How Can We Maximize Greek Membership?

[SigK_Bama]

Originally posted by Rollergirl2001
Although I'm not in a sorority, I would like to put my two cents about this. I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, but I think that juniors and seniors should be free from the quota. Besides, not many juniors and seniors rush. Out of 200 girls, there may be about 10 juniors and 5 seniors. If they make good grades, give them all a chance! I think that upperclassmen should be given some priority because they won't be in school long.

The sad thing is that there are no Latino sororities or fratenities or Multi-Cultural Sororities at my school. There are 20,000 people at my school (with a growing Latino population) and I believe that it's long overdue to have these organizations. There are people that may want to join these groups.

You'll be hard pressed to find a chapter that will bid a senior. Chapters want freshman girls who will be active all four years and will hold positions every year. And upperclassmen are given a chance! There are lots of them on these boards that were given bids as an upperclassman, though admittedly, not nearly as many freshmen. And the main reason why freshmen are chosen over upperclassmen is because freshmen have the years to devote to a chapter and won't graduate the following semester. We bidded sophomores and juniors when I was in college, and they were some of the greatest girls in the chapter, but it didn't happen very often.

Your school doesn't have any of those specialized groups like that because no one has started to organize them yet. Greek life there has been struggling over the last few years due to low rush numbers, so they're really not in a position to bring in a new chapter. But that's not to say that it can't be done in the future.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by PhoenixAzul
We have the "accept (Decline) with regret" option..but here's the catch, it counts as "accepting" the invite.

Example: Suzy PNM gets an invite to Tau Delta's final party. Unfortunately, she has a religious comitment at the time of our preference party that is extremely important. She wants to go to the party, but just can't make it...so she "accepts with regret". Now if Suzy also recieved invites from TEM and Theta Nu to final party, she would have to either "accept with regret" to one of them, or accept one of them and attend their party...one group must be cut by her. 1 w/regret+1 accept= 2 final sororities that you are almost assured to be SOMEWHERE on their bid list.

Hmm... I heard this described differently:

If Suzy PNM gets 10 invitations to a round of parties where she can only accept 5, she can accept her top five, and put "decline with regrets" on as many invitations as she'd like. Then, the next round (she can accept three), if she receives no invitations from her top five, she can - IF they extend an invitation - to one of the other glos who DO extend an invitation. That's because ABC, who she "declined with regrets" really liked her, and decided to give her one more chance.

Maybe it varies from campus to campus?

[PenguinTrax]

Originally posted by honeychile
Hmm... I heard this described differently:

If Suzy PNM gets 10 invitations to a round of parties where she can only accept 5, she can accept her top five, and put "decline with regrets" on as many invitations as she'd like. Then, the next round (she can accept three), if she receives no invitations from her top five, she can - IF they extend an invitation - to one of the other glos who DO extend an invitation. That's because ABC, who she "declined with regrets" really liked her, and decided to give her one more chance.

Maybe it varies from campus to campus?

It does vary and PhoenixAzul's campus is not NPC. AFAIK, there is no NPC recommendation regarding declines with regret.

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by Rollergirl2001
A junior or a senior may not had time to join in the first two to three years due to issues.

LOL issues.

I don't know -- if someone is too busy to join a sorority during her first three years of college, what's the point by the time she's a senior? If it was that important to her, she could've made it more of a priority.

I think it would be opening another can of worms to have all free juniors and seniors all the time. You might end up with a big group of nutty juniors who think it's the end of the world when they don't get a bid anywhere even considering that they are free.

[AnonAlumna]

There have been some really good ideas thrown out here. Some more realistic than others, and as with everything else, it varies by campus.

I just don't see how SO many women can be cut so early. In my experience, it just seems that everything is TOO quick. I know that when we went into selection meetings, my sisters would be raving about a girl, but half of us didn't have a clue who she was...and our quota was only about 15!!!

Kudos to those who mentioned more education about NATIONAL organizations. While XYZ might not be really strong/or 'top tier' at your school, PNM's need to understand that there is more than college. I know that when I COB'd (as a junior) I didn't have a clue how grand the big picture was behind my GLO.

I think there are many small things that can be done to alleviate this problem...primarily for those PNM's willing to maximize their options.

[adpiucf]

I don't see why upperclassmen shouldn't count in normal quota. If I were an upperclassman, I'd think it would give me a complex... maybe they just took me because they had to... Why not just increase quota?

I like the new release system adopted by many schools in the past few years. When the historically stronger performers have to cut more PNMs in the earlier rounds, it allows PNMs to see what their prospects really are and gives those chapters with historically lower returns and bid matching more prospects to draw from.

How do we maximize membership on a campus-by-campus basis? One size does not fit all-- it must happen on a local level with input from NPC and the individual national sororities. I think setting a long-term strategic plan for reviewing total is important. The Greek Adviser, chapter advisory boards and National Panhellenic reps should be instrumental in its evaluation.

Campus Panhellenics and chapters can make a dent by developing and implementing a Greek Life PR and marketing campaign to promote recruitment and Greek Life through yearround events and marketing materials.

The most important thing is campus involvement. Show your letters on campus. Members should be involved in actitivies outside the sorority. Promote your organization EVERYDAY.

And it goes without saying that you can have the best recruitment and promote the heck out of Greek Life, but RETENTION is the most important thing. Respect your members, offer diverse programming to suit a variety of needs and interests and plan with the majority of members in mind.

[33girl]

Originally posted by valkyrie
LOL issues.

I don't know -- if someone is too busy to join a sorority during her first three years of college, what's the point by the time she's a senior? If it was that important to her, she could've made it more of a priority.

