2020/2021 New Chapters/Expansions/Charters/Closures

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I think TCU is a typical tough Texas school to crack, and the chapter was barely off the ground when a second new group was brought on. ---> premature death

Yes, Phi Mu came on about 4-5 years after AOII, and I agree that can be rough on a new chapter.

Texas schools can be tough to crack without name recognition, however, 50% of TCU student are now from out of state with a large portion from California, the Midwest, and SEC country. I think this may be less a factor in the closing of AOII because Sigma Kappa, Gamma Phi Beta, and Phi Mu have all had successful new chapters in the last 20 years or so without a strong presence at the big Texas schools prior to their TCU colonization.

Honestly, I think AOII was doomed from the start because of campus culture *at the time* which corresponded with the rise of the online sorority ranking site. That site was flooded with posts- and people in real life- discussing tiers and that if you are new "you start at the bottom and work your way up." It was horrible to witness but this mindset was broadcast loud and often by a small but vocal enough group of undergraduates, which included both sorority women and the fraternities.

Before AOII could even recruit the potential founders were being told that they would have to start at the bottom in terms of tiers and social status. There was no campus support for them at all. Who would want to join that? Panhellenic and the Greek Life Office could have/should have been much more on top of this situation to ensure that unaffiliated women saw membership in a new sorority as a positive and not a social negative.

They were able to recruit a wonderful group of women, however chapter total at the time was in the high 100s, and they only pledged about 60-70. I was worried from day one and knew they would never be able to catch up.

Other than that vile ranking site that was new at the time (and maybe someone different in the GL office? Honestly not sure on that..) I don't know why their colonization was different than the other three that I mentioned. When those groups came to campus all the sorority members were on board, encouraging their unaffiliated friends to go for it. There was widespread excitement over campus about those groups, with members wearing buttons, etc promoting the new group. All three of those groups pledged close to campus total, and all have thrived since. Very different than AOII.

Starting with a smaller group and then to have to do recruitment the next fall.. well that's tough on a chapter. I am not sure they have ever made quota. It is unfortunate that Phi Mu had to come so quickly but the chapters were bursting at the seams. While it was refreshing to see the campus go all out in support for Phi Mu my heart broke for AOII.

[g41965]

Hi Lane,

DU is expanding to University of Nevada at Reno.

[shadokat]

Closures at Bloomsburg University

ACACIA - RMF
Alpha Tau Omega - RMF
Kappa Sigma - RMF
Alpha Sigma Tau - RMF

[shirley1929]

Originally Posted by ComradesTrue

Yes, Phi Mu came on about 4-5 years after AOII, and I agree that can be rough on a new chapter.

Texas schools can be tough to crack without name recognition, however, 50% of TCU student are now from out of state with a large portion from California, the Midwest, and SEC country. I think this may be less a factor in the closing of AOII because Sigma Kappa, Gamma Phi Beta, and Phi Mu have all had successful new chapters in the last 20 years or so without a strong presence at the big Texas schools prior to their TCU colonization.

Honestly, I think AOII was doomed from the start because of campus culture *at the time* which corresponded with the rise of the online sorority ranking site. That site was flooded with posts- and people in real life- discussing tiers and that if you are new "you start at the bottom and work your way up." It was horrible to witness but this mindset was broadcast loud and often by a small but vocal enough group of undergraduates, which included both sorority women and the fraternities.

Before AOII could even recruit the potential founders were being told that they would have to start at the bottom in terms of tiers and social status. There was no campus support for them at all. Who would want to join that? Panhellenic and the Greek Life Office could have/should have been much more on top of this situation to ensure that unaffiliated women saw membership in a new sorority as a positive and not a social negative.

They were able to recruit a wonderful group of women, however chapter total at the time was in the high 100s, and they only pledged about 60-70. I was worried from day one and knew they would never be able to catch up.

Other than that vile ranking site that was new at the time (and maybe someone different in the GL office? Honestly not sure on that..) I don't know why their colonization was different than the other three that I mentioned. When those groups came to campus all the sorority members were on board, encouraging their unaffiliated friends to go for it. There was widespread excitement over campus about those groups, with members wearing buttons, etc promoting the new group. All three of those groups pledged close to campus total, and all have thrived since. Very different than AOII.

Starting with a smaller group and then to have to do recruitment the next fall.. well that's tough on a chapter. I am not sure they have ever made quota. It is unfortunate that Phi Mu had to come so quickly but the chapters were bursting at the seams. While it was refreshing to see the campus go all out in support for Phi Mu my heart broke for AOII.

