Fall 2009 Sorority Recruitment
Welcome to sorority formal recruitment! Participating in the formal recruitment process will provide you the opportunity to meet fellow students and learn about the four national sororities at Emporia State University.
Below you will find all the information you need to prepare for formal recruitment. If you have any questions, please contact Samm Lopez, Panhellenic Recruitment Chair, at slopez@emporia.edu or Jason Bosch, Assistant Director of Student Involvement for Greek Life, at jbosch1@emporia.edu or by phone at (620) 341-5481. We look forward to seeing you in the fall!
Fall 2009 Formal Recruitment Schedule
Potential New Member (PNM) Bill of Rights
How the Process Works
The formal recruitment process consists of six event rounds with each of the four national sororities: Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Sigma Tau, Chi Omega and Sigma Sigma Sigma. The first event is orientation. During orientation, you will get to meet the recruitment counselors (who will help guide you through the recruitment process), learn about how sorority recruitment works, and get a brief overview of sorority life at ESU.
Events two and three, which are outlined in the schedule below, are called "open events." During open events, you get to spend time with all four chapters. Events four and five are called "priority events." During the first priority event, Sisterhood Night, you will spend time with up to three chapters. During the second priority event, Preference Tea, you will spend time with up to two chapters. This helps you narrow down your interests/options as you progress through the formal recruitment process.
In addition to the five event rounds, you will attend a financial meeting to give you an overview of the costs of sorority membership. The sixth event is Bid Day, where participants will find out to which chapter they have received a bid.
In order to be eligible to advance to event four, Sisterhood Night, you must visit each chapter at least once. We strongly encourage you to attend all events your schedule will allow, because the more events you attend, the better the chance you will receive a bid to join a chapter. After the final event, Preference Tea, you will complete a Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement. On this form, you will list, in rank order, which chapter(s) from whom you would be willing to accept a bid. Chapters will also make a rank-order list of prospective members to whom they would like to offer bids. Then, through what is called a "mutual bid selection process," we distribute bids to best meet both parties' interests.
Fall 2009 Formal Recruitment Schedule
Monday, August 17
Event 1: Orientation Session 1 (open event)
3:10pm - 4:00pm
Memorial Union Greek Room
This orientation session will take place during the freshman orientation program (How2ESU: Hornet Orientation). During this session, you will have an opportunity to learn more about Greek Life at Emporia State, receive an overview of the formal recruitment process, and meet your recruitment counselors, who will help guide you through the recruitment process.
Tuesday, August 18
Event 1: Orientation Session (two additional offerings)
10:00am - 10:50am; 11:00am - 11:50am
Memorial Union Greek Room
Event 2: House Tours (open event)
1:30pm - 6:00pm
Chapter Houses
During the house tour event, you will spend 45 minutes with each chapter. For chapters that have houses, you will get a full tour of the house. This is also when you will first meet the majority of the chapter members.
Wednesday, August 19
Event 3: Philanthropy & Service (open event)
5:30pm - 9:10pm
Chapter houses
During the philanthropy and service event, you will spend 40 minutes with each chapter. You will learn about each chapter's guiding principles and values, as well as service and charity projects in which each chapter participates. During this event, you will also participate in a mini-service project at each chapter house or meeting location.
Thursday, August 20
Financial Meeting
Time TBA
Memorial Union Kanza Room
During the financial meeting, a representative from each chapter will go over all of the costs associated with membership, including new member fees, social dues, and costs of living in or living out of the house. After the financial meeting, you will priority rank the chapters based on your level of interest at this point in recruitment. Chapters will also prepare lists of which prospective members they would like to invite to Friday's event. We will use both of these lists to narrow you down to a maximum of three chapters to visit on Sisterhood Night.
Friday, August 21
Event 4: Sisterhood Night (priority event)
5:30pm - 9:30pm
Chapter Houses
Before this event begins, you will meet in the Memorial Union Kanza Room to get your schedule for the evening. For this event, you will visit a maximum of three chapters. You will spend one hour with each chapter on your schedule. After this event ends, you will priority rank the chapters you visited based on your level of interest. Chapters will prepare lists of prospective members they would like to invite to Saturday's event, and we will again use both list to prepare your schedule for Saturday.
Saturday, August 22
Event 5: Preference Tea (priority event)
3:30pm - 7:00pm
Chapter houses
Before this event begins, you will again meet in the Memorial Union Kanza Room to get your schedule for the day. For Preference Teas, you will visit a maximum of two chapters. You will spend one hour with each chapter on your schedule. After this event ends, you will complete your Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement.
Sunday, August 23
Bid Day
12:30pm
Albert Taylor Hall (in Plumb Hall)
At the bid day ceremony, you will find out to which chapter you have received a bid. If you accept the bid, you will then go over to the sorority house or meeting location to celebrate with your new sisters! If you happen to not receive a bid, you will be contacted prior to the beginning of bid day. Don't be too concerned, however; there are generally very few women, if any, who do not receive a bid.
How to Register
Formal Recruitment Registration Form (PDF)
To register for formal recruitment, download and complete the registration form above and mail it in with your $10 registration fee. Once you have registered, you will be ready to participate in formal recruitment! (Recommendation letters are not required)
What to Wear
We want you to feel relaxed and comfortable during the formal recruitment process, so the attire is casual. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, since you will be walking between the sorority houses or meeting locations during events two through five. Women tend to dress up a little more for the preference tea round, but do not feel like you have to buy a dress. It's up to you to decide how dressed up you want to be, but a pair of khakis and a nice shirt would be just fine.
Potential New Member (PNM) Bill of Rights
The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is the governing body for 26 national sororities, which includes the three national sororities at Emporia State. The NPC has developed a bill of rights that you, as a potential member, have when participating in the formal recruitment process. These rights include:
- The right to be treated as an individual.
- The right to be fully informed about the recruitment process.
- The right to ask questions and to receive true and objective answers from recruitment counselors and members.
- The right to be treated as a capable and mature person without being patronized.
- The right to ask how and why and receive straight answers.
- The right to have and express opinions to recruitment counselors.
- The right to have inviolable confidentiality when sharing information with recruitment counselors.
- The right to make informed choices without undue pressure from others.
- The right to be fully informed about binding agreements implicit in the Formal Recruitment Membership signing.
- The right to make one's own choice and decision and accept full responsibility for the results of that decision.
- The right to have a positive, safe, and enriching recruitment week.
Last Updated July 20, 2009