Lower Quotas This Year
 

I was wondering if anyone else noticed that quotas in general seem to be a LOT lower this year than in previous years? Since this is the first year many of us are using NPC's new system, does anyone think they are related?

I could see how the new system may result in many more women withdrawing during recruitment so overall quotas are lower. Though more chapters may be making quota, we seem to be taking in less total NMs than in previous years.

Maybe it's too early to tell. Just my observations on what happened at Cal and what a lot of other people seem to be mentioning about other schools this year.

UCF not only had a lower quota total but we also had a smaller number of women sign up for recruitment. I'm not sure of the reason although I think it has to do with the new online registration system and some of the problems the greek community had last year. On the brighter side, more houses made quota this year.

Quota is usually in the high 60s to low 70s and it was only 43 this year. That's a tiny pledge class for UCF standards!

Yep, UK's quota dropped by about 10 this year... our pledge class now is only 52 compared to my pledge class last year of 63.

I think it has more to do with fewer women signing up than with the new release figure method. Over the last several years, numbers have been declining at many universities - probably due to several factors. I can think of a few - more student organizations on campus, negative publicity for GLO's, little positive publicity from campus Panhellenics, "cut-throat" recruitment schools, 9/11 and I'm sure everyone could add something for their own part of the world that effected it.

What we really need to look at is not necessarily what quota was but what percentage (compared to previous years) are actually getting a bid.

I don't know how fully the school that I advise - Iowa State - is using the new method, however, this year only 7 chapters made quota, which is the same as last year. There are 13 chapters. That said, I don't think that's the reason for lower quotas.
Last year, 290 women signed up to participate in formal recruitment at ISU. This year, 231 women signed up to participate in formal recruitment. That's a pretty big drop. What I found to be strange was the amount of women that signed up for COB before formal had even occured - 64. Perhaps they're trying to save some $$. Participating in formal can cost about $225, plus you move in early, so if you have a summer job you'd have to quit that early. COB is free.

"this year only 7 chapters made quota, which is the same as last year. There are 13 chapters. That said, I don't think that's the reason for lower quotas.
Last year, 290 women signed up to participate in formal recruitment at ISU. This year, 231 women signed up to participate in formal recruitment. "


That seems strange that a fairly large state school would have so few in FR. I am surprised there are 13 chapters actually. If everyone stayed in FR with no drop outs that would make quota only 18!

I think quota was 16 acutally when all was said and done.

The UCF school newspaper just released a very unflattering article about the drop in numbers. As ZTAngel mentioned, until this year UCF was on a high, with PNM turnout getting larger and larger each year.

So it's leveling out at UCF... That's a sigh of relief for the chapters-- there's 11 of them bursting at the seams! I won't panic for the school until the number drops substantially.

Still if recruitment registrations are down across this board in the US/Canada, this is a good opportunity to examine how each NPC is relating to today's college women-- maybe take some time to reassess "who is the likely-joiner" and continue to build on programming that will be attractive to that likely-joiner, reinforce zero tolerance hazing policies, and work with administrations to create a friendly Greek climate on campus.

... I feel the recent hazing incidents that have made national news and GLO/Admin conflicts have caused some to shy away from pursuing membership. This could account for the drops in numbers, as well as the continuing trend of the non-traditional college student taking over the campuses (this isn't a bad thing; we just have to market to those students in a different way.)

ETA: The most immediate thing that chapters and CPC's can do is promote Greek Life everyday! In your words and actions, wear letters, be involved on campus, provide all-campus programming and events, get involved with student orientation, and continue to be exemplary campus leaders and scholars.

Recruitment numbers at the U of Iowa were down as well -- only 400 women went through this fall as opposed to 500-600 that tradtionally have gone through. There are 14 NPC chapters on campus; quota was 27 and I know not everyone made quota (though I don't know who did besides the chapter I advise).

I think the decline in numbers may have something to do with the overall decline in enrollment at both Iowa and Iowa State, though I don't think it can totally account for the sharp decline in numbers in both schools from the previous year.

Total at both schools needs to be revisited and adjusted.

At Oklahoma State I believe the new release figures did have something to do with the lower quota. We had 657 PNMs register for formal recruitment and 525 accepted bids. I believe that number of PNMs who withdrew was higher because of larger releases earlier. I discussed this with the Sorority Affairs office. They felt that many of the PNMs are would have declined their bids or depledged. I agree to a certain extent. I think that the way a lot of things are done is different since I "rushed" so you can't blame low quota on just the new release figures.

