Numbers down

[pseroogy]

I am rush chairman for my fraternity at a liberal arts college in WI. I pledged in FA03 with a class of 15 at a 2000 student college. At the time we had about 20-25 actives. There are only 2 fraternities on campus and 4 sororities on campus. Since I pledged, we've taken classes of 3 (SP04), 2 (FA04), and this sem. we only had one interested person.

It seems like sorority numbers are up, but both of the fraternities have lower numbers this year. Is anyone else running into this problem. Does anyone have suggestions for getting a bigger class? Keep in mind, the higher-ups at my school are not very supportive of greek life.

[adpiucf]

Talk to the campus Greek Life adviser about your numbers challenge. Do the two fraternities have a campus IFC that works to promote Greek Life and enforce policies?

It also helps to brainstorm with members on ways to promote fraternity life.

Some ways to appear more visible on campus are:
1) Setting one day a week to wear letters on campus and meeting for lunch in the Student Union
2) Members should be involved in at least one activity outside of the fraternity. It's a great way to scout for potenial new members and it helps improve relations with other campus groups.
3) Hold a community service event with a sorority or a non-Greek group like an honor society or service club. Send out a press release in the school newspaper.
4) Put up banners and signs, take out newspaper ads and send news releases to local media whenever your chapter or a member earns an award or special recognition.
5) Discourage any kind of hazing culture that will discourage men from joining.
6) Put up a website up and update it regularly. Post contact information and set up a page about membership events and how to join-- maybe guys can email their phone numbers and contact info so you can get in touch with them. Send the web address to every person you know and ask them to pass it on.
7) Ask the alumni to help you plan a method to promote your chapter and recruit members.
8) Work with the other fraternity.
9) Create marketing materials on membership benefits and mail it out to students or stuff mailboxes on campus.
10) Set up a booth outside the student union.
11) Ask your nationals to help-- they have tons of resources and ideas.
12) Consolidate brotherhood and service events -- make them recruitment events. Have the guys bring potential members from their circle of friends, classes and activities to dinners or community events-- it is a casual way to get to know them. Offer a bid and stick to it.
13) Encourage a chapter culture that members are proud of-- don't alienate members by hazing them or keeping things secret from them-- you want to grow your membership, not resentful cliques.

Above all, whether there are 4 of you or 14, make your presence known on campus. It stands to reason that there are a lot of guys who would be interested in joining a fraternity, but don't know how to go about doing it-- help them find you!

Also, consider recruiting yearround, instead of just at formal times of year. Talk to your chapter adviser about continual recruitment.

Inspire your members-- recognize them for their hard work and make them feel proud to be a member. Their good feelings will spread when they brag about how great the organization is!

Engage the administration-- ask them about the problems with relations in the past and ask how you can turn them around. Open communication.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

I would agree with what's been said.

My campus has similar demographics (except 4 fraternities) and I think the men's numbers there have dropped as well, just not so dramatically while the women surged this year.

[roqueemae]

Our numbers are down as well--but I think that it might have something to do with the fact that 3 chapters have been suspended for hazing for anywhere from 1-3 years. That hurts in 2 ways. Either the guys that had been in fraternities are no longer officially members on campus, or the guys say "I don't want to be beat up by friends so I won't join." the nerve!-sarcasm

[ADPi Conniebama]

our numbers are down too I cut and paste that info and sent them to my chapter (i am an advisor)

they can never get too many ideas

great list

good info

good luck

fraternally yours

[pseroogy]

Thanks for all of the advice.

We would love to go to our advisor for advice, but he's mostly unavailable.
The two fraternities are local, so they have no chance to interact with nationals.
There is no IFC. We have a greek council that is technically the overseeing body, but really has no power. Also, there is no greek life office, which means that there's no full time greek life advisor.

Our chapter has amazing brotherhood. What can we do to capitalize on this?

I guess the one thing that we really need help with is distinguishing what exactly it is that separates us from the rest of the student body other than the letters we wear. Why would someone go greek (especially us)?

