College Panhellenic Council

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College Panhellenic Council

Membership Recruitment Guidelines
(Revised Spring 2016)

Mechanics:

1.The Membership Recruitment budget is set at $800 per group for the Membership Recruitment period, including donations of services and goods, and reused items. A formal recruitment budget of expenditures must be turned in for review two weeks after Bid Day. All receipts that are obtained must be copied and turned in to verify the expenses. Chapters may make use of decorations; however, the costs for entertainment and decorations may not exceed the membership recruitment budget.

a.If each member buys a shirt to wear specifically for a night during Recruitment, and buys it separately, then the price of that shirt will not be included in the recruitment budget.

b.New donations for Recruitment given by a chapter’s headquarters or alumna will be assessed by the CPC, under the leadership of the Recruitment Chair and with oversight by the Director of Student Activities. To determine the value of such donations, the CPC will conduct research on the market value of the items and propose this value to the Council. Delegates will then vote upon this matter. The assessed and approved value will be included in the Recruitment budget for that chapter. Chapters may appeal to the Director of Student Activities if they do not agree with the assessment.

c.Items that have been purchased in previous years and can be reused will not count against the budget for each year. These items include sheets, china, and mounting supplies. Additional items will be approved by the discretion of the Panhellenic Council and the Director of Student Activities.

2.Detailed plans for partially structured fall recruitment must be turned in to the Panhellenic Recruitment Chair and Director of Student Activitiestwo weeks prior to the 1st day of partially structured recruitment week.What is turnedin is considered final and will not be changed under any circumstances. What must be turned in includes:

a.Enter/Exit Lyrics/Words

b.Philanthropy Project

c.What foods/beverages will be served

d.Handout for Philanthropy Night

e.Planned budget for Structured Fall Recruitment

f.The name of who will be speaking at each party. All speakers must be members of the chapter (either collegians or alumnae); the only exception is for Philanthropy Night, where a female appropriate to your Philanthropy/Service Project is allowed as a guest speaker.

3.Preferential Bid Matching will be conducted by an advisor from each chapter and the Director of Student Activities. No collegians shall be present at the time. Bid Matching will take place at the conclusion of Preference night after a mutually agreed upon amount of time for chapters to generate a bid list. Bid matching will take place in a mutually agreed upon location on CBU’s campus. No other procedures are to take place during Bid Matching.

4.Telephone calls will be made to the potential new members who were not preferenced or matched in the bid matching process and will, therefore, not receive a bid or preference invite. The potential new member’s Recruitment Counselor (Gamma Chi), in the presence of the Director of Student Activities, will make the callsFriday afternoon for no preferences or early Saturday morning prior to Bid Dayfor no bids.

5.A potential new member (PNM) is defined as any full-time, female student at CBU who has not been initiated into an NPC fraternity.

6.The potential member shall fill out a membership acceptance agreement immediately after her last preference party has been completed. Once a card has been signed, absolutely no changes may be made. If a potential member is not able to sign a membership acceptance agreement on Preference Night, arrangements must be made with the Director of Student Activities.

7.Chapters that have not reached total or filled quota may initiate Continuous Open Bidding (COB). COB may start immediately after formal membership recruitment bids are given out. If at any time during the year the chapter falls below total, they may initiate continuous open bidding. COB shall be held by invitation only. The following must take place within 24 hours of a woman accepting an open bid for membership in a sorority:

a.The membership acceptance must be filed with the Panhellenic Recruitment Chair and Recording Secretary.

b.Chapters must update their roster with the Director of Student Activities.

c.A grade release form must be filed with the Director of Student Activities.

8.A formal education program sanctioned by the CPC is to be presented to the chapters planning to participate in Membership Recruitment at the last Panhellenic meeting of the semester prior to partially structured fall recruitment. Collegians must sign the membership recruitment agreement stating that they will follow all rules. If unable to attend this meeting, chapter members must have the rules read to them by the Panhellenic President or Recruitment Chair, and sign the membership recruitment agreement. A re-cap of recruitment rules will be dispersed to the chapters before the first day of classes, allowing for each Panhellenic woman to be held accountable for infractions.

Rules:

9.There will be no alcoholic beverages served at the membership recruitment events, including Bid Day. This also means that active members are held to remaining substance-free for the entire week. This does include any party outside of membership recruitment (i.e. Chapter Bid Day Parties).

10.The participation of men in membership recruitment events is prohibited.

11.A signed membership recruitment acceptance or a continuous open bidding acceptance is binding. If a potential member receives a bid under the preference system, she is ineligible to be pledged to any other NPC fraternity on the same campus for one calendar year or until the next structured recruitment begins, whatever is soonest. If a potential new member does not receive a bid under the preference system, she is eligible for COB.

