Pan-Hellenic Council Regrets To Inform You...

[tld221]

Originally Posted by carnation

-rolling hysterically on the floor at the idea of putting this in a letter--

(only speaking for Sigma here) IIRC, we will send an interested member a letter if they are not selected for membership. If specific reasons are listed, i don't know. I would hope that if an interest made it as far as an interview, they wouldn't be the type that would receive such letter.

But we know stuff happens...

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by tld221

(only speaking for Sigma here) IIRC, we will send an interested member a letter if they are not selected for membership. If specific reasons are listed, i don't know. I would hope that if an interest made it as far as an interview, they wouldn't be the type that would receive such letter.

But we know stuff happens...

Really? Until the interview all you have seen is what is on paper.

[AOII Angel]

Our "knock" definitely had no good connotations. I remember sitting in my dorm room when I rushed listening to women down the hall wailing when their Rho Chi knocked on their doors. I think that having someone present to counsel the PNM after such a rejection does not send out the message the it's the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of the world. Rather...it just allows the PNM to have her ego stroked a little before sending her on her merry way. I don't think anyone in the process wants to be cruel.

[UGAalum94]

I don't know. The more I think about this, the more I wonder. I think it does seem nicer to have someone personally tell the pnm, but on the other hand it does make it seem like it's a bigger deal.

I can remember as a kid trying out for teams and not making it. They would post a public list of who made the team, and you went and checked the list.

If you didn't make it, you felt bad and you could resolve to practice harder and try out again next year or look for another activity or sport to try.

Had they had counselors come to see us or insisted on delivering the news in person, I think it would have been more intense, more personal and seemed like a bigger deal.

Again, I think getting an envelope with a regret note instead of a bid as part of a public ceremony like many campuses have would be a terrible way to handle this issue.

I think the phone calls are fine and better than making someone come in and get the news, but we don't need think of PNMs as such fragile flowers.

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by AlphaGamUGAAlum

I think the phone calls are fine and better than making someone come in and get the news, but we don't need think of PNMs as such fragile flowers.

We had one girl who went through recruitment this year that did not get a bid to either sorority. It was the first time in 4 years that it's happened. The greek life advisor called the PNM, rather than making either of the 2 disaffiliated panhellenic officers look like "the bad guy."

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Really? Until the interview all you have seen is what is on paper.

Not true with Sigma. We still have interest groups and we encourage interests (in undergrad and grad) to attend events, volunteer, and get to know our members before intake. I know of many cases where invites to formal rush and interviews were not extended because the sorors didn't know the interests well enough. And I also know of situations where people didn't make it passed the interviews because the interview was the deciding factor if sorors weren't sure about whether or not they would extend an invitation to participate in intake.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

Not true with Sigma. We still have interest groups and we encourage interests (in undergrad and grad) to attend events, volunteer, and get to know our members before intake.

Yeah this makes a big difference. Our prospects are encouraged to attend our public events and of course they attend our parties - LOL. But we can't do anything that may appear to be a pre-intake activity (if you know what I mean.)

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Yeah this makes a big difference. Our prospects are encouraged to attend our public events and of course they attend our parties - LOL. But we can't do anything that may appear to be a pre-intake activity (if you know what I mean.)

I do understand the thinking behind this but realistically, those chapters that are going to break the rules, will do so before and during intake.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

I do understand the thinking behind this but realistically, those chapters that are going to break the rules, will do so before and during intake.

True, but our legal liability is lessened by having the rules we do.

[jubilance1922]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

Not true with Sigma. We still have interest groups and we encourage interests (in undergrad and grad) to attend events, volunteer, and get to know our members before intake. I know of many cases where invites to formal rush and interviews were not extended because the sorors didn't know the interests well enough. And I also know of situations where people didn't make it passed the interviews because the interview was the deciding factor if sorors weren't sure about whether or not they would extend an invitation to participate in intake.

I was just gonna bring that up. You must be invited personally to our formal rush, which occurs before interviews. So if a woman is invited to formal rush, then at least one person in the chapter knows her beyond what's on paper.

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by jubilance1922

I was just gonna bring that up. You must be invited personally to our formal rush, which occurs before interviews. So if a woman is invited to formal rush, then at least one person in the chapter knows her beyond what's on paper.

Yeah, we really do value "Quality over Quantity." It really isn't just something we say because we are the smallest NPHC sorority. Despite our smaller size, I think the other NPHC orgs would be surprised at how many don't make it into Sigma Land, not because we are elitist but because we are selective. It is my hope that all the NPHC orgs will one day get back to being more selective. People can label us elitist all they want but we know what we want and need in our organizations.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

Yeah, we really do value "Quality over Quantity." It really isn't just something we say because we are the smallest NPHC sorority. Despite our smaller size, I think the other NPHC orgs would be surprised at how many don't make it into Sigma Land, not because we are elitist but because we are selective. It is my hope that all the NPHC orgs will one day get back to being more selective. People can label us elitist all they want but we know what we want and need in our organizations.

How did you translate what has been said into the other HPHCs aren't selective?

And we really do value quality over quantity, too. Raw numbers may not show that because of the number of applicants we get, but percentages of applicants who make it v. those that don't, would.

For example a line of 50 from a pool of 300 that meet the minimum requirements is 16.7 percent. A line of 17 from an eligible pool of 100, is 17 percent. And if you then add in the applicants that did not meet the minimum requirement (the first phase of selection) the percents are even lower.

And I wouldn't be surprised at how many don't make it into Sigma Land. I WOULD be surprised if everyone who tried, did.

You took this in a direction the rest of us were not interested in going.

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

How did you translate what has been said into the other HPHCs aren't selective?

And we really do value quality over quantity, too. Raw numbers may not show that because of the number of applicants we get, but percentages of applicants who make it v. those that don't, would.

For example a line of 50 from a pool of 300 that meet the minimum requirements is 16.7 percent. A line of 17 from an eligible pool of 100, is 17 percent. And if you then add in the applicants that did not meet the minimum requirement (the first phase of selection) the percents are even lower.

And I wouldn't be surprised at how many don't make it into Sigma Land. I WOULD be surprised if everyone who tried, did.

You took this in a direction the rest of us were not interested in going.

You took this the wrong way totally. I don't think any of the NPHC orgs (including mine) are as selective as we once used to be and there are a lot of factors around the reasons why. I think the intake process vs. "pledging" is one big factor for example.