Extension to schools with no dormitories.

[KAPital PHINUst]

I understand that the extension membership category has been eliminated, but in the case of students at junior and/or community colleges, IMHO it should be reinstated for such students to give them the opportunity to join via a nearby 4-year school. Personally, I don't think we should be spending time to have students petition a charter a chapter at a school where it's survival is inherently unstable at best.

Having been a member of APO at a community college, it is indeed a very difficult task at retaining student membership, and by nature of the school being a two-year school, turnover is high, and its "shelf life" limited.

Case in point: the Alpha Gamma Theta Chapter. I was a member from the fall of '92 to the spring of '94. We only had one "line" during my time there (fall '92), and while the chapter was active the entire time I attended, when I graduated, so did most, if not all the members, or they dis-enrolled by then. I remember that the fall of '95 had one or two "pledges" that never got initiated for whatever reason. Long story short, Alpha Gamma Theta went inactive in 2005, and frankly, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did (15 years).

I think that future Columbus State students should align with the Ohio State or Capital University chapters if they want the APO experience.

I also think that extension membership should be for students at commuter schools where such organizations as APO would not be likely to maintain long term survival. Case in point: Franklin University. I attended graduate school there, and I know from experience that a school such as Franklin would not be a good fit for an org like APO. Franklin is a commuter school devoted primarily to non-traditional business students. A significant number of students are foreign (China, Africa, India, the Carribean), so fraternities are relatively an unknown concept. That and the fact that most students there are there primarily, if not exclusively, for classes only. A student interested in APO at Franklin would be better served aligning with the OSU and Capital chapters if they are interested. Because they would have a heckuva time getting 12-15 students interested in petitioning a chapter, and if they did, it wouldn't last beyond the initial group.

Yes, ideally APO belongs on every campus. But not every campus is conducive to chartering (AND KEEPING ACTIVE) APO, and that needs to be taken into consideration before paperwork is submitted to the National Office for charter/chapter petitioning. In that case, extension membership would be better served or even a city-wide chapter (a chapter comprised of several schools where it would be too difficult to keep a chapter on a single campus due to low student interest).

[naraht]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

I understand that the extension membership category has been eliminated, but in the case of students at junior and/or community colleges, IMHO it should be reinstated for such students to give them the opportunity to join via a nearby 4-year school. Personally, I don't think we should be spending time to have students petition a charter a chapter at a school where it's survival is inherently unstable at best.

As best as I can tell, this is something relatively routinely done by NPHC fraternities and sororities and not done by NIC fraternities and NPC sororities. (I'm not saying specifically that we should or shouldn't based on that, I'm just making sure I've got the concept). If this is true, I'd want to understand *much* better how the NPHC groups make it work.

Oddly enough, I think Phi chapter at Syracuse is sort of like this with both brothers from Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF, but as best as I can tell the institutions expect student groups to admit from both.

Randy

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by naraht

As best as I can tell, this is something relatively routinely done by NPHC fraternities and sororities and not done by NIC fraternities and NPC sororities. (I'm not saying specifically that we should or shouldn't based on that, I'm just making sure I've got the concept). If this is true, I'd want to understand *much* better how the NPHC groups make it work.

Oddly enough, I think Phi chapter at Syracuse is sort of like this with both brothers from Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF, but as best as I can tell the institutions expect student groups to admit from both.

Randy

Essentially, "swing" chapters are extension chapters that allow students attending schools that would not be conducive for a chapter of its own to exist or survive independently, for whatever reason, to affiliate with a school that does have a chapter, and join and be active with that chapter. The extended chapter would in effect be considered a "swing" chapter. Some swing chapters can and sometimes do become its own independent chapter over time. The key thing is it allows students to join the org through another chapter when forming a chapter is not possible or likely to survive due to campus climate/political issues beyond a student's control.

Citywide chapters are made up of members from several campuses forming one chapter when forming its own individual chapters is not possible for reasons mentioned above. Here in Columbus, a citywide chapter could be made up of students from DeVry, Columbus College of Art & Design, Franklin University, and Columbus State Community College. None of these schools are really conducive to keeping an APO chapter on its own campus, so students from all these schools could form its own citywide chapter (though realistically, these schools would be better served as swing chapters to OSU or Capital Universities).