My little didn't join till she was a senior because all her friends up till that point were very anti-Greek. After hanging out with nice Greek people for a summer, she reconsidered and probably put more into her two semesters than some people did four years.

Different people come to things at different times. I would a thousand times rather have someone join as a junior or a senior and be very active for that period and continue as alumnae, than join as a pre-freshman because everyone else was rushing and quit halfway through her junior year because she's burned out, and never have anything to do with the sorority again.

The only reason groups want freshmen is they (theoretically) pay dues for four years. Not because they'll be better or more involved members. But as I've said so many times, if half your pledge class is gone by graduation, what's the point? You would have been as far ahead to pledge the upperclassmen.

[KSUViolet06]

We have "drop with interest" here at Kent, and I think that's one of the reasons that our placement percentage is pretty close to 100%. Because girls who drop with regret and for whatever reason do not end up with a full schedule of parties for one round have a chance to be bidded by a group they dropped.

And I honestly understand carnation's point about maximizing greek membership. Coming from a large SEC school background, I'm sure lots of perfectly good girls end up without bids, and that's a shame. I can not remember a case of that happening where I go to school. EVeryone with at least ONE pref will get a bid somewhere, even if it's a snap bid. And honestly, if a girl wont take a snap bid, she must not really want to be Greek. It's all about maximizing your options. If you're afraid to take a chance, then it's your loss.

[TxGirl]

Okay - so many things to respond to here.

First, NPC (and this is all from the new edition of the Green Book or NPC Manual of Information) has come up with 4 types of recruitments that a College Panhellenic (CPH) can choose from based on their system. NPC realized that formal recruitment did not fit all chapters across the country and this was their solution. The 4 styles are:

Fully Structured Recruitment - FSR (as we all know and love )
Partially Structued Recruitment - PSR
Minimally Structured Recruitment - MSR
Continuous Recruitment (or no formal and COB only) - CR

In the Green Book, they have questions to help the CPH determine which style is right for their system. They are also advised to contact their NPC Area Advisor for help.

Second, NPC now recommends that (again in the new Green Book) that chapter total be reevaluated every year. Yes, that was EVERY YEAR. Advisors from the chapters should be part of this discussion as well.

Third, the new Release Figure Management (RFM) is to be used by all CPH's by 2006 during recruitment. This of course does not apply if you are not doing FSR or PSR.

So, many of our wishes have already been answered - the CPH's just need to implement them.

[TxGirl]

On a different note, I've worked with several campuses. At many, if a woman is being dropped b/c she has not invites - the CPH will call the chapters and ask that they reconsider her so that she won't be released from recuitment. The only exception being that if they know she is being release b/c of GPA they don't usually bother.

ETA:

I would love to see a seperate quota for each class (I think I said this earlier). I've seen Jr or Upperclass quota - but then the Soph. are usually totaly screwed.

What I think is funniest about this is that everyone refers to "free" Jrs. or Srs. They aren't really "free" b/c their number comes out of what quota would have been. Quota isn't necessarily any different, it's just how it's broken out. Is quota of 35 different than quota of 30 + 5 upperclass? Sure, it's different terminology and you must take upperclass to get whole 35, but it's still only 35 women max you can take. It just "allows" chapters that won't take upperclass in regular quota to be able to. Does this make any sense to anyone but me?

[alphaxikt]

Originally posted by valkyrie
LOL issues.

I don't know -- if someone is too busy to join a sorority during her first three years of college, what's the point by the time she's a senior? If it was that important to her, she could've made it more of a priority.

A good friend (and now an Alpha Xi sister) joined my chapter as a 2nd year senior after my little sister and I worked really hard to recruit her.

Why? Because she's a fabulous woman who wanted an opportunity to be a sister and an active, involved alumnae! That really doesn't seem that different from women who pursue alumnae initiation after college.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by PenguinTrax
It does vary and PhoenixAzul's campus is not NPC. AFAIK, there is no NPC recommendation regarding declines with regret.

I've never seen it in the Green Book, but I know that some campuses use it. I just happen to think it helps keep more women in the Recruitment process.

Of course, what would work at Campus A isn't going to work at Campus B, etc. But if we truly are correct in saying, "No matter what the letter, we're all Greek together", I find both maximizing bids and retention top priorities.

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by alphaxikt
A good friend (and now an Alpha Xi sister) joined my chapter as a 2nd year senior after my little sister and I worked really hard to recruit her.

Why? Because she's a fabulous woman who wanted an opportunity to be a sister and an active, involved alumnae! That really doesn't seem that different from women who pursue alumnae initiation after college.

That's a valid point. I think I was put off by the way the other poster said someone might not join because of "issues" -- that just seemed like a cop-out to me.

So yeah, juniors and seniors can be amazing members. However, not all of them can be, you know? Even if they didn't count toward quota, there will always be some women who are not good candidates.

[AlphaFrog]

A very good idea that we tried to make happen in the last few weeks before we closed (the times just never lined up) was we were going to have an interest party on the same night as Chi Omega and another one on the night same night of Delta Zeta. Both of those soroities had discussed with us having their parties earlier and then shuttling (those who wanted) over to our interest parties. Their idea was #1 helping us out because we were about to close and #2 they wanted PNMs, but they wanted the PNM's to make sure what they really wanted (I.E. open minded)

[hoosier]

One of the worst possible rules, but not uncommon. What do they need $50 for?


"The Panhellenic Recruitment Kick-Off will take place at 7 p.m. today in the Student Union. Each woman interested in joining a sorority must pay a registration fee. Because the Aug. 17 deadline has passed, there is a $50 late fee. Registration is open until midnight Tuesday." UNC newspaper