|
I posted this in another thread regarding fraternity rush, but it applies here as well.
Having year round recruitment (Summer, Fall and Spring/Winter) has always been an effective and successful way to recruit. Summer Rush gets you the local pledges and the men already known to the chapter. Fall Rush picked up out-of-state guys, guys from summer rush who needed more time to make an informed decision, guys who - for what ever reason - did not attend summer rush events, and returning students now interested in fraternities. Spring Rush (winter rush) picks up the guys who want a semester of school under their belt, guys who could not devote time to rush (pledge) during the summer or the fall (for example - athletes, band), guys who didn't really have a clue about Greek life on campus before they arrived, and friends and class mates of current members.
Bottom line is that a year round recruitment system supports not only incoming freshmen, but also upperclassmen with rushing. No "one time to receive a bid or else" factor. Year round recruitment allows the rushee to pledge when - and how - he feels most comfortable doing so. It can even the playing field by allowing chapters to use their strengths when - and how - they rush. For example, a chapter might not have a house on campus, but can compete during summer rush. Or a chapter doesn't do well during formal rush on campus but does well one-on-one either during the more relaxed summer rush or recruiting one-on-one during the school year (and then pledging during the spring). Or a chapter may do it's best recruiting during the more formal structure of fall rush.
Restricting how and when fraternities rush is... restrictive. And not good for the fraternity system as a whole. Which is why the NIC (IFC) advocates no restriction and year round recruitment.
I would add that the NIC/IFC year round recruitment model could apply to NPC recruitment as well. That is if the NPC would allow it and the chapters weren't lazy.
Short version would be to allow chapters to hold open houses during the summer so that potential new freshmen members could learn a little about each chapter. No dirty rushing cause this would be done similar to those schools that have rush in the Spring and hold open houses during the fall - like Centre, Indiana and Vanderbilt. Come fall, those freshmen PNMs who want to rush could do so then. It could be the more formal and structured recruitment if that is what the campus wants. Then come Spring/Winter, there would be a more informal recruitment - similar to COB/COR. But to keep in the *spirit* of NPCism, you could still have PNMs sign up and have a quota set. And Panhellenic could still require a year long wait for the next recruitment if someone accepted their bid but did not initiate. This would keep a freshman from changing her mind and then trying to rush the following semester. It would still be from the time of acceptance of the bid thus no change in NPC rules. If a school wanted to have their formal structured recruitment in the Spring/Winter, then they would just reverse the previous and do so. Thus if the freshman PNM feels she is ready to join in the fall, she could attempt to do so. Since it is a mutual selection, she would know that she may not receive a bid depending on each chapter's and or organization's policy regarding class standing etc.
And this works well for the freshman PNM since she would be able to rush when she is ready and comfortable doing so. And the "one time to receive a bid or else" factor should be greatly decreased.
As for NPHC or any other organization (NPC and NIC/IFC included) that might require a PNM to have a certain number of college credits prior to receiving a bid, that wouldn't change. The individual organization's rules should always trump the councils and/or the campus.
|