Indiana University Recruitment

[IUGreekGirl]

I agree. I think IU should get rid of the bed quota system and add a chapter or two.
Everyone has asked why it is this way so I'm hoping on enlighten on why these decisions have been made.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

I agree. I think IU should get rid of the bed quota system and add a chapter or two.
Everyone has asked why it is this way so I'm hoping on enlighten on why these decisions have been made.

You need to check out some of the threads where people were talking about expansion at SEC schools. Greek life rules there, everyone wants to be in a sorority, the chapters are stellar within their respective orgs - sounds like a no brainer. You'd think every sorority who isn't there would be tripping over themselves to apply, but that wasn't the case. At many of these schools, just the fact that the chapter hasn't been there since 1900 or so or isn't "traditionally southern" is enough to cause it to flounder forever, regardless if it has a gorgeous house or tons of alums from other chapters pumping money into it.

I don't think that kind of thing exists at IU, but I'm pretty darn sure that there's no way ANY sorority is going to come onto that campus without housing equal to or better than the existing chapters. And if there is one group that's struggling WITH a great house, that makes it even less of a place you want to go.

Point being is when a group goes into a "tough" school the entire org has to make sacrifices, down to the collegians at Wassamatta U who don't even know the expansion is happening.

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

I agree. I think IU should get rid of the bed quota system and add a chapter or two.

Considering the cost of competitive housing, adding new chapters is not very likely. Having just participated in building a brand new, very large chapter house (at a different campus), I can tell you that it potentially strains the entire international organization to achieve such a feat. My educated guess is that only one NPC not presently at IU would have the resources to even consider this. It is a huge gamble to invest so much into a new, unproven chapter.

[VAgirl18]

I'm not sure how I missed this thread.

I've posted before in previous threads and I'll post my opinions/advice again as an alum of the IU greek system.

To me, its not the quota or system that is failing, its the PNMs going through recruitment that are doing it to themselves.

Many have commented on adding a house or getting rid of the bed quota. I don't think that's the right solution at all. The biggest issues are with PNMs not presenting themselves in the best light or giving up because they only got invited back to one or two houses each round. If people only took the advice of some of the women on this board and would read recruitment stories about how opinions of houses change each party, then maybe some would stick around long enough to explore the houses that they did get invited back to.

Many PNMs take the process seriously and are respectful to all houses, but some aren't and are just flat out rude. In fact, having been on multiple sides of recruitment, the attitudes of women have just gotten increasingly worse over the years. Rumors fly or they think they have bids easily to houses, only to get discouraged. Having friends or being a legacy does NOT guarantee you a bid. Being wealthy or skinny doesn't mean you'll get into a house. PERSONALITY is what does it.

Some houses are in high demand and have no issues with quota. Others are struggling now or barely miss quota but have no problems making it up with snap bids or COR. Eliminating the bed quota would just increase numbers to houses already bursting at the seams. The unique aspect of the IU system is that houses are just the right size for a big campus, not so large where you barely know anyone in your pledge class. The idea is to have all houses full -- eliminating the quota would surely squash all chances of that happening. Also, grade drops are another high number that few girls take into account. Here's where word of mouth gets people trying to do the popular thing -- a friend may not continue with recruitment saying the process is dumb or they don't want to go Greek when they actually didn't make grades. The person's excuse gets another girl thinking and they end up dropping. It actually happens a lot more than people think.

Almost all women have the potential to get placed, its just that many choose not to continue with recruitment or suicide during pref. The approx 150 without bids will suicide a house instead of maybe receiving a bid from a house they didn't love. Everyone should at least give one house a try. Who knows, it may be completely different when you're actually going through your new membership period and see the women in a different light than you did during rush. It happened to me and many others.

The greek system is a huge deal at IU and I agree that many are bitter about not getting bids, but mostly for the wrong reasons.

Hope this makes sense. Its ridiculously late, but I couldn't go to bed without clearing up some of the "advice" that some so-called experts are giving. Yes, times have changed in the few years that I've left IU, but the basics are still the same and I've still been around rush lately.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

I really have no opinion on the bed versus quota debate, I think there are advantages to each, and if we went to quota...quite frankly I think we'd have no choice but to add another chapter due to the number of girls that have to be placed.

VAgirl leaves out one crucial group though: the sophomore rush group, which I was a part of last year. I saw girls get cut from all houses after the first round, all but one, or all but two, and they were the one or two that they wanted to cut because they didn't click with them. As a sophomore, unless you ARE that girl with the friends/money/looks/etc, it's a very very tough road, often full of tears. I was in half-sophomore half freshman rho gamma group (so ~10-12 sophomores), and of the sophomores...only 2 of them got bids, 3 if you count my COB later. One actually was rushing for a second time because she wanted to go greek that bad, got cut again, and transferred out of IU. She's now a member of a house at an SEC school (don't ask me how, I have no idea, haha).

I just think that IU's system does have some flaws, and I'm saying that as a current member. We change the party structure this year, but I really don't necessarily see that helping much. It gives a chance for houses to invite back girls that they are borderline on, but does that translate to bids? I really don't think so.

[VAgirl18]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

I really have no opinion on the bed versus quota debate, I think there are advantages to each, and if we went to quota...quite frankly I think we'd have no choice but to add another chapter due to the number of girls that have to be placed.

