Prohibiting 1st Semester Freshmen From Pledging

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by 33girl

The NPHC groups do not allow first semester freshmen to pledge

If there are no chapter or university-established restrictions, people can pledge an NPHC org as a first semester freshman. They have to have the necessary credit hours and GPA for the Fall line. Some of us had that as first and second semester freshmen but thank God we had to wait.

Pursuing membership as a first semester freshman doesn't happen too often but 2nd semester freshmen initiates are common, particularly for certain organizations with different credit hour requirements.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

If there are no chapter or university-established restrictions, people can pledge an NPHC org as a first semester freshman. They have to have the necessary credit hours and GPA for the Fall line. Some of us had that as first and second semester freshmen but thank God we had to wait.

Do you mean if they tested out of courses and got the credits, took college courses while still in high school and got the credits, things like that?

That same thing can happen w/ NPC deferred rush too.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Do you mean if they tested out of courses and got the credits, took college courses while still in high school and got the credits, things like that?

That same thing can happen w/ NPC deferred rush too.

Yes. Also, many universities offer summer courses to incoming freshman so they are able to have a college GPA and at least 12 credits before the Fall. I was in such a program.

My point is that the NPHC as a whole does not forbid first semester freshmen.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

If there are no chapter or university-established restrictions, people can pledge an NPHC org as a first semester freshman. They have to have the necessary credit hours and GPA for the Fall line. Some of us had that as first and second semester freshmen but thank God we had to wait.

Pursuing membership as a first semester freshman doesn't happen too often but 2nd semester freshmen initiates are common, particularly for certain organizations with different credit hour requirements.

Is it? Chalk it up to regional differences, but almost every greek i know who came in on the UG level were sophomore/junior level. Im sure hypothetically it happens, but is it "common?"

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I am against any school administration limiting the right of association. Do these universities allow 1st semester freshmen to join the ski club? the Baptist Student Union?

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Do you find your sorority to be comparable to "sign-up type" organizations like the ski club and BSU?

That may be an issue.

touche. i too am against first-semester froshies pursuing membership, and that's both NPHC and NPC. i know it's the norm for the latter, but i really do think that freshmen need some time to get acclimated to college life, as it is a HUGE milestone and life-changing event. and while i'm sure most of us would like new members to associate that milestone with XYZ, i think that coming-of-age stage should happen independent of a GLO affiliation.

case and point, one of my LS's (ok, im letting go of all PC here) came in as a freshman - had very little knowledge/exposure to greek life and well, she was 18 vs. 20-21 like the rest of us. believe it or not, a lot of maturation can happen in those short 2 years. and in the present-day, you can definitely see the difference in her connection to our chapter and to the organization than the rest of us. love her to pieces, but should she have waited? i think so. no, i know so. even a semester longer couldve made a difference.

then again, i see why NPCers would be/are totally for first-semester initiation, because (what i gather from GC), formal initiations are done once an (academic) year, and there tends to not be a chance for a second-semester freshman to join.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by tld221

Is it? Chalk it up to regional differences, but almost every greek i know who came in on the UG level were sophomore/junior level. Im sure hypothetically it happens, but is it "common?"

Yes.

Most undergraduate NPHCers came in as sophomores or juniors. This is because of the GPA and credit hour requirement restrictions for NPHC organizations, as a whole.

For organizations (or chapters) with lower credit hour requirements, they often get 2nd semester freshmen.

[NutBrnHair]

NPC has historically always been in favor of early 1st semester freshmen rush/recruitment.

I totally respect the fact that NPHC has a different opinion and it certainly works for them.

NPC groups can expect to see drastic decreases in numbers if a complete change was made to deferred recruitment.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

NPC groups can expect to see drastic decreases in numbers if a complete change was made to deferred recruitment.

In numbers of women signing bids/pledging, maybe. But what's the point in crowing about statistics like "our chapter has made quota for the past 90 years" if you can't retain more than half of those women throughout their collegiate career or as active alumnae?

I'd rather have 30 women pledge who will truly make a lifetime commitment, than have 70 women pledge and have half of them be gone by their senior year.

I'm obviously not saying that ALL women do that - but when I read things on here like "at my school, you're made fun of if you're a senior and still active" it usually is from the chapters that have first semester rush with huge pledge classes.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by 33girl

In numbers of women signing bids/pledging, maybe. But what's the point in crowing about statistics like "our chapter has made quota for the past 90 years" if you can't retain more than half of those women throughout their collegiate career or as active alumnae?

I'd rather have 30 women pledge who will truly make a lifetime commitment, than have 70 women pledge and have half of them be gone by their senior year.

I'm obviously not saying that ALL women do that - but when I read things on here like "at my school, you're made fun of if you're a senior and still active" it usually is from the chapters that have first semester rush with huge pledge classes.

Are there initiatives to get some consensus across NPC sororities regarding the "lifetime commitment" aspect? Or would that always vary by the sorority or even chapter?

It seems that many of you always acknowledged it as a lifetime commitment whereas many did not and even scoffed at the idea.