Formal Recruitment Planning

[SigmaPezY60]

I am putting together a Recruitment Guide for my collegiate chapter and would like to include a section about Formal Recruitment. The university traditionally held Recruitment as Informal (each sorority was assigned specific time slots to hold 1 event each week for the first 3 weeks.) This system worked considerably well given that less than 25% of the campus population is women (less than 5% of women on campus join a sorority. Average membership=13 women). A few years ago a new Greek Life Coordinator came in and decided that since there are NPC orgs on campus, that we should be doing Formal Recruitment.

Since I am alumnae, I'm still unclear on the details of how their Formal Recruitment is structured (which would be more helpful to those giving me advice...working on getting that info)

My questions are:

1) How does your university structure their Formal Recruitment?
2) What are some successful events/themes your org held during Formal Recruitment?
3) What are some events/themes that bombed?
4) Are there other Local Sororities conducting Formal Recruitment & if so What advice would you give to another Local?

Thanks in advance! I have searched the forums all morning and most of the Formal Recruitment topics are for PNM's and not active chapter members.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Oh, dear. The presence of NPC groups should not automatically mean there needs to be a formal recruitment, especially if informal was working well for all groups (note that the ALL part is important). I suggest you get your hands on the NPC Manual of Information (Green Book), and look at its guidelines. It gives examples of several recruitment styles, and perhaps something like "minimally structured" recruitment would work for your campus. Arming yourself with the info in the Green Book, though, should help you push back against the GL Coordinator, who I am guessing came from some school with fully formal recruitment, and doesn't know how different recruitment styles can work.

[SigmaPezY60]

I have taken a look at some stats posted on the university website and it appears that the NPC sororities numbers have improved with whatever style of Formal Recruitment that has been put into place. That being said, the numbers are about where they were 10 years ago when I joined.

I will try to get my hands on the "Green Book" too. Thanks for that suggestion.

[33girl]

There's nothing wrong with doing formal recruitment, AS LONG AS the women do not come to regard it as the ONLY form of recruitment. Too many groups put all their eggs in the formal rush basket and it doesn't work for everyone.

As we've discussed on here, this generation has grown up with structure in every aspect of their lives and may find Greek life more appealing with formal rush. So go ahead and do formal rush. It doesn't mean you have to jack total up to 200, spend thousands of dollars on decorations, or do skits or door chants. I don't think the HQ of either group would advocate that either - they have experience in the Northeast and aren't going to try and make it roll like the SEC. Considering the GL director is associated with Phired Up I doubt this is her intention either.

[SigmaPezY60]

It's not a question of should we participate or not. I am putting together a Recruitment Guidebook for my collegiate members and would like to include tools specifically geared towards Formal Recruitment. Since we don't have a HQ with experience with this as a resource I am reaching out to other Greeks asking a few questions to help create a more accurate resource.

My questions are:

1) How does your university structure their Formal Recruitment?
2) What are some successful events/themes your org held during Formal Recruitment?
3) What are some events/themes that bombed?
4) Are there other Local Sororities conducting Formal Recruitment & if so What advice would you give to another Local?

As an alumna- I can only advise and provide tools & resources for growth. I agree with 33girl that Formal Recruitment shouldn't be the ONLY way to recruit. It's my opinion that you try a variety of things to have a successful recruitment and that it doesn't matter what you try as long as you project the essence of your sisterhood & talk to people. That much I already know...So if you could answer my specific questions that would be VERY helpful.

Thank you

[33girl]

You completely misinterpreted my comment. I never said not to participate.

[SigmaPezY60]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You completely misinterpreted my comment. I never said not to participate.

No I didn't misunderstand. Your comment was advice on WHY to participate, but that wasn't the question I had asked nor the issue at hand. I provided a little bit of background to give those responding a sense of past recruitment structure vs present. Participation is a given.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by SigmaPezY60

No I didn't misunderstand. Your comment was advice on WHY to participate, but that wasn't the question I had asked nor the issue at hand. I provided a little bit of background to give those responding a sense of past recruitment structure vs present. Participation is a given.

I wasn't talking to your sorority (or you) specifically, I was speaking to DBB's comment about the campus having formal recruitment in general.

Obviously you should participate unless you don't want to be involved with your school's Panhellenic anymore or unless you want to only appeal to a small, specific niche of women.

Restating your questions over again in bold because every response didn't anwer them is kind of annoying. Step off and chillax, for crying out loud.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I wasn't talking to your sorority (or you) specifically, I was speaking to DBB's comment about the campus having formal recruitment in general.

Obviously you should participate unless you don't want to be involved with your school's Panhellenic anymore or unless you want to only appeal to a small, specific niche of women.

Restating your questions over again in bold because every response didn't anwer them is kind of annoying. Step off and chillax, for crying out loud.

