August 2 – 5, 2025 / Oxford, Oh

Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute

Designed for young members of the Fraternity who aspire to one day lead their chapter, Kleberg is an amazing opportunity for members to learn more about Phi Delta Theta beyond the borders of their campus, develop relations with brothers from across the organization, and build the skills necessary to become a better leader and Phi.

Overview

Phi Delta Theta welcomes 1,000 undergraduates across North America to Oxford, Ohio, each summer for the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute.

Kleberg, named for benefactors Tio and Janell Kleberg, is a cornerstone of Phi Delta Theta’s membership development program and the summer leadership destination of any proud Phi Delt. The original and cornerstone experience is designed for young members of the Fraternity who aspire to one day lead their chapter. Kleberg is an amazing opportunity for members to learn more about Phi Delta Theta beyond the borders of their campus, develop relations with brothers from across the organization, and build the skills necessary to become better leaders and Phis. Over the years, additional tracks and elements have been added including the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership and Peer Mentor program.

Starting in 2025, Phi Delta Theta will expand Kleberg, the fraternal industry’s largest in-person leadership event, and the Fraternity will provide unprecedented levels of travel assistance to give more members a transformational experience and chapters the ability to find and welcome the best possible new members to their brotherhood.

The expansion will occur through the creation of two new tracks—one each for Phikeia educators and recruitment chairmen. As part of the new Craig Scholars program expanding officer education, these tracks are designed to assist chapters with two of the most critical aspects of Phi Delta Theta: recruitment and new member education. These two components are the foundation of every member’s experience and are vital to the chapter’s long-term success.

As always, attending Kleberg is free, and multiple avenues are now available to assist with the cost of travel. These include mileage reimbursement for all chapters, with greater support for chapters further than 650 miles away, travel funds through the Phi Delta Theta and Canadian Foundations, Phikeia education implementation incentive grants to support member development activities, and a Travel Assistance Fund for any chapters that need additional assistance.

Emerging Leader Track

The Emerging Leader Track is intended for sophomore or junior members who are seeking to grow in their leadership with the goal of becoming an officer or executive committee member of their chapter.

This track focuses on key areas of chapter operations and how to display leadership qualities while tackling issues that may arise on campus.

Each chapter is expected to send at least three delegates for the Kleberg Emerging Leader Track.

Phikeia Educators and Recruitment Chairmen Tracks

The Phikeia Educators and Recruitment Chairmen Tracks is an exciting opportunity for chapters to enhance the quality of our membership and grow the Fraternity in a dynamic way. These tracks will focus on recruiting high quality Phikeias and teaching them the history and values of Phi Delta Theta in a way that promotes cohesion, brotherhood, and belonging within a Phikeia class.

These components are critical to the future of the Fraternity. A well-structured recruitment process and Phikeia education program will ensure that each member of Phi Delta Theta exhibits the Cardinal Principles and feels a sense of camaraderie and connection to their chapter and the broader Fraternity.

It is expected that each chapter sends a delegates for for each of these tracks, for a total of two delegates, with the preference being that the chapter sends those respective officers to each track.

Craig Scholars Program

The Craig Scholars program provides ongoing opportunities to include conference tracks aimed at educating executive officers such as chaplains, Phikeia educators, and others. It strengthens the effectiveness of Phi Delta Theta’s member development programs, resulting in a greater impact for more members and enhancing the Phi Delt experience. This new initiative is made possible through the generosity of Mark Craig, Colorado State ’71, and his wife Shirley, both retired public servants, reflecting their passion for education and leadership development. This substantial contribution highlights their commitment to the Foundation’s mission.

Shaffer Honors College of Leadership

A 400-Level Leadership Experience

Recipients of the Whole Man Scholarship have the opportunity to attend the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership during the same weekend as Kleberg.

The Shaffer Honors College of Leadership is designed to offer an in-depth exploration into an individual’s leadership style, valuable lessons in constructive disruption and innovation, and an intense focus on effective teams and ethical leadership. Participants have a unique opportunity to learn from successful Phi Delt alumni and volunteers.

The 2025 Shaffer Honors College of Leadership will take place from Saturday, August 2 – Tuesday, August 5.

