I have a question.. and I am sure someone will have an answer!

[Angels&Arrows]

This article came out in the Syracuse University Greek Community's Indepsendent Newspaper "Hermes."

It is a little long, so I will cut to the chase with my question... The quote below is in the article. I think it is wonderful that numbers for recruitment have almost doubled since last year at Syracuse.... BUT how in the world does that prevent 1/3 of the chapters from making quota? I am not sure what their recruitment policy is, however, I do not understand how this would cause less chapters to make quota? Below is the quote:

"Spring Recruitment, formerly and more commonly known as "Rush," begins next week with council leaders looking forward to about 1,000 potential fraternity and sorority members. If achieved, that number would dwarf last year's total of just 600 -- a turnout preventing one-third of the campus's Panhellenic Council sororities from making their quota."

Below is the full artivle:

IFC, Panhel anticipate recruitment increase
By Robyn Smith

Despite national trends showing fewer students joining the greek community, greek leaders at Syracuse University are anticipating a large recruitment this spring to compensate for last year's less-than-expected turnout.

Spring Recruitment, formerly and more commonly known as "Rush," begins next week with council leaders looking forward to about 1,000 potential fraternity and sorority members. If achieved, that number would dwarf last year's total of just 600 -- a turnout preventing one-third of the campus's Panhellenic Council sororities from making their quota.

Panhel stipulates that each chapter can only accept a certain number, or quota, of new members each spring after reviewing the amount of students who register for Recruitment.

As of Jan. 17, 300 students had registered for Panhel Recruitment, said Naomi Weinberg, the council's president.

As a result, Weinberg said, "We're expecting more women this year."

Panhel's adviser, Laurel Reed Rosch, also noted the increase in pre-Winter Break registrants.

"The numbers are higher than ever, prior to vacation," Reed Rosch said. "If the numbers keep going how they're going, chapters will be having a larger pledge class this year."

If this turnout reflects the number of new members Panhel chapters will accept this spring, SU will buck a national decrease in Panhellenic Conference membership.

The conference -- which is the umbrella organization for each campus Panhel council -- cited an increase in membership during 2001, but a greater overall decrease in the year previous. The conference noted the need for "an all out effort to attract more women to the system" in its October 2001 biennium report.

Members of SU's Panhel credit consistent promotion of the council and greater outreach efforts for the increase in this year's registration numbers.

"The sororities are working really hard this year and working together," Weinberg said. "We have such unity, it's amazing."

IFC Aspirations
Though operating under different Recruitment procedures, the Interfraternity Council anticipates a similar increase in new members, said Matt Goodman, IFC's co-recruitment chairman.

Less than 400 students participated in Recruitment last year, Goodman said, adding that "it was really low. We need to get that up."

IFC Recruitment registration began Jan. 20, however, more than a month after Panhel began its registration.

"It's a different process," Goodman said. "Panhel's recruitment is just over a week long, while ours lasts two days.

"It's less involved."

Goodman said he and his co-recruitment chairman Charlie Walker intend to use more advertising to entice students to join the greek community. The two council members plan on visiting residence halls and speaking with students personally.

Though "less involved" in the registration process, the IFC is changing its strategy this year to expand the recruitment process.

The council intends to provide more in-depth training for the Recruitment Counselors, also known as Rho Chis, including sessions on how to best answer greek-related questions and how to enjoy the responsibilities of being a Rho Chi.

"When I went through Rush last year, my Rho Chi seemed like he didn't want to be there," Goodman said. "We don't want guys to feel like they have to do this or be picked from their chapter to do it.

"They should want to be a Rho Chi."

A Different 'Rush'
Though commonly known to the majority of greeks at SU, terms like "Rho Chi" and "Recruitment" don't apply to National Pan-Hellenic, Latino Greek and Multicultural Greek Letter councils.

Chapters belonging to these councils participate in "intake," a process during which each chapter hosts a series of informational sessions on their respective fraternity or sorority.

Omega Phi Beta's Tanya Ortiz said these councils consider their intake similar to when a business hires its employees.

"When someone is looking for a job, the job doesn't go to them," said Ortiz, president of her chapter.

And like most job interviews, formal attire is always required.

If a potential member is interested in a chapter, he or she attends the session to learn more about becoming involved.

During the session, chapter representatives are able to give insight into their respective local and national operations, as well as answer any questions from the attendees.

Once a potential member informs a chapter of his or her intent to be online -- a term synonymous with pledging -- that student is expected to do the necessary research on that particular chapter.

The pledge process, though different for each chapter, then begins.

"Omega Phi Beta has an above-ground pledge period, unlike chapters in NPHC," Ortiz said.

While pledges are online, they wear gear and march on campus -- an act that Ortiz is quick to separate from hazing as all participants are volunteering to do so.

"The girls do nothing against their will," she said. "While undergoing the process, they are taught the meaning behind everything they do."

