GreekChat.com Forums  

Go Back   GreekChat.com Forums > Recruitment

Recruitment General discussion about recruitment.


Register Now for FREE!
Join GreekChat.com, The Fraternity & Sorority Greek Chat Network. To sign up for your FREE account INSTANTLY fill out the form below!

Username: Password: Confirm Password: E-Mail: Confirm E-Mail:
 
Image Verification
Please enter the six letters or digits that appear in the image opposite.

  I agree to forum rules 

» GC Stats
Members: 325,040
Threads: 115,496
Posts: 2,195,824
Welcome to our newest member, ausinpetrov7195
» Online Users: 1,387
1 members and 1,386 guests
Xidelt
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-19-2010, 03:05 PM
TriDeltaSallie TriDeltaSallie is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Beautiful West Michigan
Posts: 777
Informal recruitment at Michigan State? What happened?

I just popped over to the Michigan State Greek site to see if there had been any changes as to how many sororities were still on campus, who had which house, etc. I was shocked (SHOCKED!) to see that all of the sororities except Sigma Kappa held winter informal recruitment this year.

What happened? I'm assuming it is a numbers thing? Recruitment numbers are way down due to the economy and chapters are trying to (literally) fill houses?

I'm still trying to fathom some of these chapters doing informal recruitment since informal rush at MSU has always primarily been for chapters that were struggling/not making quota. It's like a total paradigm shift.

Is anyone an area adviser or in the know about MSU to fill me in?
__________________
"Let us found a society that shall be kind alike to all and think more of a girl's inner self and character than of her personal appearance." Sarah Ida Shaw

My recruitment story: My sorority membership changed my life.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-03-2010, 12:45 AM
kchaptergphib kchaptergphib is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: The interwebs. I understand it's a "series of tubes."
Posts: 499
hello? Paging other BIG TEN [okay, now really 12] greeks!
First, I really know nothing about MSU greek life. BUT, after reading your post, my first question would be what is Chapter Total? The chapters would not be participating in COR/Spring Informal if they were not below total. It is possible that total has not been appropriately lowered in decades, and this is hard on all but the "top" (membership numbers-wise) chapters in that they are constantly CONSTANTLY doing COR.
__________________
Gamma Phi Beta

TEII
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-03-2010, 08:42 AM
MUSK81 MUSK81 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Charleston, WV
Posts: 183
Good point about the economy. I was in school during the 1981-82 recession and we saw all of our numbers drop too. I'm a Sigma Kappa alumna and am glad to see that we're apparently doing well (MSU is traditionally a strong chapter) and I wish everyone else well in getting back up to speed.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-13-2010, 10:09 PM
Sciencewoman Sciencewoman is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,416
TriDeltaSallie, I also live in West Michigan and I haven't heard anything about MSU chapters struggling. I just spent time with our MSU chapter advisor and 5 collegian attendees at the Gamma Phi convention and there wasn't a word mentioned about numbers being down with any houses. I know our chapter is doing fine. I did hear some discussion about fall recruitment dates being moved back...perhaps there's more interest from PNMs later in the year??? I'm not sure the Michigan economy is having the effect people might think: Gamma Phi Beta is colonizing at GVSU this fall; Panhellenic numbers went up 56% there between 2007-2009, and were up again last fall. Total is going up by 10 and we're the second colonization in two years.
__________________
Gamma Phi Beta
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-13-2010, 10:35 PM
TriDeltaSallie TriDeltaSallie is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Beautiful West Michigan
Posts: 777
Thanks!

Thanks for the replies. I also received a lengthy email from another MSU alumna who did not want to respond on the thread but knew a great deal about what was going on at MSU because of her position as a national volunteer in her particular GLO.

kchaptergphib, this person also mentioned that chapter total is way too high and panhel refuses to lower it. So you are right in guessing that is a factor.

Sciencewoman, I think Grand Valley is a bit of an anomaly in that that particular university has been undergoing incredible expansion the last ten to fifteen years. I think it is great that the Greek system is doing so well. I wish we had a Tri Delta chapter there as it is so close that I could be involved. But I doubt DDD will put any more chapters in Michigan. We just do not have a supportive alumnae base here which is really too bad.

