I think this may be a function of region more than a function of size. The tiers at Illinois change about as often as people graduate.

Just my 2 cents on how PH did spring recruitment this year... I hate it, just like everyone else I know does. I think it's stupid. It's disrespectful to the chapters that participate in spring recruitment and unfair to the chapters that don't. I understand that there is a stigma attached to spring rush, but this was in no way the best way to deal with it. Quite honestly, I'm shocked that they honestly ever thought this was a good idea. I'm disgusted by the fact that they didn't fully inform PNMs of who was able to give out bids. I'm just very frustrated with the whole thing.

As for smaller chapters folding, UF's greek system is pretty secure in terms of numbers. We had a house go under a while back (I believe it was Alpha Xi Delta). Even with the less than spectacular economy in recent years, chapters have been pretty strong. Numbers have dropped a bit, and a few more chapters have been participating in spring recruitment because of it, but most chapters are still pretty close to quota. Last I checked our quota was in the 160s. The last numbers I saw listed one house as having 142 members, with the next closest being in the 150s. While that chapter is obviously smaller than the rest, they usually do spring recruitment and make up the difference. Though there are the historically smaller houses on our campus, those are the ones that usually participate in spring recruitment to raise their numbers and get some great new members. I would be really, really surprised to see a chapter at UF close in the next few years.

Do you have any idea if any houses were able to take members?

I believe an earlier poster said six houses could take members.

You mean total not quota. :)

So in other words, 142 is your smallest chapter? Someone said on this thread that total was 161. Are there a lot of groups that are over total? That's when you kind of get in trouble - when the large groups keep taking quota in formal rush and going over total and the smaller chapters never catch up during the "off season."

^^^ Yes ^^^
When many chapters are significantly over quota and a few barely manage to make it or consistently hover below it, people notice. Plus the smaller chapters are bound to only bid up to quota during informal and COR so there's no effective way to catch up unless they have a spectacular formal recruitment with lots of QAs and the other chapters get few or none.

But aren't there some campuses that allow chapters to COB up to average chapter size? This prevents large chapters from continuing to get larger by always taking quota & remaining over total, and the smaller chapters from continuing to decline by only taking quota but never catching up. In some cases for these chapters, only reaching total still leaves them woefully behind the larger chapters.

Didn't Bama allow chapters to bid up to average chapter size in recent years? I think it may have been related to expansion, but sounds like a good idea to even things out even when expansion isn't on the table. On campuses where the discrepency is obvious, it would help the whole system.

Gotcha. That makes more sense. I couldn't understand why chapters that size would be wringing their hands over an 18 member discrepancy.

The only times I'm familiar with this happening is in preparation for a new chapter colonizing on a campus.

And it's probably time to address total. I'm not sure why some campuses hold onto a fixed number as though it's holy writ. If chapter total is effectively something like 180, either change it or add a chapter. If the smaller houses can't ever catch up because they're only allowed to COB to the official total, that blows, because only being off by 10 or 20 in chapters of this size wouldn't really be noticeable in a crowd, but 40 or 50 would be. Of course, they could always bring Alpha Xi back and ease up some of the pressure. I vote for that option!

Does anyone know if the spring recruitment houses are still calling people?

~I'm pretty discouraged right now. :(

yeah, its suppose to end this Wednesday, I think.

If I'm butting in, feel free to tell me (like that wouldn't happen).

Do national offices really get that upset at big schools if a group is 20-30 under total? I'm talking if total is 160 and ABC is at 140 members. I can see nationals getting worried if it's a smaller campus and total is 75 and their local chapter is at 40-50 (where it's more noticeable).

Do people really get that petty with gossip? "OMG, everyone else has 170, but Beta Chi only has 140."