quota question
 

I may be mathematically challenged because I have trouble figuring this out. If quota = number of members going to preference parties divided by number of chapters, then the only way you could get everyone at quota would be to have no one drop out after preference. (Otherwise you end up with one person short.) It also assumes no one manages to get cross cut and all ISPs get the chapter they suicided.

And then I fail to see how some chapters could exceed quota when every chapter makes quota. Where do the extra members come from? Is it all snap bidding of people who did not attend preference parties?

It must be foggy here....

One of your problems is that you are assuming that the same number of PNMs attend each group for preference.

three to 4 times quota might be invited to prefs. girls are not attending the same pref parties-providing there are more than three chapters on campus. susie might be attending prefs. at abc, def, and ghi while sally is attending parties at ghi, jkl and mno, and someone else is attending prefs at two other chapters, because she only had invitations to two.

The RFM invitation/quota formula isn't as simple as the OP suggests. That's merely an easy nutshell used to explain how it works. In reality it includes many variables, including the historical average of PNMs that voluntarily withdraw after Pref.

Plus when determining the number each chapter can invite to Pref, Panhellenics are still working with a quota range and not a set in stone quota number yet. When bid matching occurs different possible quota numbers within that range are plugged into the formula. The final number is selected when as many PNMs as possible are placed with as many chapters as possible achieve quota.

Thanks - I thought it couldnt be as easy as number of pnms attending preference divided by number of chapters. Yet I did not think it could be number of invitations issued to preference either because if each pnm went to three parties no chapter (or almost no one) would would be able to achieve quota. The variable approach, while less predictable to an outsider than a simple division problem, makes more sense.

If you attend two pref parties is it possible to be matched to your second choice if your first choice hasn't reached quota?

If the matching is done correctly .. no .. you will be continued to be checked against your first choice until there is no possibility (ie they reach quota) that you can match to your first choice.

Or if the chapter decided to drop you

I've seen chapters who made waaay past quota, yet they still do COB in the spring. I thought COB was for chapters who didn't make quota. Am I misunderstanding something?

COB is for chapters who are not at Chapter Total. Chapter Total is a maximum number of members that a chapter can have. The only exception to Total is if taking Quota puts a chapter over Total. All chapters are allowed to take at least Quota and up to Total.

Is every chapter required to be at chapter total (thus do COB to meet that total), or is this a decision made by the chapter?

average chapter size
 

Where does average chapter size fit in? There have been some comments on the threads regarding new colonies that allow bids up to average chapter size even if over total. Does that apply for existing chapters that might be at total if they are significantly below average chapter size?

I guess I'm curious how often that happens- that so many of the chapters are so far over total, except for one or two, and that this continues for YEARS. (I'll be honest, Alabama comes to mind).
Is total not changed in a situation like that because College Panhellenics has not voted for it to be different? It just seems silly to me, for total to be so much lower than average chapter size (when chapters can go over total when getting quota anyway), why is quota not lowered (and, for instance, expansion looked into)? Do you understand what I'm asking? The big chapters will still get to be big, since they can go over total when getting quota, and the smaller chapters will not be as much below total- which I think would be particularly helpful for any new colonization(s).

For a long time most campuses didn't tinker much with Chapter Total. It was what it was and that was that. NPC realized that times were changing. While some campuses were experiencing rampant growth, on others Greek numbers were dwindling. NPC needed to change many of its long standing policies/views too. NPC policy used to be that Chapter Total could not be changed +/- by more than 5 in any year. They did away with that. This allows Total to be adjusted quickly in a changing environment. Campuses are now encouraged, if not required, to review Chapter Total at least yearly.

The definition of how Chapter Total was calculated changed too. Average chapter size now includes both the familiar mean average (total Panhellenic members/# of chapters) and now the median (middle) average. This is important on a campus where 1 or 2 sororities are significantly smaller for whatever reason. For example, at Bama back then SDT had 10-15 members while most other chapters had 150+. This dramatically pulled the mean average down keeping Chapter Total artificially low. The median average is a far more accurate representation.

Let me back up a bit. At Bama, a few years ago the University began a major growth plan to increase the total student population. With the student population growing so did the number wanting to go Greek. Over the last few years total PNMs has increased by about 100+ each year. This means ever larger Quotas, thus larger chapters. Chapter Total has been increased from 125 to 140, then to 150, and 2 years ago to 180.

Back to NPC. Then came the major NPC Recruitment changes including the adoption of the Release Figure Method which was designed to (hopefully) place more PNMs in chapters. Large Greek campuses were/are also strongly encouraged to consider expansion. But expansion doesn't happen overnight. It can take years.

First, a campus needs several years of growth plus evidence it will continue for the Univ Admin and Panhellenic to decide expansion is necessary. Something else to keep in mind, at Bama it was strongly felt that for any new sorority to be successful they needed a comparable chapter house. So the University needed to find a location and incorporate it into the the campus' long term building plan. Remember we're talking not only about an available site (which on any campus is difficult), but also roads, sewers, water lines, parking, traffic flow, etc. This means surveys, architects, engineers, city planners, etc, then taking it all to the Board of Trustees. This delayed Bama's expansion even though the need was evident.

Second, NPC groups not on campus are contacted to see who is interested. In general every group would love to be on every campus. But when it comes to (re)colonizing they have to look realistically at their goals and resources. What's their long term growth plan? Will they be successful at that particular campus? How many other (re)colonization efforts do they already have going on? How expensive will it be? (Building a house is big bucks.) How much local alum/collegian support is in the area? Etc.

Third, interested NPC groups inform the Univ. If necessary the field is narrowed to a few. Invitations to make a presentation are extended and finally Panhellenic selects the group(s). All this takes time.

Some more things to think about in regards to Bama. As I said 2 years ago Chapter Total was increased to 180. This year Alpha Phi's recolonization had an amazing response with over 210 new members. After Formal Recruitment the typical chapter size is around 210-220, some even larger. DG re-colonizes in 2010. Another thing, the Univ still plans on increasing the student population even more. Will Bama's Chapter Total need to be increased yet again? Could it be necessary to expand again? (For the record, those are strictly my wonderings. There are NO rumors of either happening at this point in time.)