Attendees should plan to arrive by mid-day Saturday and leave Tuesday morning.

View Last Year’s Schedule (2024)

Registration and Whole Man Scholarships Information

Whole Man Scholarships are awarded to undergraduate members who successfully complete the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership held in conjunction with the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute in Oxford, Ohio every summer. To attend the Shaffer Honors College, a member must be nominated by his chapter’s executive board and apply for the Whole Man Scholarship.

Chapters with designated Whole Man Scholarships will receive an email from Bonnie Schiller requesting the name of their nominee(s).

Certain Whole Man Scholarships will become available to Phi Delt Nation if a designated Whole Man Scholarship chapter fails to submit a nominee.

The Whole Man Scholarship application is located in myPhiDelt. Upon completion of the judging process, Whole Man Scholarship selections will be notified via email and receive instructions to register for Shaffer Honors College.

Registration materials, lodging, and housing are provided at no cost to the members who attend. Travel costs are NOT provided.

Prior Whole Man Scholars are not eligible for consideration. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Bonnie Schiller.

Peer Mentor Program

Through the generosity of Clay and Debbie Jones, Phi Delta Theta welcomes a cohort of peer mentors to Kleberg. The peer mentor program focuses on enhancing existing leadership skills in group facilitation, problem-solving, and communication. Peer mentors are exposed to several different areas and initiatives within Phi Delta Theta through interaction with senior staff members and members of the General Council.

Each peer mentor is paired with a faculty member and becomes an integral part of their respective Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute chapter. They guide participants through the programing and assist the lead faculty member in facilitating the chapter meeting curriculum. Each peer mentor also helps the GHQ staff execute various aspects of the conference. The experience allows the peer mentors with the opportunity to peek behind the Kleberg curtain to see the amount of teamwork it takes to put on an event of this scale.

Peer mentors also participate in special educational sessions. These sessions include discussions and presentations on vital topics to Phi Delta Theta and the entire interfraternal world. Ultimately, peer mentors return to their home chapters with a better appreciation for Phi Delta Theta and new leadership insight to improve their chapters.

To qualify as a candidate as a peer mentor, an undergraduate Phi Delt must meet all the following criteria:

Have an anticipated graduation year of 2026 or 2027.
Have previous chapter or campus leadership experience.
Be able to attend the entire conference (August 1–August 5, 2025).
Have a desire to give back to the Fraternity after graduation as a staff member, live-in leadership adviser, or volunteer.
Have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Peer mentors should plan to arrive in the morning/early afternoon of Friday, August 1, as programming will begin Friday evening. The Fraternity covers all the travel and lodging costs for peer mentors.

Applications are open year-round in myPhiDelt.

Expectations

Attendance Requirement

The Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute will take place from August 2-5, 2025, in Oxford, Ohio. Attendees should plan to arrive by mid-day Saturday and leave Tuesday morning.

For the Emerging Leaders Track, chapters are expected to send a minimum of three delegates.

For the Phikeia Educator and Recruitment Track, chapters are expected to send two delegates (the Phikeia educator and recruitment chairman unless a substitute is needed).

Chapters are welcome to send additional delegates for either track at a cost of $435 per additional delegate to cover lodging and meals.

Failure to meet the minimum expectations of five delegates (three Emerging Leaders Track delegates and two Phikeia Educator and Recruitment Track delegates) will result in a $2,000 fine billed to the chapter. Chapters are encouraged to review the travel and lodging section of this webpage to learn about the reimbursements and travel assistance opportunities that exist for their chapter.

Registration

Registration is located in myPhiDelt (Conference Registration). Chapters will be awarded points as part of Milestone 6 of the Chapter Accreditation Program if registered by the May 1 deadline. Once registered, an email will be sent with additional information.

All questions regarding Kleberg registration can be sent to Renée Crist Lefter.

After the registration deadline of May 1, the following fees apply to late registrations:

Late registration fee (beginning May 15) = $25
Late registration fee (beginning July 1) = $50
Delegate change fee (beginning July 1) = $25

Travel and Lodging

Undergraduate attendees should arrive in Oxford by mid-day on Saturday, August 2, and leave the morning of Tuesday, August 5.

