Anyone know anything about appealing a submitted sorority priority list during rush?

sjmason · #1 09-17-2017, 11:22 AM

Hello,

My niece just completed formal rush. After preference she decided she wanted to withdraw from rush but was advised/pressured to submit rankings. She went ahead and ranked the houses she had visited and signed the Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA). She walked out and immediately was told she could not do informal rush due to this. She immediately regretted and tried to withdraw her form multiple times. They would not release the form. The counselor told her just not to show up to bid day, which she didn't, and Panhellenic advised her to go through the formal appeals process with Nationals. she feels horrible as she knows she took a spot from another candidate at a house but she felt strongly it was the wrong choice for her. Meanwhile she has does not have housing or any idea how long the appeals process will take or if it will work. Does anyone have any experience with appealing something like this?

carnation · #2 09-17-2017, 11:33 AM

Which school?

LaneSig · #3 09-17-2017, 11:42 AM

Can you clarify why she doesn't have housing? Wasn't she living in the dorm, an apartment, or at home during rush?

AZTheta · #4 09-17-2017, 11:44 AM

The MRABA (Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement) addresses this (not being eligible for informal recruitment) very clearly and specifically, at least twice. It is also explained to the PNM at the time it is signed.

I am trying to copy it and paste it here for you.

Not sure what your niece could appeal. She signed the agreement.

sjmason · #5 09-17-2017, 11:49 AM

University of Washington

FSUZeta · #6 09-17-2017, 12:37 PM

I am sorry this happened to your niece.

thetalady · #7 09-17-2017, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjmason

Hello,

My niece just completed formal rush. After preference she decided she wanted to withdraw from rush but was advised/pressured to submit rankings. She went ahead and ranked the houses she had visited and signed the Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA). She walked out and immediately was told she could not do informal rush due to this. She immediately regretted and tried to withdraw her form multiple times. They would not release the form. The counselor told her just not to show up to bid day, which she didn't, and Panhellenic advised her to go through the formal appeals process with Nationals. she feels horrible as she knows she took a spot from another candidate at a house but she felt strongly it was the wrong choice for her. Meanwhile she has does not have housing or any idea how long the appeals process will take or if it will work. Does anyone have any experience with appealing something like this?

She signed a contract. That means something. I have never heard of it being appealed or the decision reversed.

I don't understand the housing issue either. I don't know of a place where brand new members who are not yet initiated move into sorority housing. I am guessing maybe she is on a designated "sorority" floor in a dorm, but probably not the chapter that she walked away from.

IndianaSigKap · #8 09-17-2017, 01:55 PM

At UW, New Members move into the chapter houses on Bid Day.

NYCMS · #9 09-17-2017, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

At UW, New Members move into the chapter houses on Bid Day.

Wow, never heard of this set-up. Where are the actives living? And where do the PNMs live during rush?

Seems odd given that you can't predict who gets a bid and who doesn't.

Titchou · #10 09-17-2017, 02:06 PM

Yes, NMs can move in at Washington. the houses hold upwards of 100 women. However, there is housing for those who do not go thru recruitment or who do not match. So she's got housing -just not in a sorority house due to her choice to not acknowledge what she agreed to. And yes, it is plainly stated on the MRABA that it is binding for a year. She might as well go try it out and see what she thinks. She can't rush for a year anyway so why not?

DaffyKD · #11 09-17-2017, 05:27 PM

Once upon a time when dinosaurs were the main form of transportation ala The Flintstones, RUSH (not yet recruitment) on our campus was held 2 weeks before school started-- one week before the dorms opened. One dorm was opened for those going through RUSH. Most of the houses houses had beds available for PLEDGES to move in on bid day and the school pushed for PLEDGES to move in since the dorm waiting list was huge. I was one of those PLEDGES, lived in the house all 4 years.

Did not think that there were still schools with recruitment before school started and before PNMs were settled into their housing.

DaffyKD

thetalady · #12 09-17-2017, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

At UW, New Members move into the chapter houses on Bid Day.

Well slap me silly!! Learned something new & different. How awkward it must be if the new member drops out or doesn't get initiated, though.

Titchou · #13 09-17-2017, 05:35 PM

Yeah - that has always been my concern as well....as a former director of housing I can vouch for how difficult it is to evict anyone from the house! Even the fired House Director!

jolene · #14 09-17-2017, 07:16 PM

I'd never heard of the practice of moving in on Bid Day either.

carnation · #15 09-17-2017, 07:33 PM

They did that at Arkansas when I was there; they had bed rush, so called because quota was how many beds a group had available before rush. And then the pledges could move right in.

If you didn't get a bid, you had to go stand in a long line at the housing office and apply for one of the worst dorms and move right into one of those, as the best ones had been filled up months before.