The pledge process lasts up to six weeks, according to SU's policy on new member periods.

While Panhel and IFC outline membership goals each spring, the other three councils do not, preferring to focus on upholding fraternal ideals rather than quotas.

But that doesn't negate the need for more campus visibility, said Tomas Gonzalez, the councils' adviser.

"Many are beginning the process earlier" this semester, Gonzalez said. "This will allow them to get their positive message out with plenty of time before the University New Member Period begins."

[33girl]

I think that she meant it prevented them from making TOTAL, not quota, and that the 600 rushees from last year did that. Mixing tenses is bad. she should have said "that prevented one-third yadda yadda yadda."

[MSKKG]

It sounds like they meant that when the number of PNMs was 600, some groups had trouble making quota. Now with 400 extra PNMs going through, making quota shouldn't be as difficult.

[Angels&Arrows]

Thank you 33girl.. I can see that now. Last year there were 600 PNMs and a third of the chpaters idd not make quota. How did having 600 PNMs, prevent the third from making quota or total? I can not understand, how one hurts the other. Unless... this is similar to UGa's recrutiment this year. Chapters are not use to this many PNMs, cut too quickly, etc.

[carnation]

I can see where having to use those tough new release figures might mess up getting quota--a la the UGa debacle this last year. You have to cut quickly and heavily and you pray that the same people who want you are the few you were allowed to keep.

[Little E]

This is totally unrealated to the article.

But I would just like to say that I am so glad we do only COB. Formal Recruitment just doesn't sound like fun. I mean, shouldn't you know someone you are extending an invite to join your house? You are sharing you sister hood...how do you know these women after 15 minutes...I guess I just will never understand.

Sorry, back to the point of this thread...

[MSSTCY1]

Originally posted by Little E


shouldn't you know someone you are extending an invite to join your house? You are sharing you sister hood...how do you know these women after 15 minutes...I guess I just will never understand.

Sisters have more than 15 minutes to meet girils during formal recruitment. I think that it just comes down to trusting your sisters. Some Sisters will get to know certain rushees in the time alloted and will be forced to make decisions for the entire sorority based on their best judgement of the girls. I think that we all pick sisters that we trust and this time of year, we just have to trust them a little bit more.

Besides, formal recruitment allows you to meet a lot more girls than informal does. Of course, I do enjoy informal a lot more

[bruinaphi]

Carnation,

While I am not familiar with the situation at UGa, generally, the requirement for stronger chapters to release more women causes a trickle down effect in rush which allows more chapters to make quota. Statistically, the strongest rushing chapters do not need to carry quota times the number of parties through each round of recruitment in order to pledge quota. Do you know which quota setting method UGa used?

[carnation]

Originally posted by lauradav
Carnation,

While I am not familiar with the situation at UGa, generally, the requirement for stronger chapters to release more women causes a trickle down effect in rush which allows more chapters to make quota. Statistically, the strongest rushing chapters do not need to carry quota times the number of parties through each round of recruitment in order to pledge quota. Do you know which quota setting method UGa used?

Laura--I don't know which one they used (dzrose93 might) but what happened at UGa was the usual pattern you see in the South where if women were cut by their sororities of choice, they just dropped out of recruitment. Others who were heavily cut dropped out because of the shock of being cut by so many groups despite having recs and great grades and activities--or even being legacies. I personally do not know any legacies who made it into their moms' sororities this past year at UGa.

[MSKKG]

aurora borealis, dirty rushing goes on during formal recruitment also. Most sororities at the Univ. of South Carolina are in the process of building houses. This past fall recruitment, one group told the PNMs that the Kappas weren't going to have a house or weren't going to have a house as soon as the rest. That is totally false. We will occupy our new house before recruitment starts in Aug. However, 2 of the sororities will not be in their houses by then. One that I know of will occupy their house sometime in Oct.

Carnation is right about what happens when PNMs at southern schools are released from their favorites or by a majority. We should all do a better job of encouraging PNMs to give everyone a chance and to look at the big picture. No, I don't live in Oz, just doing a little wishful thinking out loud!

[33girl]

Originally posted by aurora_borealis


I am getting more off topic, but I was wondering about this anyway. Someone told me that with legacies if they are not given a bid they have to tell HQ or the family why? I heard this from someone in TriSigma but maybe it is a local policy. Is this common among groups that HQ is informed by the chapter as to why they did not bid the legacy? It seems to me that one would want legacies because then more relatives could join, and would increase the chance of alum donations. I know if I had gone with my legacy, and didn't get a bid, especially if I had grades and what not, my grandmother would have been very unhappy.

aurora -

The chapters DO want legacies, but particularly at Southern schools where the Greek system is so popular, there may be more legacies rushing than there are available spots. The legacy courtesy system began a long time ago, when there weren't as many people in general, let alone as many women, attending college.

Some groups have a policy of informing the legacy's family and some do not - it all depends on the sorority.