Membership Recruitment Guidelines
The University of Colorado Boulder Panhellenic Association Membership Recruitment Guidelines are intended to help guide fraternity women and potential new members through the membership selection process and formal recruitment week. The guidelines incorporate many of the procedures recommended and/or required by the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC). The purpose of formal recruitment is to ensure that member organizations have equitable opportunities during recruitment and to provide potential new members every opportunity to become acquainted with as many fraternities as possible in order that they may make informed decisions concerning membership. These guidelines help to see that the recruitment purpose is fulfilled.
Formal Recruitment
A. Formal Recruitment Week Structure and Regulations
The purpose of recruitment week is for the potential new members and the chapters to have the opportunity to get to know one another well enough to make an informed decision. Recruitment week should portray the values and benefits of fraternity life.
- Formal Recruitment will consist of five stages:
Round 1: (Open House – all fraternities visited by the PNMs)
Round 2: (Philanthropy Round – maximum of seven parties attended by the PNMs)
Round 3: (Skit Round – maximum of five parties attended by the PNMs)
Round 4: (Preference Night – maximum of three parties attended by the PNMs)
Round 5: (Bid Day)
- General regulations for all rounds:
a. All recruitment activities must take place inside the chapter house with the exception of the opening activities, which are to be approved by the Panhellenic Membership Recruitment Coordinator.
b. Chapters may not allow potential new members to leave the house with any items received during the party. Example include: napkins, letters, cups, etc.
c. For safety reasons, chapters may not bang on chapter house windows before, during and after scheduled recruitment parties.
d. Outdoor decorations are limited to banners not to exceed 125 square feet. All banners must include the other chapter’s names and may not be three-dimensional.
e. If a chapter has a datebook off, no chapter member is permitted outside of the chapter during this time.
f. Pictures of recruitment guides (Rho Gammas) and Panhellenic Officers must be covered wherever they appear in the chapter houses. This includes slide shows and websites.
g. Commercial photography is not allowed during the first four rounds of recruitment.
h. Alcohol is prohibited during recruitment and new member activities.
- The first round of recruitment will be an open house intended to provide potential new members with an informative introduction to fraternity life and what it means to be Greek. The potential new members are required to visit all chapters during this open house at their assigned time. The chapters must abide by the following rules during this round:
a. The length of each party is 30 minutes.
b. Chapters may serve water based drinks at every party.
c. Decorations, costumes and skits are not permitted during this round.
d. Slideshows shown during this round must be no longer than 5 minutes and must strictly limit pictures with nonmembers.
e. All chapter members are required to wear the Panhellenic first datebook t-shirt and non-lettered, non-identical, non-costume bottoms of the chapter’s choice.
- The second round of recruitment is an invitational party dedicated to each chapter’s (inter)national philanthropy. The potential new members may receive a maximum of seven invitations and must attend all of their scheduled parties at their assigned time. The chapters must abide by the following rules during this round:
a. The length of each party is 40 minutes.
b. Chapters may serve water based drinks at every party.
c. Costumes and skits are not permitted during this round.
d. Slideshows shown during this round must be no longer than 5 minutes and must strictly limit pictures with nonmembers.
e. Each chapter is required to have an activity that highlights their philanthropy.
- The third round of recruitment is an invitational party and includes entertainment in the form of a skit provided by the chapter. The potential new members may receive a maximum of five invitations and must attend all of their scheduled parties at their assigned time. The chapters must abide by the following rules during this round:
a. The length of each party is 55 minutes.
b. Chapters may serve water based drinks at every party.
c. Decorations, costumes and skits are permitted during this round.
d. Skits must be no longer than 12 minutes and approved prior to recruitment by the Panhellenic Membership Recruitment Coordinator.
- The fourth round of recruitment is an invitational party and is referred to as preference night. The potential new members may receive a maximum of three invitations and must attend all of their scheduled parties at their assigned time. The chapters must abide by the following rules during this round:
a. The length of each party is 1 hour and 5 minutes.
b. Food and beverage may be served at every party during this round.
- The fifth and final round of recruitment is bid day.
a. Bids are due at recruitment headquarters no later than 12 o’clock noon on Bid Day.
b. Formal recruitment bids shall only be issued to potential new members by members of Panhellenic and/or recruitment guides (Rho Gammas).
c. If a chapter does not reach quota during formal recruitment, they may snap bid up to quota. Snap bids may be offered by the chapter after notification to the Panhellenic Membership Recruitment Coordinator.
d. Chapters are allowed a maximum of 3 2’X3’ banners and 25 balloons to greet their new members at the location of bid distribution.
e. Bid day shirts and gifts must be approved by the Panhellenic Director of Member Educator prior to formal recruitment.
B. Chapter Obligations
Chapters have a central obligation in the recruitment process because they benefit from informed and committed new members.
1. Chapters are responsible for informing their actives and alumnae of the recruitment guidelines, which are binding to all parties. Each chapter may be held responsible for the actions of its individual members and alumnae.
2. Individual chapter expenditures for formal recruitment shall be limited to $5,000. This limit includes all donations from outside sources.
