NPC appoints Community College Task Force

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

Seriously? SERIOUSLY?

Where did this "idea" originate? Who is going to claim it or take credit for it? Step up and identify yourself(ves) please. And for those who are wondering, that's a rhetorical question and I know better than to expect an answer.

Calling out the elephant in the living room: it smacks of desperation at best. And a whole lot of (shall we just say) less than desirable at worst. Yikes. Just, yikes.

Frankly, navane nailed it for me and so did PGD-GRAD. And TriDeltaSallie (waving, long time no hear).Thank you for your diplomacy and tact. I'm all out of both those qualities and don't see a refill coming any time soon.

Let us hope this dies a very quiet death. Soon.

Originally Posted by carnation

^^^ What they said.

Quoting here (it's from last year) so you don't have to hunt for it. Well said.

ETA: Did any NPC group, holding their biennial convention in summer 2021, already take a vote and accept the option to colonize at community colleges in anticipation of a possible positive NPC decision to allow that type of colony?

[33girl]

Yeah, I did not volunteer to join my sorority’s task force because my contribution would consist of two words totalling six letters.

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yeah, I did not volunteer to join my sorority’s task force because my contribution would consist of two words totalling six letters.

LOL!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yeah, I did not volunteer to join my sorority’s task force because my contribution would consist of two words totalling six letters.

"LOVE IT"?

[FSUZeta]

In my experience as a collegiate member and as an alumna and an advisor, my advice to someone who returned to college in her mid 20s or up, is that the collegiate sorority experience has sailed. She should put her talents toward some other endeavor. The chapter I advised had a 30 something, married with children, woman come through recruitment. The girls to a fault thought it was very strange that a woman they considered "old" was rushing, not to mention married and with children. And she seemed a lovely(although misdirected) woman.

I think these women long for something they did not have (or did not have the opportunity to have) when they were 18-21 years of age. A collegiate chapter is not the answer for them-whether at a community college or a 4 year institution.

[ChioLu]

UCLA accepts a large number of transfer students, from CCs and other universities.
Every year, one THIRD of the women going through recruitment are upperclassman. So, most new member classes are 1/3 upperclass. (If the NM class is 75 members, 25 NMs are sophomores, juniors and, even seniors. This works out well because it can lead to a bit more mature decision making in the NM class!) These upperclass members are usually very active in the chapter for the time they are at UCLA (meaning, through graduation) since they have less time as a collegiate member than someone who joined as a freshman.

Also, I used to live in Atlanta. I know there are sororities at large universities in the south that will NOT take affiliates from smaller chapters, even if the sister is a standout.

[Cheerio]

Another reason CC Clubs aren't really necessary: Most Alumnae Panhellenic groups do invite/welcome students transferring from CCs to their Spring/Summer Recrutment Information Sessions.

[DGTess]

I'm pleased to see a few are at least open to the idea. The "only 18 years old, socially prominent, listens to one's elders at alumnae Panhellenic meetings" seems it would do more harm than good in today's society.

I don't know how it will work, or if, but it bears exploration.

[clemsongirl]

It's also important to note that more and more community colleges are offering four-year degrees that can be completed entirely on that campus. This article from last April says that 26 states have authorized their community colleges to offer four-year degrees, and that 27 of Florida's 28 two-year institutions now offer four-year bachelor's degrees. There is a growing segment of the college-going population that stays at a community college for their entire higher education experience, and that segment is not being served at all by the Panhellenic experience. There are even some schools, like Richard Bland College, that are two-year institutions that offer the full residential college experience and have guaranteed transfer pathways to four-year colleges. I do think transfer affiliation issues would have to be worked out first before a sorority starts plunking down chapters at every associates' degree-offering college in a state, but that's up to each individual sorority to decide what works best for their member experience.

Re: Titchou's excellent point about where expansion has been happening in the past 15-20 years, there are only so many established prestigious universities with fraternity and sorority life, and only so many that are hospitable to new chapters for a litany of reasons, and only so many that a given sorority has the local resources to coalesce around a new chapter. If ADPi had to choose between starting a new chapter at University of Alaska-Anchorage or Palm Beach State College, I know which one would be easier. Additionally, chapters at state and community colleges wouldn't need housing so they'd be much cheaper to start than a chapter at Big State U that needs a McMansion to be successful.

[AZTheta]

SWTXBelle & titchou, we're gonna agree to disagree on this one. FWIW I don't see my response as "elitist" or "mean girl clique" and would be more than open to you telling me your perceptions of my own words. Perhaps it wasn't directed at me specifically however I will clean up my own doorstep if necessary. And I will follow DGTess and watch the exploration with some interest. *shrug*

Oh, one more thing: what is with articles from the 1970s dictating Texas behavior in the 2020s? Sheesh. Who has that kind of time?

[SWTXBelle]

We're good, AZTheta, and I wasn't thinking of your response specifically; to be honest, I could see some other posts as veering into snotty clique territory, so regard my post as being prophylactic!

If you (this is a general "you", not you, AZTheta!) look at NPC history, you'll note there was a time when "teacher colleges" were beyond the pale for the NPC, which resulted in the Association of Education Sororities being founded in 1916. I'm sure there were discussions similar to those we are having today (maybe by carrier pigeon?!) when Sarah Ida Shaw Martin petitioned NPC on behalf of AES in 1920. She was unsuccessful, but eventually in 1947, the AES joined the NPC, and we got our wonderful panhellenic sisters in Alpha Sigma Tau, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and Alpha Sigma Alpha.

All community colleges are not the same; there are quite a few that I can think of here in Texas which would be fertile grounds for chapters, and many that I don't think would be viable.

I'm going to wait until the NPC committee reports back before deciding. I think it behooves us to be as flexible as we can be in thinking ahead. We have survived lo these many years because we have changed as our society has - we are in the midst of a huge upheaval which will result in a different campus atmosphere across the board. We need to be flexible if we are to survive.

And yeah, that NPC is missing out on a great, dynamic campus!

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

SWTXBelle & titchou, we're gonna agree to disagree on this one. FWIW I don't see my response as "elitist" or "mean girl clique" and would be more than open to you telling me your perceptions of my own words. Perhaps it wasn't directed at me specifically however I will clean up my own doorstep if necessary. And I will follow DGTess and watch the exploration with some interest. *shrug*

Oh, one more thing: what is with articles from the 1970s dictating Texas behavior in the 2020s? Sheesh. Who has that kind of time?

Last thing first - in some places the past is not dead....

First thing: I'm good with you also and my comments weren't directed at you. You know me too well for that. I just think it's worth exploring. As SWTXBelle said, some places might be a good fit - one here in Bham. But outside of that one, I can't think of a 2yr in Alabama that would be a fit. But I'm stuck in the Heart of Dixie so what do I know????

[carnation]

I honestly can not think of a good fit in Georgia.

[FSUZeta]

If memory serves from back in the dark ages, transfers would not count toward total-meaning that it a chapter was over total and a girl sought affiliation, the chapter being over total would not prevent her from affiliating. That could add an interesting twist to chapter numbers-especially when there might conceivably be 20-30 or more CC girls seeking affiliation into one chapter. Mega chapters could top 500-600 members.

[carnation]

OMG! That means that if you got rejected as an affiliate, you would know that it wasn't because of a rule--they just didn't want you.