Starting a KKG chapter

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

Clearly this isn't the case where you have a whole Greek system of chapters that are bursting at the seams and 1 who just can't seem to get out of a downward spiral. There are campuses who have this situation and expand anyway. This is 3 of 5 chapters who are not at total. Even if they're only off total by 1, they are still not bursting at the seams.

So disgruntled girl with busy-body gay boyfriend had her heart set on 1, maybe 2 chapters out of 5. And who here is surprised her rush didn't succeed? If any good could have come out of this thread, hopefully a discussion was had to re-think her distaste for the 3 options she does have in front of her.

Changing subject a bit, at least 2 of the 3 chapters who are doing informal took well over quota and are still not at chapter total. As opposed to expansion, I'm wondering if they've thought about reducing chapter total to 85 or so. Having to have an organized rush twice a year is stressful and expensive and if 3 of 5 chapters aren't making it in the first go I'd be looking at that and CERTAINLY not expansion.

This is what I wrote up thread.

Originally Posted by TSteven

For what it is worth, it is not unusual for one or more Murray State chapters to have informal recruitment in the spring.

My understanding is that most of the chapters are "right at" or “slightly over” total after fall rush. But after fall graduations, random early alum status, and with members studying abroad, any given chapter may be under total by a few members at the start of the spring semester. But still not enough "overall" to warrant expansion.

And just to expand on that, informal spring recruitment is not viewed as a negative. Most springs, the chapters that participate in informal recruitment end up filling their open spots with friends and/or those who may have been involved in time consuming fall activities - like marching band, fall sports etc.

By the way, I may have missed it, but I don't recall reading that the alleged "disgruntled girl" had rushed before, much less had her heart set on any of the chapters etc.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by TSteven

By the way, I may have missed it, but I don't recall reading that the alleged "disgruntled girl" had rushed before, much less had her heart set on any of the chapters etc.

See below from earlier in the thread (bold emphasis mine)

Originally Posted by amIblue?

Interestingly enough, according to Murray State's website, three of the five sororities on campus are having Informal Recruitment this spring. It doesn't appear on the surface as if the sororities are bursting at the seams and that there's actually a need for another organization.

The organizations on your campus are fabulous. They have strong traditions and wonderful philanthropies. I'd also be willing to assert that on the whole, they do lots of the same things that Kappas do.

Sounds like a case of women who didn't get bids to the group they wanted.

Originally Posted by dandrewporter

The harsh truth is that this may be a bit accurate (now that I think about it)
but if she pursues the expansion then I am going to still help out the best I can.

I don't believe anyone here has said anything about the need for informal recruitment being a negative, just that it's an indication that they are not in need of expansion at this time.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

See below from earlier in the thread (bold emphasis mine)

I don't believe anyone here has said anything about the need for informal recruitment being a negative, just that it's an indication that they are not in need of expansion at this time.

Thanks. I guess I did miss that. Mea culpa.

For what it is worth, I know advisors of three of the five chapters. I also know women (friends and family) who became members of their sorority via one of the five chapters there. As such - and because of some of the comments that I perhaps misinterpreted (or perhaps not) - I felt a need to give a context to their NPC spring informal recruitment.

[lake]

Kappa just established a new chapter at NYU. A local group petitioned them for affiliation. In this circumstance, was this allowed because NYU has already been deemed open for expansion by the local (NYU) Panhellenic? In other words, if a campus is declared open, is this when petitioning a specific NPC chapter is allowed?

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by lake

Kappa just established a new chapter at NYU. A local group petitioned them for affiliation. In this circumstance, was this allowed because NYU has already been deemed open for expansion by the local (NYU) Panhellenic? In other words, if a campus is declared open, is this when petitioning a specific NPC chapter is allowed?

This would be a specific situation in which a local sorority at a HIGHLY desireable campus petitioned to join a specific sorority. The campus panhellenic voted to open and allow them to be colonized by Kappa who WANTED to expand to NYU because they were interested in that specific school. Like we have said before, this CAN happen, but it is not common.

[lake]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

This would be a specific situation in which a local sorority at a HIGHLY desireable campus petitioned to join a specific sorority. The campus panhellenic voted to open and allow them to be colonized by Kappa who WANTED to expand to NYU because they were interested in that specific school. Like we have said before, this CAN happen, but it is not common.

That's what I thought. Thanks for confirming!