Since I'm alum now, I don't know a lot of the details about how recruitment is run. How well-informed were the PNMs before rush started about this new release system? Were they told clearly that the cuts would be bigger at the beginning and not to be discouraged? I am just wondering.

slight tangent:

Just from browsing several recent threads/comments, it sounds like the PNMs on some campuses are clamoring for COB. On those campuses, I hope the college Panhellenics evaluate their options and the best use of chapters' and members' energy, time, and money. While formal recruitment is a fun tradition, it may have outlived its usefulness at some schools.

I think this is one of many situations NPC had in mind as they revamped recruitment policies to allow for more local options. Not all campuses/student bodies are the same. Nor are inter/national officers in the best position to decide what works best for each campus.

Change is hard and uncomfortable but also exciting and often necessary. Good luck to everyone - these next few years are going to be exciting, challenging, and really important for the NPC system. Thanks to everyone at every level for your hard work!

St. Louis U's quotas actually went up. The range was 49-52. We also had the most girls ever go through recruitment. (331) They are thinking of bringing a new chapter to campus within the next 2 years. Currently there's ADPi, GPhiB, DG, KD, and SK, and we'd all appreciate smaller quotas.

Would smaller quotas allow more GLO expansion?

With that said, this may be the wheel still turning and now because of many things like higher schools cost that it is detering some from paying out the extra money?

The problem is, the extra cost is a lot more worth it than they think at the moment!

An interesting thing: quota at the U of MN was lower than it has been on average the past 12 years. It was lower than it has been every year for the past 4 years.

But the percentage of people signed up who also accepted bids was higher - significantly higher - than ever before. In addition, for the first time that I can remember, all groups took within 2 of quota (with adds). The one group that did not take quota missed by 1. That is absolutely amazing!

Finally, all groups are within 15 of total, instead of 5 (of 9) groups being at or above, and the other 4 being 20-30 below.

All this to say, the new release figures are a colossal pain to implement (imho), but are well worth the agony. Yes, I think the new method is directly related to lower quotas, but there are other things that are also related, and I believe that over the long haul the benefits are going to outweigh the detriments.

A note: the fee for going through formal recruitment at the U of MN was raised this year from $0 to $7.00. This was an effort to retain people between sign-ups and actual party dates, and it seems to have worked.

Don't know if you're replying to me specifically or not, but:

The smaller quotas would be a result of expansion on our campus. If we're going to have quotas around 50, which means an end total of 250, another chapter coming to campus means quotas of 42ish. Which is what it was like a few years ago. Greek life is not huge at SLU in general, and particularly not for girls. So the fact that numbers are going up is a very positive sign, and means that we can expand the system here.

I think that a lot of it in the big Southern schools is due to the new release figures. There are a lot of women who, upon being released by over half the chapters after first parties, drop out of rush immediately. There's only so much an ego can take...

Carnation -

While this may be true I would think you would have to also agree that it is also more humane (if that's the correct word) than dumping them just before pref. Neither is a wonderful option, more the lesser of two evils theory.

It's a "stigma" now, to not have a full or almost full invite list after the first round. Once that's no longer the norm I think we will find that fewer women drop out because they have fewer invites.

Of course that also begs for the standard GC party line about keeping an open mind and really looking at each chapter individually.

:)

K, L, M and N may be the interesting ones. They have to make moderate- level cuts. Are they still extending party invitations to PNMs who -- to be realistic and blunt -- are almost certainly NOT going to pref them -- the PNMs who are going to go A, B, or C? And by loading up their invitation lists with these no-real-chance-in-hell PNMs, are they then forced under the release requirements to cut perfectly desirable women?
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Yes, they are and I have seen this happen so much in the last 3-4 years.



Would more of the perfectly fine, but not super-spectacular, PNMs be inclined to stick with recruitment if they were getting invitations from six or seven chapters, even if A, B, and C cut them

I think so but again, we're seeing almost everybody going for the superstars. And it doesn't help when the sororities toss it off with, 'Oh well, there are kinks in the new system, we'll get it right some day." Hundreds of women have left recruitment just this year, no doubt--women who would've been fabulous members and will now hate Greeks--because the medium AND big sororities have dumped them by Day 2 because most of the sororities were aiming for the "best". We talk about PNMs not being realistic but neither are some sororities.

Just being honest. :(


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exlurker -- I was thinking along the same lines as you.

