>>>recruitment numbers have NOT been affected by the TV show.<<<

I don't think that any ONE thing affects recruitment numbers. Someone pointed out that economics has a lot to do with it, especially at schools where the students are more non-traditional and many work to pay their own expenses. There are dozens of reasons why women decide against recruitment, and I was pointing out that Sorority Life is one of them (certainly not the only one). I can't point to any one campus and say that their numbers are down because the PNM's got a bad impression of sorority life from Sorority Life, but certainly, it has made an impression on some that is not favorable.

I go to FIU in Miami and I find this EXTREMELY odd.....


in the past few years (well since ive been a sister fall 2000) we have gradually increased numbers every year!

This year (bid day was sunday) we had 450 girls sign up, after innitial drops for grades and people just dropping the 1st night around 2 hundred something (sorry dont know the exact numbers) went through. Quota was set at 40.

EVERY organization with the exception of AOPi made quota this year which is GREAT!!!

Tri Sigma who hasn't met quota in a few years has made quota this year,


AOPi is a new organization...they were a colony when i rushed fall 2000 and did not go through formal recruitment until 2001. for the past 2 years they took very low numbers such as 17 girls...18 girls...etc..but this was in an effort to build their chapter....this year they did AMAZING!!! they doubled their organization and all the org's on campus are extremely proud of them..they did great! a great group of girls...I am not sure of exact numbers will have to contact my old roomie (she was an AOPi) but from what I heard they came to about 30something..which is still very close

anyways back to the situation at hand....

we have a VERY strong greek campus.... with 10 fraternities, 6 sororities and 2 locals, and 9 NPHC org's.
our campus is RUN by greeks...we are ALSO a LARGE commuter school

the school is little by little moving towards being "less" commuter with more housing and the addition of fraternity houses. (FIJI house has been up and running for a year already )-with all the rest in planning...the plots for 4 are already marked off and ready for ground breaking

our greek advisor is GREAT and the majority of faculty and staff have come to see greek life as a great step towards a more university like setting and less like a community school setting where people just go to learn and go home...students here are spending more and more time on campus and attending events.

ALSO....I think a big way that greek life gains more momentum is through freshman orientation....at our freshman orientation greek life presents a skit and a presentation just like any other group or department on campus...its usually fun interactive and has every org. represented in the skit.
AND everyday during the first week of school the panhellenic council is in the student union complete with rho gammas all promoting greek life... they have banners with pics of each organization and they do their best to promote and get girls to sign up.

Granted....this years numbers were slightly less than last year...BUT quota was still high....

***I notice that 3 of the organizations that are on your campus are ALSO on FIU's campus......I would suggest contacting them to see what advice they can give on how things are done here...we have DPhiE, Phi Sigma, AXiD, (those are on your campus) and Phi Mu, AOPi, and Tri Sigma

if there is any other information I can give you let me know :) maybe there is something to learn from each other....
PM me if you have any questions :D

GOOD LUCK!!!

Low rush numbers is definitely something I understand. When I was an undergrad, my 35,000 student University had only 7 sororities, total was 100, and only approximately 3 chapters were at total. One was really far below (and ultimately lost their charter), and the other 3 varied, but were about 50-80 women. We didnt understand how such a large university could have such low rush numbers. I think my junior year, there were 150 PNM for formal rush, but bunch "dropped" (and somehow were wearing pledge pins the next week! but we wont go there) and quota was NINE. Which only 2 chapters even got. Some chapters would wind up with about 30 new members, so the other 21 came from somewhere... Needless to say, my school is a huge COB school. My chapter was a COB chapter, I was COB chair for two years, and my job was more work than VP Recruitment!

It must be something about my school, which totally hated Greek life, being up North, and being an extremely diverse, liberal campus that contributed to it. Most women on campus never would think of joining a sorority. And when the school doesnt promote it, and every chapter hates each other, you get dischord. Throw in negative feedback from the media...

im just worried for my chapter. They have a COB tonight, I hope they did well! Informal Recruitment starts next week.
-Rissa