What’s the backup plan for recruitment in August?

[BBH]

We are still waiting to hear final details for our younger D who will be a Freshman at Iowa State. They held a Webinar this last Thursday and went over some basics. They have developed plans for three scenarios, in person, hybrid and online. We assume the hybrid is going to most likely be the option however the county the school is in is seeing a spike in Covid cases so who knows.

They did provide the current dates for rush but we still don't have official move in dates yet. They plan to spread out move in times for students so that means you could have girls going through their virtual rush while their roommate is trying to move into the dorm room. Our D's roommate is not rushing so not sure where our D will go or sit to do any virtual rush. She doesn't want to hog the room or make her roommate uncomfortable those long first day's. Only about 30 more days to go before we start heading to take her to campus so this should be interesting.

[Phigirl04]

I work in off campus student housing and I'm started to get nervous that despite the initial plans to bring students back to campus, that these rising rates may push more schools in the direction of Southern California and going to remote learning.

I can't image what this will look like for Greek Life but I can't imagine a socially distanced recruitment or new member period.

[NYCMS]

Originally Posted by Phigirl04

(snip) I can't image what this will look like for Greek Life but I can't imagine a socially distanced recruitment or new member period.

Read over the weekend that there is thought to having college football take place in the .... spring. Yep, spring. They'll observe what happens with NFL teams playing this fall and buy more time for things to slow down, especially on a college campus.

Perhaps pushing recruitment to spring might be best. Even with some campuses doing all-virtual rush, you'll still be challenged by chapters packing in a ton of girls into a meeting or hanging out in a room or whatever.

[Phigirl04]

Agreed NYCMS!

I cannot imagine trying to get to know my new member class with only virtual options.

I'm thinking that pushing it back to Spring would make the most sense unless things start changing.

So glad, we moved back home and got season football tickets for this year for the first time in 4 years and likely won't be able to use them but better safe then sorry.

[carnation]

Football? In the spring?

[NYCMS]

Originally Posted by carnation

Football? In the spring?

I know, weird!! It at least saves some of the season. But there's nothing like fall weather and football, especially by mid-October.

[PersistentDST]

Yikes. Football in the spring would hinder a lot of two-sport student athletes, specifically the many who play football and run track. Next track season is critical now that 2021 is an Olympic year and there was no outdoor track season in 2020. I asked my little cousin (college sophomore) if he thinks he will play this season and he said he’s going to report when his coach asked, but he really doesn’t think there will be a season the way things are going.

I think a ton of universities are working hard to have students get as normal a campus experience as possible. My employer is doing a hybrid in-person/virtual system, but our county was beginning to spike before the 4th, I can’t imagine what it’ll look like in a few weeks. I get it, but I absolutely do not think this will go the way everyone hopes. The U of Washington fraternity row, LSU, Clemson and Alabama athletes catching Covid-19 will be the tip of the iceberg.

I can see the videos being valuable in the initial round of recruitment, but it just seems like PNM’s and actives are losing so much without organic conversations. I know everyone will try to make the best of it. It also seems like some recruitment plans are being held up because universities are still wavering in their planning for the school year. Fraternity and Sorority life will have to get super creative.

[TXDG]

Texas A&M announced today that 100% of recruitment will be virtual. My Rec girl is concerned and thinking about waiting until her sophomore year.

I hope Panhellenic at least considered moving formal recruitment to spring when there is a better chance for in-person rounds. I can’t imagine making a lifelong commitment to a sorority where I’d never met any of the members in person - or extending a bid to a whole class of PNM’s you’ve never been in the same room. Requires a lot of trust on both sides.

[shirley1929]

Originally Posted by TXDG

Texas A&M announced today that 100% of recruitment will be virtual. My Rec girl is concerned and thinking about waiting until her sophomore year.

I hope Panhellenic at least considered moving formal recruitment to spring when there is a better chance for in-person rounds. I can’t imagine making a lifelong commitment to a sorority where I’d never met any of the members in person - or extending a bid to a whole class of PNM’s you’ve never been in the same room. Requires a lot of trust on both sides.

I may be wrong, but I think the thinking against moving everything to the spring is that they expect (even more of) a spike during flu season.

TCU has yet to announce dates.

UT just announced that PNM's need to do a video introducing themselves and all rounds are virtual (including possibly pref if it's not safe to do so).

[BBH]

Iowa State is making an announcement tomorrow but the rumor is 100% virtual, even pref round. We just got move in dates this week and as of now she has at least two in person classes. We debated on waiting and rushing next year but feel it’s still worth going through even if they can’t really do anything as larger groups. We were hoping for a hybrid approach but looking like that’s out. A Gap year is not an option as she would lose her scholarship so planning to just roll with it and make the best of it. She’s anxious to get to Ames even though it’s 7.5 hours away.

[carnation]

I am thinking of my sorority's gorgeous pref ceremony and trying to figure out how it could even be approximated online. Well, it can't be.

[Cookiez17]

I couldn't imagine mine either.

Just by looking at various SEC recruitment registration numbers from their instagrams the PNMs aren't slowing up. Bama reached 2000 PNMs today which is a positive.

[SweetHomeStL]

Bama also announced today that bids were going to be delivered via email. It seems the pref rounds are in person still, but they had to cut out the run home and lawn Bid Day parties

[ForrestGrump]

Mizzou's Panhellenic has announced that it will do a mixed recruitment -- Orientation, Open House and the Philanthropy round will be virtual, while the Sisterhood round and Preference will be in-person. Not sure about Bid Day, but I can't imagine they'll have all those hundreds of women (both new members and a large percentage of the actives) congregate together out on Stankowski Field.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by SweetHomeStL

Bama also announced today that bids were going to be delivered via email. It seems the pref rounds are in person still, but they had to cut out the run home and lawn Bid Day parties

Yiiii! And I thought that the computer punch cards we got back in the day were impersonal!