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by lake

Kappa just established a new chapter at NYU. A local group petitioned them for affiliation. In this circumstance, was this allowed because NYU has already been deemed open for expansion by the local (NYU) Panhellenic? In other words, if a campus is declared open, is this when petitioning a specific NPC chapter is allowed?

I'll dig my Key out and see what I can confirm. I seem to recall that ZTA recently colonized there, too. I'm kind of thinking that NYU just opened to national organizations or to expansion in general. They are in a growth phase, no doubt. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here.

ETA:

Here's the info from Irishpipes' awesome NPC Recruitment thread

New York University
New York City, NY
September 18-25, 2011
Quota=
Campus Total=
*************
Alpha Omicron Pi Nu 1900-1961
Alpha Epsilon Phi Zeta 1917-1965/? (38)
Delta Phi Epsilon Alpha 1917 (38)
Phi Sigma Sigma Gamma 1918-1963
Phi Omega Pi New York Alpha 1920-?
Theta Upsilon Beta Alpha 1932-1962 National absorbed by Delta Zeta
Beta Phi Alpha Alpha Theta 1935-1941 National absorbed by Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta Beta Omega 1935-1969
Sigma Delta Tau Alpha Rho 1960-1970
Alpha Sigma Tau Delta Phi 2002 (41)
Pi Beta Phi New York Eta 2009
Zeta Tau Alpha Colony Fall 2011 (93)
Kappa Kappa Gamma Eta Pi Colony Fall 2011 (Absorbing local)

The Key stated that there are still two locals on campus at NYU. Looks like the last decade has seen a surge in national organizations after the 1960s weren't so kind to NPC groups. Anyone know any history here?

[TSteven]

This is kind of spooky and adds a new perspective to all of this. It seems to support a possible reason - however misguided and or misinformed it might have been - behind the original post.

Greek Life considers new sorority chapter/
November 17, 2011
The Murray State News
Haley Russell
Assistant News Editor

The Panhellenic Council at Murray State is considering including a new sorority chapter to the Greek Life community already including 11 Interfraternity Council organizations, seven national Panhellenic Council organizations and five Panhellenic organizations.

The Panhellenic Council held a meeting on Nov. 10, to discuss the possibility of expanding Greek Life at Murray State.

Tara Hawthorne, director of Greek Life, said though this committee has been formed, there are still no guarantees.

“At this moment, there is not a new chapter that is coming,” she said. “We’re just in the process of talking about if a new chapter will come.”

Hawthorne said the process of deciding whether to bring a new chapter is a long one, beginning with the creation of a proposal to send to the National Panhellenic Council.

“It’s a very long process through Panhellenic,” she said. “Initially, what you do is you bring that topic up to Panhellenic chapters saying ‘do we want to look at extension and possibly bringing another chapter here,’” she said.

From there, the council lists the pros and cons of bringing a new chapter to Murray State’s campus and whether they want to pursue it by setting an exploratory committee.

Hawthorne said the committee discussed different factors that will go into the possible new chapter.

“We met on Thursday (Nov. 10) and talked about recruitment, enrollment numbers, the pros and cons of having another sorority and whether we felt that the University and Panhellenic and the Greek community could support another chapter,” she said.

The next step in the process is to write a proposal including Greek Life statistics specific to the University, the thoughts of the committee members and why the University wants to grow its Greek community, Hawthorne said. This proposal will then be sent to each of the Panhellenic chapters and their national organization’s representative.

After the proposal is submitted, the Greek Life office will host different events to get student and faculty opinions, Hawthorne said.

“We’ll also do some open forums; we’re going to try to do one with students and then we’ll do one with faculty and staff members to get their thoughts, their pros and cons to see if they would like to see another chapter or not and if it would be supported by the University,” she said.

Hawthorne said the construction of the proposal and the open forums will be the committee’s focus next semester. If the Panhellenic Council accepts the proposal, the committee will send a letter to the remaining chapters that are not represented at Murray State. If the chapters are interested in forming a new chapter of their organization on campus, they will present to the committee.

Now, though, Hawthorne said she believes it’s time for the University’s Greek Life to expand after the last chapter to join was Alpha Delta Pi in 1968.

Said Hawthorne: “I think it’ll just be something great and something different for our chapters and for our community. I think if Panhellenic and the different chapters have the right mindset of this is something that we can welcome, we are continuing to grow, we’re all at a comfortable place, let’s continue to grow in another chapter.”

[NutBrnHair]

I love it.

