Expectations
The health, wellness and safety of potential new members are our top priorities when planning recruitment each year. There are several key pieces of information meant to ensure that all potential new members have a positive recruitment experience.
Potential new member bill of rights
- The right to be treated as an individual.
- The right to be fully informed about the recruitment process.
- The right to ask questions and 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 to 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 the NPC unanimous agreements implicit in the membership recruitment acceptance binding agreement (MRABA) signing process.
- The right to make one’s own choices and decisions and to accept full responsibility for the results of that decision.
- The right to have a positive, safe and enriching recruitment and new member experience.
Rho Gammas and peer accountability board members will make sure that these rules are upheld during recruitment.
Individuals who have concerns about the recruitment process are encouraged to contact panhellenic@colorado.edu.
Potential new member expectations
The Panhellenic Council has a mandatory attendance policy. This means that a potential new member is required to attend all chapter events on their schedule. PNMs may NOT pick and choose the chapters they wish to attend on their schedule. If a PNM chooses not to attend a scheduled event and does not have an excused absence, she will be immediately removed from the recruitment process. Excused absences are limited to academic conflicts, athletic conflicts, illness or a family emergency. Conflicts beyond the three mentioned will not be accepted. To submit your absences, fill out the 2024 Primary Recruitment Excuse form. Visit the Recruitment Attendance page for more information on submitting an absence.
Panhellenic recruitment is an alcohol- and substance-free process. Potential new members found under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances during recruitment will be dismissed from the process.
All potential new members will understand and abide by the potential new member code of ethics.
We strive to foster a safe and healthy environment for both active and potential new members. Engaging in disrespectful behavior can result in dismissal from the process.
Recruitment rules potential new members should know
- Sorority members are not allowed to take potential new members to any events prior to Bid Day (e.g. fraternity parties, church events, private parties).
- Once recruitment has started, members should not be contacting you via social media, text messaging or face-to-face visits.
- Gifts of any type are not to be exchanged.
- Active members are not allowed to say “I can’t wait to see you back tomorrow,” “I’ll see you tomorrow,” “I want you as my little” or any other comments that promise a bid.
If this happens, notify your Rho Gamma. You will not get in trouble, but we want to hold our chapters accountable for providing you with a positive experience.
Potential new member code of ethics
“We, as undergraduate members of women’s fraternities, stand … for maintenance of fine standards ... for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life. The opportunity for wide and wise human service, through mutual respect and helpfulness, is the tenet by which we strive to live.”
This is accomplished by abiding by the following agreements:
- A potential new member (PNM) shall attend recruitment orientation and all primary recruitment events for which she receives invitations.
- Respect for the primary recruitment process is expected at all times. This includes respect toward chapter members, recruitment counselors, Panhellenic officers, faculty, staff and other potential new members. PNMs should refrain from sexist, homophobic, racist or otherwise abhorrent conversations. This includes discussion about anything related to recruitment between chapter members and potential new members at all times until bid distribution on Bid Day, September 3, 2024.
- I understand my rights under the PNM Bill of Rights and if I experience discrimination I know how to report it to the College Panhellenic Council.
- Potential new members as well as sorority members must do their best to not touch or shake hands in any way. This helps prevent the spread of illness.
- Primary recruitment is a substance-free process. Women may not use or be in the presence of drugs and alcohol during the primary recruitment period. Violation of this rule will result in immediate removal from the recruitment process.
- Potential new members should be fully aware of the financial obligations of membership before accepting a bid. It is to the PNM’s advantage to ask questions during recruitment events if there are questions about finances.
- Potential new members agree to treat the chapter videos and virtual recruitment parties as confidential. Potential new members will not share any video or virtual recruitment event, including a video in its entirety, or recordings, clips, screenshots and/or quotes from video or virtual recruitment events. Potential new members understand that any breach of this agreement could result in disciplinary action.
- Potential new members understand that if they sign a membership recruitment acceptance binding agreement (MRABA) after preference round, they are bound to that document and the chapter that extends them a bid. This means that the PNM is ineligible for an invitation to membership from another NPC organization until the next primary recruitment on that campus.
- If a potential new member tests positive for COVID-19 or is symptomatic, they are expected to opt-in to virtual datebooks.
Failure to abide by the expectations stated above will result in the review of your status as a potential new member. The first offense will result in a warning from Panhellenic recruitment staff. The second offense will result in being released from the 2024 Panhellenic recruitment process. If the first offense is determined to be severe enough by the Panhellenic recruitment staff, a potential new member could be subject to an immediate release from the Panhellenic recruitment process.