University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) 2012 Recruitment

[Titchou]

I assure you that you can leave a pref attendee off your bid list. You most likely will have to explain why to the GA but it can be done...for a valid reason unknown before pref. They cannot make you take someone you do not want - unless you are at Tufts....

[DubaiSis]

To be clear here, the issue is with the black or white sentiment of GUARANTEE. It is highly highly likely that if you attend preference party/ies and list every party to which you were invited you will get a bid. But the way I've read it, if you go to a party and are a snotty pants to one party to ensure that you don't get ranked highly on their list, you can be CUT from them at that point, and that could jack up the whole process for you. It would, however, have to take an extreme measure like fighting back against really bad behavior in order for the rules of RFM to be overridden. Play by the rules, don't be a snotty pants, don't let that felony conviction leak out between getting invited to pref and bid list time, and yes, you should be guaranteed a bid. It's not something to worry about; it's just that we here want to be pristinely clear with the rules which do allow for an out for a chapter who has vehemently changed their mind about you.

[southernau]

Is RFM the standard now? Are there schools that choose not to use it?

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by southernau

Is RFM the standard now? Are there schools that choose not to use it?

An overwhelming majority use it. I believe there are a few who do not. The list of actual schools who do not use it is best left to others more knowledgable than I.

[AGDee]

There are schools who choose not to use it or have never been exposed to it to implement it. However, at the same time that RFM came out, three other "options" for recruitment styles were released to allow for differences in campus cultures (Partially structured, minimally structured and COR only).

Most of the big schools with more competitive rushes are using RFM.

[Titchou]

Also, the software programs that most schools use, such as ICS, are RFM based.

[CMDelta]

Thank you so much for providing a good discussion along with clarification on RFM and getting a bid. Another issue I am curious about is regarding legacies. We've had a lot of discussion in our local (alumnae) Panhellenic and among friends whose daughters have already gone through recruitment this year at other schools. I know policies vary greatly between sororities but when I read my sorority's policy on our national website, it seems to defer to the collegiate member selection process with regards to the placement of legacies on bid lists. Does that mean that a university's Panhellenic overrides what a sorority's policy is? For example, a friend told me her sorority either releases legacies after the 2nd round or then they can not cut them BUT they don't have to put them on the top of their bid list. But then she found out at our large public university, their panhellenic told the sororities if you take a legacy to Pref, you have to extend a bid. It does seem unfair to take a legacy to pref and not extend a bid to her but does that happen? Her daughter wanted something else so she preffed it first knowing she would get her legacy even though she put them 2nd since there was no risk. And she got her legacy.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by CMDelta

Does that mean that a university's Panhellenic overrides what a sorority's policy is? For example, a friend told me her sorority either releases legacies after the 2nd round or then they can not cut them BUT they don't have to put them on the top of their bid list. But then she found out at our large public university, their panhellenic told the sororities if you take a legacy to Pref, you have to extend a bid.

If the school's Panhellenic really told a chapter that, they need to contact their national headquarters immediately. Panhel (local or national) cannot tell you who to take or not take, invite or not invite.

They could say "it would be nice" but it would never hold up. Being Panhellenic is great but some people think it can override sororities' individual rights/policies and that just isn't the case.

[AUmom2012]

So tomorrow and Wednesday, the girls will go to how many parties? Are the two days the same, meaning skit days, etc.?

[DubaiSis]

CMDelta, I think that is going to be your sorority's rules. RFM doesn't make you place girls in a certain position on your lists or require you to invite back certain girls. I think most sororities function under the policy that you have to invite a legacy back once and if you invite her to preference she has to be on your first bid list. But that's not an NPC, RFM or campus edict. And as more and more legacies go through rush, the rules of what to do with legacies seems to get more flexible.

And I think these rules are and should be more strictly enforced based on campus culture. At a school where they're begging for members it would be pretty uncool to be too choosy about legacies in lieu of respecting family and heritage. But to expect the Bamas and Arkansass to invite back a substantial number of their legacies is really handcuffing their member selection process.

[CMDelta]

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday is round 1 (Philanthropy). They'll go to 3 houses each afternoon/evening & then rank which 6 they would most like to return to & then rank the other 3. Friday is skit parties where they can attend a maximum of 6. Saturday is pref parties and they can attend up to 3. Bid day is Sunday.

[CMDelta]

DubaiSis, I realize there are WAY more legacies in most recruitments today than there are even spots in a house. I certainly feel in no way that it gives them an advantage over someone with no Greek affiliations. I think it's a great courtesy to invite them to 2nd round but then you should cut them if you're not going to take them so they can find a home elsewhere. I just don't like the idea of not releasing them but then not offering them a bid either. "Back in my day", we had to get to know our legacies because once you got to skit day you had to put them on the top of your bid list.

[DubaiSis]

I'm not aware of any sororities (based on conversations here) who have the policy you've mentioned. I also think it would be pretty crappy.

[AZTheta]

As has been previously stated, every sorority has its own policy with regard to legacies. This includes, but is not limited to:

-determining who can be considered as a legacy (e.g. how far out on the family tree the connections can go and the PNM can still claim to be a legacy)
-policy for inviting legacies to recruitment parties beyond the first set/round
-policy for determining placement on the bid list (some chapters may have the ability to choose whether or not they are going to place legacies on the first or second bid list, for example. It isn't cut and dried. There are no universals here.)

Legacy policy has changed considerably as the legacy pool has grown. Again, we are looking at membership selection; it is the responsibility of the actives of a chapter to select their members. We alumnae certainly have our opinions, but at the end of the day, it's the actives who make the selections.

Hope it is going well. Miss hearing from our OleMiss regulars this week...

[ChioLu]

HQWest -- "going to prison after recruitment"
OMG! That made me laugh to where the laughter ended with "heeee" (because I was out of breath).

Anyone else going thru at Ole Miss? Or daughters, sisters/relatives, friends?