Consequences for Recruitment Infractions

[FSUZeta]

other possible penalties could be not being able to participate in homecoming or greek week(or something comparable),or loss of social privileges for a specified time.

[StargazerLily]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

The biggest deterrent would be limiting/reducing the number of new members the group can take. Unfortunately, I don't know how that could work, nor do I know whether that's 'legal'.

I know! But even if this could work (which I doubt) they would just convince the PNMs to drop out of formal so they could COR/snap bid them.

*Edit* Yeah - what Violet said...^^

[Kansas City]

I too agree with many, the apology with panhellenic programming isn't going to work. Everyone knows why the guilty chapter is doing what they are doing and won't take the apology or programming seriously. I mean, really, am I going to sit and listen to a chapter who broke the rules tell me to not break the rules ... while taking them seriously. On my campus fines are used for minor (ex: over established budget, too many display items at a party, etc.) infractions and the removal of social privileges (including the hosting future recruitment functions, COB?) seems to work more for any major (ex: dirty rushing) infractions. It also sounds like your panhellenic needs to grow a backbone, be tough, and stop the temptation of chapters to break the rules.

[ASTalumna06]

as SydneyK said, limiting the number of new members the sorority can take in might be an idea.

On my campus, about 2 years ago, the Greeks as a whole started to form a Greek Judicial Board, addressing problems among the Greek community. It is made of up certain members from Panhellenic and IFC. If your campus doesn't already have this, it might be a good idea. That way, you can actually impose sanctions (decided on by the board and approved through the Greek advisor and student activties), that will force the chapter to act appropriately.

[APhiAnna]

One idea I've always thought might work is limit what they can do for recruitment next year, especially for campuses with "frillier" recruitment. Maybe there's a day when all the chapters do a door stack and the offending chapter will not be allowed to do it. Maybe limit songs in the entrances and exits, or forbid them from wearing letters on campus the week of recruitment. Enough of these things may make a chapter look "lazy" to PNMs. The devil's advocate to this situation is that it may make them want to dirty rush more to overcome these setbacks.

[breathesgelatin]

I love what W&L's Panhellenic did. There was one group at my school that had recruitment violations 2 years in a row. Both times, Panhellenic took away their right to do songs or chants during entrances on Skit Night. It was very noticeable and a negative for PNMs. The other chapters were instructed NOT to discuss or answer questions about it from PNMs (we had to respond with "Oh, I don't know" or something, I can't remember exactly what the given response was), but the Rho Chis could explain the situation to the PNMs. Of course this would only work at a school where door chants are a significant thing, but I think it was fairly effective with this group... or maybe not, since they had violations 2 years in a row. hm. Well, anyway, all the other groups were very satisfied with the resolution - I guess we were sadists. LOL.

ETA: Ah yeah. What APhiAnna said!

[GeekyPenguin]

I think removing the songs/stack is a great idea. PNMs will definitely notice this if it's something every other chapter is doing. For campuses that have less frilly rush, maybe limit the amount of sisters who are allowed to table, or limit the advertising for that group.

The problem I see with the suggestion of not allowing the sisters who dirty rushed to participate in a round the next year is that chapters who dirty rush would just have their seniors or girls who were studying abroad do all the dirty rushing since they would be "losing" them the next year anyway...at least that's what I'd do if I was in such a chapter.

[MSKKG]

One of the Kappas at S. Carolina lives in a dorm (she's an RA) and saw 2 flower arrangements being delivered to a PNM from 2 different GLOs! I hope she reported the infraction. Can y'all believe how brazen this was?!? The cards must not have been in envelopes, because she (and anyone else who looked) saw what was written. I think the message was something to the effect of "good luck" from each group, but that is totally inappropriate and unfair.

How sad that they feel like they can't compete with the other GLOs on an even playing field and how sad for their NMs to be tricked into joining.

[StargazerLily]

Originally Posted by MSKKG

How sad that they feel like they can't compete with the other GLOs on an even playing field and how sad for their NMs to be tricked into joining.

Oh my god - can I quote you with this in my signature? It totally describes my campus situation.....

[MandyPepperidge]

Originally Posted by MSKKG

One of the Kappas at S. Carolina lives in a dorm (she's an RA) and saw 2 flower arrangements being delivered to a PNM from 2 different GLOs! I hope she reported the infraction. Can y'all believe how brazen this was?!? The cards must not have been in envelopes, because she (and anyone else who looked) saw what was written. I think the message was something to the effect of "good luck" from each group, but that is totally inappropriate and unfair.

Two years(?) ago, a number of our eventual pledges received roses, a bottle of wine, and a celebratory note prior to pref night from one particular house.

ETA: IIRC, it wasn't the house, per se, but an errant group of overzealous sisters who did this.

[DDDlady]

Hard core social probation is the way to get a chapters attention. 1st offense, 1 semester of total social probation. That equals no swaps, mixers, date parties or formals. No event where the sorority is acting as a host. 2nd offense in a reasonable period of time, and entire year of the same. You can't make it cumulative over the sororities life at a campus because it is not fair IMO to punish girls 10yrs down the road. It is 1) embarrassing and noticeable for a chapter to not have any social events during a semester, and 2) imagine how the NM feel when they find out that they are not having any socials because their new sisters broke the rules. It's not so fun when their friends in other orgs are asking guys to date parties and they aren't.

[StargazerLily]

[gatordeltapgh]

Your fraternity/sorority advisor should contact your NPC Area Advisor for help. She can help you tailor a solution that will fit the needs of your campus. Find the woman assigned to your campus at www.npcwomen.org

Once you find a solution that fits for your campus please share your ideas with us!

Good luck!

[kchaptergphib]

I agree with Gator.. above. It definitely sounds like your panhellenic council needs some help.
And I know social probation is a HUGE deterrent. No one wants to be the reason their chapter cannot participate in a semester's worth of official activities. And this way, NM's who were successfully dirty-rushed, and did not notify anyone because they liked the group and/or the special attention, bear the consequences as well as their new chapter.
It'd be like, "Well, let's see, for this serious of an infraction, you do not get to participate in Greek Week, and you are only allowed one formal instead of two, and you will be fined the amount that you would have spent on your second formal and Greek Week= $10,000."
I think a lot of us here agree that we've seen consequences of social probation work well in the past; so good luck in your circumstance. And work on getting total lowered!

[Zillini]

I agree monetary fines aren't a deterient when a chapter is blessed with financially well off alums who are willing to pay it or their members can afford to budget for them through dues. Social probation is a huge deterient, but because it is so extreme it should be used only for the worst and/or repeat offenders IMO.

Our campus has primarily gone to community service hours. New members are specifically banned from being the ones to do them since they were not responsible for the infractions. This requires someone in Panhellenic to work/follow up with the org that is being helped and make sure that's actually who has done the work.

Years ago a chapter was placed on social probation due to some major Recruitment Infractions, though I never heard whether it was from the University or their I/natl (and I know it was kicked up to their I/natl). In addition they were required to send their (previous) Recruitment Team to make a presentation at a spring Panhellenic Recruitment Advisor and Officer meeting. It wasn't quite so much an apology as a "This is what we learned from our mistakes and why you shouldn't do what we did." sort of thing. I thought it was an effective learning experience for both those who presented and those who heard it.