If you could design an AI program.........

Originally Posted by Senusret I

^^^Why?

It's hard to weed out the crazies if you don't really know them already.

My chapter's initiated well over 50+ AIs over the years, with the majority of them being initiated with the charter class. These women are exemplary women from the community and campus and have been very involved in supporting the collegiate chapter. These women are also women who had some kind of strong connection to a current member of the Alumnae Chapter prior to their AI process. We've been very lucky.

[Senusret I]

Okay.....with that said, let's use the Alpha intake process as an example (the selection component, which is public information).

We require two letters of sponsorship from within the alumni chapter and one letter of sponsorship from any other active Alpha.

We do not have information sessions -- our first was last December and I would not recommend a repeat.

For your specific AIs, how do you know whether or not the women who were helpful to the collegiate chapter were doing so because they wanted to get noticed for AI? (Not saying that they are bad people, but what if they just happened to know that's how the game is played?)

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

For your specific AIs, how do you know whether or not the women who were helpful to the collegiate chapter were doing so because they wanted to get noticed for AI? (Not saying that they are bad people, but what if they just happened to know that's how the game is played?)

If a woman is batshit crazy enough to advise for years or donate money to the chapter just so she can AI, I'm inclined to give her an A for effort. If nothing else, she undoubtedly has some efficient (if not legal) fundraising or rush methods up her sleeve.

You have to be vetted to serve in advisory positions if you're a member, and I'm sure for a nonmember they're looked into even more.

Quite frankly, most of the (non-member) advisors I've come in contact with are humbled and surprised when they're offered membership. They are doing this because they want to help young people, not to gain something for themselves. This includes men and women.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Quite frankly, most of the (non-member) advisors I've come in contact with are humbled and surprised when they're offered membership.

How many non-member advisors are out there for NPC groups?

(Honestly just asking...)

[agzg]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

How many non-member advisors are out there for NPC groups?

(Honestly just asking...)

There's actually a lot. Campus advisors, for one, are often not members of the organization. My chapter's campus advisor is the dean of the humanities college at Gannon. Every semester for midterms and finals she would send a huge spread to the house so we had food to eat while studying. Plus, she would come to (open) events - we even invited her to feast of roses after initiation.

I know another chapter on my campus had my former boss as their campus advisor, a secretary in the new student services office. She was wonderful and extremely active in the chapter, and the chapter appreciated it. Not sure if she was ever extended membership, but honestly I think that chapter would be crazy if they didn't!

ETA: Our campus advisor was also really really helpful in finding a room big enough to do initiation - and very good at keeping it discrete and making sure that there weren't a lot of groups using those buildings when we were initiating a new member class.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

How many non-member advisors are out there for NPC groups?

(Honestly just asking...)

From what I understand, AST has quite a few non-member advisors. We are also able to have male advisors, one of which is David Stollman, Co-founder of CAMPUSPEAK, who advises the Delta Phi chapter at NYU. LOVE him!

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

How many non-member advisors are out there for NPC groups?

(Honestly just asking...)

I think it is more common on rural campuses where recruiting alumnae to serve is difficult. I went to grad school in relatively-rural Virginia, and there were quite a few chapters on that campus that had advisors who were not members of the organization. Most of the advisors were employees of the university in some regard.

There was also the poster recently who advised the ZTA chapter that her sister had been a part of. That chapter then voted to offer her membership as an AI. IIRC it was a similar situation- rural campus with no one else to help the chapter.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Blondie93

I think it is more common on rural campuses where recruiting alumnae to serve is difficult.

And as alphagamzetagam mentioned, many schools INSIST that the primary chapter advisor be a faculty or staff member. You don't fight with the administration and say "ohh, our nationals says it has to be a sister" if you want to stay a registered student organization.

[groovypq]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

How many non-member advisors are out there for NPC groups?

(Honestly just asking...)

I was one. The chapter I advise is pretty much geographically isolated - the nearest alumnae chapters are at least an hour away and, this not being a high population area, there just aren't a lot of alumnae nearby. When the chapter's previous advisor moved away, the chapter asked me to be its advisor - my sister was an alumna of the chapter and I also coach one of the current sisters. So I guess I was a little unusual in that I already had a connection to the chapter, but I wasn't a member when I became advisor. I am now, though.