Gee, I hope the students and administrators will be notified that several "experts" from GreekChat.com don't think extension is a good idea for their campus right now!

[PetitChou]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

I'll dig my Key out and see what I can confirm. I seem to recall that ZTA recently colonized there, too. I'm kind of thinking that NYU just opened to national organizations or to expansion in general. They are in a growth phase, no doubt. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here.

ETA:

Here's the info from Irishpipes' awesome NPC Recruitment thread

New York University
New York City, NY
September 18-25, 2011
Quota=
Campus Total=
*************
Alpha Omicron Pi Nu 1900-1961
Alpha Epsilon Phi Zeta 1917-1965/? (38)
Delta Phi Epsilon Alpha 1917 (38)
Phi Sigma Sigma Gamma 1918-1963
Phi Omega Pi New York Alpha 1920-?
Theta Upsilon Beta Alpha 1932-1962 National absorbed by Delta Zeta
Beta Phi Alpha Alpha Theta 1935-1941 National absorbed by Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta Beta Omega 1935-1969
Sigma Delta Tau Alpha Rho 1960-1970
Alpha Sigma Tau Delta Phi 2002 (41)
Pi Beta Phi New York Eta 2009
Zeta Tau Alpha Colony Fall 2011 (93)
Kappa Kappa Gamma Eta Pi Colony Fall 2011 (Absorbing local)

The Key stated that there are still two locals on campus at NYU. Looks like the last decade has seen a surge in national organizations after the 1960s weren't so kind to NPC groups. Anyone know any history here?

I'm happy to shed a little light on NYU Greek life. Between the sororities and fraternities, NYU actually has a very long history of Greek life with several Alpha or founding chapters (AEPi, DPhiE, Zeta Psi), and many chapters that have been around since very early on in their national organization's history. I think one of the biggest reasons for the sharp decline in groups in the late 60s-early 70s was the fact that, prior to that, NYU had multiple campuses, including a campus in the Bronx (called University Heights). UH was actually really the main campus for the undergraduate programs from the late 1890s until it was sold by NYU in 1973 to avoid bankruptcy. The UH campus was very much a traditional-style college campus, complete with Greek housing, a quad, etc. I think that when the undergrad program was shifted to the Washington Square campus (where NYU is today, in lower Manhattan), the school became more of a commuter institution and the interest in Greek life (especially chapters lacking any kind of "home base" or anything) tapered off.

Things really picked up again over the last 10-15 years. There were a number of local sororities founded (5 in total). One was absorbed by AST and around the same time, AEPhi recolonized. Another one of the locals was closed a few years later, but recruitment numbers actually started to take off around the same time (total was raised from the low 60's to 82) and Panhel began to look at extension. Pi Phi came to campus in 2009, but Panhel considered extension again almost immediately because even with a new chapter and a higher total, there was an increasing demand for Greek life. As Panhel considered extension again, one of the three remaining locals was discussing national affiliation and made that known to Panhel. What ended up taking place was sort of a dual extension process...the NPC was notified that NYU was open for extension for both a ground-up colonization AND the absorption of a local and groups were invited to be considered for one or the other or both. A number of organizations submitted packets for consideration. The local selected Kappa and Panhel selected ZTA for colonization. Both chapters were installed last semester.

I will be interested to see if extension is in NYU's future again soon; obviously, a lot of it depends upon the success of the ZTA and Kappa chapters in the next few semesters. I'm pretty certain that neither of the remaining two locals are interested in affiliating with a national group. I also know there were some membership issues with AST this past semester and about half of their chapter was dismissed by nationals, so it may be some time before all of the NPC chapters are at total again.

Sorry for the novel..brevity is not my strong suit

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by TSteven

Thanks. I guess I did miss that. Mea culpa.

For what it is worth, I know advisors of three of the five chapters. I also know women (friends and family) who became members of their sorority via one of the five chapters there. As such - and because of some of the comments that I perhaps misinterpreted (or perhaps not) - I felt a need to give a context to their NPC spring informal recruitment.

Murray State is a great school, and the organizations there are fantastic. I don't think any of us meant any disrespect regarding the school or the organizations there (I sure didn't), just that they don't need another one right now.

As the OP purported to be in a fraternity, expansion just doesn't work the same way.

It's not unusual for a PNM to get cut or only get bid from a group she deems beneath her, get her knickers in a wad, and then decide she's just going to start her own group.