U of Memphis NPC Switching to "No Frills" Recruitment
 

The U of Memphis is going to have a "no frills" -- or at least a lot fewer frills -- recruitment this fall. They reportedly hope this will emphasize relationships, decrease costs for chapters and potential new members, and perhaps increase the number of women becoming new members. The Helmsman reports:

http://media.www.dailyhelmsman.com/m...-3912205.shtml

Excerpts:

By: Erica Horton
Posted: 4/23/10
Panhellenic Council sororities are aiming for fewer frills and more thrills in an effort to cut costs during recruitment week and make the overall process less intimidating.

Per the National Panhellenic Conference's request, Panhellenic councils nationwide are taking a more laid back approach to the rush experience, a bi-annual week for women seeking membership in a Panhellenic sorority.

During the five-day experience, female students go to a series of themed open houses where they meet members of each of The University of Memphis' seven Panhellenic sororities, narrowing their choices as the week progresses.

In years past, girls walked to sorority row, located in Carpenter Complex, dressed in cocktail attire nearly every evening where they were greeted by elaborate table decorations, large banners and films depicting a chapter's values and attributes, as well as townhouses full of smiling, multicolored women bursting to talk to new members.

Effective fall 2010, the new "No Frills" policy, encourages women to wear less formal attire, opting instead for a more economical, casual wardrobe.

Greek life and community service advisor Leslie Poe said the "No Frills" initiative will cut distractions and bring the focus of Greek recruitment on what matters most in sororities, sisterhood.

"We're putting emphasis on relationships and cutting out some of the other stuff," she said.

Poe said that while she thinks recent economic turbulence is not the primary motivation behind the "No Frills" movement, the decision could cut costs significantly.

The recruitment fee, which covers food, t-shirts, technology costs and other general supplies, will also be lowered.

"We want sorority life to be accessible, and for people to know that being in a sorority is affordable," she said.

. . . in previous years, sororities would spend $2,500 to $3,000 per chapter during recruitment for decorations and supplies. Next semester, because of "No Frills," they should only spend about $1,500.

. . . skit nights, when sorority members would put on a short musical play about their chapter, will be the first to go, replaced instead with a sisterhood night when each sorority will have the opportunity to introduce themselves.

Sororities will also no longer enter rooms singing their chants and songs.

"The most important thing is finding the sorority you're the most comfortable with, whether it's because of sisterhood or philanthropy," White said. "You will be able to see more of that with 'No Frills.' Things will be a lot more natural."

Julie Perkins, recruitment chair for The U of M Panhellenic Council, said she thinks the new effort will increase the number of interested women and help sororities focus more on the women than the process as a whole.

"We weren't very happy with our numbers," she said. "A lot of schools who have already started 'No Frills' have seen an increase in recruitment and retention."

Perkins said past recruitment weeks have yielded 185 to 200 girls, but that she would like to see it increase to between 225 to 250 women.

multicolored women?

I've never understood why some schools cut singing with no-frills. My campus is no frills and everyone (well, almost everyone) sings. Singing is free, singing is apart of (for most) sorority life, singing is FREE!

Singing/chanting is still a distraction in that it gives PNMs something trivial on which to judge a chapter other than conversation and connections. It freaks out some PNMs, too. But it is a part of being in a sorority.

I think there's nothing wrong with a peppy song or chant. I think it gets crazy when you scream it at the top of your lungs so that you can be "louder/more impressive" than the other chapters. To me, trying to be as loud as you can is the freaky part.

This opinion is based on my experience at my campuses. Your campus may vary.

PsychTau

Yep...a whole lot less frills, in hopes to get recruitment numbers up and yes money is a huge part of it. Memphis hasn't had complete frills recruitment in several years and I'd honestly say a few chapters probably spent well over that estimated figure last formal recruitment. It isn't really the most popular thing, but it is slowly becoming more ok with the chapters.

