The University of Alabama Recruitment 101
Why should you join a sorority or more importantly why should she even choose to attend The University of Alabama?
Why Alabama? •Small College Atmosphere/Large University •Supportive Administration - New Greek Housing -Growth of the Greek Community •Athletics -Football, Basketball, Softball, Gymnastics •Location - Far enough yet still close enough •Increased Diversity - Over 50% Out-of-State Students
Greek Points of Pride •
Social fraternities and sororities have been a valued part of student life at the The University of Alabama since 1847
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The Greek population at UA has almost tripled in size since 2002 and UA now has the the largest Greek community in the nation with 7,221 students in 56 organizations.
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Approximately 32% (4,416) of undergraduate women at UA are Greek
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Fall 2011 statistics indicate that 28% of the student body is Greek-affiliated (7,283 members)
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In 2011, over 50% of fraternity and sorority new members were from out-of-state
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Sorority women can be found in leadership roles in almost every student organization – Student Government, XXXI, Capstone Women, Avanti, UA Athletics, Honor Societies, etc.
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UA Greek Relief raised over $180,000 for tornado relief efforts.
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Supportive Pro-Greek Administration – Assisted with new construction/renovations of Greek housing facilities – Chancellor Witt is an honorary member of Phi Delta Theta at the University of Alabama and Interim President Judy Bonner is a member of Delta Gamma.
Benefits of Greek Life • Philanthropy & Community Service • Scholarship & Academics • Leadership • Social Engagement • Networking
Family Discussion We encourage you to have a meaningful discussion with your student prior to registering to participate or beginning a membership intake process for a Greek organization at UA. Having a family discussion will help your student understand the type of commitment he or she is about to make. Here are some helpful questions to get you started:
Why do I want to join a Greek Organization? Are we financially prepared and invested in the monetary commitment involved in sustaining membership in a Greek organization? Am I prepared to manage my academic course work and Greek membership?
Scholarship/Academics •
While there is no minimum grade point average to participate in sorority recruitment, it is HIGHLY recommended that you have at or above a 3.0 cumulative high school or college grade point average.
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Academics are a top priority for every sorority and as such, in order to remain an active member you will be required to must maintain your grades during your four years of membership.
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Each sorority implements programs to assist their members in their academic pursuits - Many sororities offer in-house tutoring, study hall, incentives and scholarships
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Since 1927, the All-Sorority GPA has been above the All- Women’s (Fall 2011) – All Sorority (4,493) 3.25 GPA – All-Panhellenic (4, 355) 3.26 GPA – All-Women’s (13,959)3.14 GPA – All-Independent (9,466) 3.09 GPA – All-Greek (7,221) 3.09 GPA – All- University (26,234) 3.01 GPA
How Much Does It Cost? Living In-House Fees per semester:
High: $4754.00 Low: $3470.00 Average: $4105.00
Living Out-of-House Fees per semester:
High: $2859.00 Low: $1935.00 Average: $2300.00
New Member Fees (Fall semester):
High: $913.50 Low: $165.00 Average: $472.00
*Includes, room, meals & chapter fees
*Includes meals & chapter fees
*Includes onetime fees (i.e. Initiation)
Greek Meal Plan: - Panhellenic Sororities Only - New Members who join any of the Panhellenic sororities with a full-service kitchen will automatically get their meal plans reduced to 50 meals per semester at $450. This plan is in addition to your sorority meal plan which provided 3 meals a day Monday – Thursday and breakfast and lunch on Friday.
What is Panhellenic? • The Collegiate Panhellenic Association at UA is the local governing body of the National Panhellenic Conference sororities recognized on UA’s campus • The council plans and coordinates Recruitment, Preview Weekend, philanthropy and community service events, Junior Panhellenic and the GAMMA Peer Educator program • Each sorority sends a Panhellenic delegate and junior delegate to bimonthly council meetings. • The council consists of these delegates, the ten executive officers, and the council advisors • Seventeen NPC sororities and one national Christian sorority comprise the Panhellenic Council at the CAPSTONE.
