Alabama Recruitment

[thetalady]

Originally Posted by Hartofsec

Something new this year:

• While chapter specific letters of recommendation are preferred, for women unable to find an alumna from each of the recognized sororities at UA to write a letter of rec, we have added a new option to the recruitment application. This year as part of the recruitment application, women participating in recruitment may elect to submit a generic, supplemental academic letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or principal. The individual writing the letter of recommendation does not have been a member of Greek organization; however, the letter should speak to your character as it applies to leadership, scholarship, community service, and friendship. Please note that this is an optional feature and as such, is not a required part of the online application form.
• Supplemental academic letters of recommendation can be uploaded directly to the PNMs online recruitment application in Innova Campus Director or they can be mailed to the Alabama Panhellenic Association at the address provided below.

What a COMPLETE waste of everyone's time. I think this gives false hope/ assumption to a PNM who thinks that this will work instead of an actual recommendation from a sorority alumna. Hopefully PNMs will understand that this is not an acceptable substitute.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by thetalady

What a COMPLETE waste of everyone's time. I think this gives false hope/ assumption to a PNM who thinks that this will work instead of an actual recommendation from a sorority alumna. Hopefully PNMs will understand that this is not an acceptable substitute.

If anything, it sounds like these letters will make things worse, not better for rushees who aren't as "hep" to the business of recs. "Oh yay! Idon't have to knock myself out finding recs in my small Rhode Island town! I can just do this instead!"

[thetalady]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If anything, it sounds like these letters will make things worse, not better for rushees who aren't as "hep" to the business of recs. "Oh yay! Idon't have to knock myself out finding recs in my small Rhode Island town! I can just do this instead!"

YES!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[carnation]

I guess that someone thought this would stop the calls to Panhellenic from panicked or lazy last-minute PNMs. Only it'll bite them in the butt anyway.

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by carnation

I guess that someone thought this would stop the calls to Panhellenic from panicked or lazy last-minute PNMs. Only it'll bite them in the butt anyway.

I won't be surprised if they receive a thousand emails and calls that go something like . . .

"Can I upload a letter from my guidance counselor even though I have recs?"

or

"My daughter secured recommendations to all chapters, but we can't know for certain that all were sent and received. Should we secure a letter from her high school principal just in case?"

[33girl]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

For what it's worth, I wrote a recommendation for a PNM from a small Rhode Island town who went to Alabama and had a very successful recruitment this past year. I hope you don't assume that all small-town girls or Rhode Islanders are not "hep" to the rec business.

Of course. I was just trying to think of the most un-SEC place as possible (other than the dive bar a block from my house).

Originally Posted by Hartofsec

Just speculating, of course, but this may be an effort to increase diversity in the PNM pool by encouraging girls who may not have or know family, extended family, or women in their communities who were Greek. Securing personal recommendations to so many chapters may be a perceived barrier to their participation in recruitment.

I think that's exactly what they're trying to do. But unless the sororities are told that they must regard these letters exactly the same way they would a rec from an alumna, it's not going to work.

This is yet another ill-conceived attempt at eradicating barriers by pretending they're not there, and pretending what you wish is the actual situation. It's not kind or inclusive, it's an ostrich with its head in the sand.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by 33girl

This is yet another ill-conceived attempt at eradicating barriers by pretending they're not there, and pretending what you wish is the actual situation. It's not kind or inclusive, it's an ostrich with its head in the sand.

All right, I must be tripping. Not only am I agreeing heartily with 33 but some 8-10 other GCers *who are too chicken to say so* also agree!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by carnation

All right, I must be tripping. Not only am I agreeing heartily with 33 but some 8-10 other GCers *who are too chicken to say so* also agree!

Well I am on some major painkillers right now and not entirely myself, so if you want to use that as an explanation you can.

In all seriousness, I think this sort of attitude happens in a lot of situations, from gentrification of neighborhoods to colleges or companies trying to change their image as to who they attract. When the kinder, more effective, and more expedient thing would be to just come out and say in plain talk what you're trying to do.

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If anything, it sounds like these letters will make things worse, not better for rushees who aren't as "hep" to the business of recs. "Oh yay! Idon't have to knock myself out finding recs in my small Rhode Island town! I can just do this instead!"

For what it's worth, I wrote a recommendation for a PNM from a small Rhode Island town who went to Alabama and had a very successful recruitment this past year. I hope you don't assume that all small-town girls or Rhode Islanders are not "hep" to the rec business.

[Hartofsec]

I guess if a chapter is interested or impressed with the letter, they can have any alum write the rec (even collegians in some NPC orgs can write recommendations). Since there is often no requirement that the rec-writer actually know the PNM personally, this would be the functional equivalent of an alum writing a rec for a PNM they don’t know after checking with with a PNM’s neighbor, teacher, pastor, etc. Based on my reading here this seems like a fairly common practice, but IMO, over time this practice has eroded the relevance/importance of a “personal” recommendation.

Just speculating, of course, but this may be an effort to increase diversity in the PNM pool by encouraging girls who may not have or know family, extended family, or women in their communities who were Greek. Securing personal recommendations to so many chapters may be a perceived barrier to their participation in recruitment.