Panhellenic Rules on Expansion
 

Is it true that the only way Panhellenic and/or individual sororities will allow another sorority to be expanded to a school that all sororities have to be at total? and/or at total for a certain amount of time as well?

Not true - in a perfect world that would happen because the new sorority wouldn't be a threat to other organizations. I know however, on my campus, we have 4 nationals and we're looking to bring another national to our campus.

I think that it depends on the individual campuses panhellenic. The college panhellenic has to vote to expand and they probably have their own guidelines and reasoning from place to place. I would think that if all chapters were a good bit under total and there was a struggling chapter or something, they probably wouldn't vote to expand. I don't really know that well, there are some experts around here though that will probably reply soon.:)

most panhels vote to expand when they think there are enough PNM to support a new group. while their isn't an official rule that all the existing chapters must be at total in order to allow a new chapter to form you must admit it wouldn't make a lot of sense to allow a new chapter to form if the existing chapters are having trouble gaining enough members.

It's been the talk on my campus for years about bringing back a national org that lost their charter in the 80's. The problem is that not all the groups are are total, and I don't think that anyone on my campus is willing to have expansion until numbers are a little higher.

however, you could also use expansion as a tool, which is what we're TRYING to do. all of our organizations have lower numbers (total is 55, our biggest chapter has 32) but our PNM numbers are also really low because of reputations that already exist among the chapters that are on campus, so our strategy is to bring in another national to gain more interest, so more people will go through formal and cob.

know what i mean?

I've known of Panhellenics to expand after working in vain to get one chapter up to snuff. You can only do so much, I suppose.

Yes, here at NCSU, we had 6 Panhellenic chapters and one just could not get up in numbers and they tried and tried for years. That chapter closed and DG was invited to colonize. Not sure why that one chapter wasn't having sucess, the girls were (are) very sweet. But DG recruited 85 girls right off the bat and quickly had their numbers in the 90's...after formal recruitment this year, we hope to be about even with the other groups...which average right now just at 100 members.

yea there is one sorority here on campus that never receives enough girls during rush and isn't at total ever. I won't go into details of the reason why they have this problem but it isn't really bad, just something they could most definately improve upon. PM me if you want to know. They are very sweet girls, just never at total or receive enough girls through recruitment.

For instance, our nm classes are typically around 30 and last recruitment they received 15. Prior to fall recruitment, when we had deferred rush, the nm classes were at 15, and they'd receive 7 or 8. It is so frustrating because they'd go out kicking and screaming if it was suggested we get another sorority or they were told to close. I understand the threat to close would make me want to fight it to the death, but who knows? A new sorority would make interest go up.

>>>A new sorority would make interest go up<<<

A new sorority at a school with one chapter struggling will mean the certain death of that chapter. While I agree with Carnation, there is only so much you can do to "shore up" a chapter that can't ever get to total or make quota, campus Panhellenics better make sure they have done all they can before they let that chapter fold. You are only as strong as your weakest chapter, someone WILL take their (last) place when they go. You can be sure it won't be the new kid on the block, either.

ok, i am hijacking this thread...but....what kinds of things have you seen panhel do to help a struggling chapter? what worked and what didn't work?

That is why I have a problem with PANHELL!

WAWA, well, the local Chapters do not have enuff members, whose faults is that??

Maybe the Campus is totally Anti-Greek as many!

Maybe the GDIs dont feel comfortable with the current Groups as act like jerks, or what ever!:(

Why not let the Chapters go on their own? Make or Break!!!

We lost ADTT, DR (Local) who had a chance to go PM9 They were stupid, and last was KD!

3 Soroitys on campus and 6 Fraternitys, BAH!

Since our Panhellenic still refuses to do snap bidding, the sorority that has had problems with numbers has to do COBing out the ying-yang. I mean I wish them the best.

BTW, I didn't start this thread to start any arguments on whether or not opening a new chapter of another sorority would be the death of the weaker sorority. Of course, it'd depend on the individual Greek community. My school has a strong Greek Life department. Actually, Greek Life is one of the strongest divisions of Student Life at my school. Whatever the situation your individual Greek Life is in would most definately influence your opinion of how a new sorority/fraternity would affect others.