12.There will be no contact with PNMs by any chapter starting one week before the first Summer Orientation, unless they have filed a form with CPC stating they will not be joining a Greek organization at CBU. Events hosted by Panhellenic are an exception and are allowed, but no chapter specific letters should be worn at any such event.

13.No chapter may have individual membership recruitment events or membership recruitment activities during the summer months.

14.Actives, new members, and alumnae shall carry out membership recruiting. During partially structured recruitment, alumnae shall be visible and clearly identified as such. Membership Recruitment Counselors (Gamma Chis) shall not attend membership recruitment events.

15.Before partially structured fall recruitment, members may not actively recruit for their individual organizations. All PNMs are to be encouraged to participate in Membership Recruitment. Positive comments about any organization are acceptable. Fraternity members are encouraged to refer PNMs to the other organization or Gamma Chis for detailed information regarding said organization. Negative comments about another chapter are considered a major membership recruitment violation.

16.POSITIVE PANHELLENIC CONTACT: To help increase the number of new members, it is necessary that fraternity women at CBU promote general fraternity membership. It is also important that the CBU Community understand the high scholastic attainment, dynamic leadership opportunities, philanthropic contributions and immediate campus-based circle of lifelong friendships that membership in women’s fraternities offers. Because of these factors, positive Panhellenic contact is the goal of the CBU College Panhellenic Association. Positive contact is intended to promote interest in the women’s fraternal community and bring more women to the recruitment process.

17.There will be no promising of bids or Preference Party invitations directly or indirectly by any member, new member, or alumna of a fraternity. This is a major membership recruitment violation.

18.No favors or gifts may be given to a PNM by the fraternity and/or individual members. Fraternity members may not buy anything for a PNM (e.g. a meal, soft drink, etc.).

a.Exceptions to this rule may be made. An Exception Form will be located in the Student life office. The active member may fill this out and await approval from the Recruitment Chair.

b.However, Peer Counselors and CARLs are only allowed to distribute items/gifts to the entire class/group. No exceptions to this.

c.Chapter members are allowed to hand out Panhellenic provided paraphernalia, only at Panhellenic sponsored recruitment events

19.Chapter membersand alumnae are not allowed to wear letters, colors, or any obvious symbols pertaining to their chapter duringColor Me Greek, and all sessions of CARLs. However, chapter members are allowed and encouraged to wear Panhellenic shirts from past years. Each chapter will be permitted ONE residence hall (not Student Life or Maurelian) that may show fraternity paraphernalia during Move-in Weekend.This includes one set of window/wooden letters and one banner. NO PNMs will be allowed in this apartment until the first day of classes. Only general Panhellenic paraphernalia (e.g., Materials not pertaining to an individual chapter) should be displayed on non-student housing buildings during Welcome Weekend.

20.All parties will be CLOSED with a required guest list, which will follow the NPC chapter national guidelines. If a chapter’s national organization allows two guests per member, then that is all the chapter is allowed to invite. PNMs are NOT to be invited to any of these functions.

21.No collegian will be able to take a PNM to a function where alcohol is present. ‘Take’ is defined as inviting them, leading them in the room, driving them or riding in the same vehicle. “Present” is defined as freely accessible to either the active member or the PNM. This includes IFC chapter parties and other social activities (bars, clubs, etc.). This does not include dining establishments that may sell alcohol, provided that neither the active member nor the PNM are ordering and/or consuming the alcohol.

22.Fraternity member interaction with PNMs during Membership Recruitment week shall be limited to recruitment events and public places on campus. During structured recruitment, chapter members living with PNMs should not talk about any matters concerning recruitment.

23.No chapter member is allowed to release information about quota or available spaces (total) in chapter. This information is confidential.NPC Fraternity members shall not suggest to any potential member that she refuse a bid from one group in order to wait for a bid from another group or suggest that a potential member list only one choice on her membership recruitment acceptance. These actions constitute a serious violation.

24.Strict silence is the period of time from the end of the PNM’s last event until the issuance of bids. Strict silence is defined as a lack of verbal, written, printed, or social media and text message communication between the PNMs and fraternity members, new members or alumnae.

25.Alumnae, actives, and new members are responsible for understanding and observing NPC and CPC Membership Recruitment Guidelines. No chapter member shall reveal to a PNM the affiliation of the Panhellenic Executive Council and Recruitment Counselors (Gamma Chis). Disaffiliated members must take every precaution to safeguard their disaffiliated status including residence, cars, social media accounts, and personal belongings.