[TxAPhi]

Originally posted by pseroogy
I guess the one thing that we really need help with is distinguishing what exactly it is that separates us from the rest of the student body other than the letters we wear. Why would someone go greek (especially us)?

A Google search of "Why Go Greek" turns up 782 matches. Take a look at a few of these and assemble a list that describes the benefits of your group. Think of all the objections the rest of your campus has to going greek or misconceptions they have of greek life and come up with sound and persuasive answers to each of these objections. ETA: Give all your members a copy of this list and make sure they can express these points when someone doubts the benefits of greek life.

Originally posted by pseroogy
Our chapter has amazing brotherhood. What can we do to capitalize on this?

These are mostly ideas for sororities, but many can translate well for fraternities too, take a critical look at the ideas in these threads and see if anything strikes you as something you could use or modify to use for your situation. ETA: But really from all my friends who were in fraternities -- the best rush tools are often girls at your parties, girls singing your praises to other groups, and girls bringing their guy friends to your parties. If this is not happening for you now, then some of the ideas in the threads below could help you get there.

Ideas for systems who don't get a high Recruitment turnout
This thread tells of two chapters on one campus teaming up to do Recruitment
How to turn your chapter around
PR for a small chapter
More PR Ideas
Beating "Small Chapter" Syndrome
Ideas to Boost Numbers

Recruitment Strategies
More Recruitment Strategies
Still More Recruitment Strategies
They just keep coming
Recruitment Ideas
More Recruitment Ideas
Still More Recruitment Ideas
And a few more

How to sell a PNM on Recruitment
How to sell a skeptical PNM on Recruitment

[hoosier]

EMGAM

Every
Man
Gets
A
Man

Make a friend and pledge him.

If your brotherhood is so good, it should be easy to sell.

A nuclear option: contact the TKE Natl. Office, and ask about getting Buckwheat to come and help your chapter rush.

[adpiucf]

Pseroogy,

Here are some additional thoughts regarding your post:

Your adviser may be disconnected from the recruitment and PR challenges entirely --and needs to be looped in so he can support you. I recommend you leave him both a voicemail and a dated letter addressing the following concerns:

1) low numbers among both fraternities and lack of awareness of a fraternity system by the non-Greek students

2) That you would like him to come to a meeting to discuss recruitment and the chapter’s future at the university. Offer a few dates and be flexible around his schedule, as you really want his mentorship and ideas on how to be successful

3) You’d like to get the contact information for area alumni who could assist the chapter in brainstorming recruitment and chapter life ideas, and could support as additional advisory board members

4) Provide your contact information and thank him for all he does for the fraternity

5) Give him a deadline (nicely worded!) to respond

You have two local fraternities who have the same numbers issue—approach the other chapter about forming a council like an IFC – the initial purpose of which is to increase Public Awareness of the fraternity system. Between the two chapters, you can create a PR and recruitment campaign.

While you have no Greek Life office, you probably do have a school of communication. Go to a public relations professor and describe your challenge—you are seeking ways to promote Fraternity Life on campus. The professor can see this as a great opportunity for his students to apply what they are learning in his class into a PR campaign.

Approach the Greek Council with your situation. The sorority numbers are up—so find out what they are doing right—meet with the recruitment chairs of the sororities and talk frankly about the challenges with the fraternities.

You say your chapter has amazing brotherhood—what does this mean? Find out from the guys themselves! Brainstorm with your chapter on ways to increase campus visibility—no idea is a dumb one—take a chapter meeting to stand in front of the guys with an easel board and a marker and take their recommendations. Find out what they define as “brotherhood” and how your fraternity fills a need for men on campus.

Put together a flier and an action plan on making sure that all the men on campus get a copy of. It should outline who you are, what you stand for, benefits of membership, chapter accomplishments, why YOU should join, who should be a member, how to contact you, and when some upcoming events will be.
You might be successful in creating an integrated PR plan that capitalizes on the fraternity system – in which both chapters work together to increase awareness and plan a large-scale campus event. Then, hold a formal recruitment with one another.

Good luck. PM me if you would like assistance drafting an action plan or PR plan.