NPC recommends a couple different ways to calculate Total for a campus. Average Chapter Size is one. Highest chapter size is another. I don't recall the other 2 or 3 offhand. They are also currently recommending that this be reviewed annually. Chapters may *always* take quota, even if it puts them over Chapter Total. While I would encourage a discussion with the NPC Area Advisor that oversees your campus, 35 seems fine to me for your campus. If recruitment numbers are high next year and everybody gets to 35, bump it up again.

I'm going to go off topic a bit, but...

In terms of National organizations, each sorority is different. While ours would obviously like us to do well with recruitment, as far as I can tell, AST chapters are generally very small. For as long as I’ve been a member, we’ve never received major pressure to get our numbers up. One chapter, on the other hand, from what I’ve observed, receives a lot of pressure from the higher-ups, but they’re the largest chapter. The third chapter, they want to be closer to total if for no other reason than to lower their dues. They are required to pay dues as if their chapter was at total. So even if they have 25 members, they have to pay as if there are 40.

But basically, the national organizations’ opinions don’t really matter (don’t take that too literally!). And this whole situation in itself makes things extremely difficult when discussions regarding total have come up.

Ok, back to the topic at hand...

I don't know if you were just saying this in general, or if you were actually applying it to our situation (and I don't know if I've mentioned this here yet), but we don't have a total/quota system. We have COB year-round and we can only bid to total.

anyone..? :D

I think lowering your total to 35 would be good. You guys are used to smaller pledge classes, and from what you've been saying your greek advisor would like your campus to start thinking about partially structured recruitment - basically working together more on your recruitment.

Don't quote me on that, though, because I haven't talked to her about it.

Ultimately, it's going to help your smaller chapter, your chapter will probably be in a similar position, and it's not necessarily going to hurt your largest chapter. They're graduating three, but how many a potential transfers/inactives/etc. I'm pretty sure with that GLO they can have "senior status" or "early alum" or at least that's what they did on my campus. They shouldn't encourage members to do that, but I don't think being at total will hurt them.

I don't think being at total will hurt them, either. It would, however, not be great for them to only be able to gain 3 new members total for Fall 09 and Spring 10.

And I'm not saying this is a reason to not lower total, but... I think that if it was lowered, it might create some hostility from the larger chapter. I'm not saying that they're "big and mean" or anything, but if the other two sororities vote to lower total, I can see them thinking that we want to limit their recruiting so that the smaller chapters can gain more members and play some catch up. If the chapters were always up and down in terms of who was on top in the numbers game, then it might not be that big of a problem. But they've always tried to increase total (why, I'm not really sure) and another chapter has always tried to lower it. We've basically been stuck in the middle because our numbers were so low that we basically "didn't care".

Again arises the problem of trying to make everyone think "go Greek" instead of "join ABC" and "join XYZ"

Well if they can't take any members then maybe they'll be forced to think "Go Greek" more than "Join ABC."

Hopefully.

The other part of this puzzle is that your NPC Area Advisor will also make a recommendation to the FSA about what she thinks. The NPC Delegates of the three groups will also let their chapter know what they think. So it may be out of the chapter's hands so to speak.

Some groups require that their chapter follows their recommendations while other groups give a recommendation and let the chapter vote how they would like.

In the MOI page MR 13 gives you a whole slew of questions that should be answered as part of the total review along with recommendations of how to make the decision. It is a process - that is for sure! :)

I definitely think that having a more structured form of recruitment in the spring would be better. However, that could be a long process to establish. Many people here don't even know what a structured recruitment system is. I know a lot about it from coming here, from reading recruitment rules and guidelines from other campuses, and from my friends who are Greek are other schools. However, you mention release figures, recruitment counselors, and quota to the sisters here and it goes right over their heads. I think the problem is that no one is educated about what the GA is trying to do... hence the reason why people get so upset.

The suggestion to move total from 40 to 30 last semester was a big jump, especially before our larger recruitment period. But from 40 to 35 now doesn't seem so crazy. I think a major problem will be getting all of the chapters to understand the logic behind it.

Usually totals are lowered or raised based on past performance. Since none of your groups have NOT been at total for the last 7 years I think it makes sense. 10 is usually the number I have seen it raised by. It shouldn't make any difference to any of the Chapters.