Prohibiting 1st Semester Freshmen From Pledging

[lillady85]

I agree that having more time to spend with your pledge class is important and that being a first semester pledge will help with that but it's a big transition that many freshmen need time to adjust. I wish my girls had been required to wait at least a quarter before pledging. It would really help with retention as well.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by lillady85

I agree that having more time to spend with your pledge class is important and that being a first semester pledge will help with that but it's a big transition that many freshmen need time to adjust. I wish my girls had been required to wait at least a quarter before pledging. It would really help with retention as well.

I guess if you have a problem with numbers than it would definitely help to have a shorter pledge semester. My chapter usually starts with 50 and ends with 30-35 and it keeps our numbers perfectly in check so this would make us change our bid process a lot.

[lillady85]

Well, I don't think we have a problem with numbers. This was our first year with recruitment and so far, none of our girls have depledged (as far as I know and I'm the pledge mom). But, I think that many of the freshman have had issues with juggling school, commitments and sorority life. It would help with them being more comfortable in staying, realizing how much of a commitment they can handle and school life in general. Even having recruitment deferred by a quarter would help because they would have a better grasp of college.

All of this I think is good for my school. We're not like SEC schools or state schools, and I know they're systems are infinitely different from ours.

[TSteven]

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.

[NutBrnHair]

Lazy? Excuse me?

The formal rush model is the most efficient way to add new members.

1. Promote the event
2. Have large #s of interested individuals line up outside your door in alphabetical order with nametags
3. Actives give 100%, for membership selection is the main focus for a set amount of time
4. Welcome a quality pledge class
5. Conduct a thorough new membership education with the entire group

And yes, I know there are some campuses where this doesn't work and NPC groups must recruit all year, but I do believe the formal rush model is the most efficient.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Lazy? Excuse me?

The formal rush model is the most efficient way to add new members.

But not necessarily the most efficient way to retain those members throughout college and assure that they stay active and participating as alumnae.

A lot of the reason NPC chapters rebel against year round or even twice a year recruitment is the misconception that any member recruitment MUST equal skits, matching outfits, and elaborately planned parties. I agree that once a year for those activities is enough. It isn't, however, the only way to rush and recruit members. If NPC groups truly would learn to RECRUIT and foster that philosophy instead of just changing the terminology, maybe we wouldn't have droves of women dropping out of their chapters in their junior/senior year or earlier.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by 33girl

But not necessarily the most efficient way to retain those members throughout college and as alumnae.

I respectfully disagree with you and can think of 300,000 examples why.

[icicle22]

Originally Posted by 33girl

But not necessarily the most efficient way to retain those members throughout college and as alumnae.

But some chapters have no issue with retaining members.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Lazy? Excuse me?

The formal rush model is the most efficient way to add new members.

1. Promote the event
2. Have large #s of interested individuals line up outside your door in alphabetical order with nametags
3. Actives give 100%, for membership selection is the main focus for a set amount of time
4. Welcome a quality pledge class
5. Conduct a thorough new membership education with the entire group

And yes, I know there are some campuses where this doesn't work and NPC groups must recruit all year, but I do believe the formal rush model is the most efficient.

I knew that would get a response.

The topic of this thread is Prohibiting 1st Semester Freshmen From Pledging. I personally do not agree with forcing a freshman to wait. I also feel that the "one shot at a bid" model - which is often perpetuated by a single formal/structured rush - is often true depending on the campus. Regardless if recruitment is deferred. Indiana and Ole Miss come to mind here. As such, my suggestion is that recruitment should be year round.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that the formal rush model isn't the most efficient way to add new members overall. However, my suggestion is that instead of waiting a full year to have the next rush, the Campus Panhellenic Council could have a less formal/structured rush the other semester. Not COB/COR to bring a chapter up to quota or total, but a secondary panhellenic-wide rush (for lack of a better phrase). Women would still sign up for recruitment and a quota could be set.

I have heard excuses from some NPC members saying it would be "too much work" to rush twice a year. And it would if the CPC was to duplicate the formal/structured type of recruitment. However, the concept I envision is that the *secondary recruitment* should not be hectic or time consuming for either the chapters and the PNMs. As I understand it, the NPC has provided four different recruitment models that each campus should select from as best fits the specific campus. Why not have a more formal type of recruitment one semester and a less formal the other semester? This would allow more quality women to join sooner. And it would be especially beneficial to those campuses where most, if not all, of the chapters make - or are near - quota (i.e. Kansas State, Indiana, Nebraska, Ole Miss) each year.

[icicle22]

Originally Posted by TSteven

The topic of this thread is Prohibiting 1st Semester Freshmen From Pledging. I personally do not agree with forcing a freshman to wait. I also feel that the "one shot at a bid" model - which is often perpetuated by a single formal/structured rush - is often true depending on the campus. Regardless if recruitment is deferred. Indiana and Ole Miss come to mind here. As such, my suggestion is that recruitment should be year round.

Recruitment should be year round, because that would give anyone the chance to go through rush if they so desire.

[luv n tpa]

Originally Posted by TSteven

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that the formal rush model isn't the most efficient way to add new members overall. However, my suggestion is that instead of waiting a full year to have the next rush, the Campus Panhellenic Council could have a less formal/structured rush the other semester. Not COB/COR to bring a chapter up to quota or total, but a secondary panhellenic-wide rush (for lack of a better phrase). Women would still sign up for recruitment and a quota could be set.

My school, a small one, has two "panhellenic-wide" recruitments: deferred formal in the spring & informal in the fall. They are completely identical to each other except in areas where formal requires a little more. Formal has PX's be unaffiliated for the week, bid matching and a silence period, whereas informal does not. Otherwise, it's the same schedule of events, same amount of decorations, same time and commitment for recruitment chairs, quota is set, etc. It works pretty well.