difficulties with Panhel

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

I was taught to respect the chain of command-that is why I suggested giving the GL advisor one more chance. If she/he does not respond in a timely fashion, then go to the next person over the GL advisor. I don't think it would be wrong to cc the supervisor, and may expedite a response.

AzTheta, The campuses I have worked with all provided Panhellenic officers on a rotation. At FGCU for instance, when ZTA came on, it was just Tri Delta and ZTA. Since Tri Delta was the first sorority at FGCU, one of their members served as the first president of Panhellenic. A ZTA served as the VP(president in waiting) and served as the president the next year. The other officers alternated between Tri Delta and ZTA. When Chi O colonized, they were worked into the rotation..same with KD, and when Phi Mu becomes a chapter, they will be worked into the rotation too. Maybe Arizona could look into that system.

This has been my experience, too. Every NPC group provides two delegates to Panhel, and the officer positions rotate between the groups. Usually, the senior person for the group that is up takes the officer position, but it's up to the group.

[ASTalumna06]

My campus also worked on a rotation system. We only had 3 chapters, so there were 2 people from each chapter with officer positions.

[Titchou]

We have 4 groups but 8 officers and all are elected. They used to rotate but it just didn't work for them so we went to elected.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

AzTheta, The campuses I have worked with all provided Panhellenic officers on a rotation. At FGCU for instance, when ZTA came on, it was just Tri Delta and ZTA. Since Tri Delta was the first sorority at FGCU, one of their members served as the first president of Panhellenic. A ZTA served as the VP(president in waiting) and served as the president the next year. The other officers alternated between Tri Delta and ZTA. When Chi O colonized, they were worked into the rotation..same with KD, and when Phi Mu becomes a chapter, they will be worked into the rotation too. Maybe Arizona could look into that system.

Thanks; with your permission, I'll share that information with the Greek Life Office. They seem to select Panhellenic officers by election; women apply for positions, and there's some sort of voting (I'm hazy on the details) and the system you've described might improve all the chapters' participation.

Actually, thanks to all who responded! Ideally there would be a cross section of representation. Ideally.

[gatordeltapgh]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

This is the type of thing for which I would contact the College Panhellenic area advisor. These women are appointed by NPC and would be very concerned to learn of Panhellenic officers messing with recruitment. Here's a link to those contacts: https://www.npcwomen.org/college-pan...-advisors.aspx

The chain of command in NPC would be for the OP to contact her NPC Delegate (or whatever coordinator assists w Panhellenic matters) then the NPC Delegate contacts the NPC Area Advisor who will work w the FSA/GL and Panhellenic to do better. She (your NPC Delegate) may also alert the offending chapter's NPC Delegate as well so the issue can be addressed from both sides.

[worried]

We have a rotating presidency for our panhel and the other spots are basically through voting within the panhel council. each house has 2 delegates. we are a small greek system with 5 or less sororities (I don't want to give my school away). Our president met with the greek life advisor today and she said that she thought that maybe the president of panhel and the recruitment chair didn't realize how they were acting and maybe they should get coffee and talk it out. We don't buy that, but to appease the advisor she is going with the recruitment chair of another sorority to make it seem less like we're attacking them, but to open up a discussion.

I will see them tomorrow and see how things go...

[MaryPoppins]

Originally Posted by worried

I will see them tomorrow and see how things go...

Great! But DO NOT FAIL to document, document, document. DO it now before it becomes too hazy and you and the other eye witnesses begein to forget details.

[33girl]

Apparently UM is on way shakier footing than anyone realizes, are under intense pressure to do well this rush or get yanked, are completely burnt out and have so adopted the theme of It Just Doesn't Matter.

Unfortunately, instead of doing this in a goofy and happy way, like eating nothing but ice cream for three days and attending Meet The Greeks attired in Snuggies, they are doing it by turning into giant raging bitches.

I second the getting coffee and talking it out and waking them up a bit, and while I realize it may be REALLY hard, please cut these girls as much slack as you possibly can. They are going through something incredibly hard and if you get hammered with the same threats and worries year after year, when you've tried to do your best, you can only be positive for so long before you snap.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Apparently UM is on way shakier footing than anyone realizes, are under intense pressure to do well this rush or get yanked, are completely burnt out and have so adopted the theme of It Just Doesn't Matter.

Unfortunately, instead of doing this in a goofy and happy way, like eating nothing but ice cream for three days and attending Meet The Greeks attired in Snuggies, they are doing it by turning into giant raging bitches.

I second the getting coffee and talking it out and waking them up a bit, and while I realize it may be REALLY hard, please cut these girls as much slack as you possibly can. They are going through something incredibly hard and if you get hammered with the same threats and worries year after year, when you've tried to do your best, you can only be positive for so long before you snap.

Oh, man, this is the post I WISH I had written. Great points.

[worried]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Apparently UM is on way shakier footing than anyone realizes, are under intense pressure to do well this rush or get yanked, are completely burnt out and have so adopted the theme of It Just Doesn't Matter.

Unfortunately, instead of doing this in a goofy and happy way, like eating nothing but ice cream for three days and attending Meet The Greeks attired in Snuggies, they are doing it by turning into giant raging bitches.

