One of the propsals currently under consideration would allow for alumnae initiates (approved, slated for- or have already been initiated) to discuss their journey/process, but would not allow the posting of those seeking more info. Those messages would be removed and the poster referred to the forum TOS/Info message.

I am not disrespecting anyone. Please don't put words in my mouth. These women can have the same conversations you have described in the Alumni Involvement section, Greek Life, or any of the other forums.

Saying that women who have joined through AI programs need their own separate forum to compare stories is like saying we need to have a forum just for women initiated into sororities in Rhode Island 1955-1983. Women who join through AI represent a very small (very valued) percentage of sorority members. Add to this the fact that not every AI in Greekdom is a GC poster. Thus it doesn't justify its own forum.

Certainly, no one is saying that a sister who joined through the AI program should not talk about it and share AFTER the fact with her sisters and other interested posters, but the existence of a forum called "Alumnae Initiation" has brought in a surplus of women openly seeking membership and the vast majority of our organizations aren't prepared for this volume of inquiry into these programs at this time. If and when they open it up to interest meetings and alumnae recruitment, having an AI forum on GC would be useful.

In the meantime, I would encourage sisters who joined through AI to share their stories after the fact-- but this would not require an entire forum. If it does, let's open forums for "Asians who join NPHC fraternities," "Jewish girls who join Christian GLOs," etc.

Women who join through AI are few. Once they join, they are our sisters. Some sisters who have joined through AI have expressed feeling left out or feeling that AI is a stigma. There's no need to segregate our sisters IRL on the internet. There are plenty of existing forums to discuss Greek Life and their membership experiences.

A part of me thinks it's nice for the PNAI to see the information, but on the other hand they might think the process is super duper easy, when in fact it isn't. The AI's on GC can vouch for that.

People are always going to want information, and I haven't read all 36 pages of this thread so I apologize in advance if I am repeating someone, but maybe the rules of the AI forum should be different than other forums.

I'm not sure how to phrase this so bear with me, like maybe have the thread where the sororities that do AI is listed but take from their official site (if their site says anything about AI). Then say "this is directly from XYZ's official website). Like ours talks about AI and encouraging "proactive recruitment" but then it states that for more information the MEMBER needs to go to the members only section. To me, which I'm probably looking at it differently than someone else might, that says "members are the ones who know the information about AI, the members are the ones who approach the PNAI". Does that make sense?


I also think this is a good idea.


Question, What is D9? I honestly don't know what this is but it was mentioned in like the first couple of pages of the thread.

The 9 NPHC organizations (all of whom have forums on GC).

The D is for Divine. :)

I really like this idea.

Thank you!

I like it too.

PT, I think while it's a good compromise, it still leaves everything out there.

For example, there will be people who still come around and read all the threads and then post something like I've mentioned before along the lines of "I've been reading all these threads for the past 3 months and now I'm finally going to post. I'm so excited that AI is an option because I didn't even know it existed before and I didn't rush in college and now I want to join my sorority home. I've contacted 10 NPC groups and will name them after the constellations in the sky" or whatever.

It still being there still drives that whole market-place which is not the intent of AI.

But if the "rules" are changed for the forum and the rules specifically state that you may not post your "story" until after you have received the invite or have been initiated, then the moderators would have it within their authority to delete the thread, correct?

Correct. The mods would PM that person and let them know to feel free to post in the GC forums, however information about their AI process should only be posted when and if they have been invited to join a particular group. Requests for information, etc. would be removed and posters would be directed to (inter)national offices.

I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, and I'm not suggesting that you intend to disrespect anyone. What I am saying is that although they could have the same conversations in all those other forums, they have said that they would like a forum for AI. They don't need their own forum, but they have one now and they'd like to keep it (from what I've read) --only minus the trainwreck. That's different from creating a forum for women initiated in Rhode Island in 1955 arbitrarily.
I also don't see how keeping the forum (without any PNAI discussion) at the request of several alumnae initiates is going to segregate or stigmatize them.

What does John have to say about your wanting to DENY a registered member the right to post, and not only that, but a member with a legitimate question/issue?

Secondly, although I would prefer to keep the forum, I don't support a filtered forum. If you're going to play all-knowing ,Omnipotent forum dictator, then we should not have a seperate forum for AI. GC will just have to welcome questions about/regarding AI on other forums, possibly a forum where you are not a moderator.

I don't really see how what PT is proposing is any different than how the D9 moderate their own forums.

If someone goes to their forum and asks membership questions, the OP is sent a message by the mod, the post is deleted, and that's the end of the story.

You don't see sorority shopping posts in their forums :)

And as far as I can tell, John doesn't have any issues with the way their forums are modded.

Even with the proposed solution, I don't see a need for the AI forum for the reasons stated already by so many others.

There really shouldn't be a "story" ... like adpiucf mentioned, there should not be a "Journey" or "road to AI". AI membership is extended, not inquired about.

Just to kind of add to what's already been said... if the forum is going to operate the way PT suggests *might* happen, there needs to be a crystal clear definition of what is OK to ask and what is not.

For example:

"What do I wear?" = good?

and I found this:

"My question is both of the e-mailed responses that I have got, say that I have to be sponsored....but how does this happen if you don't know someone who is already in?" = bad - this is the point of so many posters already.