New Member Retention

adpiucf · #1 12-15-2002, 02:11 PM

Hi there!

I'm an adviser for an NPC sorority chapter. The chapter has been at its university for many, many years and is going through a period right now where member retention is very low. I come from a younger chapter back east with bigger numbers and I am at a loss for how to help my west coast girls. They're a fantastic group of beautiful, talented women, and I want to help them as much as I can.

I'm posting this question in many forums, and I would love your input on retention for new members, especially. Thank you so much!!

Alum Love,
An ADPi Adviser

IU Kelly · #2 02-05-2003, 07:17 PM

I have a first hand experience as to why ADPi's member retention is low...Attitude...thats it...if some would improve that, maybe they would have less deactivation or depledges?

I went to their house at my midwest school a few times and just felt like every was rolling their eyes thinking "THAT girl wants to be one of us?"

If the women aren't open minded about the rushees, the rushees wont be open minded about them!

Jhawkalum · #3 03-03-2003, 07:22 PM

Adpiucf-

I hear your pain. I would first find out what percentage of the NM class had that chapter as their #1 choice. If the majority of women didn't have it as their #1 choice, ask them why without the other members around to keep it confidential. Don't dwell on the negatives, but ask them what would have made it their #1 choice and how they could change this for the future, this will give them a sense of empowerment over their sorority's future.

If the problem isn't an issue of the chapter being a #2 or #3 choice, you could ask them to fill out anonymous surveys about their likes and dislikes -- tell them you want to work with them to make them as happy as possible. Have older members get involved to remind them of why it's good to stick around. Good luck. I know retention can be very difficult.

Often times new members really don't feel much unity within their class, so they don't see much point in sticking around. Organize fun, girly events such as shopping trips or a makeover day. Most sorority women don't mind these kind of activities and it gives them a chance to bond.

33girl · #4 03-03-2003, 08:29 PM

-Is the members' sorority experience too structured - that is, do they only get together for mandatory events and planned mixers? Encourage them to do fun things together like go to the movies or putt-putt. When you feel like everything in the chapter is a "have-to" it's not very fun.

-Are the big/little relationships working out? Encourage bonding times for bigs and littles.

-What is campus image like? Do they hang out with the same fraternity all the time? They need to get to know all Greeks not just the favorites.

-If there are people who really are bad news for the chapter - let them go. Don't lose 3 people to try and rehabilitate one.

Little E · #5 03-04-2003, 01:51 PM

We just restructured our pledge program. it was good before but not incorporating fun stuff. it is much more aimed at that. we have a sleepover the night before iniatition (we do that in the am.) then we make breakfast together and we also do pledge banners at the sleepover and go to a party (alcohol free) and just chill. it helps people bond.

adpiucf · #6 04-05-2004, 03:42 AM

bump

AGDee · #7 04-05-2004, 07:08 AM

I would encourage an advisor to meet with or talk with by phone, each member who wants to leave (or who has left recently) and do sort of an exit interview to find out why they are unhappy with their experience. Is it money? Lack of sisterhood? Are there some members with hazing attitudes that are turning women off? Are there too many mandatory activities? What aren't they getting from their sorority experience? Are their grades suffering?

Dee

bluefish81 · #8 04-07-2004, 12:07 AM

I would suggest finding out why these women are becoming unhappy with their experience.
Is it because they feel like they aren't connected? Get a group of women to work on continually making the new member feel involved - whether it's asking her to go to a movie, come over for dinner (if there's a house), offering to pick them up for events. Even if they have a big, it's good to show them that more than just one sister cares - that everyone cares about her and sees her as a valuable member of the chapter.
Another possibility might be that they feel overcommitted to too many things. If you have any members that are active members of the chapter who are in a similar position, have them explain different ways in which they manage not only time for the chapter, but also time for other things and still manage to have time for themselves.
If they feel like too much is going to be expected out of them, explain that while yes, there will be some time commitment involved, they don't HAVE to do every single thing. Not that I'm encouraging them to skip mandatory events, but that some events are probably optional. Another important part to stress is that as everyone knows you get out of it, what you invest into it.
Above all stress to them why they personally are an asset to the chapter, and that they aren't just a number. They were invited to join because the women thought they would be able to add something to the group as a whole.
Another thing to think about in the future is possibly having some kind of system where continual contact is made with the new members right after they join. I don't mean call them every day or stalk them, but keep them aware of what's going on. One of my twinstars (we had two members who took us under their wing of sorts on bid day) called me every week when I lived out of house to make me aware of what was going on within the chapter, reminded me of things I needed to be at, offered to come pick me up for different things like new member meetings, even offered to take me to the library when she went to study.

