RFM-pref day

[33girl]

Honestly, I think this is one of those times when you have to look past bid day and at retention. Are those girls who get placed in C finishing pledgeship, initiating and staying members throughout college, or are they overwhelmingly not showing up for bid day or depledging? If it's the latter, then maybe it's time to relax RFM as far as letting C cut girls that show zero interest. RFM was intended to place more women, not to put chapters that are already nervous in rush further through the emotional wringer.

[MaryPoppins]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Honestly, I think this is one of those times when you have to look past bid day and at retention. Are those girls who get placed in C finishing pledgeship, initiating and staying members throughout college, or are they overwhelmingly not showing up for bid day or depledging? If it's the latter, then maybe it's time to relax RFM as far as letting C cut girls that show zero interest. RFM was intended to place more women, not to put chapters that are already nervous in rush further through the emotional wringer.

Even better!

[AlphaXi_Husky]

Originally Posted by carnation

I'm not even sure how to put this into words. It just seems like maybe 3/4 of the PNMs we know who have been in this situation (so this would be dozens of women) end up with C.

AlphaXi_Husky, I guess that's what I'm saying. And a lot of times, C still doesn't make quota after various additions, etc.

For the first part, do you mean we as in your family, or we on Greek Chat? We've discussed before that Greek Chat seems to see more PNMs who didn't get their first (or second) choice, or who were dropped completely (or so they say), moreso than a PNM who was happily placed. So I think that's just more of a sample size issue, so to speak.


As for your second point, I agree with 33girl that it's not something that can be fixed during Recruitment. It's more of a Recruitment 365 sort of thing where the chapter needs to make itself stronger outside of the formal recruitment period in order to start better competing with stronger recruiting chapter once the next Recruitment rolls around.


I do think overall RFM has been very beneficial across the board. I don't think RFM has led to more people being placed in a C chapter when also preffing A & B chapters.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AlphaXi_Husky

I do think overall RFM has been very beneficial across the board. I don't think RFM has led to more people being placed in a C chapter when also preffing A & B chapters.

This x zillion.

[carnation]

I'm talking about everywhere. Yes, on GC, but mostly women whom I know through various groups,from being in school with my daughters (I have 9), students of 2 of my kids who are teachers, just from various places. I would say I personally know at least 40 PNMs every year and maybe 5-10 end up in the A, B, or C scenario. And at schools where C is an extremely WRC, if the girl gets C, she walks away from her bid.

[SoCalGirl]

Originally Posted by AlphaXi_Husky

I've seen a couple different names for RFM on here, so before anyone gets confused - Release Figure Methodology.


NPC has a 2015 handout with more details for anyone who's curious:
https://www.npcwomen.org/resources/pdf/RFM%20Update.pdf


And carnation, I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at. Are you asking if a PNM who has two stronger recruiting chapters (A & B) and one weaker recruiting chapter (C) at Pref is less likely to wind up in A or B than a PNM who has all strong recruiting chapters (A, B, & D) at Pref?


While I'm not an RFM specialist, based on what I've seen since RFM was started that isn't the case. It just all depends on where each girl is on each chapter's bid list.

Thank you for the link. There are so many things in it that make me happy and make me want to scream.

This one is a screamer: "Also, when determining chapter total on a campus with one chapter that is significantly below total, a Panhellenic may want to choose MCS, or use ACS but remove that chapter’s number from its calculation."

Am I wrong in thinking that removing the weaker chapter from the equation makes total higher, putting them even more behind?

Also, I know that it says that RFM started as a pilot in 2003 but I know that retention figures were used going into Pref to determine number of invites when I was in school. It stands out in my mind because we had an advisor who got the call with our number excitedly tell us that we needed to cut more girls. We freaked because we were not as strong of a recruiting chapter as we had once been. She tried to reassure us but our bid numbers were low that year.