AXΩ • Α∆Χ • A∆Π • AΓ∆ • AOΠ • AΦ • XΩ • ∆Γ • ∆Z • ΓΦB • KAΘ • K∆ •∆∆∆ KKΓ • ΦΜ • ΠΒΦ • Σ∆Τ • ZTA
What Is Recruitment? •
For the third year in a row, UA is expecting record-breaking numbers in terms of participation in sorority recruitment. In order to accommodate the increase in registration, we have added an additional day to the formal recruitment schedule.
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*Recruitment will now take place Friday, August 10, 2012 through Saturday, August 18, 2012. Recruitment events begin on Friday, August 10, 2012 with Convocation, which will be held at 7:00 pm at Foster Auditorium.
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Recruitment will give you a chance to meet as many Greek women as possible and investigate each sorority as well as Greek life as a whole.
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It is important to know that participation in Formal Recruitment does not guarantee you an invitation to membership in a sorority, nor does it obligate a woman to join.
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Recruitment is a process of mutual selection • Just as you will narrow down your choices of which houses you would like to return to, the sororities will also be required to narrow down the number of Potential New Members they can invite back.
Freshmen Quota & Upperclassman Quota •
UA utilizes a separate quota for freshman and upper-classman, and a PNM’s classification is by their year of high school graduation.
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To be considered a freshman, you must have graduated in spring 2012 or December 2011. Any PNM graduating prior to this date, will be classified as an upperclassman.
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An Upperclassmen Quota is a separate Quota that is used to specifically to place Upperclassmen Potential New Members. Its purpose is to give upperclassmen and transfer students a greater opportunity to pledge during Formal Recruitment.
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An Upperclassmen will be identified by the letter “U” after her last name on her nametag. - Example: Jane Doe (U)
How Do You Register for Recruitment? •
Even though you attended Preview Day, you still need to register for recruitment, as this is a different application than that which you filled out for Preview Day as well as the Recruitment Interest Database.
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Registration is online through ICS online at www.uapanhellenic.com or www.greekaffairs.ua.edu.
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Online registration opened on March 25th, 2012 • Early Registration: $100.00 (March 25th - May 31st) • Regular Registration: $150.00 (June 1st - July 31 st) • Late Registration: $200.00 (August 1st – August 9 th) • Onsite Registration: $250 (August 10th) *Please note that all registration fees are non-refundable, no exceptions.
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Once registration is complete, payment needs to be made with a credit card through Greek Resource Service (GRS).
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The registration fee covers the cost of Preview Weekend, Recruitment Publications, use of facilities and computer labs, transportation during recruitment and two t-shirts
Sigma Rho Chis •
Recruitment counselors, referred to as Sigma Rho Chis, are undergraduate women at UA who have disaffiliated from their chapters—you will be assigned to a Sigma Rho Chi group and will have meetings with her throughout the process
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Sigma Rho Chis have been through extensive semester long training program to help potential members have a successful recruitment process
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You will meet your Sigma Rho Chi at Convocation on Friday, August 10, 2012.
Guide Aide Counselor Friend Helper Mentor
Helper Friend Mentor Aide Guide Counselor
Convocation •On August 10, Potential New Members, who will be participating in Fall Formal Recruitment, will attend convocation at 7:00 pm in Foster Auditorium. *Please note that the date of Convocation has changed from Saturday, August 11 to Friday, August 10. •Members of the Alabama Panhellenic Executive council will give a brief description of the day-by-day schedule and assign each Potential New Member to a Sigma Rho Chi group. •At Convocation, you will join your assigned Sigma Rho Chi group and meet your leaders for the week. Each PNM will receive both Philanthropy Day t-shirts at convocation.
I SSU E 2 F AL L 2011
What Not to Wear:
•Please note that this is the last day to register for Fall Formal Recruitment, and that on-site registration is $250.
Get the in scoop side Recru on itm 2011 ent
Experts share fashion advice to ensure you look your BEST
It’s Finally Here! Week at a Glance
SORORIT Y SPOT LIGHT
An Inside Look:
•What to wear: Dress is casual. We understand that many of you will be moving in on this day, so please come as you are.