ETA - Blondie93 is talking about me! Great minds think alike. :-)

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by groovypq

I was one. The chapter I advise is pretty much geographically isolated - the nearest alumnae chapters are at least an hour away and, this not being a high population area, there just aren't a lot of alumnae nearby. When the chapter's previous advisor moved away, the chapter asked me to be its advisor - my sister was an alumna of the chapter and I also coach one of the current sisters. So I guess I was a little unusual in that I already had a connection to the chapter, but I wasn't a member when I became advisor. I am now, though.

Hey! You were the one that I was thinking of!

And bringing this back to the topic of AI... you are *exactly* the type of situation that AI should be used for. Congrats to you!

[Just interested]

I totally agree with ThetaPrincess24. A very special honor reserved for a select few and under very special consideration. Less is more.

[KunjaPrincess]

Originally Posted by SmartBlondeGPhB

I'll start.....

I'd like to see it structured much more like collegiate recruitment.

Structured, but not necessarily with parties and the like. I think it takes a lot of research to decide which group is right for both the initiate and the alums and someone shouldn't jump in just because of geographical location. However you shouldn't be shopping around either. A general meeting with a few groups is different than pursuing 3 groups and seeing who offers you a bid first.

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

I don't have allot of experience with the AI however if I would design a program, I would say:
-the potential AI should have some sort of manditory period of service to the sorority. Serving as an advisor, on a corp board, etc. before initiation or maybe before an invitation to AI is even extended.
- have some sort of pledge class or new member class, where there are more than one AI. Maybe all the AIs from a geographic region get together for a one day retreat

I like the retreat thing but logically, how many AIs are there going to be in one location at anyone time. I know I couldn't commit to travel to far for a mandatory retreat. I can however meet with the new member class at the collegiate level on a semi regular basis.
As for serving as an advisor etc... wouldn't it be better to have an initiated member who can actually attend ritual etc?

Originally Posted by 33girl

If a woman is going to bear a collegiate chapter's designation, she should have to be approved by a majority vote of that collegiate chapter and/or have a connection to that chapter that is more than one person, BEFORE she is initiated.

Yes and no. I was initiated with Gamma Epsilon BUT my alum chapter is filled with a melting pot of chapters. This is who I have the majority of my interactions with. Yes I am on HCB for the GE Chapter but I serve on the alum side also. I doubt that many of the collegiates even know who I initiated with or a lot of the other alums who help out

Originally Posted by Jen

I think it should be mandatory for the alum initiates to attend new member education if it isn't already. Whether it be with the collegiate new member class or an alumnae run one.

This I agree with, not every week but for the BIG stuff.

Overall I think different things work for different groups and different geographical locations. What works for your area should be what goes but an AI should not initiate and disappear, they should be doing something for the Sorority at the alum level or collegiate level while they are able. Obviously things come up in life and it makes it harder but I know I can find time to do some stuff for my chapter. Maybe in 2012 when I deploy again it will be different but I'll be back after my year overseas and active with the alum chapter and collegiates as time allows.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by KunjaPrincess

Yes and no. I was initiated with Gamma Epsilon BUT my alum chapter is filled with a melting pot of chapters. This is who I have the majority of my interactions with. Yes I am on HCB for the GE Chapter but I serve on the alum side also. I doubt that many of the collegiates even know who I initiated with or a lot of the other alums who help out

Most alum chapters ARE filled w/ a melting pot of collegiate chapters, unless they are a chapter association. That's how they should be.

I just don't think a woman should bear a certain chapter's name if her connection with it is limited to one woman who sponsored her - at a location 1000 miles away from the collegiate chapter in question. To me it's the same as the women in the south who shout "I was a Chi O at UT!" (whisper "El Paso.")* That wasn't your story, from what I recall.

*No offense, UTEP.

[Senusret I]

^^^ Fortunate, sure. But isn't Chi Omega the largest NPC organization? To me, it's sort of like DST or AKA -- you're pretty much always going to find one of the two, if not both, among female faculty on a given campus.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

^^^ Fortunate, sure. But isn't Chi Omega the largest NPC organization? To me, it's sort of like DST or AKA -- you're pretty much always going to find one of the two, if not both, among female faculty on a given campus.

True...plus, we don't really colonize if we don't have a strong alumnae base in the area.