Travel Reimbursements

The General Fraternity offers one allowance (round-trip to and from the chapter location to Oxford) per each chapter that sends at least the required five delegates to the summer conference. This is not intended to offset all travel costs, but should supplement your chapter’s budget for conference travel expenses.

Chapters outside a 650-mile radius of Oxford, Ohio, will receive a reimbursement rate of $.20 per mile. If your chapter has Chapter Endowment Funds available with the Phi Delta Theta Foundation, it is noted on the chart below. Delegates from those chapters will learn more about this assistance upon registering on-site at Kleberg.

Additional funds will be provided through the Phikeia Education implementation incentive grants to support member development activities, and a Travel Assistance Fund for any chapters that need additional assistance.

Chapter delegate requirements and reimbursement chart

Lodging

The Fraternity provides lodging while in Oxford. Each delegate will stay in a double room with a Phi from another chapter. Delegates needing to arrive a day early because of travel arrangements will be charged $45. Any additional travel cost will be the delegate’s responsibility.

Are you driving?

If you will be driving to Oxford, report to Clawson Hall (440 Western College Dr., Oxford, OH 45056) on the Miami University campus to register and check in to your room. A parking permit is required to park on campus. Apply for your parking permit here. Running into issues? Refer to this guide.

Are you flying?

All Kleberg delegate flights should arrive at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). When you arrive at CVG on Saturday, August 2, gather your bags and head to Zone 5 of the ground transportation east terminal. A staff member will be standing near the baggage claim area to help direct you. View the schedule below to determine which bus is appropriate to take given your arrival time. Please note that you may have a wait time based on when your flight arrives.

Bus #1 – 10:00 AM Departure from CVG
Bus #2 – 11:30 AM Departure from CVG
Bus #3 – 1:00 PM Departure from CVG
Bus #4 – 2:30 PM Departure from CVG
Bus #5 – 4:00 PM Departure from CVG
Bus #6 – 5:30 PM Departure from CVG

Phi Delta Theta’s shuttles will only go to and from CVG. If you are arriving or departing elsewhere, you will need to find transportation to and from Oxford.

On Tuesday, August 5, scheduled bus runs will take Kleberg delegates and peer mentors back to the airport.

Faculty Info

The Fraternity is always in need of effective facilitators who can guide Kleberg attendees through specific learning objectives within the conference’s curriculum. If you are interested in serving the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute as a faculty member, we encourage you to fill out the online faculty application before the May 1 deadline. Final faculty selections are made in early May.

The Fraternity covers the travel and lodging expenses of Kleberg faculty members.

Faculty should plan to arrive the afternoon/evening of Friday, August 1, as faculty orientation will begin Saturday morning.

How to apply:

Members of Phi Delta Theta – Complete the application in myPhiDelt.
Not a Phi Delt? Please message Aaron Hollis for instructions.

The Klebergs

Tio Kleberg, Texas Tech ’69, is the owner of King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas. For over 150 years, King Ranch has been on the forefront of innovation in cattle and horse breeding and large-scale range management techniques. In addition to its large-scale ranching and farming operations, King Ranch is active in industries as diverse as publishing, retail, and eco-tourism.

Tio credits Phi Delt as the place he learned to be a leader and first aspired to make a difference. Tio and Janell made Phi Delt history by giving $1 million in support of the Emerging Leaders Institute. In gratitude for their generosity, ELI was renamed the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute in 2012. In 2016, the Kleberg’s supported an additional $100,000 commitment to support the Leadership and Ethics Academy.

FAQs

How many attendees are required per chapter?

The Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute will take place from August 2-5, 2025, in Oxford, Ohio. Attendees should plan to arrive by mid-day Saturday and leave Tuesday morning.

For the Emerging Leaders Track, chapters are expected to send a minimum of three delegates.
For the Phikeia Educators and Recruitment Chairmen Tracks, chapters are expected to send two delegates (the Phikeia educator and recruitment chairman unless a substitute is needed).
Chapters are welcome to send additional delegates for either track at a cost of $435 per additional delegate to cover lodging and meals.