Finally, does RFM have any mechanism in place to override or adjust figures? I'm thinking of the situation where a historically SRC has some drama go down that "poisons the well". They would normally have to cut more women but suddenly they're the WRC and need a bigger pool to try to hit quota.

[AZ-AlphaXi]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

......

Finally, does RFM have any mechanism in place to override or adjust figures? I'm thinking of the situation where a historically SRC has some drama go down that "poisons the well". They would normally have to cut more women but suddenly they're the WRC and need a bigger pool to try to hit quota.

That's what the flex lists, plus and minus, are for. If a chapter has unexpectedly strong returns then the minus list is used to cut more PNMs. If a chapter has a weaker than expected return number then the plus list is used to add invitations.

[SoCalGirl]

Originally Posted by AZ-AlphaXi

That's what the flex lists, plus and minus, are for. If a chapter has unexpectedly strong returns then the minus list is used to cut more PNMs. If a chapter has a weaker than expected return number then the plus list is used to add invitations.

Thanks, I read that part but assumed the flex list would be rather short compared to the regular invite list. Since my brain tends to go to the extremes for what if scenarios, I didn't make the connection to the flex list likely being sufficient.

Originally Posted by TSteven

Starting with this fall's 2015 formal recruitment, PNMs at Kentucky may attend up to two chapters for preference. This is down from previous years when a PNM could attend up to three preference parties.

What would be the reasoning behind this? I believe that historically, most PNMs get placed in their first choice. A much smaller number are placed with their second choice. And an even smaller number with their third choice. Does moving to two preferences “help” the PNMs and/or the chapters?

FYI: The rounds go from 13 (open house) to 10 to 6 to 2 (preference). Also, there will be a recolonization after formal recruitment.

So next year it seems like the parties would be 14, 10, 6, 2. A decrease of 4 each round, makes sense. I suspect that if a rather small number actually match to their 3rd choice it's in the chapters best interest to reduce the time and expense of having the 3rd round. Financial expense may not be that impacted but the emotional strain on the women could be relieved greatly since Pref is the "make 'em cry" round.

[AGDAlum]

Originally Posted by Griffins&Quills

Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (pref card)

I would never have guessed that.
I wonder when they will come up with a new word for "bid"?

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by AGDAlum

I would never have guessed that.
I wonder when they will come up with a new word for "bid"?

It's been called the MRABA forever. That's the technical name for the contract the girls are signing. Most of the girls just don't ever realize what they're signing or why. But I know it was called the MRABA in 1984, so unless you're way older than that, you just didn't know that was what it was called.

[AGDAlum]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

It's been called the MRABA forever. That's the technical name for the contract the girls are signing. Most of the girls just don't ever realize what they're signing or why. But I know it was called the MRABA in 1984, so unless you're way older than that, you just didn't know that was what it was called.

Yes, I am way older than that.

[carnation]

^^^ You are not!

This thread sure clarified some issues for me.

[Griffins&Quills]

I feel like the "ineligible for QAs if you don't maximize your options" thing is a bit of a catch-22. If a PNM honestly feels that a chapter isn't for her, and isn't just being a snob, it's kinda crappy to punish her for leaving a chapter off her pref card, if that spot could go to someone else who really wants to be there.

[clemsongirl]

Part of the problem is that if C is truly such a weak-recruiting chapter, RFM can't force girls to accept bids there or list them after preference. Girls can say they'd rather not be Greek than be in C, and sending every quota addition their way won't change that. RFM helps weaker-recruiting chapters by forcing more girls to return to their parties which can hopefully give those weaker-recruiting a second chance to shine, but ultimately it can't solve problems that chapters have with recruiting itself.

[MaryPoppins]

But when should the RFM specialist permit the release of the PNMs that keep putting a WRC last? Part of RFM practice is to reduce the number of rounds meaning less time for Chapters and PNMs to gain an accurate read or correct misconceptions about one another. Seems like the reduction of the SRC chapter invites needs to come earlier for best results overall.