Prohibiting 1st Semester Freshmen From Pledging

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

In this discussion I do!

Some universities restrict the type and number of organizations freshmen join, period. They want freshmen to focus on getting acclimated and academics.

Beyond that, I don't want freshmen pursuing NPHC organizations as freshmen just because they can also go to the organizational fair and sign up for a bunch of clubs.

Come to us when you can understand and respect why NPHC organizations aren't like the ski club or the InterFaith Coalition. And are qualified to pursue membership.

[SthrnZeta]

Deja vu.... Anybody else feel it??

[PhiGam]

Thats stupid, another example of a university interfering in greek life. Traditionally pledges are supposed to be freshman in their first semester, this causes them to bond more with their pledge class IMO.

[lillady85]

I agree that having more time to spend with your pledge class is important and that being a first semester pledge will help with that but it's a big transition that many freshmen need time to adjust. I wish my girls had been required to wait at least a quarter before pledging. It would really help with retention as well.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by lillady85

I agree that having more time to spend with your pledge class is important and that being a first semester pledge will help with that but it's a big transition that many freshmen need time to adjust. I wish my girls had been required to wait at least a quarter before pledging. It would really help with retention as well.

I guess if you have a problem with numbers than it would definitely help to have a shorter pledge semester. My chapter usually starts with 50 and ends with 30-35 and it keeps our numbers perfectly in check so this would make us change our bid process a lot.

[lillady85]

Well, I don't think we have a problem with numbers. This was our first year with recruitment and so far, none of our girls have depledged (as far as I know and I'm the pledge mom). But, I think that many of the freshman have had issues with juggling school, commitments and sorority life. It would help with them being more comfortable in staying, realizing how much of a commitment they can handle and school life in general. Even having recruitment deferred by a quarter would help because they would have a better grasp of college.

All of this I think is good for my school. We're not like SEC schools or state schools, and I know they're systems are infinitely different from ours.

[TSteven]

I posted this in another thread regarding fraternity rush, but it applies here as well.

Having year round recruitment (Summer, Fall and Spring/Winter) has always been an effective and successful way to recruit. Summer Rush gets you the local pledges and the men already known to the chapter. Fall Rush picked up out-of-state guys, guys from summer rush who needed more time to make an informed decision, guys who - for what ever reason - did not attend summer rush events, and returning students now interested in fraternities. Spring Rush (winter rush) picks up the guys who want a semester of school under their belt, guys who could not devote time to rush (pledge) during the summer or the fall (for example - athletes, band), guys who didn't really have a clue about Greek life on campus before they arrived, and friends and class mates of current members.

Bottom line is that a year round recruitment system supports not only incoming freshmen, but also upperclassmen with rushing. No "one time to receive a bid or else" factor. Year round recruitment allows the rushee to pledge when - and how - he feels most comfortable doing so. It can even the playing field by allowing chapters to use their strengths when - and how - they rush. For example, a chapter might not have a house on campus, but can compete during summer rush. Or a chapter doesn't do well during formal rush on campus but does well one-on-one either during the more relaxed summer rush or recruiting one-on-one during the school year (and then pledging during the spring). Or a chapter may do it's best recruiting during the more formal structure of fall rush.

Restricting how and when fraternities rush is... restrictive. And not good for the fraternity system as a whole. Which is why the NIC (IFC) advocates no restriction and year round recruitment.

I would add that the NIC/IFC year round recruitment model could apply to NPC recruitment as well. That is if the NPC would allow it and the chapters weren't lazy.

Short version would be to allow chapters to hold open houses during the summer so that potential new freshmen members could learn a little about each chapter. No dirty rushing cause this would be done similar to those schools that have rush in the Spring and hold open houses during the fall - like Centre, Indiana and Vanderbilt. Come fall, those freshmen PNMs who want to rush could do so then. It could be the more formal and structured recruitment if that is what the campus wants. Then come Spring/Winter, there would be a more informal recruitment - similar to COB/COR. But to keep in the *spirit* of NPCism, you could still have PNMs sign up and have a quota set. And Panhellenic could still require a year long wait for the next recruitment if someone accepted their bid but did not initiate. This would keep a freshman from changing her mind and then trying to rush the following semester. It would still be from the time of acceptance of the bid thus no change in NPC rules. If a school wanted to have their formal structured recruitment in the Spring/Winter, then they would just reverse the previous and do so. Thus if the freshman PNM feels she is ready to join in the fall, she could attempt to do so. Since it is a mutual selection, she would know that she may not receive a bid depending on each chapter's and or organization's policy regarding class standing etc.