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

I can tell you, from experience, that A Phi O no longer allows students to pledge if they do not attend the school where the chapter is. I know this because 12 years ago, I WAS an extention brother, attending Dekalb College (a 2-year school with no chapter) and became a pledge at Oglethorpe University. Shortly after, I was told that my membership was invalid because National no longer recognized "extention" brothers.

At the time, that wasn't true, but after talking to my current Region Director, I know it is true now and that my membership is/was valid but I would not be allowed to do the same thing today.

While I don't whole-heartedly agree with the decision of National, I understand why they chose to eliminate extention membership in the fraternity. I'm just thankful they chose to eliminate it AFTER I pledged!

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

I can tell you, from experience, that A Phi O no longer allows students to pledge if they do not attend the school where the chapter is. I know this because 12 years ago, I WAS an extention brother, attending Dekalb College (a 2-year school with no chapter) and became a pledge at Oglethorpe University. Shortly after, I was told that my membership was invalid because National no longer recognized "extention" brothers.

At the time, that wasn't true, but after talking to my current Region Director, I know it is true now and that my membership is/was valid but I would not be allowed to do the same thing today.

While I don't whole-heartedly agree with the decision of National, I understand why they chose to eliminate extention membership in the fraternity. I'm just thankful they chose to eliminate it AFTER I pledged!

Well, IMHO Alpha Phi Omega needs to do a better job at deciding what schools can be allowed to charter a chapter. I think the extension membership was a good thing, although it deviated from its original intent (to allow existing members who pledged through another school to serve as a catalyst to starting their own chapter). While it did not work the way they intended, perhaps the school's culture and climate was the reason. Furthermore, if any given school has few Greek letter student organizations, or if student orgs tend to have a short life span or suffers from "9-Lives syndrome" (dies out, get reactivated a few years later, rinse, repeat), then perhaps that school really isn't conducive to have an Alpha Phi Omega chapter there.

If extension membership is not an option (and I accept the brotherhood doing away with it), then at a minimum, APO should no longer allow chapters at community colleges and 2-year schools; it's track record of longevity (or rather lack thereof) speaks for itself. Other non-traditional 4 year colleges and universities (like commuter schools), should be researched and scrutinized to assure chapter survival beyond the charter group (campus culture).

For an organization to issue close to 750 charters and have less than half of them active is rather embarrasing. I think we issue charters just a little too freely. Treat 'em like Harvard degrees over business cards and they will retain a higher value in the public eye. I'd rather have 300 charters issued with 285 of them still active than 800 charters issued and only 300 active.

But I'm rambling. Lemme off the soapbox.

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

If extension membership is not an option (and I accept the brotherhood doing away with it), then at a minimum, APO should no longer allow chapters at community colleges and 2-year schools; it's track record of longevity (or rather lack thereof) speaks for itself. Other non-traditional 4 year colleges and universities (like commuter schools), should be researched and scrutinized to assure chapter survival beyond the charter group (campus culture).

I'm not disagreeing with you (about the elimination of extension membership), but that being said, I would hope there are more stories of extension brothers who, like myself, were assets to the Fraternity and continue to live by the cardinal principals to this day, years after pledging.

And I wholeheartedly agree with you about researching the less tradtional schools to assure success. Most of those schools are turning to corner to become more "traditional" by adding dorms (I attended Kennesaw State when it had no dorms) and schools that are still largely commuter (George Mason, where I am a chapter advisor) still have a wonderful campus culture and support their A Phi O chapters beautifully. We had a very successful Rush (14 new pledges, though we've lost a couple due to scheduling) in September and had several associate brothers come back to active status. In this vein, I don't think ALL "communter" schools should be rejected the opportunity to earn a charter....but I think they should have to EARN it.....give it a couple of years as an interest group. Show National that the chapter could survive.
Just my .02.