shadokat · #9 04-07-2004, 09:55 AM

I'm right there with AGDee. If a new member wants to depledge, the campus will most likely do an interview with them. As an advisor, and not so close to the membership, contact the woman and ask if you can have lunch with her to discuss her leaving the sorority. Make sure she is aware that this is not an attempt to get her to stay, but that you want to know her reasons for dropping and how they can make the NM program and the chapter better for other NMs. Who knows, maybe you'll get them back if you show you really want to change.

KSUViolet06 · #10 04-13-2004, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bluefish81
whether it's asking her to go to a movie, come over for dinner (if there's a house), offering to pick them up for events.

Amen to that!! As a NM without a car in a sorority whose house is clear on the other side of campus, it means a lot to me when someone offers to take me to ANYTHING.

SGill4613 · #11 05-15-2004, 01:50 PM

It's been my experience that there's a low retention rate if a group hazes, (which groups can be very good at hiding) or if the new members see a problem in the group. They're better about spotting things like this. It there is a lot of back stabbing or talking bad about girls when they're not around, why would they join?

If its hazing, then you as the advisor need to be around as much as possible to make sure everything is going alright for a while.

If it's the bad attitude, try and plan a bunch of activities that build better bonds. Its not the event thats important, but the time spent with each other and having fun.

thermobryan · #12 07-22-2004, 03:52 AM

My retention rate as a pledge educator was 21%

kddani · #13 07-22-2004, 06:48 AM

guess we're supposed to give our members fake LVs to help retention? lol

TrueBlueKappa · #14 07-22-2004, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kddani
guess we're supposed to give our members fake LVs to help retention? lol

Who would stay with a chapter that gave out fake LVs?

fijijr · #15 07-22-2004, 09:53 AM

I don't know how this translates in ADPi but in FIJI our new member program is based on four things pride, friendship, involvement, and individuality.

Individuality, We go through an exercise in which the new members go through and establish their expectations for the program and what makes them unique from everyone else in their class. This is to establish early on that one's uniquesness and individuality are not lost when joining and that the group is bettered for their addition.

Invovlement, ,our team structure(analogous to comittees) facilitates new members to be in the thick of things so to speak making decisions, and being part of a smaller group still associated with the fraternity. They do not have a vote at chapter meetings but at team meetings it is a rule that everyone is on the same level.

Friendship,, brotherhood events are planned about every three weeks that is just brothers and new members. These facilitate a connection that must be established in the new member program. This connection has to more than the big brother or in your case the big sister. The connection has to extend to the chapter and they have to see they are part of something larger. 4 or 5 friends hanging out is quite different than a chapter going to do something together.

Pride, ,I will not lie to you FIJI is a pride based organization. Brothers are shown what it is to be a Phi Gam they are instilled with a pride for their organization and their association there of. In our new member program it is stressed the levels of their lifelong committment. Capstoned by this quote..."the purpose of pledgeing is to produce good brothers not good pledges..." the idea that Phi Gamma Delta is not for college days alone is stressed in action with alumni comeing to speak and events. This pride is sometimes palatable in the room when some of our graduates in the area, who are not from this chapter but are FIJIs none the less, some 20 to 50 years beyond their college days; talk to the new members and express the Pride they have for their fraternity. Having graduate support involved with a new member program adds validity from parents to the process and adds genuineness to the experience. Graduates I have seen speak from the heart and their is no denying at that point that the new member has joined something special, that is for life, and they will have the opportunity to share with a future generation.

New member retention is a multifaceted issue that requires a plan instead of a solution. This plan has to facilitated from the top down. The plan has to revolve around the vision of 100% retention because if you plan around anything less you have taken your first step away. I know some will comment that that is absurd to even put down but I ask you is it absurd to epect nothing less than excellence from all we do. Hope this helps. I am a fiji chapter advisor and if any of what i wrote doesn't make sense (my profession is engineering not english) just hit me a pm.