dirty rushing
 

Hey all. "Dirty Rushing" is a BIG problem on my campus. It is my job to try and resolve it. Does anyone have any suggestions? For all that don't know, "dirty rushing" for sororities occurs during the period before rush, when sorority members try to influence rushees to join their house. ie. taking them to dinner, buying them drinks, etc..
I would really like some help. Thanks y'all!

At my school any sorority that is caught dirty rushing is fined and put on social probation for a while. It happens alot here too, but no one wants to be on probation, so the dirty rushing is going down. I believe the chapter that turns them in gets some benifits too.

If the sororities on your campus are national (ie. NPC) and they are not following the recruitment rules set forth in the Green Book, there can be repercussions on a national level.

First of all, you need to make sure that the Panhellenic Council is enforcing the NPC guidelines AND has developed consequences for those that have broken the rules. The consequences cannot include limiting the number of new members a chapter can take, but you can use fines, community service hours and take away social events, or even remove campus recognition if the offenses are extreme (note: this will mean that the national officers of the sorority will get involved). You need to set up a system of reporting offenses, investigating them and employing a peer judicial system. There should be set guidelines: first offense=written warning, second offense=appearance in peer court, third offense=final consequence, whatever that may be.

You also need to start a strong education system on campus as to what the rules are and what will happen to chapters that break the rules. In addition, the incoming freshman or rushees need to be educated on what is wrong and what is right. They also need to be taught what their rights are as rushees.

If your campus PHC is de facto encouraging or ignoring these infractions of national policy, it is up to your Greek Life coordinator to enforce the rules (which she/he should be doing regardless). If there are habitual offenses, it is up to the Greek Life coordinator to contact the national office of the sororities in question and file a formal complaint. If you feel that the Greek Life coordinator is not doing all they can (and you have met with him/her to express your feelings on the matter), go above their head, either to the Dean of Student Life or the NPC.

If you campus is made up of local groups and there is no supervision from the Dean of Students, etc., you would have to work from within the organization to change things and it will be a long uphill battle. It can be won, especially if you can recruit like-minded members from the other chapters on campus. If you don't have an inter-sorority council or a set period during the year for recruitment, this is your first goal.



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Fraternally,
Barbara
Zeta Tau Alpha Alumna

If you have to go around telling everyone you're in charge you're not much of a leader.