I'm not disagreeing with anything you wrote, but how would it infringe on ritual and membership selection to disallow them to have their dance parties... or else? I'm not suggesting that can't have their private decisions remain private, but what they do IN FRONT of a PNM and how they engage with her can be regulated by Panhellenic. Where in the recruitment booklet does it say that at some houses some of you will be required to get up and dance? Do PNMs know and expect this coming in? This just seems like they are throwing a giant middle finger to the recruitment process as a whole. There are plenty of chapters with outstanding return rates that aren't behaving in such a manner, I guess I wonder why they feel the need to belittle everyone else they aren't pursuing? Do they think it adds to their aura of exclusiveness?

Frankly I am tired of the dogpile and the cannibalizing. I suggest that those of you who are so inclined spread the word among future PNMs to just stand stock still if the music starts and people are flailing around. OR, they could all clap their hands over their ears, with a horrified expression, eyes bugged out, and drop to the ground en masse, clutching their chests. OR they can imitate Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1978 remake). That would be my move, personally. Scares me to death when I see him stretch out his arm, point, and emit that horrifying screech. Gah!

OK?

Yep, she wrote disallow them from participating in rush. That is exactly what I'm suggesting. How does that infringe on ritual if they've been warned, fined and told not to do something? Sounds like fining them is pretty much ineffective at this point and people are content with them allowing them to be bullies.

Because when Panhellenic starts saying "you may not do x, y, or z during a rush party" they do not know what groups may have in their policies or in their rituals (for some groups, pref party is standardized and part of ritual). When you start prohibiting behaviors, it's a very slippery slope.

Panhellenic is doing all they can and should do.

Considering a middle aged woman in Leawood Kansas who has never had any connection with UT knows which chapter and how this works, I can't imagine a Texas rushee doesn't know. But just in case, I think if I were part of an alumnae panhellenic in Texas, I would counsel rushees that it is real and give them some coping techniques. Clearly neither the national or the college panhellenic have any power over the situation so dealing with it at the rushee level is the next best option.

Here's the language from the Manual of Information (aka Green Book) on sanctions:

5. Sanctions
A. Appropriate Sanctions. Each College Panhellenic shall strive to achieve a fair and reasonable
resolution for infractions. Sanctions should fit the nature and degree of the offense.
• Monetary fines shall be acceptable only for a measurable offense of the Panhellenic’s
governing documents or stated membership recruitment rules.
• The amounts of monetary fines shall be predetermined by a vote of the College Panhellenic
Council and stated in the Panhellenic standing rules and/or membership recruitment rules
prior to the beginning of recruitment.
• Examples of reasons for monetary fines may be limited to the following:
o Late recruitment event invitation lists
o Recruitment events that exceed designated event times
o Prohibited postings on social media outlets
o Required chapter attendance at Panhellenic-sponsored events
Sanctions shall not:
• Forbid formal or informal recruitment activities or the observance of an inter/national
fraternity event such as an educational program, ritual ceremony or historical celebration.
• Affect a fraternity chapter’s quota or total.
• Affect the time of new member acceptance and/or initiation.
• Forbid the right of an NPC fraternity to vote in College Panhellenic meetings.
• Include removal from the College Panhellenic.

It seems to me that the CPC doesn't have the authority to restrict a chapter's participation in formal recruitment as a punishment.

SO glad to hear that your daughter pledged a house that she liked from the beginning. Congratulations to her!

Thank you for clarifying.

It is sad that a national organization has allowed this practice to continue. It shouldn't take a PR event to put a stop to this kind of behavior.

All you Greek Chaters are wasting your time expressing your outrage over the dance party on this website. Contact someone who can actually do something about it, like the president of UT, and don't claim he is powerless to stop it.
William Powers, JR.
president@po.utexas.edu

And what exactly do you think he personally has the power to do about it? If college presidents could do what they wanted about rogue chapters it would be a FAR different Greek scene on MANY campuses. A PNM could file a report alleging emotional injury with the Office of the Dean of Students (http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/complaint.php) The Dean of Students would be more likely able to have some influence, but against all those deep-pocketed alumnae and their husbands? Naw. It's going to take their IHQ stepping in to do anything.

Or NPC involvement.
Actually, this can be considered hazing -- and it's not hazing your members, but the women you are making sure will NOT be your members.

You all seem to forget that GLOs are guests of the university. I would hate to be the President of the chapter and be called into the UT Presidents office and be told that the actions of the chapter were bringing the reputation of UT into disrepute and unless it was stopped there would be (unmentioned) consequences.

We are very much aware of the relationship between GLOs and the University. Many of us here are also very much aware of how the Greek system at UT works, and what the president can and cannot threaten. Basically, the scenario you have laid out is NOT how it works.

But I'll tell you what - prove me wrong. Write the president, and let me know how that goes.

You also presume that the University President would give a sh*t.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"
Edmund Burke