Letters of Recommendation, Financial Obligations and What to Expect from Sorority Life Sororit y Recr uit ment
at t he
10 TI PS
(what we wish
we’ d known)
Universit y of Alabama... A Sout her n Tr adit ion
Open House/Ice Water Teas •You will visit all 16 chapters that participate in formal recruitment during first the two days of Round One and each of the parties are 20 minutes long •Sigma Delta Tau and Alpha Delta Chi (Christian Sorority) do not participate in formal recruitment, but they will hold open recruitment events immediate following. •Open House is meant to introduce you to every chapter before she begin to make decisions •After this round is over, Potential New Members will meet to select the 12 sororities they would like to return to during Philanthropy Day. •What to wear: Sundress and flats or flip flops
Saturday, August 11 & Sunday, August 12
Philanthropy Day •Philanthropy is the first invitational only round. •Events are 25 minutes long and you may visit up to 12 sororities. •During Philanthropy, the sorority members will give you a glimpse of the importance of community service. •After this round is over, Potential New Members will meet to select up to 8 sororities they would like to return to during Skit Day. •What to wear: Recruitment t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes or sandals. Skirts and short shorts are not recommended!
Monday, August 13 & Tuesday, August 14
Skit Day •
Skit Day is the second invitational round of recruitment. *Please note that Skit Day will now be held over two days.
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You may visit up to 8 sororities during the Skit Round and each of the parties are 40 minutes long.
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On Skit day, you will get to see the true personality of each sorority through their skit and conversations.
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After this round is over, Potential New Members meet to select the chapters they would like to return to for Preference. Please note, that she can only select up up to 3 sororities.
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What to wear: Dress or skirt set and comfortable heels. Bring flip flops for use in between parties.
Wednesday, August 15 & Thursday, August 16
Preference Day •You may visit up to 3 sororities on Preference Day and parties are 50 minutes long. •Pref is the most serious round, sorority members will present a ceremony explaining what it means to be a sister and what their organization has to offer. •You will make your final decision about which sorority you most prefer during this round. •After Preference events, Potential New Members will meet to rank their choices of which sororities they would be willing to accept a bid for membership. •What to wear: Nice dress and comfortable heels. Bring flip flops for use in between parties.
Friday, August 17
Bid Day •
Bids will be distributed on Saturday, August 18th at 10:00 am in BryantDenny Stadium. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend.
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Bid distribution is followed by a lunch at the sorority houses for new members and their parents.
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Each new member will receive a bag with goodies.
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New Member retreats will be held on Sunday or Monday night following Bid Day.
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What to wear: shorts and tank top with tennis shoes or flip flops
Saturday, August 18th
What To Expect
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Your first semester as a new member will be the busiest due to new member meetings, chapter meetings, study hours, socials, etc. - this can provide structure and help with time management skills to help you adjust to college
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New members are given a Big Sister to serve as a mentor and offer guidance and help them acclimate to their first semester of college life
Frequently Asked Questions
Greek Chic Recruitment Guide • The Greek Chic Recruitment Guide is in the final stages of editing and will be available online shortly. Due to changes in the recruitment schedule, printing has been delayed. • We anticipate that an PDF copy of the Greek Chic recruitment guide will be available online at www.uapanhellenic.com by Monday, July 16. • Hard copies of the Greek Chic recruitment guide will be mailed to all registered participants starting on Friday, July 20. • Women who register after July 15, will receive a hard copy of the Greek Chic at Convocation. • Please do not forget to bring your copy of the Greek Chic to Recruitment, as you will want to make notes on the chapters you visit during each of the rounds.
Early Move-In • The online “Early Move-In” process began on June 15, 2012. • All women living on campus in the fall semester participating in fall formal recruitment are eligible for “Early Move-In” on Thursday, August 9 or Friday, August 10. • If you previously received a move-in time for Saturday, August 11, then Housing and Residential Communities will reassign you to an earlier move-in date and you will be notified of the new move-in date and time via email. • Students participating in sorority recruitment should have no concern about moving in on Friday, August 10, which is the date of Convocation. • For more information about “Early Move-in,” please visit the Housing and Residential Communities at http://movein.ua.edu/.
What Are Letters of Recommendation? •
A Recommendation/Reference (also called a RIF or REC) serves as your introduction to the sorority, so their members can get to know her in advance of formal recruitment in the fall.
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Please note that recommendations forms are unique to each individual sorority and that the UA Panhellenic does not have access to sorority Recommendation/Reference Forms.
