Clemson Theta closing

[Iota1086]

Don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but Clemson Theta has received their closure letter.

Hundreds of active Thetas at Ole Miss and Clemson now without a home away from home.

The past few weeks have really been horrible for the “sisterhood” of Theta.

[celebcj]

I do have a copy of the letter from headquarters. The worst part is the new members at Clemson were indeed initiated.

[LuvMyPNM]

It is a shame for both these chapters. With the temporary nature of active members, it is hard to make them bear the responsibility for being there when the charter is taken away. It can be said all you want that they are not to blame, but they will and do feel it. They are the ones there and they are feeling it most immediately and directly. They will be the ones closing the doors on the last day, packing up and moving out for the last time.

As a grown-up, I fear these national organizations are too far removed to understand that visits from various volunteers (who,when,what, for what expected outcomes) would help move the needle. And in what direction? How can you say 270+ at Ole Miss who are such successful fundraisers for CASA or 140+ at Clemson are not sustainable chapters sizes. Both schools are moderately sized and yes, other chapters at each school are larger. So what? Is this sisterhood to just cut them off and say 'ok enough here'.

Frustrating to see all these young women who had hoped to have Theta a part of their collegiate experience lose it. It is apparent they didn't have a chance; oh and no appeals allowed.

For those with an upcoming visit from Nationals, be forewarned it is unlikely you are going to avoid a similar fate. Especially if you're differently sized than other chapters at your school.

[clemsongirl]

I just heard about this from my best friend who is a Clemson Theta, and that chapter is the other chapter I preffed. The women in the chapter then and still are lovely people, but when Pi Phi colonized and nearly immediately got up to total I knew Theta was doomed. They’d been taking a smaller and smaller share of quota every year I was on campus and after, and I don’t think there was ever a sustainable way for them to grow. Yes 140+ seems like a lot but when other chapters are mostly over 200 it’s much harder to operate on the same scale as the other Panhellenic groups. Campus culture was very unkind to them as well.

I feel very bad for the new members who were initiated before this decision was made, because the writing had been on the wall for a while and I very highly doubt the choice to close was made just this week. I do think waiting four or five years before returning will be highly beneficial for Clemson Theta.

[LuvMyPNM]

Operate is a verb which means an outcome or outcomes. In what way we’re they not operating other than bringing in as many new members as other chapters? Looking back at the published #’s on Clemson’s own site they were always in the 140-150 range going back to 2010. So this didn’t just come about, this has been their size. Have they not been able to develop leading women? Have they not been financially self sufficient or irresponsible? What about being smaller has impacted sustainability? Was it not enough of an improvement to place 2nd in a fundraising “competition” this semester despite being smallest?

To make it about that is superficial and insults their intelligence. And mid-semester after initiation? Disgraceful and distracting seeing as they’re students!

The women at nationals are out of touch. They owe it to these chapters to be transparent about their objectives and also let every other on their hit list know what’s up. Because there are certainly others. The actives are going to vote about closing up end of semester or end of year, which may show they’ve learned something after the Ole Miss mess. But not enough.

[celebcj]

I don’t understand the justification for closing a chapter for low numbers without a house. With such a low operating cost, how much could numbers have really affected nationals’ bottom line.

I also don’t understand why the chapter wasn’t given a probation period to try to fix the situation. Yes they may have told the chapter their numbers were low, but if they didn’t link that to a potential closure, then that is no warning. The girls should have been given the opportunity to COB a few times and another fall recruitment before drastically removing so many collegians’ sorority experience.

[LuvMyPNM]

Exactly. These girls were drawn into the chapter, choose to join, been dedicated and because they’re different they lose the experience. I know it stings for them and will every time they pass their hall or walk around campus, now and as alumni. Bad behavior and pull a charter a sure I get that. Not embracing Theta and contributing to school and community? Ok some penalty. But to bring it down to the size is appalling. Really bad form for an organization I had so much respect for.

[jolene]

Wow. That's heartless to do that after initiation. As celebcj said, were these members not given a speech saying, "Here's the problem and you have X amount of time to fix it and we're here to help"? My niece is a Theta alumna so it makes me even more sad (not this chapter). I don't understand why Panhellenic would allow expansion if an established chapter is hurting. Can someone explain the rhyme or reason for that?

[GreekOne]

Originally Posted by LuvMyPNM

Exactly. These girls were drawn into the chapter, choose to join, been dedicated and because they’re different they lose the experience. I know it stings for them and will every time they pass their hall or walk around campus, now and as alumni. Bad behavior and pull a charter a sure I get that. Not embracing Theta and contributing to school and community? Ok some penalty. But to bring it down to the size is appalling. Really bad form for an organization I had so much respect for.

