Formal Recruitment Tips for Alums

[Zillini]

Before the craziness of the fall Formal Recruitment season is upon us, I thought I'd post some things for alums to think about and to help plan ahead. The following is based on my experience from years of advising a chapter on a large, super competitive, SEC Recruitment campus. Obviously not all points will be relevant for every chapter or every campus.

Many of these points have been made in many different threads by many different people (myself included) over the years. I thought it would be beneficial to put them all in one place.


Formal Recruitment Tips for Alums

• DO find out the Recruitment dates and where to send Recs and Legacy forms ahead of time. Places to look: the University's Greek Life or Panhellenic website, your GLO's website, your GLO's magazine, or local chapter's website. GC also usually has a thread with Recruitment dates.

• DO send Recs and Legacy forms early, at least a month before is a good time frame. Please DON'T call, email, or fax the chapter during the middle of Recruitment and expect them to drop everything to accommodate you and your PNM. Besides, it might be too late if the PNM was already released in an earlier round.

• DO send Recs for PNMs who you truly believe would be an asset to the chapter. Please DON'T send them for someone you know would not be asset just to be polite to that PNM or her mother. Would you write a recommendation for someone for a job who wasn't qualified or had a bad reputation? Why would you do so for your own sisterhood?

• DO make sure your PNM knows there are minimum GPA requirements for each chapter that may be significantly higher than any Panhellenic requirement/suggestion. Grade exceptions are a rarity.

• DO volunteer to help with Recruitment! It may only consist of handing out glasses of water to PNMs or helping clean up/set up for the next party. The more alums there to do these necessary tasks the less the actives have to, then they can concentrate more on recruiting.

• DO make sure you know the Panhellenic rules and chapter's desires regarding alums helping during Recruitment. Are there enter/exit time restrictions? Certain doors that should be used to enter/exit? Where can you legally park? Would the chapter like alums to dress a certain way? Contact whichever officer is organizing the alum help and find this info out ahead of time.

• DO inform the appropriate officer of the days and times you will be available to help and DO show up when you said you would. Please keep in mind there may be a Panhellenic limit on the number of alums allowed at any given time, so scheduling is important. Please DON'T be offended if the max is exceeded and someone is asked to leave. The chapter is only trying to avoid a violation.

• DO use this as an opportunity to get to know or catch up with other alums who are helping. However, DO keep your voices down during the parties so you don't interfere with recruiting. This is especially important during speaking parts, videos/slide shows, Pref ceremonies, and also between parties if Panhellenic requires quiet otherwise the chapter may get a violation.

• DO wave or say hello to a PNM you know when you see her. Please DON'T go talk to her for the entire party. Depending on the Panhellenic rules this may be a violation. Even if it is not, it takes away from the very limited time the actives have to get to know her. Besides the PNM already knows you, but she may not know the actives.

• DO point out legit problems you may see to an advisor or Recruitment officer. Please DON'T criticize because the chapter is doing things differently then when you were an active. Times change.

• DO understand that the RFM has significantly changed things and successful chapters must release more PNMs earlier in the process.

• (This one may be a shocker.) DO understand that many chapters are receiving more and more Recs every year because both alums and PNMs realize their importance in a highly competitive Recruitment. Due to this along with the RFM, some chapters may no longer be able to guarantee a courtesy invite to the first invitational round for all PNMs with Recs. The Panhellenic set number of invites simply may not allow it.

• DO understand that many chapters have more and more legacies participating in Recruitment every year. I know of several chapters that have had almost as many if not more legacies than quota in recent years. Legacies can be released.

• DO remember that Recruitment decisions are confidential, even from our alums. We cannot tell you specifically why your PNM was released.

• DO contact one of the advisors or leave a message for one if you have questions or concerns about your PNM. Please DO allow the advisor the opportunity to investigate, respond to, and/or deal with a situation before filing a complaint with Panhellenic, the University, or your Inat'l org. DO remember that advising is a volunteer position. Advisors have "real life" obligations and if she is at home/work she may not have time at that moment to speak to you. Or if she is at Recruitment there may be a ton of things that need her immediate attention. Please be patient, understanding, and remember to treat her with the respect due another sister. Please DON'T call and rip into a Recruitment officer or the active who happens to answer the chapter phone.

• DO keep in mind that while your PNM may be beautiful, smart, talented, funny, has a great resume, etc, she may still be released. To help put things into perspective, in 2008 Bama had over 1,500 PNMs that signed up for Recruitment and quota ended up at 86 (combined freshmen and upperclassmen). That's less than 6% of the entire field that received a bid from any one chapter. Perhaps your PNM didn't click with the active(s) who recruited her? Perhaps she was overwhelmed by the process? Perhaps her true personality simply didn't shine through? Perhaps there were 100's of other PNMs who were just as beautiful, smart, talented, funny, had great resumes, etc. We are sorry that she and you are hurting, but this does not mean the actives did not like her or that we do not respect you.