Accepting a bid, but postponing pledging?

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I know it's not really your decision to make, but from what little I've read here, this screams "We should only be using COB"

I know the campus Trish speaks of, and only COB is a terrifying idea to me. I simply don't understand the logic behind COB only campuses, and how chapters can be successful. This school had one year, before quota and total were implemented, where one chapter for 16 NMs, and the other got 8. There was alot of bad blood that year, unpanhellenic drama, and the following year was when quota and total were implemented. COB doesn't force you to have quota, and quota is absolutely necessary. "Formal recruitment" at this campus is also necessary, because as Trish said, safety in numbers, and the PR aspect of it. Girls who wouldn't consider sorority membership come out because their roommate is going, etc.

So if you do have experience with COB only schools.... how does it work? How do the chapters recruit fairly? Do they still have quota? And if so, how is it set? If you don't have formal preference and a set number of girls signing bid cards, how does quota get set at a reasonable number that all chapters can have a fair shot?

Not that I see this campus changing anytime soon... but I'm curious to know how this would work without one chapter getting completely screwed, or greek life interest completely dwindling (this was the fate of one chapter on campus before the other arrived...) because the engineering super nerds won't come out of the dorms. Hah!

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by amanda6035

So if you do have experience with COB only schools.... how does it work? How do the chapters recruit fairly? Do they still have quota? And if so, how is it set? If you don't have formal preference and a set number of girls signing bid cards, how does quota get set at a reasonable number that all chapters can have a fair shot?

Not that I see this campus changing anytime soon... but I'm curious to know how this would work without one chapter getting completely screwed, or greek life interest completely dwindling (this was the fate of one chapter on campus before the other arrived...) because the engineering super nerds won't come out of the dorms. Hah!

I've worked with campuses that have only informal recruitment. No Quota is used. The way you keep things even is by having a realistic Total. Chapters can't go over that.

I would suggest, as a possible solution, working out a payment plan over the entire year, ensuring the amounts that need to be sent to your organization are covered prior to Initiation but the amounts that stay in the chapter are spread over the spring term.

Example (trying to use easy to round numbers):
New member term:
New member fee (to HQ): $50
Initiation fee(to HQ): $200
Monthly member/new member dues: $100 x 4 months (Sept-Dec)= $400
Monthly member/new member dues: $100 x 4 months (Jan-Apr)= $400

Total fees for year: $1050

Typically, $650 of that would be due the first term and only $400 the second term. However, why not even it out monthly so each young woman is paying $131.25/month instead. The $250 owed to HQ is still covered during the new member period but the dues are spread out more evenly through the whole year.

I say this as the parent of a college sophomore who was pretty freaked out about money that first month of her freshman year. Having just paid tuition, buying all that dorm room stuff, travel expenses to get to school, etc. it would have been a very tough time to come up with all that money. Also, work study type jobs take a few weeks to get and then a couple weeks before the paychecks start rolling in so the student has no income for a little bit. By second term, it's all in place and is much easier. I'm glad Hypo had deferred recruitment!

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by amanda6035

I know the campus Trish speaks of, and only COB is a terrifying idea to me. I simply don't understand the logic behind COB only campuses, and how chapters can be successful. This school had one year, before quota and total were implemented, where one chapter for 16 NMs, and the other got 8. There was alot of bad blood that year, unpanhellenic drama, and the following year was when quota and total were implemented. COB doesn't force you to have quota, and quota is absolutely necessary. "Formal recruitment" at this campus is also necessary, because as Trish said, safety in numbers, and the PR aspect of it. Girls who wouldn't consider sorority membership come out because their roommate is going, etc.

So if you do have experience with COB only schools.... how does it work? How do the chapters recruit fairly? Do they still have quota? And if so, how is it set? If you don't have formal preference and a set number of girls signing bid cards, how does quota get set at a reasonable number that all chapters can have a fair shot?

Not that I see this campus changing anytime soon... but I'm curious to know how this would work without one chapter getting completely screwed, or greek life interest completely dwindling (this was the fate of one chapter on campus before the other arrived...) because the engineering super nerds won't come out of the dorms. Hah!

As AGDee said, there is no quota, but you keep total at a reasonable number. Therefore, no chapter can ever go above total. It works the same way that fraternities recruit, but with a limit on the total number of members.

If strictly COB wouldn't work, then I agree with others that there should be some kind of deferred recruitment. I have experience working with chapters where girls don't come in thinking, "I need to be Greek!" and if they're not thinking that week 1, then it's going to take some convincing. And most times, that convincing doesn't occur in a week or two... at least not with large numbers of girls.

Having half as many new members in the fall through formal recruitment as you have in the spring during informal recruitment means something is backwards.