Back to MSU... From everything I've experienced and observed, I think it is an unhealthy Greek system and I've heard others say the same thing. It has been that way for a very long time. One person described the atmosphere in the system as toxic. The tiers there are incredibly pronounced and there is little to no Panhellenic spirit. The campus lost four sororities in a relatively short time and quota is half what it used to be. It's really too bad because Greek life is so big on other Big Ten campuses that it really should be at MSU as well.
__________________
"Let us found a society that shall be kind alike to all and think more of a girl's inner self and character than of her personal appearance." Sarah Ida Shaw

My recruitment story: My sorority membership changed my life.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-13-2010, 11:35 PM
Sciencewoman Sciencewoman is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,416
Wow, I am sorry to hear that about the environment at MSU. I am very excited about GVSU...if it keeps growing the way it is, perhaps Delta Delta Delta will be there in the future...you never know!

In the meantime, you should check out the Grand Rapids Alumnae Panhellenic group on Google sites (I think they're on Facebook, too). That would be a great way to get involved locally if you don't have an alum group in the area. I don't think we have a rep. from Tri-Delta and we've been trying to get all groups involved...hint, hint!

On a side note, let me say that I really appreciated your heartfelt words of wisdom on the Auburn recruitment forum. Well said!!!
__________________
Gamma Phi Beta
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-14-2010, 12:52 PM
Benzgirl Benzgirl is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in Left Field
Posts: 7,510
Oddly, the numbers at Ohio State are up. Panhellenic lifted the chapter totals this year, and now over half of the houses finished with over 100 in the spring. I'm not sure how many graduated or disaffiliated, but the move had the opposite reaction that I was expecting. I had thought the big would get bigger and the smaller houses would disappear. Didn't happen.
__________________
When did GC become Twitter?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-14-2010, 02:26 PM
33girl 33girl is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Hotel Oceanview
Posts: 34,486
Quote:
Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie View Post
kchaptergphib, this person also mentioned that chapter total is way too high and panhel refuses to lower it. So you are right in guessing that is a factor.
Are there groups being directed by their HQs to vote no for lowering it, or is it the bigger groups being jerks? Sometimes women on Panhel aren't informed properly (like they think they'll have to make members quit to get down to total) and make poor decisions.
__________________
It is all 33girl's fault. ~DrPhil
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-14-2010, 05:02 PM
TriDeltaSallie TriDeltaSallie is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Beautiful West Michigan
Posts: 777
Sciencewoman - I did look into the GR Panhellenic last year, but didn't end up participating. I'll have to give it another go!

33girl - I don't know the answer to your question. Maybe my source will email me more details. I do know that MSU Panhel has a track record of not doing what is best for the Panhellenic system as a whole and my opinion is that much of it is driven by the tiers. (People on GC can talk all they want about how we shouldn't talk about tiers, but reality is reality, folks. And someone can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about how Panhel functions now, but from what I've been told it hasn't changed.)

AOPi was brought on campus when I was there. At the time there were at least four to six groups not meeting quota in fall rush or else having a very difficult time getting there. Bringing AOPi on created a lot of hard feelings in a situation where there was already a fair amount of animosity.

My source also told me that there is a fairly negative view of Greeks on campus which I would say is a change since I graduated. It was never an overwhelmingly Greek school, but general opinion was not overwhelmingly negative either. They should have started the RFM sooner and it might have saved some of the smaller groups. Instead it just left lots of bitter and resentful women who didn't get bids. Not the greatest PR move.

I don't know what the answer is. I had always hoped that Tri Delta might be back there before my daughter would possibly attend. That still could happen (she's only almost 4!), but I'm not holding my breath. Until the university values the Greek system and they get a really good adviser, I don't think it will ever really thrive.

Just my two cents.
__________________
"Let us found a society that shall be kind alike to all and think more of a girl's inner self and character than of her personal appearance." Sarah Ida Shaw

My recruitment story: My sorority membership changed my life.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Louisiana State U (LSU) Spring Informal Recruitment 2010 (?) exlurker Sorority Recruitment 0 01-22-2010 06:38 PM
Michigan State recruitment story?? TashaMarie Recruitment Stories 5 10-12-2009 11:06 PM
Michigan State Recruitment? TriDeltaSallie Sorority Recruitment 14 09-26-2008 10:38 PM
Michigan State recruitment jse23 Sorority Recruitment 3 07-23-2008 01:13 PM
Spring Recruitment @ Michigan State sspunkyali Recruitment 2 12-08-2004 04:26 AM



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:49 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.