I started this thread to ask a certain question about Panhellenic expansion, NOT to start an argument about it.

WOW, little Missy, the WHOLE Greek System is as stong as the Total Greek System! If it is week, then all will be week!

Get the Point! The more the merrier!:)

If the Greek System is not Stong on Campus, ergo then the weak will perish, Dah, The Greeks!

If Pan Hell would get of their collective Butts, maybe, it will help grow!

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Huh? From what I grasped from your post Mr. Earp, I think you might have missed the point of my post, but I have been known to be wrong. :) :confused: ;)

pinkyphimu-
To answer your question based on what I have been on my campus: Panhellenic Councils on campus need to realize that the great way to help a struggling chapter is to punish the other chapters for rush infractions throughout the year. You cannot let chapters get away with promising girls bids, bringing the PNMs to their houses to party 1st semester, buying them drinks at the bar, oh geez...the list can go on. Name a gross infraction and name it here.

Of course, this is all theoretical. I have *never* seen this go on at my campus. :rolleyes:

What does work? Supporting joint open rush parties for COB-ing, making sure that the struggling chapter is doing all they can do internally to stay open

Pinky,
Sometimes a campus Panhellenic will make a firm committment to help a struggling chapter by encouraging girls to COB with them, by helping to advertise their events and just "talking up" the chapter in general. I guess it is more of an attitude of working together than anything else - which can sometimes change people's perception of a chapter and stimulate some interest in it. There is a fine line, there. Sororities are competitive and they have to maintain their own membership as well. Doing everything possible to help a struggling chapter is better for the system as a whole in the long run. Of course, if it is something more than a "public perception" problem and the chapter has internal problems as well, there isn't much anyone - outside of their inter/national hdq. - can do for them.

>>>BTW, I didn't start this thread to start any arguments on whether or not opening a new chapter of another sorority would be the death of the weaker sorority. <<<

I didn't think that an argument HAD started. When you open a thread you are going to get varied opinions on the topic. That doesn't necessarily translate into argument. If what I posted was construed as argumentative, I deeply apologize.

I think I am just misunderstanding Tom Earp again! hehe I just can't follow him!

Basically, if some Soros. on campus are not to quota, then new ones cannot come on!

What I am saying, if there are more or new Soros coming there may be a heightened interest from the independent ladys on campus. They may not be joining as they do not like the current ones.

The real world of Greekdom is not like GC where all try to help each other.:)

This of course depends on the size of campus and the feelings about Greeks.

At my Alma Mater, it is a Greek Sysyem of 3 Soro and 6 Fraternitys. The Greek Advisor told me that is the way it works!

We tend to have a positive look on Greek Life here at my school by professors and administration. Our VP of Student Affairs is, in fact, a Greek himself. Many of the professors and administrators are Greeks themselves.

Within Greek Life itself, even though we don't have snap bidding, we do remain positive about other sororities and I tend to think it's not fake. I could be a little naive about it because I have no qualms about other sorority personalities. I want everyone to do well. So, I guess we have an ideal Greek system.

I think it also depends on the housing situation. It seems to me that campuses with large houses are much, much more reluctant to expand, since any decrease in numbers may hurt the current chapters' ability to fill and/or keep their house.

Re: Panhellenic Rules on Expansion
 

Thank you for asking this question scpiano. Things are a little sticky around here since we have only 2 NPC sororities on campus. Last year, 12 girls decided to start a local sorority. We've been wanting to expand for years, but neither NPC sorority was anywhere near total (total was 40, and both were at about 30, but have been as low as 17).

What we found was that when the new local began, interest in recruitment went up. Unfortunately, it turned out that everyone became interested in the two NPC sororities, and both are near total (both were at -1 total, but because of graduating seniors, obviously, both are lower). The new local is struggling, however.

We've been told that if both NPC sororities are at total for 1 year, the local can petition to become a colony of another NPC sorority. Unfortunately, though, I'm not sure they'll make it through this next year, because their numbers are still low and a lot of their girls are juniors and seniors. :( Which is a bummer, because in my opinion, we really need a third sorority (of any kind... local, NPC, whatever) in order to keep recruitment numbers up. When girls are only faced with 2 choices, they tend not to rush because of the lack of variety.