Bid mismatch / computer error?
 

Can someone explain this to me? I've researched bid matching and am still confused.

A girl prefs at three houses. She ranks all of the houses she attends to maximize her options. She ranks the houses: ABC, DEF, and XYZ. Let's say she isn't high enough to make ABC's quota, but she is the #1 at DEF. Is it still possible for her to get XYZ, her third choice, even though she is on the first list at her second choice?

Finally, is there any way to change a true error?

Also, is there a copy of the "Green Book" anywhere online?

In that situation, there SHOULD NOT BE any way for her to end up in XYZ if she's #1 at DEF.

(Not saying it couldn't happen for some strange reason, due to human/computer error, or retarded campus rules.)

How about the same scenario, but she's #5 at DEF, but #1 at XYZ? She should have received a bid to DEF since she's on the first list and it's her second choice, correct?

Scenario
Quota = 10 (just to make it easy)

Her Pref Card:
ABC
DEF
XYZ

She's #15 at ABC, and they fill quota with 1-10 - NO MATCH


She's #10 at DEF
She's #1 at XYZ

She's a DEF, because it was #2 on her card, even though it seems XYZ wanted her more.

I think I remember hearing of a COUPLE campuses that would match her to XYZ if XYZ was a bunch smaller than the rest of the groups, but that would be against NPC rules (AFAIK).

Oh, and technically, she probably wouldn't be #1 at XYZ and #10 at DEF because first bid lists (the number of girls that add up to quota) are generally done in alphabetical order.

No. Well, not for free anyhow.

You can purchase an electronic version from the NPC website:

http://www.npcwomen.org/store/s_publications.php

BTW - if you're asking this question because you received your 3rd choice, please be aware that the scenario you described is highly unlikely. Especially if you think it only happened to you.

If you had been describing a situation on a campus where multiple women were affected, it might be more plausible. (Some type of computer glitch.) Plausible, but not terribly likely.

(Though a few of the posters from Illinois can share an example of a problem they had there several years ago...but I think that was right around the time a new system was implemented. And it was a widespread problem that affected many women - not just one person who didn't match the way she wanted.)

Correct. First bid lists (numbering whatever quota is) are done alphabetically and the second bid list is in order of preference. The reason it's done this way is because in the days of hand bidmatching, the alpha list makes it easier to find the woman who's name is called.

If there is a true error, a complaint could be made to Panhellenic and ask if a hand-match could be done.

This could be a case where a DEF member says to the girl "I don't know why were aren't a DEF, you were #1 on our list!". Which, unless the DEF member was the Recruitment Chairwoman or the Recruitment Advisor, a general initiated member would have NO CLUE who was on the bid list and what place.

Is there a rule prohibiting Panhellenic from going back and hand matching this girl? Bids have already been given out, but she has not signed the actual bid that will be sent to Nationals.

There is no rule prohibiting it, but if a Panhellenic had to do a hand rematch every time someone didn't get the bid they were expecting, that's all they would do all year. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like this girl got a bid from her #3 choice and is unhappy. Unless there are a large number of women complaining (including the sorority chapters), my guess is that there may have been a crosscut situation, for example:

Sally PNM's pref card:
ABC =1
DEF = 2
GHI = 3


ABC's bid list:
Sally appears low on their #2 list
ABC fills to quota before Sally's name comes up.

DEF's bid list:
Sally appears low on their #2 list
DEF fills to quota before Sally's name comes up.

GHI's bid list:
Sally is on their first list. Sally's bid is from GHI.

Alphafrog already explained this above, btw.

She has two choices - accept the bid and give the chapter a FAIR shot. If she is still unhappy, she can leave the chapter before initiation and try recruitment next year OR she can decline the bid and be eligible for recruitment next year.

FWIW, if I had declined my not #1 bid, I wouldn't be here today, a proud alumna of 25 years membership in my Fraternity.

In this scenario, the PNM would match to DEF. I am not sure if you are the PNM who got XYZ or you are DEF wondering why this PNM didn't match with your chapter. Only PHA will know the decisions of both parties, and they won't share it. The PNM will not know where she was on DEF's list. A member of DEF would not know, and I don't think any self-respecting membership chair or advisor would reveal that information. Likewise, DEF will not know how the PNM ranked them, unless she tells them.

I am wondering how you think you know there has been an error.

Maybe you need to do a retro recruitment thread!?!

http://www.mgroves.com/images%5Cdo_not_want.jpg

(Nothing against you, PT - the summer of the Retro is OVER and let's not go there again)

Two questions, purely for informational purposes only.

If quota is 10, and there are 20 names on the bid list, and 10 girls are not matched, then the girls whose names are at the lower end of the alphabet are cut simply bc their names appear lower on the alphabetical list?

Is it reasonable to say that there is a higher percentage of "no match" situations for girls whose last names start with a letter later in the alphabet?

If these assumptions are reasonable, has the issue been raised on a large scale?

This scenario really supports the fact that a cut can very well be due to something random and non-personal.