Quote:
Originally Posted by DGTess
Since I never understood the "we all have to be equal" mentality, I've always advocated for an end to quota and total as artificial limits. It's been my experience that chapters will go through cycles, with some strong years and some weaker years.
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Yes, they will- and that happens regardless of quota or total. But if a chapter is going through a weaker time and there is no quota, the stronger chapters get more women and the weaker get less. Then the chapter doesn't get enough new members and after a period will have to close. You may not feel it as much at a larger university with quotas of 50, 75, or 100 women.
On my campus with a small Greek system of 3 sororities, this was felt very strongly. Total was 50 but average chapter size was 30 and quota was often around 9-10. One chapter got down to 6 members. If they didn't pull through with a strong recruitment, they were going to close the chapter. Another chapter had a rule that they couldn't be on a campus with two or less. They would have had to close, even though they were strong. The last chapter had a rule that they couldn't be the only one on campus. There goes the Greek system.
Because of quota and the sororities supporting each other as Panhellenic sisters, that small chapter pulled through and all three chapters are strong today. I was one of the new members of the 6 person sorority that tripled the membership size. I can't imagine the campus without sororities, nor my college or adult life without it. Is this an extreme example? Perhaps. But it was my experience.