Our school's fraternity recruitment sucks!

Proud2BaPhiGam · #1 10-08-2011, 01:56 AM

Ok not really, but we could use some help. We're a small private school with 3-5 chapters. We have high out-of-state enrollment, but 60-80 men usually rush. This year we had the fewest number of freshmen rush ever. We wait until 4 weeks after freshmen move in to have rush, and for reason other than this is the way it's been for years.

But there have been changes brewing as of late. Three years ago the sororities moved recruitment from the 2nd week of classes (3rd week on campus) to orientation the week before classes. Their numbers have never been higher. This year we had men pref their top pick before they saw two nights of formal presentations; 100% of them went to their first choice three days later on Bid Day (point: the work had been done before and we wasted two days and plenty of cash).

After Bid Day we presented the new members with surveys, the vast majority said rush was too late and they had their minds made up before the week began. IFC has been tasked with coming up with a solution. I think moving it up to orientation week is a great idea. It will force us to do do better summer rush (which really did suck); we'll be able to get them while their minds are open and schedules are clear; and it is less taxing on members and budgets.

Do any of you have advice, thoughts on having fraternity rush orientation week? General advice on how to increase recruitment from the IFC side?

33girl · #2 10-09-2011, 08:39 PM

I guess I don't understand why you have them "pref" or rank anyone at the beginning of official rush (as opposed to summer rush) in the first place? If you're asking them a question like that so quickly, they may be under the impression that they should know their minds that quickly and that even if they did have second thoughts about a chapter they should just ignore them.

In other words, I don't know that it's your rush that sucks necessarily, more that you could be sending out mixed messages.

Proud2BaPhiGam · #3 10-10-2011, 03:07 AM

I think our IFC advisor was trying to prove a point that formal presentations have little to no effect 4 weeks into school. Fraternity presidents or IFC members had no say in the decision to add "preffing" to rush this year. Also for background, some PMN's top choice changed from night to night but they eventually went to the choice they made before the presentations.

33girl · #4 10-10-2011, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proud2BaPhiGam

I think our IFC advisor was trying to prove a point that formal presentations have little to no effect 4 weeks into school. Fraternity presidents or IFC members had no say in the decision to add "preffing" to rush this year.

Who added it then? It sounds completely pointless.

I agree w/ lucgreek, if you have a lot of out of state students or first generation Greek students, relying too much on summer rush could really backfire. I'm sure that the women send out DETAILED brochures to all the freshmen so they're informed of rush happening when it does. I don't know that I really like the idea of it being during orientation since getting to know the school really should be top priority, but then again I don't know what all your orientation week consists of.

Proud2BaPhiGam · #5 10-10-2011, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Who added it then? It sounds completely pointless.

I agree w/ lucgreek, if you have a lot of out of state students or first generation Greek students, relying too much on summer rush could really backfire. I'm sure that the women send out DETAILED brochures to all the freshmen so they're informed of rush happening when it does. I don't know that I really like the idea of it being during orientation since getting to know the school really should be top priority, but then again I don't know what all your orientation week consists of.

The IFC adviser added it. The women send out a greek life brochure, the same one with fraternity info on it. The just have Rho Gams that are working the phone and Facebook all summer getting girls signed up. And during the two days of O-week before class starts they are everywhere getting girls signed up.

lucgreek · #6 10-10-2011, 09:44 AM

I don't know how your recruitment works, but what's stopping chapters from going out and meeting guys during the freshman move-in? Or eating in the dining halls? In my experience, actually meeting and becoming friends with freshman that first week is incredibly effective for rush. If there's no IFC regulation against it, I'd encourage chapters to do that and move to an informal recruitment.

I don't know your school, but since you have high out-of-state enrollment numbers, is summer rush really going to be effective or a realistic possibility for all chapters?

Proud2BaPhiGam · #7 10-10-2011, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucgreek

I don't know how your recruitment works, but what's stopping chapters from going out and meeting guys during the freshman move-in? Or eating in the dining halls? In my experience, actually meeting and becoming friends with freshman that first week is incredibly effective for rush. If there's no IFC regulation against it, I'd encourage chapters to do that and move to an informal recruitment.

I don't know your school, but since you have high out-of-state enrollment numbers, is summer rush really going to be effective or a realistic possibility for all chapters?

We do some of that but we could always do a much better job. I think part of the problem is we're too relaxed; "rush isn't until Labor Day... cool we'll procrastinate!". It's hard to keep the energy up for 4 weeks of recruitment, and difficult for small chapters to afford that many weeks. And then you also have the guys that are locked just waiting for four weeks (or worse being talked out of it by their independent friends).

lucgreek · #8 10-10-2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proud2BaPhiGam

We do some of that but we could always do a much better job. I think part of the problem is we're too relaxed; "rush isn't until Labor Day... cool we'll procrastinate!". It's hard to keep the energy up for 4 weeks of recruitment, and difficult for small chapters to afford that many weeks. And then you also have the guys that are locked just waiting for four weeks (or worse being talked out of it by their independent friends).

Eh, well those are issues your own group (and other fraternities) has to face. If you approach it like that, of course you will not be getting more PNMs. If IFC knows this and refuses to make it sooner, I don't know why they won't listen to reason. How early can you give bids out? If you get your guys active & meeting freshman the first week of school and move-in week, vote on PNMs and issue bids then.

IFC recruitment is supposed to HELP groups, not hinder them. Get your IFC to move towards an informal fall recruitment ASAP. Once my school ditched the formal process with presentations and "rounds," groups ended up getting more members.

Proud2BaPhiGam · #9 10-10-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucgreek

Eh, well those are issues your own group (and other fraternities) has to face. If you approach it like that, of course you will not be getting more PNMs. If IFC knows this and refuses to make it sooner, I don't know why they won't listen to reason. How early can you give bids out? If you get your guys active & meeting freshman the first week of school and move-in week, vote on PNMs and issue bids then.

IFC recruitment is supposed to HELP groups, not hinder them. Get your IFC to move towards an informal fall recruitment ASAP. Once my school ditched the formal process with presentations and "rounds," groups ended up getting more members.

what, approximately, did fraternity rush look like at your school? Technically we could extend a non-binding bid for membership whenever we wanted. We just can't hand out binding ones until bid day. I think the IFC president and the advisor want it moved up (they haven't said much about structure yet). Some of the fraternities are against any sort of change though.

lucgreek · #10 10-10-2011, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proud2BaPhiGam

what, approximately, did fraternity rush look like at your school? Technically we could extend a non-binding bid for membership whenever we wanted. We just can't hand out binding ones until bid day. I think the IFC president and the advisor want it moved up (they haven't said much about structure yet). Some of the fraternities are against any sort of change though.

Our rush used to consist of an orientation rushees had to go to. Then there was a series of rounds where each fraternity had a room on campus and had 30min with groups of PNMs and gave presentations or did some sort of team building activity. Then each group had individual nights off campus. Most groups already had people in mind and PNMs pretty much had their mind made up by orientation, so it was all a waste of time. The funny part was the groups all knew who they were taking so they made the guys go to the required night and then told them to skip the rounds/individual nights.

When IFC realized that, recruitment went strictly informal and I believe currently they only do a general info night (not required) and then tell PNMs when each group will have an individual night (where an IFC rep is present).

And if you can extend a non-binding bid, do it. No point in dealing with BS if IFC doesn't want to work with you or if you're getting stonewalled by a groups who like things the way they are. Take advantage of non-binding bids and issue them to PNMs.