What’s the backup plan for recruitment in August?

[NYCMS]

Originally Posted by carnation

Football? In the spring?

I know, weird!! It at least saves some of the season. But there's nothing like fall weather and football, especially by mid-October.

[PersistentDST]

Yikes. Football in the spring would hinder a lot of two-sport student athletes, specifically the many who play football and run track. Next track season is critical now that 2021 is an Olympic year and there was no outdoor track season in 2020. I asked my little cousin (college sophomore) if he thinks he will play this season and he said he’s going to report when his coach asked, but he really doesn’t think there will be a season the way things are going.

I think a ton of universities are working hard to have students get as normal a campus experience as possible. My employer is doing a hybrid in-person/virtual system, but our county was beginning to spike before the 4th, I can’t imagine what it’ll look like in a few weeks. I get it, but I absolutely do not think this will go the way everyone hopes. The U of Washington fraternity row, LSU, Clemson and Alabama athletes catching Covid-19 will be the tip of the iceberg.

I can see the videos being valuable in the initial round of recruitment, but it just seems like PNM’s and actives are losing so much without organic conversations. I know everyone will try to make the best of it. It also seems like some recruitment plans are being held up because universities are still wavering in their planning for the school year. Fraternity and Sorority life will have to get super creative.

[TXDG]

Texas A&M announced today that 100% of recruitment will be virtual. My Rec girl is concerned and thinking about waiting until her sophomore year.

I hope Panhellenic at least considered moving formal recruitment to spring when there is a better chance for in-person rounds. I can’t imagine making a lifelong commitment to a sorority where I’d never met any of the members in person - or extending a bid to a whole class of PNM’s you’ve never been in the same room. Requires a lot of trust on both sides.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by 3DGator

The unhoused sororities at Stanford are currently holding virtual informal recruitment.

Originally Posted by AZTheta

3DGator, first - I'm not attacking you! I'm sharing this from the Stanford admissions page so other people reading have some perspective:

Overview for the Class of 2022
Total Applicants: 47,451
Total Admits: 2,071
Total Enrolled: 1,706

First-Year Enrolled Student Profile for the Class of 2022
Class Overview
63 home countries and 50 US states are represented
11.4% are international citizens representing 60 countries
17.5% are first generation college students

Gender Balance
Women: 49%
Men: 51%

My point? First, of the 1700 freshmen, approximately 850 are women. I am more than reasonably certain that with deferred recruitment (which Stanford has), the sororities are familiar with the pool of PNMs. It is a very small university. No way this would work at Arizona. Or Alabama. Or... fill in the blank.

Brings me to say "ditto and perfectly stated and thank you" to NYCMS for everything she wrote. A while back in this thread I made a similar comment about the virus. Suck it up people, we're in for a long siege.

Anyone in-the-know & willing to share an update on Stanford's Spring 2020 virtual informal recruitment?

[shirley1929]

Originally Posted by TXDG

Texas A&M announced today that 100% of recruitment will be virtual. My Rec girl is concerned and thinking about waiting until her sophomore year.

I hope Panhellenic at least considered moving formal recruitment to spring when there is a better chance for in-person rounds. I can’t imagine making a lifelong commitment to a sorority where I’d never met any of the members in person - or extending a bid to a whole class of PNM’s you’ve never been in the same room. Requires a lot of trust on both sides.

I may be wrong, but I think the thinking against moving everything to the spring is that they expect (even more of) a spike during flu season.

TCU has yet to announce dates.

UT just announced that PNM's need to do a video introducing themselves and all rounds are virtual (including possibly pref if it's not safe to do so).

[BBH]

Iowa State is making an announcement tomorrow but the rumor is 100% virtual, even pref round. We just got move in dates this week and as of now she has at least two in person classes. We debated on waiting and rushing next year but feel it’s still worth going through even if they can’t really do anything as larger groups. We were hoping for a hybrid approach but looking like that’s out. A Gap year is not an option as she would lose her scholarship so planning to just roll with it and make the best of it. She’s anxious to get to Ames even though it’s 7.5 hours away.

[carnation]

I am thinking of my sorority's gorgeous pref ceremony and trying to figure out how it could even be approximated online. Well, it can't be.

[Cookiez17]

I couldn't imagine mine either.

Just by looking at various SEC recruitment registration numbers from their instagrams the PNMs aren't slowing up. Bama reached 2000 PNMs today which is a positive.

[SweetHomeStL]

Bama also announced today that bids were going to be delivered via email. It seems the pref rounds are in person still, but they had to cut out the run home and lawn Bid Day parties

[TXDG]

I hope we get some good recruitment stories this year! I’m so curious about how all this will work.

Thanks to all of the Panhellenic councils working hard (both collegians and Greek Life advisors!) These are big decisions and I know they are keeping everyone’s safety at heart.

[ForrestGrump]

Mizzou's Panhellenic has announced that it will do a mixed recruitment -- Orientation, Open House and the Philanthropy round will be virtual, while the Sisterhood round and Preference will be in-person. Not sure about Bid Day, but I can't imagine they'll have all those hundreds of women (both new members and a large percentage of the actives) congregate together out on Stankowski Field.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by SweetHomeStL

Bama also announced today that bids were going to be delivered via email. It seems the pref rounds are in person still, but they had to cut out the run home and lawn Bid Day parties

Yiiii! And I thought that the computer punch cards we got back in the day were impersonal!

[SWTXBelle]

Texas State is going to all virtual. New Members will receive their bids via Zoom in their recruitment groups. Seems to me that could be a little awkward - I guess everyone will know where everyone else is going? Before, you really only had time to find out where your immediate friends got their bids before being swept up and going to the group.After they get their bids, each chapter will plan the second part of bid day. That's the plan now, at any rate.

[zTaalum]

Originally Posted by SweetHomeStL

Bama also announced today that bids were going to be delivered via email. It seems the pref rounds are in person still, but they had to cut out the run home and lawn Bid Day parties

Not necessarily the case. My friend's daughter will be a PNM and she was was told by an active that yes the bids are emailed but it will include a time for them to report to house to celebrate, pick up bid day bags and meet temp big sisters. Also that the overnight retreat can/will take place depending on the individual organizations decision .

[SweetHomeStL]

Originally Posted by zTaalum

Not necessarily the case. My friend's daughter will be a PNM and she was was told by an active that yes the bids are emailed but it will include a time for them to report to house to celebrate, pick up bid day bags and meet temp big sisters. Also that the overnight retreat can/will take place depending on the individual organizations decision .

Yep - I saw that too. They are definitely getting their bids via email and each PNM will have an assigned report time at the house to show up for photos & to meet their Bid Day Buddies. Point is though they still have to open an email in their own room and no one to celebrate (or cry) with at 1pm when they drop into their inbox.

Another SEC I am advising a girl at this year has stated that if they have to have “remote” bid delivery that it will be very old school with their recruitment counselors hand delivering the bids to their doors. That one makes me a little nostalgic.....