Yeah, sorry, I think I started the confusion. Obviously, the campus has opted to have something called "formal" and all groups should participate. My point was that the first question was on structure, and maybe "formal" doesn't mean the same thing at NJIT as it does at other schools.

[SigmaPezY60]

Ok so this is how theirs is structured:

Night 1: Meet the Sororities.
All of the sororities are in he same room with PNM's to meet and greet. Nobody wears letters but apparently the sororities can wear their colors. PNM's an Actives are all having a good time with each other at the same activity and demonstrating Greek Unity.

Night 2: Philanthropy Night
Each sorority has their own room to set up for an activity and/or presentation of their philanthropy. The PNM's are divided into smaller groups and rotate to visit each sorority. I told that the PNM's get 20minutes with each sorority.

Night 3: Fun Night
Sorority gets to plan the theme of the nights activities.

Night 4: Sorority Info
More specific information about each sorority

Night 5: Preference Party
PNM's choose which sorority preference they want to attend.

Then the chapters submit their bid list and the Greek Life Director has to approve the lists (? I'm guessing she confirms eligibility to join) and then they have Bid Night.

After bid night a list of girls who went through recruitment but did not get a bid is sent to each sorority so a "Snap Bid" can be offered and a Snap Bid Night can be held.

It doesn't seem like there is a COB period at all and if a PNM'S doesn't go through Formal Recruitment she is not eligible to get a bid.

Seems pretty standard but still very new. And as alum things may have been lost in translation along the way to me as well.

This type of recruitment seems like it has potential...my undergrad sisters just need to adjust to it.

Thanks for the input!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by SigmaPezY60

It doesn't seem like there is a COB period at all and if a PNM'S doesn't go through Formal Recruitment she is not eligible to get a bid.

A woman can be issued an open bid at any time to a chapter that is under total unless the school has rules against it or says that she must begin pledging within a certain window of time. (That is...if you want to give someone an open bid in April you can. NPC isn't wild about this but it is permissible if the school allows it. Check the Green Book.)

You do NOT have to go through formal recruitment to be offered a bid to a sorority that is under total. Compelling women to go through FR to receive a bid directly interferes with each sorority's sovereign right to membership selection. It is completely within a sorority's rights to look at the women going through FR, say "wow, these chicks all suck," issue no bids in FR, and proceed to bid the women who have been living in the house across the street from them. Again, the national groups who are at your school are similar enough with smaller schools with low Greek participation to know that there are occasionally nightmare rushes where the pool of women just isn't up to snuff, and looking elsewhere may be a better option. Bringing in new members is the important thing.

What is your campus's total?

[SigmaPezY60]

Originally Posted by 33girl

What is your campus's total?

I am not sure. Back when I was active Campus total was a whopping 10- Which never phased me at the time but then I moved to the south where my friends were in 60+ member chapters.

And I kind of thought something didn't seem logical about the requirement to do FR in order to get a bid...and the no COB thing. But Perhaps something got lost in translation when it was explained to me...So I really need to get the official documents from the members.

But in the meantime it will still be helpful knowing the basics of the structure of their campus FR so I can develop a planning resource for the active membership.

[DubaiSis]

Getting to a specific, the philanthropy activity thing post-dates my collegiate life, but from about a gazillion recruitment threads I've read, don't do a craft. They're tedious, make girls nervous about not being crafty, and at the end, the sorority has to figure out what to do with the resulting craft. Talk about your philanthropy, show a video if you can, have examples of how you are actively engaged in the philanthropy, etc. College girls these days seem to care about their charitable giving, both money and time.

As far as conversational technique bumping/rotation works well, but it takes a lot of training to do well. I've also read here somewhere that a chapter did a version of speed dating, and I liked that idea. The "bumping" is more obvious, but sort of makes a game of it. But either way, I would definitely set a goal that each rushee meets 3 or 4 chapter members at each party.

And I would definitely come up with a chant or a catchy song to sing at hello and especially good bye. They're dorky, but they are MEMORABLE.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

And I would definitely come up with a chant or a catchy song to sing at hello and especially good bye. They're dorky, but they are MEMORABLE.

I don't know that I agree with this. Not every school should take on this practice - it might end up hurting chapters more than it helps them. This isn't the huge recruitment of the south.. and I think maybe they should focus their time and effort on building a strong formal recruitment structure, rather than learning chants and songs.

[33girl]

Definitely NO on the chant/song unless it is something that has real meaning to the chapter.

With under 30 sisters in the chapters, a standardized plan for "bumping" isn't really necessary. Just remind the sisters that no matter how much they like the girl they're talking to, they need to introduce her to everyone else. By the end of night 3, every sister should be able to recognize the majority of the rushees at least by sight, if not have met them (unless something insane happens and 400 women sign up for rush).