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Please note that additional “Letters of Support” are not required or recognized at the University of Alabama.
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PNM’s are only encouraged to secure one to two recommendations per chapter, but remember that it is ultimately not the PNM’s obligation to secure recs - if you can’t find a letter for every sorority, don’t worry!
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Only an alumna of a sorority or a current collegian should make direct contact with a sorority regarding recs. - The alumna or collegian should utilize her sorority’s recommendation form, which can usually be found on the sorority’s website or in the national magazine. - It is also recommended that you provide the alumna with a professional headshot, high school or college transcript, and resume.
Letters of Recommendation Continued… •
A list of mailing addresses and email addresses to facilitate the recommendation process can be found on the UA Panhellenic website and in the Greek Chic Recruitment Handbook. All recs should be mailed to the sorority’s PO Box unless otherwise indicated on the form.
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If you are looking for an alumna to write you a recommendation, think about family members, teachers, friends, coworkers, members of your religious/spiritual affiliation, etc.
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You can also reach out to an Alumnae Panhellenic in your area. To search for an Alumnae Panhellenic, please visit: https://www.npcwomen.org/map/default.aspx
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If you are unable to locate a recommendation for a particular chapter, you can contact the chapter directly via the email address provided on the Chapter Profile page of the UA Panhellenic website. This will notify the chapter that you were unable to secure a recommendation and that you need their assistance in getting one. Please use only as a last resort!
Final Reminders About Letters of Recommendations • Remember that only an alumna or current sorority member can write a rec to her sorority. Sororities will not accept or recognize letters of rec from non-Greek family, friends, or school officials . • Letters of Rec are like extra credit…it’s great if you can get them and we suggest at least trying, but they are not required to participate in recruitment. • If a sorority really wants to pledge someone, they will find a recommendation for her. They will not let her get away just because she can’t find her own recommendation. • While there is not official deadline for letters of rec, we encourage you to mail all recs by July 15th to ensure they arrive before the start of recruitment.
What If I Am A Legacy? •
If your mother or sister was/is a member of a sorority, you are considered a legacy to that sorority - Some sororities also consider granddaughters
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Please note that Panhellenic does not have any policies regarding legacies.
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Every sorority has its own policy regarding legacies and it is up to the discretion of each individual chapter, as to whether they are interested in offering membership to a legacy.
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Sororities want to know who their legacies are, so there is a place on the online ICS recruitment registration form for you to indicate if you are a legacy to a sorority.
Legacy Information Continued… •
No Potential New Member has to choose the sorority to which she is a legacy.
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Likewise, no sorority is required to choose any legacy - each Potential New Member is considered on an individual basis. - Some sororities will have more than 200 legacies coming through Recruitment - that is twice the average pledge class size!
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You should consider your own compatibility with the sorority and not feel obligated to an organization because of family members - It is important to note that sororities often change over time and can vary greatly between campuses. - Please keep an open mind and consider all sororities, so as to not limit yourself!
In-State vs. Out-of-State Myth: It is tougher for women from out-of-state to pledge a sorority at Alabama than in-state. Fact:
3 of the 10 Panhellenic Executive Board members are from out of state (South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi).
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85% overall placement rate for Fall 2011 & 73% of out-of-state women were placed.
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62% of women who went through Panhellenic Recruitment in 2011 were from out-of-state.
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Women representing 40 states were placed in 2011.
Playing By The Rules •
Sororities cannot have any contact with potential new members after May 1st. This limit of contact excludes any normal contact that occurs on a daily basis between sorority members and potential new members who already have a previous relationship.
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Sororities cannot have gatherings which include potential new members after the May 1st cut-off.
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Potential new members cannot stay with sorority members or have any contact with sorority members during summer orientation.
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Sororities may not “promise a bid” to a potential new member before or during the recruitment process. If this happens to you, please report this to Panhellenic as this is a very serious recruitment violation.
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Potential new members or their family members may not send money or gifts to a sorority member/chapter or an alumna for the purpose of securing membership, preferential treatment or in payment for writing letters of recommendation.
University of Alabama Panhellenic Association 343 Ferguson Center Box 11055 Tuscaloosa, Al 35486 (205) 348-2693 www.uapanhellenic.com alabamapanhellenic@gmail.com