AI or Collegiate Member?
 

I'm 22 and just got my BA in May. I didn't join any of the three NPC sororities existing on my campus due to them not being the right "fit" for me and learned there used to be other options on campus so I began inquiries into extension and as a Senior had my idea taken up by two freshman who formed a group of us women into an interest group. Our college has formed an exploratory committee to search NPC groups to consider Coe for colonization. Due to a decision to pursue a teaching license, I'll remain a post-BA student for the next two years and want to stay involved. I just want to know what my membership role can be or what the best role I can fulfilled in a beginning sorority chapter? I'm willing to do anything but just want to be a presence even if it means coming to formal recruitment events or serving in an advisor role.

I don't think it's necessary to have three threads going about this situation.

Many sororities do not offer alumna initiation. Many sororities only allow undergraduate membership in collegiate chapters. You're going to have to wait and see what happens. No one will have any answers for you here.

My apologies if you feel I have overposted. I simply included it in my introduction, on the AI thread of a college my campus is considering, and on my own AI thread hoping to gain clarification on AI and trying to gather as much information as possible on my situation and in general. I do know that AI is not offered by all chapters but it is by several of the chapters that our interest group has looked into hoping to colonize and my college for intended purposes most likely is fifth year undergraduate. I just came here hoping to find input on my circumstances. Once again, I'm sorry if you feel I'm abusing my ability to post.

How so?
Truth be told, the values of each of the NPC groups are pretty similar so what is it that you are seeking that 3 orgs couldn't give you?

Also, is the campus interested in expanding? You can't just form an interest group and expect NPC to show up; that's not how it works. And what would make a new chapter so very different from the three existing groups?

As I stated, our college campus formed an exploratory committee and are looking into sororities for colonization or re-colonization on our campus this is because the Greek Life adviser and our Student Affairs committee has found we are in the right place for expansion of our Greek Life community. The interest group is a group of women including myself that would be involved in the colony and then sorority chapter. We came together because of our relationships and our desire to present more options to our campus women because the last several years has seen a huge increase in campus enrollment and women going through recruitment. I had friends in each of the existing sororities but there are personal relationships that prevented me receiving bids. Researching various sororities, I have found several that align with my views better than the existing ones. There are those in the interest group with similar ideals and experiences. A new sorority would give more women the involvement in Greek Life and the women can create how the new sorority is perceived instead of the specific type women in the current organizations. I am not doing this just for me as it has been taken up by others.

There are many more issues than that and you are oversimplifying the process.

First and foremost, AI is an honor bestowed on a few chosen women and every sorority has its own requirements. Even if a sorority does AI, don't expect them to convey that honor on someone who has been active in an interest group and is recently graduated. Just like recent collegiate member graduates, a newly minted AI is not an appropriate adviser for a group she was already close to. She's still too much of a peer and lacks both the experience and perspective required to deal with collegians. Additionally, an AI doesn't hang out and enjoy collegiate life and experiences. It's a very different thing and usually it's the local alumnae who are tasked with the process of vetting AI candidates.

You are not for all intents and purposes a fifth year undergraduate. You have received a Bachelor's degree and are an unclassified graduate student. This is an important distinction as sororities have very specific language detailing who is eligible for collegiate membership. I have seen several that prohibit graduate student that specifically prohibit anyone who has a bachelor's degree, no matter what their current student status might be.

One last thing. From your other posts, you said that you went through recruitment while an undergraduate and did not receive a bid. That caused you to start the push for an interest group. This is very different from not clicking with sororities on your campus.

Yes, I did not receive bids. Yes, I did begin the original conversation of expansion. Now, I am involved in an interest group formally created by two other students also wanting to expand Greek Life opportunities at our college including a woman with similar experience as myself. Others just want an experience different from those existing already with the increased amount of women going through formal recruitment leading to more being rejected and upset over the result due to quota and the limited amount of organizations. Because I graduated in May, my college has told me for aid purposes I'd be considered Fifth Year Undergraduate however if we determine something different, I know there are sororities that do not allow graduate students' membership. I appreciate the information you had on the AI part of my question. Both our Greek Life adviser and Student Affairs are in favor of expansion so I'm just one of many who felt the need to open up our Greek Life for more women not happy with the existing situation. Interest is at around 20 members going into Fall semester. I take every bit of advice to consideration but I feel as though being presently non-Greek looking for constructive advice not negativity about my past rejection and motivations.

Whoa there, what negativity? There has been zero negativity in this thread. Expansion and, way further down the road, colonization is a very arduous and involved process that takes a strong Panhellenic community, alumnae support, and a dedicated group of exceptional collegiates. AI is an amazing honor bestowed on women who have proven themselves to be leaders in their community, often after years of service to the sorority. If GCers told you that you could totally initiate when your dream sorority comes to campus or that AI would be a snap, they'd be doing you a disservice.

I promise that (at least so far) no one's trying to be bitchy or snarky or negative, they're just being honest and trying to help you understand.

Just because a student is involved in the process of bringing a new group to campus does not mean that said student will actually be chosen to join. Each organization is allowed to choose, their own members. Once the group is picked, the members of the interest group would have to go through the process of applying for membership. It is extremely unusual for NPC groups to accept all interest group members site unseen. The members chosen for a new colony are critical to the success of that chapter, so they are usually very particular about who they issue bids to initially. It's not a done deal because you came up with the idea and stuck around after graduation until colonization. It just does t work that way.

The increased number of women going through recruitment just raises quota, since quota is based on the number of PNMs. So, a large PNM pool does not create rejection.

This wording is a little different than in your first post. Your first post was more like "I liked all the sororities so equally much I couldn't pick just one but I'm still friends with everyone." This is more like "I did something to piss at least one sister in every sorority off."

Are you attempting to bring a historically Jewish group to campus? If not, then I have a hard time believing this. The 3 groups on your campus (ASA, AOII and Tri Delta) are a really wide mix as far as national size, philanthropy, founding principles and things like that are concerned. If what you mean is you're trying to create a "reputation-less" sorority, I'm sorry, but that's pretty impossible to do. Even if something starts as (example) the down to earth sorority, they could be the uptight priss sorority in 5 years.

And as irishpipes said, unless your school has a cap on the number of people that can be in a Greek organization, an increased number of women going through rush does NOT lead to an increased number of women being cut or not receiving bids.

No. She has mentioned KKG elsewhere, and I think KD?

Over in the KD forum she was talking about KKD. Yeah, I haven't heard of that NPC either.

#1 Rule for anyone involved in a colonization, ever: YOU DON'T GET TO PICK THE NPC's.

I know that sometimes there is a push for a historically Jewish group, but even then, the applicable groups can say "no thanks" in a quick minutes.