotherhood. Hazing activities are illegal and would only grow mistrust and divide our great brotherhood. Our new members are to be treated with the same respect as brothers.