3. Chapters must adhere to the deadlines and procedures as described in this document and by the Panhellenic Membership Recruitment Coordinator.
C. Individual Chapter Member and Alumnae Obligations
Individual recruitment personnel have an obligation during the recruitment process to abide by the NPC Unanimous Agreements and the campus guidelines.
1. Only women enrolled at the University of Colorado-Boulder active members/new members, transfers/affiliates, national fraternity representatives, alumnae advisors, alumnae and house directors may assist the chapter during formal recruitment events. Others may help behind the scenes at anytime. Alumnae may not communicate with potential new members during actual recruitment events or during the entire formal recruitment process. This does not include chapter advisors or national representatives who may talk with potential members during scheduled recruitment parties.
2. Actives and/or new members from other campuses may not participate in any recruitment activities without prior approval from the Panhellenic Membership Recruitment Coordinator and the Panhellenic Advisor.
3. All formal recruitment participants must wear a nametag during recruitment events. Potential new members will be issued official name tags by Panhellenic. Chapter nametags must designate the membership status of an individual if she is not an active member of the chapter at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Potential new members should not be misled as to whether an individual is an active member of a local chapter.
D. Prohibited Behavior
1. Hotboxing and/or any inappropriate conversation are strictly prohibited. Hotboxing is defined as any situation which the potential new member is intentionally separated from typical recruitment activities by conversation and/or physical location.
2. A chapter member, alumnae or anyone acting on the fraternity’s behalf shall not make derogatory remarks to a potential member about a fraternity or a fraternity member.
3. A chapter member, alumnae or anyone acting on the fraternity’s behalf shall not imply to a potential new member or anyone in relation to the potential new member that she has an invitation to a party or that she will receive a bid.
4. A chapter member, alumnae or anyone acting on the fraternity’s behalf shall not initiate contact in any manner with a potential new member before recruitment with the intent of promoting her own chapter. All conversations shall be limited to positive Panhellenic spirit. In addition, potential new members may not be sent flowers, gifts, mementos, etc. According to the NPC Manual of Information, “NPC believes that normal, social contacts should not be disrupted in the case of long standing friendships by prohibiting all contact between sorority women and potential new members. However, each sorority is charged with the responsibility of seeing that unfair advantage is not taken of such contacts.”
5. Parents, guardians or relatives of potential new members may not be in the house during any formal recruitment party unless the person is an official chapter advisor.
6. Males may not participate in any recruitment event. Male employees of the fraternity (hashers, cooks, etc.) may be in the chapter house during recruitment week but may not be seen or have verbal contact with the potential new members.
7. Chapters may not place or purchase advertisements in publications directed toward potential new members. The Panhellenic Association will be responsible for all formal recruitment advertising.
8. The residence halls are off limits during formal recruitment week for chapter members unless the Panhellenic Membership Recruitment Coordinator has granted prior approval.
9. During formal recruitment, any time outside of formal recruitment events is defined as strict silence. A chapter member, alumnae or anyone acting on the fraternity’s behalf is to have no contact with potential new members or recruitment guides (Rho Gammas).
10. Recruitment outfits are not to be worn outside of the chapter house before or after formal recruitment activities.
F. Potential New Members Guidelines and Regulations
1. Non- Formal Recruitment
a. No woman is eligible to join a sorority during a school break.2. Formal Recruitment
a. A woman must be enrolled as a full time undergraduate student at the University of Colorado - Boulder to be eligible to participate in recruitment activities.
b. Potential new members must register with the Panhellenic Association and pay the registration fee to participate in formal recruitment.
c. A potential new member shall not be nor ever have been an initiated member of an NPC organization.
d. A woman is ineligible for recruitment if she has been a new member of an NPC sorority at the University of Colorado within the same calendar year.
e. A woman must complete the “Membership Recruitment Acceptance” card immediately following the last preference she attends. Once a “Membership Recruitment Acceptance” card has been signed and submitted no changes can be made.
f. A woman signing a “Membership Recruitment Acceptance” card and receiving a bid at the end of formal recruitment is bound by the agreement for on calendar year at the University of Colorado at Boulder.3. Legacies
a. A legacy is defined as a daughter or sister of an initiated sorority member unless an (inter)national organization recognizes additional relations.
b. A legacy may not be given any gifts by the sorority.
G. Recruitment Guides (Rho Gammas) Regulations
1. Recruitment guides are selected by the Panhellenic recruitment team. A chapter is responsible for the actions of its recruitment guides and may be held responsible for any recruitment infractions.
2. A recruitment guide may not reveal her affiliation to any potential new member and/or anyone with a relation to a potential new member until the designated time on bid day.
3. A recruitment guide should not have any contact with her chapter during formal recruitment.
II. Code of Ethics
1. Each member will emphasize her own individual chapter in conversations and not comment on other chapters.
2. Each chapter will not mention other chapters in conversation, skits and songs.
3. Each member will refrain from making negative remarks or implications about other chapters.
4. Each chapter member will not misuse religion and/or spirituality in conversation to recruit potential new members.
