Prohibiting 1st Semester Freshmen From Pledging

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If there's nothing for non-Greek students to do, then there's nothing for Greeks to do either. I mean, just because you go Greek doesn't mean that you automatically get to go into a special restaurant or club or something. Especially at a small school.

Don't you have the group's parties and social events to go to?

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Don't you have the group's parties and social events to go to?

Yes, as well as philanthropic events, campus activities, new member programs, scholarship encouragement and more than anything -- a "connection" to a group of people.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Don't you have the group's parties and social events to go to?

I thought the people who were pledging only for parties and social events were not the ones we wanted to attract.

But anyway - my answer was addressing SPAGD's grousing about the "malls, dining, activities" being far away. If those are the things that the students are citing as a reason for leaving the school, changing when you can become involved with Greek life isn't going to help that. Students who do not like a small town atmosphere are not going to instantly love it just because they join a GLO.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I thought the people who were pledging only for parties and social events were not the ones we wanted to attract.

But anyway - my answer was addressing SPAGD's grousing about the "malls, dining, activities" being far away. If those are the things that the students are citing as a reason for leaving the school, changing when you can become involved with Greek life isn't going to help that. Students who do not like a small town atmosphere are not going to instantly love it just because they join a GLO.

I think you are underestimating how much an active greek system can bring to a college. I may have been mistaken in emphasizing the parties, but I think it's what kids are typically looking for, pretty much all of them, otherwise we wouldn't be categorized as social GLOs. It doesn't have to be all keggers and shots, but it's social opportunities that I think most people join for.

The groups offer a lot more than that, of course, but if the problem is a lack of fun stuff to do, then emphasizing the fun stuff is probably the way to go.

[onetruediva1913]

I truly feel that Freshman should not rush or be able to join anyones frat or sorority because they are simply not ready.

[SoCalGirl]

Originally Posted by onetruediva1913

I truly feel that Freshman should not rush or be able to join anyones frat or sorority because they are simply not ready.

AFAIK all the NPHC groups have a no first semester rule so I'm curious if you feel they wouldn't be ready because that's just the way it's done or if you personally have (first hand) reasons to support it.

To me, it seems strange for any group (IFC/NPC/NPHC or the schools) to make a blanket rule that new first years can't join. Every person is different so what's good for one person isn't good for another. I think the ideal situation is one where anyone has an opportunity to join in college when they feel it's the right time. Someone may not be prepared till their a junior but that doesn't mean that another person isn't prepared as a freshman.

[diiianaaa]

at both my current school (a small college in the NE) and the school i transfered from (a larger southern school), we only hold formal recruitment in the spring semester. freshmen are encouraged to settle in, adjust to the new academics, and make friends before joining a fraternity or sorority. i am currently the panhellenic vp recruitment at my school and fully support delayed rush. it really allows students the opportunity to join less time consuming clubs, meet a lot of people, and focus on their studies. even at my former school, where greek life was huge, it was important that all students had friends outside of their chapter and understood the time commitment college is before undertaking the time commitment of new member period. we do, however, allow first semester transfers to participate in COR if chapters are offering it in the fall semester. greek organizations at my school prides themselves on maintaining higher average gpas than the average gpa of independents. we maintain this by setting a gpa requirement for students interesting in joining a fraternity or sorority. with no college experience, we would not be able to do this.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by Lucky SC

Speaking from personal experience, this is the best idea for greek life recruitment.

I went to the University of South Carolina as a freshman this year, pledged a fraternity that was small nationally with 30 some chapters and was wrapped in by the big house. Turns out that i really didn't fit in with the other guys. I knew nothing about the other GLO's and suicided the first one that had an open door to me since rush week is one week in your first week of school.

I ended up depledging by my own choice and doing spring rush. I ended up joining SAE after finding out more about them and liking what they were all about (kind of the party animals i admit). Well 6 weeks in i was dropped because chapter bylaws state that someone in another GLO can not be an official brother, no one knew about these rules and nationals had been on the chapter's back for hazing incidents first semester.

I'm still welcome at the house and got my refund, but point being is i found the fraternity i liked SECOND semester; and was still being bit in the rear by the mistake i made by making a hasty decision FIRST semster.

I'm not sure if I'm reading this right .... you pledged one group, depleged (and did not initiate?), pledged SAE, and then were dropped because you had pledged another org previously?

If you didn't initiate into that first GLO, why would SAE drop you?

Or is this some NIC thing that I'm just not aware of? I've heard of guys actually initating into GLO-A, disaffiliating, and initiating into another NIC GLO. I know the rules are different for each org, but if you never actually initiated, I'm not sure why SAE dropped you?

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Or is this some NIC thing that I'm just not aware of? I've heard of guys actually initating into GLO-A, disaffiliating, and initiating into another NIC GLO. I know the rules are different for each org, but if you never actually initiated, I'm not sure why SAE dropped you?

This is true. I even know of whole chapters disaffiliating and reaffiliating--TWICE. Crazy story.

I'm guessing the SAE chapter on his campus just wasn't comfortable with the whole thing. Which is within their rights.