And this works well for the freshman PNM since she would be able to rush when she is ready and comfortable doing so. And the "one time to receive a bid or else" factor should be greatly decreased.

As for NPHC or any other organization (NPC and NIC/IFC included) that might require a PNM to have a certain number of college credits prior to receiving a bid, that wouldn't change. The individual organization's rules should always trump the councils and/or the campus.

[AOII Angel]

So...what evidence do you have that waiting a semester makes women more likely to stay active throughout their college years and become more active than women who pledged at the beginning of their college experience? I think a lot of this is your biased opinions. Recruitment that works on one campus may not work on another, but formal recruitment is the BEST way to juggle a large PNM pool to assure that each woman has a chance to experience what each group has to offer. I pledged AOII before starting my first class in college. My pledge class lost a few members along the way (a couple transferred after the first semester, but they have just as much right to their AOII membership as I do!) and the remainder stayed active throughout our time as AOIIs. No chapter on my campus had a problem with keeping seniors active. I'm glad I got to pledge when I did, otherwise I would have felt cheated out of a semester of membership during those fun college days! If a campus does, that's more of a campus culture problem and less of a "non-deferred" recruitment problem. Correlation is NOT causation. Remember that when you try to demand widespread change to a system that may not be broken.

[LionTamer]

One of the biggest benefits of waiting until after first semester to rush was the opportunity to make friends OUTSIDE the Greek system.

I loved my sorority but often found it smothering, and it was nice to go hang out with the good, close friends I made freshman year who were independents or in other sororities. I kind of looked at ASA more as a secure home base rather than my entire life.

[Kitemom]

At Baylor and it has been this way for many many years. You can't join a GLO, be a cheerleader, songleader or many other things until you have 12 hours at the school and a 2.5 GPA--- no transfer hours or grades count. You can however play in the Band, be members of the BSU, Student Gov. etc.

[aoiicutiepie14]

I pledged as a first semester freshman. I went to a small high school where I knew everyone and ended enrolling at a university with over 30,000 students. I am so glad I decided to pledge my first semester. My big and my sisters have helped make the transition to college so much easier.

[Matsimela]

I always find myself torn when this topic comes up. I personally did not pursue greek life when i was a freshman nor did I want to. I was new to the university and still trying to find my way. While I can understand why some schools do not have or enforce the whole "wait a semester" policy, I would not suggest pledging when you are fresh in college. I would say wait at elast until you get a feel for college life (ie the workload, being away from home and having to take care of yourself, etc) before you decide to join an organization that for most if not all orgs is a LIFETIME commitment.

[SassyPantsAGD]

Western Carolina University has deferred recruitment, with the major recruitment in the Spring because 1st Semester Freshman cannot pledge.

I am now the Recruitment Advisor for my chapter and I would pay to have this done away with. The University is placed in a small town area, with the largest town with malls, dining, activities 45 miles away. I worked in various student affairs departments while a student there and I strong feel that if students were allowed to join Greek letter organizations then the retention rate of the university would increase. Many students leave the university by December of their first year. There is not a lot to do and very little to jump in and get involved in as freshman...within a few years I would love to state this case to the university since I will be working with my chapters recruitment for a while.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by SassyPantsAGD

Western Carolina University has deferred recruitment, with the major recruitment in the Spring because 1st Semester Freshman cannot pledge.

I am now the Recruitment Advisor for my chapter and I would pay to have this done away with. The University is placed in a small town area, with the largest town with malls, dining, activities 45 miles away. I worked in various student affairs departments while a student there and I strong feel that if students were allowed to join Greek letter organizations then the retention rate of the university would increase. Many students leave the university by December of their first year. There is not a lot to do and very little to jump in and get involved in as freshman...within a few years I would love to state this case to the university since I will be working with my chapters recruitment for a while.

If there's nothing for non-Greek students to do, then there's nothing for Greeks to do either. I mean, just because you go Greek doesn't mean that you automatically get to go into a special restaurant or club or something. Especially at a small school.

[SassyPantsAGD]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If there's nothing for non-Greek students to do, then there's nothing for Greeks to do either. I mean, just because you go Greek doesn't mean that you automatically get to go into a special restaurant or club or something. Especially at a small school.

When I joined I was technically a 1st semester freshman (post secondary credits) and the experience opened me up to involvement. At a small school, giving you something to be involved in as opposed to packing your bags and going home every weekend keeps you connected with the university and more likely to stay at the campus. Its just like recruitment...you have to make a connection and give people a reason to stay...without a reason to stay you go somewhere else. For a campus where involvement is key to keeping people at the University, giving them options to stay would be more likely to encourage retention.