Obviously I didn't rush under this new system, but if I didn't get invited back to a full or almost full party list the second day of recruitment I'd be very turned off from the whole process. If I dropped out then wouldn't go back to any chapters and thus not get the chance to find a chapter that was right for me. It's much harder to tell people to keep an open mind when they are released from many places so early!

I'm sure there is a stigma right now that might die down over time regarding how many invites people normally get, but there will be some girls who do have a full list on the second day. And if I've already been released by what I thought were my favorite groups on the first day, why would I go back to any the second?

Argh. Not sure I'm making sense.

It's looking like quota will be the same as last year at UBC (Vancouver, Canada), but this actually isn't good news as we had fewer PNMs coming through than last year. Since we lost a chapter last year, if we were on target with registrations, our quota should have been nearly 20.

I wonder if part of the problem is campuses referring to rounds of rush as "ten party day" and "six party day." That's inevitably going to create the expectation that six parties is the goal, no matter what the Pi Chis say about the release figures system.

If this new system is going to work and not end up alienating more women that it ultimately places, NPC needs to provide campuses with a way of describing FR that manages the expectations of PNMs. If somehow PNMs are educated that day 1 is a "showcase" and that their choices are mostly likely going to be narrowed immediately afterwards it might help some of the shock and hurt (well, at least the shock). And I wholeheartedly agree, any descriptions like "10 party day" would have to go right away.

(My apologies in advance if this sounds condescending.)

I think that more and more, young people believe either you need to be the best at everything you do or you shouldn't even bother with it.

I mean, look at the traveling little league teams and things like that. It's like you can't play a sport anymore just for fun. You have to be hardcore in it or you're not wanted around. The same with band...I mean, my neighbor's kids do band and that's ALL they do.

That probably trickles down (up?) to things like sorority rush. Girls who have been super overachievers in HS figure if they can't be in the "top" sorority, there's no sense in being in one at all. And lots of times, their parents agree and promote this mindset, which I think is a terrible lesson to teach. You want the best for your child, but you have to tell them that sometimes yes, this is the best you're going to get.

I know a lot of this is because there are so many more people in this generation than say 10 or 20 years ago, therefore more competition, but where does it end? We can't have a whole society full of chiefs and no Indians.

I agree completely.

I think it's far, far more stressful to be a kid now than it was even 10 or 20 years ago.

I've spent a lot of time looking through old Wisconsin yearbooks, and I'm constantly surprised at the number of sororities that stuck around for years, even decades, even though they were less than 1/2 the size of the largest sororities. That would never happen today -- partly because HQs wouldn't allow it, but also because I don't think there would be enough girls interested in smaller groups to keep that many of them afloat.

No it wasnt!:) Just a General Question. I still am of the beleif that if there is a limited # of NPCs on campus and the PNMs arent comforatable with them, then they will not join.

But of course depending on the Size of the Greek Organizations and #s in the Chapters it does get over whelming to many of the Possible Newbies.


33girl, nope it isnt, but when things or oppotunities are limited then for me then there is a problem just at My Alma Mater with just 3.

I have never been a Proponent for super duper Large Houses.

So who in the Hell knows their fellow Members?

I think that this would be helpful as well. I think they should come up with a uniforrm name for each round. Right now there are Open House/Welcome Night or Day/IceWaterTeas etc all to descripe the same round. Now while I will say I think that at least Open House implies that it is a "showcase" type of thing, I can see how having all of these names could be confusing.

Of course if the PNM's would really read the recruitment info that the CPH sends out it would be helpful as well. Most of those say that the first round you get to visit all the chapters to see what greek life is like. Which is also why this round the chapters are asked to promote greek life as much or more than their chapters.

exlurker - I think that you are correct about the both the PNM and the chapter's being realistic in their selections.

This begs for two questions. How do you tell an 18 year old PNM (and this coming from a 19-21 yr old Rho Gam) that she's a great girl but just not quite good enough to get into XYZ, ABD or MNF. But if she would be realistic she could get a bid from the other 6 groups. And on the flip how do you tell an average chapter or a chapter that is struggling that they need to lower their standards (and I don't want to hear and quality vs quantity from anyone on this) and be realistic that they aren't going to get the really "good" girls.

Since the new RFM came out (and the explinations behind it) I have wondered how we can educate the women it effects - the PNM's. So my questions aren't meant to be snippy. I have tried to think of good (and tactful) answers for them but haven't come up with anything I thing would suffice.

