What does your GLO/chapter do about 5 year+ seniors?
 

In my chapter, everyone "graduates" from the sorority (becomes an alumna) after their 4th year as an undergrad, regardless of if their actually graduating or how many years they've been affiliated (e.g., if you joined as a junior, you'd still become an alumna after what would be your senior year, regardless of whether you were graduating or not). I'm actually not sure whether this is chapter or national policy.

I'd be curious to hear what you all do. :)

Well, you can petition to go alumni after your fourth year of being in the Fraternity, but there's one alumnus of our chapter who has a lot of influence now that always shoots that down. Most people at my school end up here 5-6 years anyway, so it's not like actives in their 5th year is weird at all.

Why do anything at all?
 

I'm curious as to why anything should be done at all. I don't understand why a brother or sister who is in the fifth and final year of achieving a double degree in Physics and Mathematics should be treated differently than one who is in the fourth and final year of achieving a Physics degree (just to pick majors at random).

Is this an issue of making sure there are places in the house for those who have just joined?

Note, I'm an alumnus of a Alpha Phi Omega, a non-housed service Fraternity and we at one point during my time as an active had a brother who was at CMU for his seventh year.

If we forced people to go alum after 4 years that would have been sorta silly...considering we had deferred rush and people joining as juniors or even seniors...not to mention a class shortage that compelled people to stay beyond 4 years.

IMO this is something the individual member should be able to make the decision about, in ALL groups. Some people have more time by the time they get to that last year to devote to the sorority and it would be a shame to not allow them to contribute.

naraht - because of the quota/total system the sororities use in formal rush, the groups can still take new members every year even if it puts them over the total number. So it's not a question of 5th year Fran sucking up Freshman Fiona's spot.

In my organization, a member who attends school longer than 4 years has the option to go into alumnae status if she has been an active member of the sorority for 3 years or more.

No one is ever forced into alumnae status.

A 5th year member in Delta Gamma can apply for alumna status but it is not guaranteed to her.

There is no difference between a 4th year senior and a 5th year senior in my sorority. Both are considered active. Alumna status is not granted until a woman's degree is conferred.

In my chapter (well when I was active) you can petition to be a 5th year active, but it isn't always necessarily granted. Along with that, it is based on the number of years you've been in school, not how long you've been in the sorority.

AOII allows 5th years to remain active if they would like or to become alumnae if they so wish.

Interesting to hear everyone's responses! I think part of the idea is to let the whole class "graduate" together and to not stigmatize people who take more than 4 years to graduate.

I'm particularly curious to hearing sentiment on another area of this topic; one that from my experience, some I/NHQs may have thought about when making particular policies: when has a collegiate member "overstayed" his or her time in the chapter? In your opinion, is having a man or woman that remains active for 7-8 years healthy for the growth of the chapter?

Yeah, Van Wilder did it. But is a real-life Van Wilder as fun and entertaining as the fictional character?

In reality you aren't going to be actively taking class, at least not as an undergrad, for 8 straight years.

I don't know if it's still the way it's done, but within the last ten years, a 5-year student had the option of staying active or taking alumnae status. One who took alumnae status couldn't live in the suite, however, or come to a meeting without permission - just like the rest of the alumnae.

I was about to post that the amount of those who stayed compared to those who took alumnae status were evenly divided, and then I realized the distinction. Those who stayed around usually held an executive office, while those who didn't stay didn't have an office or had a nonexecutive one.