VAgirl leaves out one crucial group though: the sophomore rush group, which I was a part of last year. I saw girls get cut from all houses after the first round, all but one, or all but two, and they were the one or two that they wanted to cut because they didn't click with them. As a sophomore, unless you ARE that girl with the friends/money/looks/etc, it's a very very tough road, often full of tears. I was in half-sophomore half freshman rho gamma group (so ~10-12 sophomores), and of the sophomores...only 2 of them got bids, 3 if you count my COB later. One actually was rushing for a second time because she wanted to go greek that bad, got cut again, and transferred out of IU. She's now a member of a house at an SEC school (don't ask me how, I have no idea, haha).

I just think that IU's system does have some flaws, and I'm saying that as a current member. We change the party structure this year, but I really don't necessarily see that helping much. It gives a chance for houses to invite back girls that they are borderline on, but does that translate to bids? I really don't think so.

You can't add another house when there are houses that still have space. It will never happen. Before that, a house would have to close and would most likely be given the chance to recolonize a few years later. They would probably form an agreement with a closing house so that no other houses will open during their dormancy.

Being a sophomore seriously isn't much of an issue. The problem stems from many women going through the process for a second time. Though people deserve second chances, many women acted horribly immature to the point of being remembered the next year and automatically getting cut. Another huge faux pas is getting invited to a few homes and then deciding not to continue with rush. They're most likely going to get those houses back during their second time through and why would a house want someone who didn't even have the respect to attend the party they were invited to the year before? THAT'S where the cuts stem from. That and if you're a sophomore, more people know you from seeing you around campus or being around class. Remember to be nice to everyone. If we hear you talking about people during class or being less than classy at frats, chances are you're getting cut for that reason.

The fact is that not all people are meant to be in houses and just because one wants to be in a house doesn't mean they are a good fit for any of the houses on campus. Its unfortunate that they can't find a fit, but they're naive to think that they automatically deserve a spot because they participated.

The other think I think is going to backfire is increasing the number of invites. Its already a daunting task to go from 12, 6, and 3 parties in a few days. Adding more parties is just going to increase fatigue. People may not be putting their best foot forward just for the simple fact that they're tired. Another flaw is that people think just because they only got 3 houses instead of invited back for 12 that they're not sorority material. Obviously someone thought something of you to invite you back. There are no houses that automatically invite everyone back, contrary to popular belief.

[IUGreekGirl]

VAGirl,
There are a good number of women that go through rush and decide to drop out. Like you said, not everyone can be Greek. But rush is the time where girls who are considering Greek life find out if it's a community they want to be a part of. And some of those girls get houses back and chose not to go through with it, not because of petty reasons. But because they have decided that Greek life in general isn't for them. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But the numbers show that the majority of women who are left without a bid on bidday have gone though the process as far as the process would allow them to go, have made grades, and have had a good clean rush. Our Rho Gammas strongly advise us against suiciding, and out of all the girls I've met who've gone through rush- I only know one who suicided. And she got that house.

I take issue with the sentiment that it's PNMs who have problems, and not the system. PNMs are completely educated by the Rho Gams as to the wrong ways to act, and the fact that just because you know a girl in a house or are a legacy there is no sure way into a bid. We all know how competitive rush is, so we put our best foot forward and hope that we either get a bid, or decide that it isn't for us. As a collegiate who has recently been on both sides of recruitment, I think that most of the PNMs understand fully what is good taste and bad taste during rush. That isn't to say that there are exceptions, there are rude girls, but with 1500 PNMs and you're trying to narrow that down to 40 girls for a new pledge class, it isn't difficult to weed out.

As to the bed quota system, I've decided for myself that it's a necessary evil, but ultimately fair, way to determine quota number. The fact that all our chapters are different sizes is truly an asset to the uniqueness of each chapter, and the IU Greek Community as a whole. However, out of the 19 chapters, only one has in recent years not made quota. The rest have more girls interested in the house that they can possibly take. While I think the bed quota system should stay, it is increasingly evident that another chapter should be invited to colonize on campus. There is more than enough interest in Greek Life to support another chapter, and I have faith that IUHoosierGirl88 and VAgirl's house will be again making quota very soon.

[xp2k]

Originally Posted by VAgirl18

You can't add another house when there are houses that still have space. It will never happen. Before that, a house would have to close and would most likely be given the chance to recolonize a few years later. They would probably form an agreement with a closing house so that no other houses will open during their dormancy.

This actually isnt the case.

A struggling chapter should rarely (if ever) be used as an excuse to hold off expansion.

IU (re)added AOII in 99/2000. Not only was the colony able to get 150 girls, but the excitement that they generated encouraged MORE women to go through recruitment which in turned helped increase pledge size classes for a few chapters that were a little shy of the numbers they needed.

The chapter that was struggling didnt die...but still continues to struggle.

Had the university held off on adding a sorority to "help" the struggling group...that would be another 50+ women per year who would not have the opportunity to go greek.

A good friend of mine is helping the struggling chapter and I think they're going to be on a great upswing in the next few years. This year's recruitment will be very crucial. Keep the momentum going ladies!

I think IU could maybe add one more sorority for the time being.