[KSUViolet06]

Hear me on this.

Know that this is coming from someone who had to wait from April to September to get initiated, so I was by no means "rushed through."

I have worked in volunteer roles with people who studied retention at length.

Length of NM program is not the only factor here.

A bigger factor in my eyes is the stake/sense of responsibility factor.

Your NMs are only going to be as involved/invested as you communicate that you expect them to be.

Your NM program could seriously be a year long, but if in that year, you communicate to Suzy that your attendance responsibilities don't apply to her yet, that there is no accountability for her participation yet because she is new, once she gets initiated, she is going to experience the Sophomore Omg "I Never Had to Attend Events and Now I Do Or I'll Get Fined WHAT" Slump.

It could seriously be 8 weeks. But if in that 8 weeks, Suzy is doing exactly what she'll be expected to do as an active (making attendance points, participating, being held accountable, etc.) the transition won't be so tough.

So having the super long NM program from the 70s is not always the answer, the content of your program itself may be.

(Sidenote: If you're reading this and thinking that I said we need to institute a bunch of inane and borderline hazing practices such as pledge books/required servitude at the house/etc.= to engender a sense of responsibility, go back and read again.)