CWRU Panhellenic Recruitment Rules

Transcription

1 Section One: General Rules CWRU Panhellenic Recruitment Rules 1. The Panhellenic Council wishes to stress the importance of honorable recruiting. All sorority members and new members are expected to abide by the spirit as well as the specifications of the recruitment regulations. 2. Chapter members are reminded that they must abide by the Code of Ethics at all times. The Code of Ethics reads as follows: We, the women of the Panhellenic Council at Case Western Reserve University, in order to promote harmony and goodwill between member sororities and to maintain friendly relations between fraternity women and non-fraternity women, adopt this Code of Ethics to be respected, observed, and adhered to by each member of the Panhellenic Council at all times and in all situations. No gifts are to be given to any woman prior to or during Formal Recruitment. Panhellenic Council members will not speak or act in any way that influences or biases a woman, positively or negatively, toward any particular sorority. Council members are fully expected to encourage women to participate in the recruitment process, but only in a manner that benefits the entire sorority community. Panhellenic Council members will not promise membership, nor make statements that may be perceived as a promise of membership, to any woman. Panhellenic Council members will behave responsibly with regard to alcohol consumption. Council members will not encourage or participate in the consumption of alcohol with freshmen and/or potential members, and will abide by state and federal laws with regard to alcohol consumption. This code is the foundation for a successful and positive Panhellenic community, and only through respect for it will each sorority benefit. Please exercise good judgment in every representation of sorority life. The Panhellenic Judicial Board reserves the right to review and interpret any violations of these ethics, and choose a suitable reprimand for the violating individual, group, or organization. 3. All members, alumnae and new members are responsible for knowing the recruitment rules. 4. All National Panhellenic Council (NPC) Unanimous Agreements shall be upheld. 5. Any violation of the Recruitment Rules is considered a recruitment infraction. All recruitment infractions shall be handled according to the Case Panhellenic bylaws. 6. The Recruitment Council will be responsible for assisting with formal recruitment activities, as stated in the Panhellenic Bylaws. The Recruitment Council is composed of the recruitment chairs of each chapter and is led by the Panhellenic VP: Recruitment. Each chapter receives one vote when applicable. 7. Questions relating to clarifications of Recruitment Rules must be submitted in writing to the Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment. Within twenty-four hours, the VP of Recruitment must notify in writing all chapters of her decision. In the event of a subjective question, the Vice President of Recruitment will consult the Recruitment Council for its input. 8. Total will be set each semester as the average chapter size. Chapters are required to submit rosters (including members co-oping or studying abroad) no later than the last day of Spring classes. Chapters will be required to update rosters by the last day of Fall classes. For the Fall, total will be set prior to the first week of classes. In the Spring, total will be adjusted to campus average 72 hours after the close of formal recruitment. 9. All women joining a chapter must sign a Panhellenic Preference Card within five days of accepting a bid and will be bound to the terms of this card. 10. Sorority members must respect the rules and rights of the Potential members and abide by those rules and rights as Recruitment Rules. The Potential New Member Bill of Rights is as follows: Each Potential has: The right to be treated as an individual.

2 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 with respect 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 the 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 binding agreements implicit in the preference card 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 and new member period. The right to not be persuaded by a sorority member to resign her bid to any sorority during her new member period. 11. All chapters will abide by the schedule developed by the Panhellenic Council, including set-up times, party times, check-in times, clean-up times, list deadlines, and meeting times. 12. Following the close of Formal recruitment, the Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment will distribute Formal Recruitment Evaluations for the individual chapters as well as to the newly inducted members. The Recruitment Chairs of each individual chapter are responsible for ensuring the completion and submission of their chapter s Formal Recruitment Evaluations. The chapter Formal Recruitment Evaluations must be returned to the Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment in order for the Panhellenic recruitment evaluation to be completed in a timely manner. Section Two: Pre-Recruitment Pre-recruiting is defined as influencing a freshman woman in her attitude toward any sorority. The prerecruitment season is the entirety of the fall semester. Specifically, the pre-recruitment season begins August 1 st and ends December 31 st. 1. The Case Panhellenic Council believes that every woman should enter recruitment with an open mind. In order to ensure an unbiased attitude on the part of potential new members, all sorority women are required to follow the Panhellenic Code of Ethics. Any discrepancies regarding the behavior of a chapter or a chapter member in regards to pre-recruitment as described in the Code of Ethics should be brought to the Vice President of Recruitment 2. Sororities may not engage in active recruitment activities during the summer months. This does not include recruitment preparation efforts. 3. Sororities may chalk as long as it is Panhellenic in nature. 4. Freshman women may be invited, by any means, to a pre-approved planned sorority event as long as it is open to the entire campus. A planned sorority event is defined as a programmed function attended by more than five members from a single sorority. a. Events must be approved two weeks prior to the event via ed request to the Vice President of Recruitment. 5. Sorority women may interact with freshman women via online social networks (i.e. Facebook, Twitter etc.) if they have met them previously in person. However, no freshmen woman may be invited to join a chapter specific group.