I don't think struggling chapters are quite that stupid. I'm sure they look at some girls and say "OMG she's SO going to go [insert top sorority here]." I mean, yeah, sometimes you do just know. You're pleasantly surprised if she comes back to your party but even if you didn't say it out loud, you know she just isn't in your league. If chapters are blowing off girls because Miss Fresh Asparagus or whatever is rushing and they put all their attention on her, that's something the rush chair or advisor needs to tell them not to do.

And there are other times I've seen when a top groups were fighting over a woman and the not-top wanted nothing to do with her - either because a) she was rude to them or b) the top group only wants her for her looks or other similar reasons.

I think this must be a southern thing. I mean, I can't remember any girls that every single sorority was just like "We have to have her" except for maybe the feature twirler.

As far as how to educate the rushees - maybe just basic figures. Something like 50% of girls were dropped by half the chapters after the first night, but of those girls who stayed with it 95% got a bid and 90% of those girls are still active in their sorority. OK I just pulled that out of nowhere, but something along those lines. You always feel better knowing It's Not Just You.

Quota was down at West Virginia this year as well. My pledge class two years ago had 31 girls in it, and that's what it's been for awhile now. This year only 300 girls signed up for rush, and quota was lowered to 23 among 8 NPC sororities. Nobody really knows what happened or why girls weren't signing up, especially since we started something new this year called Meet the Greeks, which was just an event outside our student plaza where all the sororities and fraternities set up booths, 75% of every chapter had to attend, and the PNMs could come check it out. That had a pretty decent turnout, so I'm not sure what happened to our numbers this year.

In past years, recruitment numbers have been declining around the country. This was happening before the new RFM came out, so I don't think you can blame declining enrollment on the new RFM. Of course the reasons for the decline are different at every campus - but one of the biggest is that we are not reaching enough women in a positive manner and we are not reaching so people at all. PR on campus is usually non-existant or a case of too little too late.

We always were able to get plenty of women to sign up for recruitment, so our PH's aren't used to having to do PR. Now that there are so many other options for these women on campus to be leaders or find new friends, we see many that normally would have gone through recruitment, skipping it. Tri-Delta did a great article about it a year or so ago. It had an interview with an outstanding woman on campus that WASN'T greek and why she wasn't interested in being greek.

This is purely speculation on my part - so don't flame me, but perhaps at OU, recruitment had become too cut-throat. I think a new chapter will help this and I know that Alpha Phi is doing a lot of PR before they come on. Smart on their part no matter what since a chapter house there is a sizable investment. But, we saw this at UT when I was in the chapter. We went from recruitment of 1300 to 650 in about 5 years. Why, b/c it was so hard to get into any group. Women started going to other schools to go through recruitment. Many started with the intention of transfering to UT, but stayed b/c they found their place at the other school. Consequently, our numbers went way down (we still haven't gotten back to 1000 and it's been almost 10 years since we bottomed out). Other state school have gone up and stayed consistent. Pretty sad when you think about UT being the largest public university in the US out of 50,000+ students we can't field 1000 who want to be greek.

UGA's quota was lower this year because they actually waited to calculate quota based on the number of women who attend prefs (not the women who are invited)... this helps, since lots of gals at UGA may drop before prefs if they don't have the parties they want.

Quota at UGA has been in the low 60s since I was a freshman there... and it was 52 this year. However, 15/17 made quota this year (and the other 2 were close), whereas last year even a couple of "top" houses needed to scramble for a snap bid or two to reach quota. I'm not sure how the new system works, but it's working well at UGA!

According to my school's paper, the number's the same here as last year. I don't want to go into details because I'll get in trouble.

Was that me?
LoL
Silver

Quota at Ole Miss is up about 30 girls since I pledged.

It was around 55 in 98 when I went through rush. A few years ago Phi Mu took something like 97 girls!! This year quota was 84 and word is all but one took quota.

One reason for the increase in quota is we lost one group since I went through rush. I think it's high time to bring another group in because the houses are stuffed full. I'm still not sure where everybody fits for chapter meetings.

What was quota @ Ole Miss this year. I don't even know. My cousin is still there. I talked to her breifly yesterday and all I know is that Phi Mu was doing really well. Other than that I don't have a clue.

I don't know how my alma mater will do this year (they have a very deferred recruitment) but at UCLA, where I advise, quota was up. Last year it was 22 or 23 and this year it was 31. I do think it might be due more to other changes in in the recruitment structure, but then again I don't think they lost too many girls through the process either.