Why some rules hurt more than help

[amanda6035]

So....I'm probably gonna get a butt chewing for this one, but I wanted to see if anybody had been in a similar situation...

As I've said before in other threads, I go to a VERY small school. We have two national sororities on campus, us (Alpha Xi Delta) and Gamma Phi Beta. Our school has a total female population of 17%. We have 6 members, they have 7. Anything to boost our numbers would be a good thing, right????

Well, this fall, SPSU is going to be a satellite campus for the Floyd College Nursing degree, which is a 2 year program. It has been estimated that this program will bring approximately 700 girls to campus. Technically, they will still be Floyd students, NOT SPSU students, but they will pay SPSU activity fees, health fees, etc etc etc. Our Greek advisor has already obtained permission for both sororities to be allowed to recruit these girls. Unfortunately, National Panhellenic has not.

Both Sorority advisors have been working with their panhellenic delegates, trying to convince them to allow us to recruit these girls. From what I've heard so far, it's a hard case to win because these girls will only be members for 2 years. Why is that any different than a junior rushing? We're at a school where we dont discriminate based on age, class rank, or whatever - BECAUSE we're a small school. We can't afford to turn away a student just because they are a little bit older, or a little bit further along in their classes.

Our fear is that, if we aren't allowed to recruit these girls, that they will see us, see our "greek life" and want to participate. And because we'll have to turn them away (if Panhellenics final ruling is still "no,") we're afraid that local sororities are going to pop up all over the place, because these girls want to get involved, and legally, we couldnt let them join us.

PLEASE don't read more into that than what it is. I AM NOT BASHING local sororities. We're worried that if some of the floyd girls start their own local sorority, that SPSU girls will want to join them, because of the cheaper dues, and whatever other reason they might want to. And unlike us, the local sorority wouldnt have any restrictions on who they could recruit - if a SPSU girl wants to join the local sorority, she could, but not vice versa. What happens to the national sororties after that? Especially if all the girls who the national sororities would be eligible to recruit, decided they would rather join the local sorority instead?

I don't want to go further into our worries because I'm afraid I've already stuck my foot in my mouth. Has any other school had to deal with a situation similar to this? Does anybody know why Panhellenic rules the way they do? WHY, on a campus as small as ours, would they DILIBERATLY hurt us? This could be SO GOOD for our campus, and our greek life...and ruling hasn't been made yet, but I haven't heard anything good so far. From what I've been told so far, Panhellenic has a hard time making exceptions to the "rules" and supposefly one of the rules is that the girls must be members of 4 year degree programs. Again, WHY would a conference, who is supposed to be in our favor (and this is AZD and GPB working together) rule against us? I just dont get it.

Like I said...from what Ive heard so far, there isnt a final ruling yet...but they've been discussing it for over 2 months now. I just wish they would think about what in the best intrest for us, rather than sticking to the way things have always been done. If there's someone on the panhellenic council reading this...i wish there was a way to change your mind in favor of us...

Any thoughts? Comments? Anybody been in a similar situation and how you got through it?