3 6. No sorority woman may provide, offer, or encourage any PNM or underage woman to drink. PNMs should not be in the immediate party of a sorority women in any situation in which alcohol is present. 7. Personal and informative Panhellenic-spirited contact with potential new members is encouraged at all times, year round with the exception of those periods designated for Strict Silence. Section Three: Formal Recruitment The Formal Recruitment season begins January 1 st and ends on Bid Day at 4pm. 1. The recruitment registration fee will be $10.00, due before attending the first round of parties. 2. There will be no informal recruiting of any freshman woman before or during the formal recruitment period. 3. Case Panhellenic will follow the Fully Structured Recruitment style per NPC specifications. (Events are to be value-based and include time to converse with the PNMs as well as discussion of the following: Scholarship, Leadership, Service/Philanthropy, Friendship, Citizenship/Member standards, and Alumnae life/lifetime membership.) 4. NPC believes that normal social contact should not be disrupted in the case of long standing friendships between sorority members and prospective recruits during formal recruitment. Normal social contact implies everyday activities and contact between friends, relatives, coworkers, etc. However, Greek Life, sororities, and recruitment may not be discussed except in a Panhellenic manner. No inquiries to or discussion of PNM preferences is allowed. Each sorority is charged with responsibility of seeing that unfair advantage is not taken of such contacts. Any discrepancies involving this policy should be directed to the Vice President of Recruitment. 5. Formal Recruitment will take place on Saturday (1/17), Sunday (1/18), Saturday (1/24), and Sunday (1/25) of the spring semester. This spring recruitment shall begin on January 17, 2015 and will end on January 25, Bids will be extended on Monday, January 26, Lists of sorority members are due to the Greek Life office by Tuesday, January 6, 2015 at 5:00 pm. 7. Sororities may not engage in open recruitment activities during formal recruitment. NO open bids may be extended from January 1 st until the end of formal recruitment. 8. There will be no promising of bids directly or indirectly to any student by any member, new member, or alumna of a sorority during the formal recruitment period. 9. NO sorority may co-sponsor any event from the first day of classes of the Spring semester through the end of formal recruitment. Events and activities include mixers, open parties, and philanthropy events. In the event of a dispute, the Vice President of Recruitment, in conjunction with the Director of Greek Life and the Panhellenic advisor, will have the discretion to determine if an event violates this rule. (Note: this includes mixers or open/closed parties with any fraternity). 10. From the open of formal recruitment (Day 1 at 8am) to Bid Day at 4pm, sorority women may not attend open fraternity events including recruitment events. This excludes invitation only events, such as invitation only recruitment events. 11. From the open of formal recruitment (Day 1 at 8am) until Bid Day, no sorority woman should engage in activities in which alcohol is present. However, at public carding institutions, on and off campus, it is acceptable for sorority women of age, 21, to consume alcohol during this time period. 12. Recruitment Counselors shall distribute to recruits a financial listing of the costs for all chapters. This list shall be compiled by the Panhellenic Council. 13. Sororities may distribute a factual brochure to recruits during the second round of parties. Chapters may include a list of all fees incurred by sorority members during collegiate membership and must be approved by the Vice President of Recruitment.