I agree 100%. I posted a similar sentiment on the Ole Miss Theta closing thread. These chapters are smaller by campus standards, yes. And maybe they haven't been meeting quota. But, they are so much larger than so many other chapters on other campuses. They are serving their mission of providing a strong experience of sisterhood for their members. It is so incredibly sad that they are being shut down for what seems like a superficial reason. I would not have been surprised if it were another GLO who has recently come under fire for their beauty based recruitment standards, but I am surprised that this is coming from Theta.

So incredibly heartbroken for their members.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by jolene

Wow. That's heartless to do that after initiation. As celebcj said, were these members not given a speech saying, "Here's the problem and you have X amount of time to fix it and we're here to help"? My niece is a Theta alumna so it makes me even more sad (not this chapter). I don't understand why Panhellenic would allow expansion if an established chapter is hurting. Can someone explain the rhyme or reason for that?

I posted this in another thread, but I mentioned that my campus expanded twice when I was in school and I think both times we were under total (first one a lot, second one a little). We got reamed by HQ for voting in favor of it, but the fact of the matter was if these women had wanted to join us they would have, and there was no point in being a wet blanket.

Originally Posted by GreekOne

I agree 100%. I posted a similar sentiment on the Ole Miss Theta closing thread. These chapters are smaller by campus standards, yes. And maybe they haven't been meeting quota. But, they are so much larger than so many other chapters on other campuses. They are serving their mission of providing a strong experience of sisterhood for their members. It is so incredibly sad that they are being shut down for what seems like a superficial reason. I would not have been surprised if it were another GLO who has recently come under fire for their beauty based recruitment standards, but I am surprised that this is coming from Theta.

So incredibly heartbroken for their members.

Is this maybe a regional culture issue with the people sent to assist or national council? There are a couple very southern NPCs that seem to have a difficult time once they get over the Mason Dixon. My own sorority does a heck of a lot better in the Midwest than in the Deep South. NPC does have 26 national groups, but even with the country becoming more homogenous in many ways, differences do still exist.

[33girl]

And as long as we (we=collegians, alumnae, fraternities, campuses, HQs) keep emphasizing reaching quota and total as a sign of sorority success, chapters will continue to be closed because of low numbers, even if they are financially viable. ETA: I have zero idea of either recently closed Theta chapter’s $$ situation, I am speaking in generalities.

[LuvMyPNM]

33girl - one daughter is currently at Clemson and part of the Theta chapter there; my older daughter graduated from Ole Miss and while she was not a Theta she had MANY friends in that chapter. As for finances, Clemson was awarded a financially-based award at the national convention. They were in the black, operating fine both servicewise and socially. My Theta and her sisters are devastated. Definitely a bait-and-switch and focused on the numbers reflected poorly on Theta Nationals; they were told they had a 'bad reputation'. My oldest told me the girls at Ole Miss had been treated poorly by Nationals for several years (e.g. you need prettier girls etc.) That also disgusts me.

My daughter is a sophomore who joined last year; for the new members just initiated this is outrageous.

This challenge will make them stronger but they should have been given a plan by this 'Grand Council', should have been led by them, given KPIs to meet and then consequences if they didn't.

I believe I stated above they were at 140-150 members in each report on the Clemson greek life site for the past 8 YEARS! Why now? And why no serious chance to work together with Nationals. No way they can claim they wanted Delta Phi to succeed.

[33girl]

This headline is...interesting

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ind...amp/2011585002

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

This headline is...interesting

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ind...amp/2011585002

"We are deeply disappointed for the women who currently make up this chapter and for the many alumnae who have by and large been outstanding representatives of Clemson over the past 46 years," the university said in a statement released through Philip Sikes, the communications director for the division of student affairs. “While this was not a university decision, it is important to reiterate these women are in good standing with the university. We are aggressively lobbying decision-makers for reconsideration, especially with respect to 2018 chapter initiates."
.....
"They were not failing, they were just small," Novack said of the chapter. "They didn't want to be 240 women. They liked and appreciated the smaller sisterhood."

Wow. Perhaps there's something I'm missing, but... I just don't understand.

[thetalady]

I am ashamed at the way these closures have been handled. The situation at Clemson was almost a mirror of Ole Miss. Failure to meet quota by a large amount for years, new chapters colonizing and quickly growing to chapter total, and the chapter significantly smaller than all other houses on campus... these are the benchmarks that Theta is looking at. These closures could be seen coming from a few years away, if things didn't turn around. It baffles me that Theta keeps touting the 17-18 visits by staff, because clearly those visits are not helping. Neither chapter realized what trouble they were in because they were not told and given a chance to rally. That is heartbreaking and so unlike the Theta that I love.