Scary Quota Numbers
 

I'm wondering how many universities out there this fall are concerned about potential quota numbers. Last year at Arkansas quota was 101 on bid day, with several chapters taking 103-105. Recruitment registration closes this Friday, but as of Monday we were already at 1250 ladies registered to participate. I'm wondering how it is physically possible for us to take a pledge class any bigger than we did last year. Are there any other universities struggling with similar numbers? We have a guaranteed bid system as long as you make it pref and maximize your options. Rush has already expanded to 7 days of rounds (2 for each except pref) spread out over two weeks. I just can't wrap my head around a potential quota of 130-150 :/

Maybe the University will evenutally get their act together and make it feasible and desirable for new chapters to colonize which would relieve this. Until then, it is what it is.

:eek: When I was at Arkansas, quota was 25-30. Of course, that was when it was a bed rush and you had to be a sophomore and move right in. It was worse than big quotas, though, because some years over half the rushees went bidless. One huge result of this was many enemies of the Greek system.

I can't imagine pledge classes of that size!

Holy new members, Batman. Now, my school had a lot of chapters but wasn't horribly huge... I think our entire chapter had about 70 members, and that was the limit. I absolutely cannot imagine having a PLEDGE CLASS twice the size of my entire sorority. Different strokes, I know, but wow!

Note on current situation.
 

University of Arkansas, according to its website has only 8 NPC sororities on the school website: ADPi, AOPi, ChiO, Tri-Delta, KD, KKG, PBPhi, and ZTA. With only 8 NPC sororities at an SEC school, there is *definitely* room for expansion. I'd be shocked if this *wasn't* the smallest number of NPC sororities of any SEC schools. Does anyone know if the school has lost any NPC sororities in the last 5 years?

naraht - No, Arkansas has not lost any NPC sororities in the last 5 years (the last one to leave campus was Phi Mu in the mid 1990s), and as Titchou alluded to they were open to expansion last year, but they did not had any NPC groups interested in colonizing for various reasons.

hooty hoo - I know that it will be crazy, but also know that all you Greek Razorbacks will do the best that you can do! At KD convention I spoke to the Advisor for the new members quite a bit about this (we were pledge sisters at Arkansas a few moons ago). One thing that she and the Member Educator did last year was speak to some of the larger chapters of KD across the country with largest pledge classes and saw how they handled the large numbers. Logistically, I am sure that the executive councils of all groups (I know at least KD has this at the top of their minds) are thinking of ways to handle this influx again (lots of possibilities are on the table - multiple chapter/new member meetings, putting an importance on new member group leaders and having them make sure that all of the members of her group (we call them SETs) are getting acclimated to the chapter, etc) . Maybe (hopefully) this is something that was brought up during Presidents meetings and Panhellenic meetings last spring and the groups were able to springboard ideas off each other on how to keep new members and members active and involved in such large chapters.

I had a feeling the number at Arkansas would be large. Just spent the last few days with my Alumnae club writing RIF's for local girls. So many great girls going thru recruitment.

Why are there no chapters willing to go to Arkansas? Such a beautiful campus, I understand the cost is high. However there is expansion going on all over the country. Why not at Arkansas???

Because the cost is high and the probability of 'failure' is also high.

Why not spend resources elsewhere if you're a national org.?

With so many girls going thru recruitment now do you think the chance of failure is still there??? I guess the best thing to do would be to look and see if the numbers continue to trend up...

arrowlady, I will send you a PM :)

thanks!

I highly doubt that anyone would fail at this point if they had comparable housing. :) According to numerous people in the know, it's mainly a combination of the incredibly high costs of Fayetteville real estate and the lack of cooperation of the university in helping to find housing.

Remembering the houses of 3 groups that have left: one sold their house to Sigma Chi and the other 2 houses were way too small in order to compete these days; actually, they were smaller than the rest back in the seventies.

There were several fraternities back in the day on Stadium Drive that played musical houses and some have folded. I wonder what the chances are of buying and leveling one of those houses and rebuilding.

Ahh Real Estate, that I can see. I do remember a lack of space around the Campus on our visit there.

What if Panhellenic did away with guaranteed bids? Would that reduce the size of pledge classes to make it manageable?

Arkansas' NPC culture is very similar to Ole Miss, which is also very greek but only has 9 NPC groups.

You reap what you sow