I second the getting coffee and talking it out and waking them up a bit, and while I realize it may be REALLY hard, please cut these girls as much slack as you possibly can. They are going through something incredibly hard and if you get hammered with the same threats and worries year after year, when you've tried to do your best, you can only be positive for so long before you snap.

Oh yeah. No everyone knows what shaky footing they're on. That's why some girls have no interest in joining their house because they feel that if their charter is going to be taken away any day now, what's the point? However, other chapters think that all they need is one really great group of girls to work on turning the chapter around. We all are encouraging other girls to keep an open mind and that all the houses are amazing. That's part of the reason it is so frustrating that they've been treating us this way when we're trying to help. They have just taken the attitude of well "f**k everyone, they all suck" which is a bit unfortunate. Recruitment is almost over.....

[33girl]

Originally Posted by worried

However, other chapters think that all they need is one really great group of girls to work on turning the chapter around. We all are encouraging other girls to keep an open mind and that all the houses are amazing. That's part of the reason it is so frustrating that they've been treating us this way when we're trying to help. They have just taken the attitude of well "f**k everyone, they all suck" which is a bit unfortunate. Recruitment is almost over.....

It is awesome that you guys think this way, and are showing true Panhellenic spirit. Not every campus is so nice.

But they need more than a great group of girls. They need a great group of girls, PLUS they need to pay off all their debts, they need to turn around their campus image 180 degrees, they need to donate tons to their national philanthropy, they need to have every fraternity falling at their feet asking for mixers, and they basically need to devote every minute of every day to thinking of UM and how to improve their chapter. That's (most likely) what is being asked of them.

All this while going to school, possibly working, and trying to have some semblance of a personal life.

[worried]

Originally Posted by 33girl

It is awesome that you guys think this way, and are showing true Panhellenic spirit. Not every campus is so nice.

But they need more than a great group of girls. They need a great group of girls, PLUS they need to pay off all their debts, they need to turn around their campus image 180 degrees, they need to donate tons to their national philanthropy, they need to have every fraternity falling at their feet asking for mixers, and they basically need to devote every minute of every day to thinking of UM and how to improve their chapter. That's (most likely) what is being asked of them.

All this while going to school, possibly working, and trying to have some semblance of a personal life.

That's what I meant by my previous post, but didn't think to write everything out. You are correct. However, since our campus is different from other schools, when their national rep comes to help them with recruitment, they end up doing things no other houses on campus does which then ends up making things tougher for them. For example, nobody does door chants at my campus. They have been doing door chants. It honestly freaked some of the PNMs in my group out. We really do want them to succeed, but at this point we're not sure how. We're hoping recruitment goes well for them and they can get a lot of girls who will help boost them up.

Another thing that is super frustrating about their treatment of my sorority in particular is that they are the one group that is telling everyone to be nice to each other and to talk up all of the chapters and greek life in general.... Ha. Great example they're setting.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by worried

That's what I meant by my previous post, but didn't think to write everything out. You are correct. However, since our campus is different from other schools, when their national rep comes to help them with recruitment, they end up doing things no other houses on campus does which then ends up making things tougher for them. For example, nobody does door chants at my campus. They have been doing door chants. It honestly freaked some of the PNMs in my group out.

Oh, Lord.

If their national is so out of touch to do things like that (i.e. if they haven't bothered to really research or care about the campus, sends a consultant who thinks the way her chapter did it is the way everyone should do it even if the schools are nothing alike) then they are pretty much as good as fried, and they should just skip rush and go to the bar and stay there.

Things like this just make me angry, when probably their decline has been going on for YEARS and could have been avoided if they'd nipped it in the bud and reached out to alumnae, sent competent consultants etc...this just hits very close to home. All I can say is when the chapter does close, your school should probably do some serious thinking about whether it ever wants to allow this organization on campus again.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Oh, Lord.

If their national is so out of touch to do things like that (i.e. if they haven't bothered to really research or care about the campus, sends a consultant who thinks the way her chapter did it is the way everyone should do it even if the schools are nothing alike) then they are pretty much as good as fried, and they should just skip rush and go to the bar and stay there.

Things like this just make me angry, when probably their decline has been going on for YEARS and could have been avoided if they'd nipped it in the bud and reached out to alumnae, sent competent consultants etc...this just hits very close to home. All I can say is when the chapter does close, your school should probably do some serious thinking about whether it ever wants to allow this organization on campus again.

Didn't someone just ask about door chants? I agree. Forcing different campus culture onto a weak chapter is a terrible idea. Those poor women are in need of real help and they're getting SEC, intense, in your face recruitment tips for a laid back style campus. I bet that goes over like a tart in Sunday School. Door chants are fun, though.

[jennyj87]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

Thanks; with your permission, I'll share that information with the Greek Life Office. They seem to select Panhellenic officers by election; women apply for positions, and there's some sort of voting (I'm hazy on the details) and the system you've described might improve all the chapters' participation.

Actually, thanks to all who responded! Ideally there would be a cross section of representation. Ideally.

Hi sorry on the late post. But once KD came on, Panhellenic actually voted to do away with the rotation system since certain women in panhellenic chapters would never have the opportunity to even apply to be President/VP due to way rotations went. Now it is a interview process.