Question regarding NPC recruitment participation
 

If this is in-house information and can't be answered, I understand.

I was just curious why SDT is NPC but doesn't participate in formal recruitment or is that a campus-by-campus thing?

I've read some threads that mentioned that SDT was not participating but made no mention of why (subject wasn't the topic of the particular thread).

Thanks! :)

It is campus by campus. SDT at the University of Alabama has not participated in formal recruitment for a number of years, but this year they will participate in the first round.
It was never a big group in the first place - they lost a lot of members and subsequently did not use their house. It which was leased by fraternities and sororities as they renovated and/or built. Alpha Phi bought the house.
Last year, they were in a university-owned house, but on a section of fraternity row.
Ultimately, I hope they can move back over to sorority row, possibly in a house vacated by one of the sororities that is building a new house.

I have the utmost respect for the SDTs at Alabama. It's so nice to see a smaller chapter have the support of its HQ at such a competitive campus as Alabama. I hope they grow by leaps and bounds in the future!

Thanks for the explanation. I wish them well. :)

They are a historically Jewish group, and on many campuses, are offering something totally different from what is offered by the groups participating in formal recruitment. They get a lot of members through Hillel, BBYO/NFTY/USY, Jewish summer camps, and so on.

Many women go through FR with the intention of only pledging a historically Jewish group, and while we generally tell PNM's not to have their hearts set on a given chapter, it is slightly different to feel that you want a historically Jewish group or nothing*. On campuses where SDT is the only historically Jewish group, they can recruit most of these women without participating in FR, so why put in the time and money?

I'm pretty sure that this is the case at Bama and UT, and they just recently started participating in FR at USCal, but on the other hand, they are a strong recruiting group on a lot of campuses, including my alma mater.

*also, it goes both ways, in that the historically Jewish groups generally have their sights on the Jewish PNM's, so it is notably different from going through recruitment swearing you will only pledge Old Row or Big 6 or something.

The chapter at Alabama is a single letter chapter (Rho, I think) and I know that the national organization truly wants to preserve that chapter. Their dedication to this chapter is commendable! I wish them all the best.

SDT (and AEPhi, for that matter) do participate and are really successful in formal recruitment at Indiana, but we do have a larger Jewish student population. YMMV

SDT at UT is also a single letter chapter, like the chapter at Alabama. (Tau chapter, represent!) Nationals is helping us out with revitalization as well. :)

SDT did full on recruitment when I was at American last year!