Why not just stay with partially-structured? My campus changed from fully-structured to partially-structured during my time there and our quota numbers definitely saw a bump.

I just don't get how you can do minimally structured with that many chapters and be successful.

We're actually classified as minimally structured due to some other rules we have that I haven't talked about on here. Each group can only spend $1000 including t-shirts, food, decorations, etc. No one can have any matching item of clothing. No skits allowed. Plus we have no time limit for PNMs at the parties and they can do pretty much whatever the hell the want and they will not get dropped from recruitment.

It's successful for about 3 chapters (perceived as the "top" groups by some, but I don't really buy into that) who are consistently at or near total and only take about 3 girls through winter COB. For several other chapters, it's unsuccessful. Some groups may get a large new member class but only retain half of that class before initiation, so they have a really high turnover rate. Some groups may only get 5-10 girls and stay around 25-35 members out of a possible 55 total. Then there was a group on campus that struggled so hard with numbers that they were closed by their nationals. Chapters seeing issues with numbers only started when we switched to this god-awful system. Pre-RFM, my chapter was at or near total most of the time. Now we have just around 30 girls.

In my opinion, the system perpetuates the idea of the large chapters staying large and the smaller chapters staying small. Of course, if we restricted PNMs to only attending chapters they were invited to and requiring them to attend all the chapters they were invited to, this would not be as much of an issue because they would be forced to look at other chapters. But Dee already covered most of this so I'm not going to rant anymore (I could rant all day about this).

I don't think this has much to do with minimal structured recruitment. At the campus I advise we do exactly the same except our budget is $2500.
This part is what I think needs to change the most as you and others have stated.

In a slight twist, I'm going to our new house tonight to assist them with mock recruitment. I get to be a mock PNM. I haven't been a PNM in a very long time :) This is going to be fun!

Are you going to be a good rushee or a BAD rushee?

EMU is in the district with which I work in my volunteer capacity, and the good news, as Victoriana points out, is that eduction is occurring from the NPC and national organizations' levels. We are hopeful, as she points out, that changes will occur prior to formal recruitment 2013. There is a new sorority advisor, an alumna of the school, and she appears to be receptive to finding ways to move the Panhellenic forward. Fingers crossed that after a few potential years of growth pains, more parity and stability can be gained for all the chapters there!

I was going to a bad one but I ended up being a good one because I really liked the sister who was rushing me. She was a great rusher :) I liked all of them, actually. It's always fun to go help a chapter and realize that you probably would have loved them if you were a collegiate again!

I was told tonight that they are already implementing some changes for first round. All PNMs will be expected to visit all of the chapters and it will be for a set amount of time.. at least for first rounds.

The letters went up on the new house today too. I had a good time tonight :)

Ahhh so sad I wasn't home last night!! Super sad I didn't get to see you. I just love the AGDs though. I was actually hanging out with them the other night. Their house is gorgeous is it not?

Can/do the chapters who don't get up to total often take a pledge class in the spring, or is that taboo? What do the fraternities do? Are they taking pledge classes both semesters?

This system would be no problem at all if it were a rush geared to upperclassmen, with a partially structured (i.e. you can't go where you're not invited) rush in the spring mainly for freshmen. I just really really really hate the idea of freshmen being able to avoid seeing all the possibilities.

All chapters have spring pledge classes, fraternities and sororities both. Spring classes are generally 3-7 or so. I hate the fact that freshmen aren't exposed to all possibilities either. Although, as Dee mentioned, we voted to give more structure to kickoff day. Each PNM will have to stay with their Rho Chi group and visit each chapter for 20 minutes only. If she doesn't want to visit a chapter in their set time frame, she can't go to another one she just has to sit outside and wait with her Rho Chi. I'm very happy about this.

Also, we have over 400 girls signed up last time I heard an update. It's very likely that there are more now. There are 45-50 girls in each Rho Chi group. Kickoff is Monday!

Every time we "PNMs" went out on the porch, I peeked over at your house to see if anybody was around...lol. Our women were talking about great it is to be living next to your chapter :) The house is gorgeous. Our new Fraternity Housing Corporation did a beautiful job with the furnishings and decor.

This makes me happy :)

They start tonight! I got several texts this afternoon saying "What should I wear?" and pictures through texts asking "Does this look alright?" One of the women has an obstacle but she's hoping she can work around it somehow. They sound excited and nervous!

Late classes and family emergencies are making it very difficult for my PNMs to get to events this week :( I don't know if this going to work out for them. They might need to COR or something later, we'll see.

All of my girls at this school have dropped out of recruitment. They went over the financial information carefully and decided they just can't afford it this semester. They may COR in the winter or go through next fall. They are all just reeling from all the initial costs of going away to school and need to build up their savings some.