Schools that need to open for NPC expansion

[Jimmy Choo]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Wasn't East Carolina a campus where all the houses looked alike and were all built at the same time? Or did they move away from that after either the turn of the millennium or some weather disaster?

No this wasn't ECU. Most sororities all came to campus at the same time but the houses looked quite different!

[Jimmy Choo]

Originally Posted by Phigirl04

I think that could be overcome if a group bought a couple houses near campus, tore them down and built from scratch. It would be pricey but could work.

The biggest problem is the city rezoning homes for new groups. They like to make it more difficult than it needs to be.

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Never been to either campus, so you may have me there. What is the difference between sorority housing at each school?

Not to be silly, but at Elon all of the little houses look the same (similar)! The ECU houses are quite different.

[MaggieXi]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

Not to be silly, but at Elon all of the little houses look the same (similar)! The ECU houses are quite different.

Re Elon: The houses that were built in the early/mid 1990s look exactly the same and inside the houses are gorgeous: Hard word floors, spiral staircases, columns, etc. The houses that were built in the late 1990s and early 2000s look a little more doorm-ish: Linoleum, more suite-style. Luckily each organization gets to paint and decorate as they wish.
Each housing style has their pluses and minuses. The houses at ECU are each different.

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Choo

Another school to watch will be East Carolina after two years of record breaking numbers. The only drawback at ECU is finding viable housing.

Is retention an issue at ECU? With quota in the 70s, total of 154 seems low.

[MaggieXi]

Speaking of Elon, I saw this article today. http://www.elonpendulum.com/2014/09/service-sisterhood/

It appears that Greek Life intends to educate PNMs about what sorority is life is really like and they believe this in turn may lower the number of PNMs going through recruitment this winter. I'll be watching this story to find out more, since the article seems to leave a lot out. As an Elon Alum, I'm surprised they are deciding to go this route over expansion since the number of undergrads keeps growing, which is increasing the numbers of PNMs going through recruitment. There are a few groups on campus who have a history of retention issues, but from what I know, those are for other reasons.

[Griffins&Quills]

I think it's great that they are making sure women are better informed about academics and philanthropy, as relating to what sororities do, and that's it's not just one giant fraternity party (although social is definitely an aspect as well). However, I don't know if it will really cut down a significant number of girls going through recruitment. If the numbers support it, eventually expansion will have to be discussed.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by MaggieXi

Speaking of Elon, I saw this article today. http://www.elonpendulum.com/2014/09/service-sisterhood/

It appears that Greek Life intends to educate PNMs about what sorority is life is really like and they believe this in turn may lower the number of PNMs going through recruitment this winter. I'll be watching this story to find out more, since the article seems to leave a lot out. As an Elon Alum, I'm surprised they are deciding to go this route over expansion since the number of undergrads keeps growing, which is increasing the numbers of PNMs going through recruitment. There are a few groups on campus who have a history of retention issues, but from what I know, those are for other reasons.

Even if the New Information cuts down a bit on the number of registered participants, a greater-than-usual percentage of those then-registered may choose to stick with the program and pledge/initiate. So Elon may discover the same number of initiates from a lower number of PNMs.

[33girl]

Do PNMs at Elon typically receive written info on cost of dues and such? If not, it may be that they're going to do that and this is much ado about nothing. Or it might be an attempt to lower the amount of Greek students couched in "informing" and "helping." Things like this make my side-eye twitch.

[DubaiSis]

They could also be getting a lot of grief because the girls go in all "unicorns pooping rainbows" and not understand study hours, philanthropy hours, mandatory meetings, etc. And we all know nobody wants to bring that up during a rush party. If a significant number of girls every year think it's all about frat parties, there could be a lot of disillusioned girls with a big ole expense they don't want.

[MaggieXi]

The PNMs are given financials for each sorority, both before the recruitment convocation (kick off) and during the sisterhood round. I think after initiation, generally right around spring break, the new members realize the honey moon is over and there is a bug push for Thon, philanthropy events out the wazoo, Greek week and being told to keep their grades up comes as a bit of a shock to the system. Elon is running out of space for new Greek housing to be built and currently all houses are occupied. Also Elon generally tries to have NPC and IFC expansion around the same time. If the numbers continue to increase as they have for the past 5 years, even with the addition of KD in 2011, I think NPC will have to look to expand. I think total is 125, with the majority of groups over total and quota has consistently been in the 50s.

[Jimmy Choo]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

Is retention an issue at ECU? With quota in the 70s, total of 154 seems low.

I don't think so? It could be for some chapters? From what I can see on here groups took anywhere from 59-72. From what I can tell the total of 154 is fairly recent as well. The system is just growing so fast there I think they are working hard to figure out what total needs to be. At least one chapter is well above that at 182.

[irishpipes]

Another one from the list has opened - Cal State San Marcos.

[Cheerio]

Not going through eleven pages of previous posts, so this may have been asked/answered:

At one time recently University of Wisconsin at Whitewater was open for sorority extension. Their Fall 2014 numbers would still seem to indicate expansion should any NPC group be interested. Is this campus "too far" from alum group help to be viable? And AFAIK their long-time local sorority group was NOT asking to be made NPC.

ETA: the local sorority's Fall 2014 NM number from FB listing is 35. DZ got 37 and Tri Sigma took 29 (from IP's fantastic GC list).

[Low D Flat]

I can't speak to attitudes of specific groups, of course, but it's less than an hour from Whitewater to Madison and just an hour from Whitewater to Milwaukee. Any sorority that's been at UW-Madison for a long time will have lots of alumni in those two cities. It's also a part of the country where people don't think that much of an hour's drive. This campus doesn't present the kind of logistical challenge or expense of, say, Northern Michigan University.