Hijack.

That is a GREAT story. Reminds me of "our" Mom when I was an Undergrad.

She was amazing -- and taught us a lot.

One of the first things I remember as a pledge -- actually during rush -- was this group of otherwise typical rowdy fraternity guys standing respectfully at dinner until the chaper or pledge president ushered Mom to her seat.

Quite a woman.

I would love to be a house mom...maybe i'll look into that when my fiance and i get settled and all....

Thank you aabby757 for sharing this information, because I feel it is pertinent to this discussion. Although I still do not agree with the premise of SARFs coming in and participating in programming and helping to set membership goals, it becomes clear that many of these organizations at UMD do need some sort of guidance that they are not getting from their national offices for whatever reason. My viewpoint of the SARFs, as a member of a successful and fairly self-sufficient chapter, is quite negative because I cannot imagine a circumstance where my chapter would need guidance from that sort of person. However, in light of this information, I would say that it's pretty good that the University is trying to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING to save Greek Life. If this is what it takes, if this is the best option, then maybe it's a good fit for them. All I know is that it would NOT be a good fit for me.

dznat, in all of your examples, you are the one SEEKING information from other organizations and individuals. No one at UIFI is going to tell you how to recruit unless you ASK them for their opinion. When there is someone living in your house, who is being told to help your chapter in the ways listed in their job description, I am sure that the SARF opinion and agenda would be expressed, solicited or UNsolicited.

To be fair, as I read it, the job description does not say the SARF will participate in membership decisions, but rather potentially help set membership goals.

That implies numbers to me -- not who would be recruited, initiated, etc.

That seems to me to be a major difference.

True. I meant membership decisions as encompassing all of that, but you are right that it implies that the SARFs will have a say in selection. I'll edit :)

Don't wanna be a hijacker, but since I graduated from UMD 3 years ago, and still stay relatively abreast w/ campus comings and goings, I feel like I might have some insight!

Firstly, UMD greek system is NOT in the state the aaby makes it seem like...........here are the fraternities she listed that left in the past few years:

Sigma Chi-yes-they were great when I first came on campus but in the space of approximately 1 1/2 years, they went from one of the biggest names on campus to having something like 15 brothers. They left due to numbers, risk management issues, and basically that their house was an inch away from being condemned and they didn't have the $ to fix all the problems (would've been cheaper to bulldoze and rebuild)

SAE-again, were kicked off basically due to horrible risk management issues, but that had been going on a long time, way before the death of Alex Kolchkoff (happened my Sr year) SAE also lost a lot of noteriety over my years as MD going again from a top house to approx 20-30 members

Phi Sig Kap-basically kicked off due to the hazing death of one of their new members-they were VERY small when they were kicked off-no more than 20 members

Pi Kappa Phi-kicked off for risk management-a medium sized house, but a long time coming-I think they were maybe kicked off about 2 yrs ago? they were cleaned house on my first semester sophomore year and never learned from it

The year before my freshman year, Sig Ep was also kicked off for horrible risk management issues and they WERE a top house....they did recolonize my sr year....which brings me to my next point.....

We gained a TON of orgs who have so far really been thriving!
Lets see.....Delta Chi came on maybe a year or two before my frosh year, lambda chi in '97 or '98, who now is probably near the top house at UMD, AEPi-who I think still needs a house in I think Spring '99, a mid size group, ATO by freshman year, who has DRY house, but is again one of the top groups, Sig Ep my senior year, who I think is probably a mid size house, and Chi Phi who just recently came on. As for sororities, we did lose Gamma Phi Beta in Spring '00, but it was at least 5 years before that we lost a sorority-no new sororites since then, but the sorority system and the fraternity system are like apples and oranges

With all that said.......I am not thrilled about this SARF idea....Firstly, I don't know where in the houses they plan on putting these people, unless they are going to boot the house directors already in place, b/c I know that on frat row, there are suites for the house directors, but precious little else space. I know that our current house director is an employee of the university and she is THE most laid back ever.

My main concern seems to be that over the years, the UNiversity has come up with SO many ways to try to wrest control of our orgs from our National Boards and to themselves, which I think is ridiculous....that and that admin really would rather see the greek system go the way of the dinosaur but can't b/c the major money donating alum were Greek and they would lose their funding.....just more ways to make being Greek less fun!