This makes a ton of sense. Thanks for the insight. I wondered why the other ones (that are in the same boat in terms of name recognition in the state) did well while this one didn't. Very sad for AOPi.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by ComradesTrue

Honestly, I think AOII was doomed from the start because of campus culture *at the time* which corresponded with the rise of the online sorority ranking site. That site was flooded with posts- and people in real life- discussing tiers and that if you are new "you start at the bottom and work your way up." It was horrible to witness but this mindset was broadcast loud and often by a small but vocal enough group of undergraduates, which included both sorority women and the fraternities.

There was no campus support for them at all. Who would want to join that? Panhellenic and the Greek Life Office could have/should have been much more on top of this situation to ensure that unaffiliated women saw membership in a new sorority as a positive and not a social negative.

What was the process TCU used when AOII was chosen? Was it one person extending the invitation to colonize, or did all campus NPC groups vote to invite AOII?

Did TCU sororities feel AOII used undue special influence to become THE GROUP allowed to colonize? Was the TCU Greek Advisor at the time AOII was chosen an AOII herself?

It's always anti-panhellenic when any campus goes to the extreme of setting-up their CHOSEN NPC GROUP to fail.

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

What was the process TCU used when AOII was chosen? Was it one person extending the invitation to colonize, or did all campus NPC groups vote to invite AOII?

Did TCU sororities feel AOII used undue special pressure in some form to become THE GROUP allowed to colonize? Was the TCU Greek Advisor at the time AOII was chosen an AOII herself?

It's always anti-panhellenic when any campus goes to the extreme of choosing, then intentionally dooming, their CHOSEN NPC GROUP to failure.

As far as I remember it was the typical 3 sororities presented and one was chosen but I will be honest that I don't remember specifics on that. That is definitely how it was for the other 3 more recent colonizations, though.

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

What was the process TCU used when AOII was chosen? Was it one person extending the invitation to colonize, or did all campus NPC groups vote to invite AOII?

Did TCU sororities feel AOII used undue special influence to become THE GROUP allowed to colonize? Was the TCU Greek Advisor at the time AOII was chosen an AOII herself?

It's always anti-panhellenic when any campus goes to the extreme of setting-up their CHOSEN NPC GROUP to fail.

Originally Posted by ComradesTrue

As far as I remember it was the typical 3 sororities presented and one was chosen but I will be honest that I don't remember specifics on that. That is definitely how it was for the other 3 more recent colonizations, though.

I went back to the 2011/2012 thread and found this under the "Campuses Open for Expansion" section:

Texas Christian University (NPC 2 year stacked expansion planned)- Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Delta Phi Epsilon, and Phi Mu presenting. Alpha Omicron Pi invited to colonize, Fall '12. Phi Mu invited to colonize, Fall '14.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

I went back to the 2011/2012 thread and found this under the "Campuses Open for Expansion" section:

Texas Christian University (NPC 2 year stacked expansion planned)- Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Delta Phi Epsilon, and Phi Mu presenting. Alpha Omicron Pi invited to colonize, Fall '12. Phi Mu invited to colonize, Fall '14.

My opinion expressed below comes after researching the great wealth of information contained in the LaneSig and irishpipes yearly greekchat threads concerning NPC Chapters and Campuses:

TCU highly aggravated AOII's colony situation by lifting Chapter Total from 150 in Fall '10 & Fall '11 to a whopping 210 in Fall 2012. No chapter average numbers, nor the numbers of PNMs starting the process at TCU Fall '10-'11-'12, are given on greekchat to verify the necessity of their huge CT increase.

AOII installed Lambda Tau chapter at TCU on November 11, 2012 with considerably fewer than 210 women, but I'm sure with thoughts toward Phi Mu's then-planned Fall 2014 colony.

However, AOII was given two additional years to grow when the Phi Mu TCU colony pushed forward to Fall 2016.

But before then, TCU grew Chapter Total to an even more incredible 241 in Fall 2015 when the number of formal PNMs had only increased by sixty-two women, from 930 in Fall '13, to 992 in Fall '15.

Phi Mu colonized and installed during Fall 2016 at TCU with approximately 200 initiates.

After keeping Chapter Total at an artificially high 241 during four Fall semesters, the Fall '19 Chapter Total decreased to 230. AOII substantially missed formal quota during Fall '18 & Fall '19, and only made quota two of their seven formal recruitment seasons.

The double whammy of unrealistic TCU Chapter Totals and the reported-on-greekchat ugly reception of AOII by members of the TCU greek community and TCU campus eventually helped lead to the recent closure of Lambda Phi chapter of AOII.

If a campus panhellenic is going to demand a high sorority CT, they ought to be promoting EVERY AVAILABLE CHAPTER as worthy to join and useful to their students.