What does your GLO/chapter do about 5 year+ seniors?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by psy

Interesting to hear that, Titchou, as I'm a DG, too! I think part of the idea is to let the whole class "graduate" together and to not stigmatize people who take more than 4 years to graduate.

This is only pertinent if the whole pledge class is made up of people who are the same year in school. That isn't true on most campuses.

Originally Posted by sigmaceli

I'm particularly curious to hearing sentiment on another area of this topic; one that from my experience, some I/NHQs may have thought about when making particular policies: when has a collegiate member "overstayed" his or her time in the chapter? In your opinion, is having a man or woman that remains active for 7-8 years healthy for the growth of the chapter?

Yeah, Van Wilder did it. But is a real-life Van Wilder as fun and entertaining as the fictional character?

A PSK brother at my campus was there for at least 6 years. He was also a national officer, so I'd say he definitely made "healthy" contributions to the fraternity and his chapter.

Any rule made by any group that in effect pigeonholes collegiate Greek involvement as beginning first semester freshman year and ending 4 years later on the dot is as obsolete as a clause barring certain racial or religious groups from membership. I mean, talk about a way to make commuter students feel completely unwelcome...most of them take more than four years to get through school. If NPCs are really serious about reaching out to "nontraditional" students, they need to walk the walk as well as talk the talk...beginning with abolishing nonsensical rules like these.

Guess I went off on this, but I just can't imagine saying to one of my chapter sisters "ok, you went over your 4 year limit, yerrrrrrrrr out" - and barring her from participating in an active sisterhood, that has probably been one of the things to KEEP her in school - just the thought of it really upsets me.

[Just interested]

I'm thinking in fiscal terms. ie: dues. Are the 5 year members paying dues, parlor fees etc? What about chapter total from a membership perspective? There is a lot more that goes into it than just "being a part of the chapter" I know plenty of girls who are 5th year seniors who are still around but don't participate "officially" to allow room for new members and quite frankly I can't imagine them wanting to hang on.

[TPA85]

In Theta Phi Alpha, as long as you're a current undergrad student, you're an active unless you ask to go alum.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Just interested

I'm thinking in fiscal terms. ie: dues. Are the 5 year members paying dues, parlor fees etc? What about chapter total from a membership perspective? There is a lot more that goes into it than just "being a part of the chapter" I know plenty of girls who are 5th year seniors who are still around but don't participate "officially" to allow room for new members and quite frankly I can't imagine them wanting to hang on.

If you're an active member, you pay active member dues. Kind of a no brainer there IMO.

And again...unless you go to a school where there is no formal rush and groups can only offer bids when they're under total, YOU CAN TAKE QUOTA EVERY SINGLE YEAR IN FORMAL RUSH, EVEN IF YOU ARE 5000 MEMBERS OVER TOTAL. I don't understand the "moving aside" to make room for new members concept from anyone who's worked with NPC rush. If you were over chapter total and had 2 seniors and a ton of juniors, would you tell juniors they needed to quit "hanging on"?

[MysticCat]

In Phi Mu Alpha, you can request a move to alumnus status if (1) you're off campus for one or more "professional semesters" (things like student teaching, internships, study abroad, etc.), or (2) if you've paid 8 semesters of national dues. In the case of a professional semester, you automatically return to collegiate membership when you start taking classes again.

[Just interested]

Your right! I guess it just seems odd to me to want to continue being active and paying the dues and parlor fees and trying to get out of school at the same time.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Just interested

Your right! I guess it just seems odd to me to want to continue being active and paying the dues and parlor fees and trying to get out of school at the same time.

I attended school for an extra semester (because I switched my major so many damn times!) and I was still an active member. Was I busy as hell? Yes. But I still loved it. I took on the position of New Member Director, and it was one of the best ways to go out. I never even think of regretting staying around for an extra semester.

I did go to a smaller school with a small chapter, but it wouldn't have mattered, anyway. I loved being involved, and I couldn't imagine still being in school without taking an active role in the sorority.

I think I would have been really upset if someone told me, "Sorry, you've been here long enough. You have to go."

[Low C Sharp]

I don't think it has to be difficult to relate to younger members when you reach your mid-20's...you relate to them differently. Many of us have siblings who are ~10 years younger or older than we are, and we are close to those siblings, enjoy socializing with them, etc. The older member in the group might be a skilled mentor and comfortable in the big-sister/big-brother role, so their membership can benefit everyone.
________
TattooHotBody live

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

I don't think it has to be difficult to relate to younger members when you reach your mid-20's...you relate to them differently. Many of us have siblings who are ~10 years younger or older than we are, and we are close to those siblings, enjoy socializing with them, etc. The older member in the group might be a skilled mentor and comfortable in the big-sister/big-brother role, so their membership can benefit everyone.

This is true, in theory, and actually is true of some more non-tradtional campuses where the average student is older than the average traditional college student (18-21 or 22) and typically stays in school longer than 4 years. Relating to the chapter as a 5th/6th year isn't a problem.

However, at a school where most students who go Greek are of traditional college age and 99% of students finish in 4 year, it really can be difficult to relate to the rest of the chapter if you're 23/24/25 and still active. You kind of stick out like a sore thumb, as most of your NM class will graduate together.

So it just depends.

[Just interested]

Thanks, KSUViolet, for saying what I was trying to say. My experience is with the traditional college age members and even our seniors are ready to fly as much as they have loved the experience.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Just interested

Thanks, KSUViolet, for saying what I was trying to say. My experience is with the traditional college age members and even our seniors are ready to fly as much as they have loved the experience.

Is your rush deferred, or first semester?

I know sometimes people burn out, but everyone's different. I've seen people who were just "minimum requirements" type members break up with their boyfriends, change majors, what have you, end up having to stay extra time, and get super involved and make huge contributions in their senior years and beyond. It would be awful, IMO, to tell her that just as she is starting to really blossom as a member, that she has to go alum.

Like I said, I just think arbitrary rules that assume every campus and situation is the same are asinine. No wonder we have problems with alum involvement.

[Gusteau]

This thread is so interesting to me because most of you have a much different policy than we do.

In Delta Chi you must be an active member as long as you are enrolled in the school. There is no such thing as "early alumnus." If you do not wish to be an active member of the chapter you may resign your membership or, more commonly, go "inactive" which means you have no material participation in or attendance to any Delta Chi events. You cannot go through the Alumnus Ceremony if you are inactive.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Is your rush deferred, or first semester?

I know sometimes people burn out, but everyone's different. I've seen people who were just "minimum requirements" type members break up with their boyfriends, change majors, what have you, end up having to stay extra time, and get super involved and make huge contributions in their senior years and beyond. It would be awful, IMO, to tell her that just as she is starting to really blossom as a member, that she has to go alum.

Exactly. Especially because, as you pointed out earlier, at many campuses, new member classes aren't made up entirely of freshmen. At my school, it's not uncommon to have juniors, and sometimes seniors join. To tell them after they've been a sister for less than 2 years that they'd have to leave would be disappointing.

Again, I just think that to have a rule like this across an entire organization can hinder the potential progress that some chapters could make. Just my opinion.