The songs and chants are what I didn't have to go :(

Our campus is working towards no-frills recruitment, but as we're a northern, smaller campus, it's very different. It's worked well for the most part on our campus (recruitment budgets tended to be on the lower end anyway, and regulating these really just leveled out the chapters with wealthier alums that paid to have parties catered, donated extravagant flower arrangements, etc), but if they tried to cut songs/chants out of our recruitment it definitely wouldn't go over well! I come from a very vocal chapter and songs play a very important role in our recruitment, particularly pref. For the most part, the changes have been apparent in lack of decorations and food, which hasn't really been an issue except for pref (one chapter serves a dessert that plays a role in their pref ceremony). I don't really see the reduction of "frills" as a bad thing, but I think it definitely depends on the campus climate as to what works and what doesn't.

I like the idea of no-frill rush, but cutting out skits and songs/chants isn't a good idea, IMHO. It's the flowers, food and favors that run into money, and that's what chapters should look into cutting back.

I agree with you except for the skits. Personally, having gone through a recruitment that focused heavily on skits, I found that they took up a lot of time and added little to the process. Yeah, you can show what your sorority is all about, but in what way can one skit not be put in the next house by just changing the name and a few other minor details? I think that time is much better used having PNMs actually talk to more sisters. Cutting out the singing and chanting is a little overkill in my book. It just lasts the amount of time it takes to brink the PNMs into the room and adds a little fun to the party.

That's the idea of this is to eventually go completely no frills, by next year is the projected complete no frills. There hasn't been food or drink served during recruitment in 2 years and even 3 years ago it was only drinks during pref, 4 years ago it was full on food and drinks. Chapters haven't worn matching outfits in at least 5 years because "it's just creepy" (to quote of Pan Pres). This year we are allowed tables and covers with chairs. No elaborate center pieces or flowers and such. During pref we may have a banner thing with lights and pretty much whatever we want on it, as long as its with in certain demensions. I forget the exact demensions but it almost 3/4 of a wall in the townhouses I believe. As for campus climate Memphis is a 90% communter campus, with a student population over over 21000 and only about 6% of those are Greek, and a statistic we throw out a LOT is that 98 percent of campus leader are Greek :). We have 7 NPCs and chapter total is 65, only one (or now possibly two after much COB) is at total. If we don't get more women to go through next year there is talk of dropping total to 60.

Skits are a nice break for the PNMs from talking constantly. They can also be good in showing the PNMs how the sisters relate to each other. However, they should be kept simple and fairly short. If you have to raise Bob Fosse from the dead for the choreography, it's a sign that your skit is a little over the top.

They may be a nice break, but I just don't see them as much more than that. I do like videos. The groups at Towson do videos, and my campus did them as well. These showcase what the chapters actually do all year and can be very informative. I know the constant talking can get stressful, but what other chance does a PNM have to actually get to know the girls in the chapter? If all a chapter has is a skit to make the conversations move along better, they're failing.

I didn't say that the skit has anything to do with making the convos move - just that it's a break for the PNMs. If they do the skit and then spend the rest of the party talking about it, well yeah, that's lame.

Depending on who does them, videos can be a great tool or a trainwreck. Some chapters just use a national video that tells NOTHING about the chapter or helps the PNM get to know the girls. And some are just filled with inside jokes that no one but the chapter members get.

Bottom line, skits AND/OR videos can both be beneficial if used correctly, and harmful if not.

I agree.

At my undergrad school, we are limited in that we cannot serve food or have any kind of balloon (even the CMN balloon as mini centerpieces which is stupid b/c it's philanthropy related and not a "balloon" ballon. We do have centerpieces (which are sometimes dictated by panhellenic. Ex. Your org's flower this night, your org's mascot this night), a show table (with awards, neat shirts, scrapbooks) and we can have composites on stands.

Some nights they have the option b/t a banner or something else, but I forget. The school itself will not let us hang up items on the walls however. We can serve juices, sodas, etc. every night. We are allowed to have "slideshows"/video presentations and they are allowed to get a little longer every night. We can have table clothes (those tables they provide are not pretty), but not seat covers. We can "match", but we cannot bulk order clothes or force people to buy from a certain store. We can say, "please wear a blue polo shirt"or "please wear khaki capris", however I think Panhellenic's ultimate goal is more towards chapters saying "wear any blue shirt" or "wear khaki bottoms".