Southern Mississippi: Diversity in NPC Sororities

[OleMissGlitter]

Here is their report from last year from their office of institutional research:
http://www.usm.edu/sites/default/fil...it_2009-10.pdf

[Low C Sharp]

I suppose they included a picture of the ZPB member because she was a CPC Rho Chi, and thus a leader in the CPC community without being a member? I'm really surprised by that collaboration -- have NPHCers heard of this happening elsewhere? On the one hand, CPC recruitment is totally apples and oranges compared to NPHC, and part of the Rho Chis' job is to help PNMs avoid focusing on just one GLO (which is exactly what any successful NPHC aspirant did). On the other, no one could be more unbiased about the CPC sororities than someone not a member of any.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

I suppose they included a picture of the ZPB member because she was a CPC Rho Chi, and thus a leader in the CPC community without being a member? I'm really surprised by that collaboration -- have NPHCers heard of this happening elsewhere? On the one hand, CPC recruitment is totally apples and oranges compared to NPHC, and part of the Rho Chis' job is to help PNMs avoid focusing on just one GLO (which is exactly what any successful NPHC aspirant did). On the other, no one could be more unbiased about the CPC sororities than someone not a member of any.

Being a Rho Chi DEFINITELY does NOT = being "a leader in the CPC community." Many times, Rho Chis get encouraged to do it by their sorority because they suck at rush or are not that cute. Or else they are self aware enough to know they suck at rush and are more of a hindrance than a help at their GLO's parties.

This all being said, Rho Chi isn't an "award" you get for being the most involved in Panhellenic or the Greek community as a whole. Ideally, it's something that the women most qualified for the position (i.e. very empathetic and realistic) will end up doing.

As far as the ZPhiB sister being a Rho Chi, that's as odd to me as...hmmm...a Pi Phi planning AKA's next rush event would be.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 33girl

As far as the ZPhiB sister being a Rho Chi, that's as odd to me as...hmmm...a Pi Phi planning AKA's next rush event would be.

It is strange. An NPHCer being a Rho Chi only makes sense in the rare instances where NPHC orgs participate in recruitment.

I think they got the Zeta to be a Rho Chi because she is Black and the school wanted to use an additional Black Rho Chi to attract racial and ethnic minority PNMs.

[carnation]

I've heard of schools that use older alums (mother types) for Rho Chis, as well as local alums of sororities not present on campus. There are many stories out there about Rho Chis who laughingly admit that yes, they did influence PNMs' choices or sneak off and call their chapters about certain girls so CPC was probably thrilled to have a great non-NPC woman as a Rho Chi.

[Mevara]

Originally Posted by carnation

I've heard of schools that use older alums (mother types) for Rho Chis, as well as local alums of sororities not present on campus. There are many stories out there about Rho Chis who laughingly admit that yes, they did influence PNMs' choices or sneak off and call their chapters about certain girls so CPC was probably thrilled to have a great non-NPC woman as a Rho Chi.

Originally Posted by Pingyang

http://www.suresister.com/sororityre...f-two-campuses

The discussion here reminded me of this page, specifically Campus B. I have no idea if it is accurate or not.

Thinking about the non-NPCer helping with Formal Recruitment is odd. Although I really like the idea. If done well it could really bring the Greek community closer. Not only would they be impartial but they could also help counsel those PNMs who are torn between NPC and NPHC/MGC.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Being a Rho Chi DEFINITELY does NOT = being "a leader in the CPC community." Many times, Rho Chis get encouraged to do it by their sorority because they suck at rush or are not that cute.

Bwah ha ha.... although the truth does hurt, I do appreciate you telling it like it is (or how it can be).

[AnchorAlumna]

Wow.
We already complain about how many Rho Chis are poorly trained and give bad or incorrect info to PNMs.
How would somebody from a totally different type of system do better?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Wow.
We already complain about how many Rho Chis are poorly trained and give bad or incorrect info to PNMs.
How would somebody from a totally different type of system do better?

The point is the impartiality. In my experience, very, very few rho chis were not in contact with their chapters during FR.

Besides, I prefer a rho chi who says "I don't know the answer to that; Iet me pull out my rulebook" over one who gives wrong answers.

[DubaiSis]

Doing a little digging, they have made a public statement (the Sigma Initiative) that they want to grow their Greek system. If I were trying to expand my Greek system and more than 1/3 of the student population was not white, I'd probably start trying to increase the gene pool, so to speak. From their website, 14% of the student population is Greek.

Total Undergraduate Students 12,383
Gender
Women 7,594 61%
Men 4,789 39%
Race/Ethnicity
International 77 1%
Race/Ethnicity Not Reported 669 5%
African American / Black 3,749 30%
American Indian / Alaskan Native 54 <1%
Asian / Pacific Islander 150 1%
Hispanic 188 2%
White 7,496 61

And yet again, they've buried the lead. The story that they want to grow their Greek system and part of that is welcoming a more diverse population into traditionally white sororities would have come off more authentic and dare I say, more interesting.

[Mevara]

After reading so many threads about the topic of NPC orgs being predominantly white got me thinking.

At my campus, which is what I consider diverse, our NPC orgs I believe closely reflect the overall student population. It is not a sprinkle here or sprinkle there but truly diverse. Maybe it is me just being naive but I assumed more (if not most) campuses were like that, is that not true?

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Mevara

After reading so many threads about the topic of NPC orgs being predominantly white got me thinking.

At my campus, which is what I consider diverse, our NPC orgs I believe closely reflect the overall student population. It is not a sprinkle here or sprinkle there but truly diverse. Maybe it is me just being naive but I assumed more (if not most) campuses were like that, is that not true?

Oh, honey, unfortunately not. The South still has a lot of work to do.

Google some chapter websites at Southern universities. You're not going to find many non-white faces in NPC organizations. It's a shame.

[Pingyang]

http://www.suresister.com/sororityre...f-two-campuses

The discussion here reminded me of this page, specifically Campus B. I have no idea if it is accurate or not.

[Low C Sharp]

Oh, honey, unfortunately not. The South still has a lot of work to do.

So do some northern campuses. The campuses I'm aware of with the most thoroughly diverse NPC chapters are private schools in the North...but there are also northern and western campuses where the NPC chapters are virtually all white, or all white and Asian on a campus with lots of unaffiliated black and Hispanic women.

The South is also not the only region where you'll find systems where "lower-tier" chapters are making all the diversity progress, while the "elite" chapters remain very white. The same is often true when it comes to diversity of body type, disability, and economic background.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

So do some northern campuses. The campuses I'm aware of with the most thoroughly diverse NPC chapters are private schools in the North...but there are also northern and western campuses where the NPC chapters are virtually all white, or all white and Asian on a campus with lots of unaffiliated black and Hispanic women.

The South is also not the only region where you'll find systems where "lower-tier" chapters are making all the diversity progress, while the "elite" chapters remain very white. The same is often true when it comes to diversity of body type, disability, and economic background.

I wasn't making my comment re the south in the context that this is the only part of the country where this is an issue. My comment was made in the spirit of that's where I live, and that's where my experience is.