Low numbers at RUSH
 

Have other schools had less people showing up to rush? Our School has had decreasing numbers in rush for the last several years, how have the numbers been at your schools recently?

my university took a hit several years back because we had a Greek Advisor that was The Devil and cut back on ALOT of the community's activities. she also declared Study Hall - even if conducted in the library - hazing. she was not there for very long.

I think the devil is now at UM-Flint.

Hasn't really been the case down here. A good Greek Life advisor is one that for the most part stays out of your way. Ours has done a great job of that. I think numbers are always higher.

However, we have found (and I guess since you're a sorority you can't share in this) that rush at the time of actual rush is good only for bonus people. The real work for Fall Rush starts as soon as Spring Rush is over. And Spring Rush starts as soon as Fall Rush is over. That's where we've had the most success.

Hey! I'm really good friends with the Theta Chi's there! Those my boys! I'm sometimes up at campus hanging with them....and I don't even go there! LOL!

I'm an Alpha Sigma Tau at Oakland University.

Study Hall=Hazing??????? OOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

yeah our numbers have been low this semester, but i suppose its always a lil slow in the spring...at least here it is

Hijack
 

Yep. Some people consider it hazing because you are "forcing" some (and not all) members, or forcing the new members and not the initiated members, to do something that 100% of your chapter isn't required to do.

Those are the people who consider any sort of requirement for membership hazing, without looking at the intent/outcome of the requirement (and from what I've found it's mostly non-Greeks that have this viewpoint). It's extreme, but it's there.

/hijack

PsychTau

/hijack

One of the reasons that study hours are looked at as hazing is that you're forcing NMs to study at a specific time, in a specific place. Allowing NMs to study on their time, in the manner that is most conducive to them is what is recommended. I'm not saying I agree, but it's the reality. And honestly, it makes sense to allow them to study on their own time in their own way.

i found that study hours at the library have overwhelmingly have helped pledge classes- my class didn't have them- we asked for them b/c it made it easy to get things done- but this class this semester has them- and they really like them- it gives them time out of their day to devote time to studying- a lot of times they have to be doing other things- and this is time hwen they can't be interrupted by anything else.... so i find them very beneficial... hazing... i guess if you want to take that definition to the very extreme- you could define being in a sorority hazing- its so rediculous....:rolleyes:

I would hope that a GLO would not want to set up a NM for failure. As such, having "study hours" - *seems to me* - to be a way to help ensure that NMs make their grades. A few questions to clarify this.

Is it "hazing" because NMs are "forced" to study at a specific time and in a specific place and or that a NM is "required" to study in the first place? (i.e. log in hours)

If the issue is the specific place/time which might be considered hazing, then would offering various times for a "study hall" or "study hours" but still at a specific place be hazing? For example, every weekday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the chapter house or perhaps at the library. Any place "best" for the group as a whole. However, the NMs - or perhaps the chapter as a whole - are *required* to log in a certain number of hours under the "supervision" of the chapter. In other words, some sort of "mandatory" study period, but flexible with respect to when it is done.

The average chapter size on my campus is about 35. Twenty years ago it was closer to about 85. I don't know what happened here, but the Greek community took a huge hit. Rush was so bad last fall that the greek advisor set up a committee of undergrads and alumni to figure out what to do.

Out of 17 fraternities on campus, only 76 pledges made it through intiation. We are probably going to lose two chapters b/c their numbers are so low. With a school that has 25k students you figure that the greeks would be much stronger.

I think a GLO would define these as hazing because NMs are forced to study at a specific time and in a specific place, and also, they are required to go to them. Offering time to study is not hazing. Requiring NMs is another thing. I agree that study hours can be helpful for NMs to make grades. I also think though that we select mature enough members who know how to budget their time to have ample study time on their own, and therefore, don't need their respective orgs to tell them when they have to study.

We require a certain number of study hours for all members. It is up to the chapter how to determine the number of proctored hours versus honor hours and they usually include computer lab time as proctored hours. Most chapters have it based by GPA, so if you have a high GPA, you do mainly honor hours and just a couple proctored hours, but if your GPA is low, you do more proctored hours. How they set up proctored hours varies too, as decided by the chapter. It can be with one study buddy who will vouch for you, it can be a study group of women in similar majors or it can be certain hours at the house or school library, it just depends on what the chapter approves in their Study Rules. The requirements are the same for NMs and Initiated Members though.

Dee