NATIONAL COUNCIL ANNOUNCES ELIMINATION OF LEGACY POLICY In early June, National Council announced that Zeta Tau Alpha collegiate chapters no longer give legacies preferential consideration during recruitment. In email messages to all alumnae and collegiate members, National President Alicia Patten Williams said, “We are committed to building a stronger, more inclusive sisterhood. Removing the Legacy Policy is an important step toward providing a more equitable recruitment experience for all potential new members.” The term “legacy” will continue to recognize the special relationship between Zetas and their sisters, daughters or grandmothers. While members will continue to cherish the connection a legacy may have to ZTA, it will not play a role in membership selection. “The change allows collegiate chapters and PNMs to focus on the mutual selection process,” Mrs. Williams said. “It gives chapters full
accountability for the members they select and will ensure that non-legacy PNMs have the same access and opportunity to join.” The decision to eliminate the Legacy Policy came after of years of study, conversation and data collection. In 2017, National Council formed a task force to review the policy. The task force’s first revision of the Legacy Policy, introduced in fall 2019, removed the term “indirect legacy.” With that change, a potential new member was considered a legacy only if she was a daughter, granddaughter or sister of a member in good standing. This change received overwhelming support from collegiate chapters and alumnae across the country. The exponential growth in the number and size of ZTA collegiate chapters has resulted in a corresponding rise in the number of ZTA legacies participating in Recruitment. In 2019, at 58 ZTA
Does this mean Zeta Tau Alpha no longer recognizes legacies? Removing the Legacy Policy does not change anyone’s identity as a legacy. Alumnae chapters may still host social events with legacies of all ages.
chapters, the number of potential new members who identified themselves as ZTA legacies was equal to one-third or more of the number of new members allowed by Quota. At 18 of those chapters, the number of legacy PNMs was greater than Quota. MIS REMINDER As they strive to provide equitable access and opportunity for all PNMs, chapters still welcome Membership Information Sheets submitted by alumnae in good standing. The purpose of the MIS is to enhance membership selection by providing relevant, useful information about PNMs with whom alumnae have long-standing relationships. ZTA does not require an MIS, a letter of recommendation, or a reference, and none of those give a PNM an advantage over others. Additional information and answers to frequently asked questions are available at zetataualpha.org/ legacypolicy.
What criteria do ZTA collegians use in choosing its new members? As outlined in ZTA’s Guide to Recruitment and Retention, the assessment criteria align with the Fraternity’s Key Values that most apply to recruitment:
How will elimination of the Legacy Policy affect my daughter’s recruitment experience?
• Being Rather than Seeming
By removing the Legacy Policy, ZTA is lessening the pressure for both the legacy and the chapter to choose each other based on the legacy connection alone.
• Loyalty & Commitment
• Leadership & Responsibility • Asset to Chapter
Fraternity News | Themis Summer 2021
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