Recruitment Help!!

[OmegaPDPrez]

I was wondering if any body had any ideas on recruitment for a sorority that isnt allowed to use campus facilities. So far we have one girl who is interested in our group but given our status on campus we must also be extremely selective with membership. My group wants to expand but we are having difficulty getting our group out there beyond wearing our letters and hoping that other students ask about us. So I am turning to GC to maybe give us some suggestions and pointers. We have five current members and two of them are seniors.
Any Help would be appreciated!

[cuteASAbug]

Why aren't you allowed to use campus facilities? Do any of your members live off campus?

[adpiucf]

If you are not a formally recognized group on campus, see what you can do to change this status. Talk to the campus Greek adviser. Perhaps you can get provisional status as a member chapter of the Campus Panhellenic, or you can propose a Multi-Cultural Greek Council (men and women) if one does not already exist.

Or you can attach yourselves (with their permission) to a multi-cultural organization on campus.

Example: When AEPi (historically Jewish fraternity) first colonized at UCF, our Fraternity Council did not officially recognize them right away. Their colony did a lot through the campus Hillel to gain campus exposure and get their name out to the campus at large and potential brothers, to secure rush locations on campus, etc. Meetings were held in the president's dorm room. Eventually, they were recognized by the university.

For now, some things you can do to promote your organization:

• Wear letters on campus
• Plan an event at a local gathering place. Maybe get a private room at a local restaurant. Take out an ad in the school newspaper inviting prospective members to a meet and greet here.
• Compile a list of potential sisters based on the suggestions of your members.
• Invite these ladies to off-campus bbq's, community service events, ice cream socials, etc., that can serve as rush events.

[OmegaPDPrez]

Originally Posted by cuteASAbug

Why aren't you allowed to use campus facilities? Do any of your members live off campus?

All of our members live on campus. We are not allowed to use campus facilities because our school does not recognize local sororities.

Originally Posted by adpiucf

If you are not a formally recognized group on campus, see what you can do to change this status.
I tried- the university just wont have a local organization reggistered.
Talk to the campus Greek adviser. Perhaps you can get provisional status as a member chapter of the Campus Panhellenic, or you can propose a Multi-Cultural Greek Council (men and women) if one does not already exist.
- the only way to do this, is to colonize a nationally formed group- which my sorority is not willing to do.

Or you can attach yourselves (with their permission) to a multi-cultural organization on campus.
Currently we do not have a multi- cultural organization on campus. and like i said before the only way to get one would be to colonize as a national multicultural group.

Example: When AEPi (historically Jewish fraternity) first colonized at UCF, our Fraternity Council did not officially recognize them right away. Their colony did a lot through the campus Hillel to gain campus exposure and get their name out to the campus at large and potential brothers, to secure rush locations on campus, etc. Meetings were held in the president's dorm room. Eventually, they were recognized by the university.

We are not allowed to even hold meetings on campus for the purpose of our group.
For now, some things you can do to promote your organization:

• Wear letters on campus
• Plan an event at a local gathering place. Maybe get a private room at a local restaurant. Take out an ad in the school newspaper inviting prospective members to a meet and greet here.
• Compile a list of potential sisters based on the suggestions of your members.
• Invite these ladies to off-campus bbq's, community service events, ice cream socials, etc., that can serve as rush events.

[Fleur de Lis]

Well, props for having an informative website!

Why doesn't each member invite one trusted friend who can contribute to your sisterhood? You can also place an ad in the school newspaper or post on a message board about an information meeting. Another idea is similar to NPC informal recruitment like a bowling night or dinner out where members can get to know PNMs and vice versa before committing.

I would encourage you to make prospective members feel "chosen" because we all like to feel special. Good luck!

[OmegaPDPrez]

well i would love to advertise in the school paper but the university emailed myself and your VP explaining any type of recruitment on campus would result in them filing a case against us ( locals are not allowed to recruit at my school, except for one local sorority which was in existence before this rule was written). So the difficult task for us if getting the word out there!!!!!
I like the idea of each of us inviting one friend each. We're still trying to think of more ideas tho!

[mystikchick]

Originally Posted by Fleur de Lis

Well, props for having an informative website!

Why doesn't each member invite one trusted friend who can contribute to your sisterhood? You can also place an ad in the school newspaper or post on a message board about an information meeting. Another idea is similar to NPC informal recruitment like a bowling night or dinner out where members can get to know PNMs and vice versa before committing.

I would encourage you to make prospective members feel "chosen" because we all like to feel special. Good luck!

Great website, but I just wanted to point out one little thing. In your "FAQ" section, the response to whether you pledge/haze says:
" We also do not pledge our members. WE strive to eliminate the possiblity for any time of hazing and thus our organzation sustains from any type of pledge period."

You want the word abstain

I like that your website has upcoming events listed, make sure you keep that updated. Also, since it seems you have an issue with being allowed to advertize on campus, take advantage of any other means possible, especially Facebook. Invite people, encourage people you know to invite people, advertise heavily and incessantly. Create a group to keep people informed, etc. Same thing goes with using email - contact anyone you think might be interested and ask them to spread the word. Word of mouth works well too. How about having a day where all your sisters wear their letters to class? You've got to be creative to work with the system, but good luck!

[Quandra_Bossy1]

hello..my name is quandra and some of my roomates and myself are interested in colonizing a sorority at our private university AIU. At this moment we are still researching several sororities we have in mind but we are still unsure on how to approach these sororities or what would be the correct way on how nto go forth on this huge decision..if anyone have any advice please reply..we are very serious about this and are prepared to committ our selves to joining a sorority!!!

[FSUZeta]

quandra, which sororities you are interested in will dictate the way you approach founding one, but i would say that the first place to begin would be to talk to someone in your schools administration. in most instances, a national org. will not allow a chapter to be founded without the support of the school.

there are several threads that would be a great help to you. just do a search under "starting your own sorority", or something similar.

[AlwaysSAI]

OmegaPD--

this is just a random thought, but have you guys looked into contacting Gamma Sigma Sigma or Omega Phi Alpha about the possibility of a colonization??

Isn't it a lot different for service orgs? (NPC/NPHCers chime in) Not all the red tape of an NPC/NPHC colonization, right.

[fantASTic]

Maybe..but if they don't want a service organization, that would be a bit useless.

[AlwaysSAI]

Taken directly for the OPs website-

"We are a local independent service sorority. "

Which is why I suggested it.

[OPhiAGinger]

OPD has had a difficult time on their campus from the start. (Check OPDPres's postings in the local sororities forum for more details about the challenges of getting campus recognition.) If I'm remembering correctly, the university already has a service sorority on campus (not mine) that is struggling and so the university refuses to let OPD form a 2nd one. This is really unfortunate, because the founders of OPD don't feel like the existing service sorority is a good 'fit' for them and they want to develop their sisterhood in a different way. So, they've started off with by forming a group that is somewhat off the university 'radar' by marketing it as an organization that is independent of the university. However, that presents its own challenges, because their target market for new members continues to be the university community that they've been shut out of.

OPDPres -- you desperately need to get a university faculty member on your side! Strangely, university administrators often don't respond to student requests, even when they are well-thought out and presented. If your university has an active student volunteer program, seek out a faculty member in that department and present your case to them. If they could become your 'unofficial' faculty advisor, they would be invaluable in helping you overcome the obstacles in your administration that are standing between you and official university recognition.

And in terms of member recruitment, I predict you'll have your greatest success if you focus on majors that attract service-minded nurturers: education, social work, nursing, etc. Good luck!