Wait. So they aren't telling PNMs which chapters are actually giving out bids? So it's "sign up for recruitment and maybe some chapters will invite you to some events and maybe you'll get a bid?"

THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA.

It's like, "Hey, hi there! Join a house and make a HUGE FINANCIAL DECISION THAT WILL COST YOU OR YOUR PARENTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS without all the facts!"

I typically try not to naysay on the southern schools since admittedly I 1. Joined through informal and 2. Went to a small northern school with small northern chapters, but I think this is seriously messed up.

No offense to UF, but I just don't get how not telling PNMs who is and is not planning on extending a bid PRIOR to the event is a good idea.

It's a mis-guided attempt by the CPH or the GA to help the smaller chapters avoid the stigma of having to take a spring class.

I don't see how it's going to help, honestly.

I really wish it was the way it was last year, where only the chapters who could extend bids participated in Spring Recruitment. Their trying something new, so we'll see how it goes tonight!

Because nothing removes a stigma like a message that says: "Spring rush is so shameful that we won't even tell you who's participating."

Nothing except "we have to use the good chapters to pull a bait-and-switch on the PNM's".

Because I know that there are PNM's reading this thread, please remember that UF has a fabulous Greek system, and you can have a great experience in any chapter. Taking a spring class means nothing, except that they have fewer women than the other chapters at this exact point in time.

hey! So i just finished the spring recruitment, and it was a really good experience, but I decided that even though i would love to join any of the sororities that were giving bids for spring, I want to wait until fall and have a chance to really decide what is right for me and not jump into it just for the idea of being in a sorority.

I'm definitely going to wait and see if a sorority contacts me in the next couple of days, so that should be exciting.

Really happy how things went today.



~Does anyone know what the chances are for sophomores to get a bid in fall?

Helpful thread regarding rushing at UF as a soph:
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=92886

I don't think anyone is forcing anyone however, all NPC groups on all campuses need to remember we have an agreement on our campuses to be at chapter total. Therefore, if a chapter is 1 or 50 under total that chapter needs to remember the agreement with the local Panhellenic to reach chapter total and maintain.

I actually like the idea of all 16 sororities presenting. I think it could lead on PNMs but at the same time it doesn't "single out" the chapters who are below total. At a University like UF where Spring Recruitment probably has a stigma it is nice to see the Panhellenic even organizing anything. I can tell you at Ole Miss it is so hush hush I couldn't tell you what the Panhellenic does to help chapters reach total when formal recruitment is over. Props to UF Panhellenic.

I'm confused. You have decided not to join, but you are waiting to see who contacts you?

Honestly, the chapters that are bidding now will be the same ones that are likely to bid a sophomore next fall. Don't pledge a chapter if you aren't sure, but if someone contacts you and invites you to dinner or something, you should consider going.

this. of course, it is your choice, but you could be enjoying a spring semester full of fun and sisterhood, if you are offered a bid.

If that is true, then how does SDT stay at Bama and other schools where they don't do FR and have pretty much said "we don't care if we reach chapter total"? They're still an NPC sorority and still a member of the campus Panhellenic.

Unless Panhellenic enforces this in some way, I don't see the point of having such an agreement. Plus it seems to be treading into MS territory.

I can't speak for SDT at Bama since I'm not an SDT. But I don't know why a campus Panhellenic would set a chapter total if they didn't want all groups on their campus to reach chapter total. I don't think it treads into MS territory at all. I just think whether you have 1 or 50 open spots the chapter should be actively trying to find new members who meet their membership requirements. (I don't know of any campus Panhellenic who dictates what those membership requirements are.) I'm not saying to go out and give bids to every female on campus. I guess working as a regional recruitment volunteer I have witnessed chapters (AOII & other NPC groups) who just don't understand the importance of reaching chapter total. I don't think college aged women see the bigger picture that reaching chapter total has its advantages and long term benefits for a chapter. Obviously there are exceptions to this but I commend UF Panhellenic for helping those chapters with open spots.

Yeah, but I'm saying if Panhellenic (local or national) does nothing to enforce the agreement you cited, it's dumb to have such an agreement on the books in the first place.

SDT info: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=93605

A campus Panhellenic most likely sets a chapter total because their national HQs and NPC tell them they have to. :) I'm sure there are some schools who think the whole idea of telling a group that their "optimum membership" is X amount of members (low side or high side) is ridiculous.

I don't think anyone debates that the intention is great in how UF Panhel did this - whether the execution and resolution were/are also great, well, the jury's still out on that.