26.Panhellenic Disaffiliation will be instituted as follows:

a.Disaffiliation will begin thirty days before recruitment. At this time, the four Panhellenic Executive Council members and the Gamma Chis will begin the disaffiliation period. At this time, each member will be completely disaffiliated from her respective chapter.

i.No disaffiliated member is allowed to have contact with her respective chapter during the disaffiliation period.

1.Contact is defined as participation in a chapter function. A chapter function is defined as 3 or more active members of a chapter being together at one time (parties, etc).

2.Therefore, each disaffiliated member will only be allowed to interact with no more than 2 other sisters at one time.

3.Disaffiliated members will not be allowed to attend any meetings connected to her respective chapter, because this is considered a form of contact, and therefore affiliation.

4.From the first day of disaffiliation until all bid cards are revealed, no disaffiliated member will be allowed to wear her respective chapter’s letters in public.

5.“To support the welfare and best interest of the Panhellenic community,” all active collegiate members should not reveal the affiliation of a disaffiliated member during the disaffiliation period.

6.All disaffiliated members will be asked to sign a contract stating they understand and will abide by the disaffiliation guidelines.

7.Disaffiliated members must make private their social media accounts that imply membership in a particular Panhellenic organization.

8.Chapters must make and be able to show a good-faith effort to remove materials up to one year in age on their social media presences that imply the membership of a disaffiliated member.

Panhellenic Events:

27.The CPC shall arrange the Membership Recruitment Schedule by April 31st each year for the following fall. One night of the week prior to Membership Recruitment week is a Question and Answer Night for PNMs, Gamma Chis and CPC. Formal Membership Recruitment shall begin on midnight of that Sunday. Tuesday is an Orientation for the PNMs, which will be led by the CPC and Gamma Chis. Membership Recruitment events will be held Wednesday (Open House) and Thursday (Philanthropy) nights. No skits are to be performed on any night of recruitment. Preference will be held on Friday night and Bid Day will be held on Saturday.

a.Quota will be divided in accord with the National Panhellenic Guidelines. A list of all active members that will be participating in Recruitment is required by the first day of recruitment. This list will be used in determining quota additions.

28.Panhellenic will provide all the nametags for PNMs.

29.Favors/individual sorority information may not be distributed at membership recruitment events including club fairs, Color Me Greek, sorority interest night, etc. This includes cups, candy, etc. No PNM may leave an event with any such party favors. This does not include Bid Day.

a.This does not include the informational handouts that the PNMs will receive on Thursday night. All PNMs will be allowed to take these packets home with them.

30.NPC has called for a cut down on “frills” at Recruitment Parties. The chapter with the highest GPA will have first choice from the available rooms for Preference and Open House Night. The chapter with the second highest GPA has first choice for Philanthropy Night.

31.Specifics for each night of Recruitment:

a.Tuesday- Potential New Member Orientation

i.There will be an informational meeting with all PNMs and the Gamma Chis

ii.There will be an informal eat/hangout time following the orientation. There will be an equal number of representatives from each fraternity. The Panhellenic Executive Council and Gamma Chis will also be present. Chapters are allowed to switch members once during the event.

b.Wednesday- Open House

i.Open House will be 30 minutes long

ii.Drinks may be served, but food will not be provided

iii.You may have a speaker, but not one that must be paid

iv.This night is designed to let you be creative as long as the guidelines are followed.

v.Decorations allowed:

1.One banner hanging from one wall is allowed. You can utilize any props, but only if they are written in full description in your detailed recruitment plans. The banner dimensions must also be included in the recruitment plans.

2.Again, you can decorate the table the PNMs will sit at with a tablecloth, centerpiece, and chair covers.

c.Thursday- Philanthropy Night

i.Each party will be 45 minutes long

ii.Chapters will be allowed to pass out an information packet. This packet must be approved by the Panhellenic Council two weeks prior to Recruitment Week.

1.The handout MUST include the new member fee along with the active member fees. (If a badge is included in the new member fee, the sorority can asterisk that it is included at the bottom.)

2.The handout may include all of the other organizations on campus the chapter members are involved in. Organizations in which the only chapter member is a Panhellenic Officer cannot be included.

iii.There will be no food involved, and will consist of conversation only. Drinks are allowed to be served on Philanthropy night.

iv.Decorations allowed will include:

1.A banner on one wall

2.The information pamphlet given to each PNM

3.The tables where the PNMs sit can be decorated with a tablecloth, a centerpiece, and chair covers.

v.Total focus should be your philanthropy.

vi.A video/power point can be shown if it directly supports and raises awareness for your chapter’s national philanthropy. All videos must be approved by the Panhellenic Advisor two weeks prior to Formal Recruitment Week.

d.Friday- Preference Night

i.Each Preference Night party will last 60 minutes