4 14. All parties will be held in rooms specified by Panhellenic and times for parties shall be determined by lottery or other suitable system. All recruitment entertainment and activities are to be confined to the designated recruitment area(s). 15. From January 1 st through Bid Day at 4pm, no recruit shall visit the chapter area (floor/suite, chapter house, chapter room, etc.). There shall be no house tours or formal recruitment parties held in a chapter area. 16. No sorority member, including new members and alumnae, may visit a potential recruit in her residence hall, apartment, or place of residence from January 1 st through Bid Day at 4pm. This excludes any sorority member who lives with PNMs, such as Resident Assistants. 17. During parties, the only chapter allowed in the room is the chapter hosting the party. The only times multiple chapters may be in a room is during set up, the transition times between parties, and clean up. Article One: Disaffiliation 1. Recruitment Counselors shall be disaffiliated from their chapters during formal recruitment. Recruitment Counselors, the outgoing VP Recruitment, the outgoing President, the outgoing assistant VPR, the Rho Chi Coordinator, and the Panhellenic Executive Board-elect: President, VP Administration, VP Recruitment, VP Social Responsibility, VP Membership Programming, VP Communications, VP Service, Member At Large, GCEC shall be disaffiliated from their chapters during formal recruitment. 2. Disaffiliation begins at the start of the fall semester and ends after formal recruitment. For the Panhellenic Executive Board-elect, disaffiliation begins on January 1 st during the spring semester and ends after formal recruitment. 3. Disaffiliated Chapter members may not wear letters or socialize publicly with their chapters and must uphold strict confidentiality of all recruitment information. 4. In terms of parties, the disaffiliation of chapter members should be upheld in such a way that does not seem unnatural or mysterious to the recruits. For example, pictures of disaffiliates in composites should not be covered up; but in a slide show, a picture vividly referring to a disaffiliate should be avoided. Any questions regarding the application of this guideline should be referred to the Vice President of Recruitment. 5. Recruitment Counselors will be assigned a group of women starting with the opening of registration for Formal Recruitment. 6. Recruitment Counselors will contact each woman at least twice: once to introduce herself, and a second time later in the semester to ask if they have any questions or concerns about the recruitment process. 7. Recruitment Counselors will make themselves available in the event that a PNM has questions or concerns. In the event that they are not available, do not know the answer, or are uncomfortable answering a question, they will direct the PNM to the VPR or assistant VPR 8. In all interactions with PNMs during the fall semester, Recruitment Counselors and other disaffiliated members will remain neutral and will not discuss their affiliation. (This includes pre-recruitment events, PHC/Greek Life sponsored events, and any individual contact whether in person or through /phone/etc.) 9. Recruitment Counselors will not friend PNMs in their group on Facebook until Bid Day at 4pm. This is not considered to be normal social contact. Additionally, Recruitment Counselors will adjust their privacy settings so that they are either unsearchable or no evidence of their affiliation is available to anyone who has not friended them. 10. Recruitment Counselors will attend any pre-recruitment events for which they are available. They must attend Recruitment Orientation.

5 11. Recruitment Counselors will make note of the conversations they have with PNMs. Recruitment Counselors will be explicit with PNMs that they are making note of these conversations, and make sure they understand why. 12. Recruitment Counselors must be at all four days of formal recruitment. 13. Recruitment Counselors and other disaffiliated members cannot attend recruitment workshops for their chapters during the time they are disaffiliated. 14. Recruitment Counselors and other disaffiliated members cannot be required to attend events in a capacity that would risk or break their disaffiliation. 15. Recruitment Counselors and other disaffiliated members cannot participate in any form of recruitment activity during their disaffiliation, including fall informal recruitment. 16. Recruitment counselors and other disaffiliated members should not be penalized for events that are unable to attend either due to their disaffiliation or because of a direct conflict with recruitment counselor trainings. Article Two: Parties 1. Only chapter members, initiated members, and new members of the sorority may assist the chapter with recruiting during the formal recruitment period. House directors, alumnae, and members' parents may assist with food preparation, serving, and cleaning up. a. Chapters at or below 80% of total may use local alumnae or active members from other chapters, to assist with speaking to PNMs, up to total. The alumnae and active members from other chapters must make their distinction known, both on nametags and when introducing themselves. The number of alumnae and active members from other chapters should not exceed the number of active chapter members. 2. Visiting national officers and alumnae may be introduced to the recruits but may not participate in recruiting. 3. Recruitment Counselors and disaffiliated members may only attend recruitment parties in an official capacity. 4. No national advisors may attend recruitment parties unless they have obtained the chapter's consent. 5. No person identifying as a male is allowed to participate in formal recruitment. 6. No alcoholic beverages shall be served at formal recruitment parties. 7. No favors, gifts, preference letters or notes shall be presented to recruits from the sorority and or individual members from January 1 st until Bid Day at 4pm. 8. The ratio of initiated/new members to potential members is not to exceed two to one during any portion of Formal Recruitment. 9. All themes and decorations should be related to sorority-specific values. Stand-alone decorations are acceptable if they specifically relate to the value of the day, such as a trifold with specific information. The only other decorations allowed are a centerpiece for the tables. All decorations are up to the discretion of the Panhellenic VP: Recruitment. 10. Chapters must not encourage single intention preferencing, nor talk about it. The chapter member should refer the question back to the Recruitment Counselors. Any mention of single intention preference or no preference shall be considered a recruitment infraction. 11. Panhellenic Council shall provide each recruit with name tags for all parties. Sororities may provide a recruit a name tag for their party; however, the sorority is responsible for the removal of the name tags before departure. 12. Recruits may not take anything out of a party with them. Chapter members are responsible for insuring that recruits do not leave the party with anything that has been given to them. This does not include the factual brochure distributed after the second party.

6 13. All recruitment skits and videos should be evaluated for length and content. The use of skits and videos during the first round of recruitment is not allowed. 14. Alumnae may only donate food or related items (e.g. plates, napkins, etc.). Any monetary contribution must be counted in the recruitment budget. The uniform recruitment budget per chapter is $850, $650 of which may come directly from chapter funds. The amount donated by alumnae may exceed $200 ONLY if chapter expenditures are less than $ The chapter recruitment chair shall follow the uniform recruitment budget, and turn in an itemized budget and a photocopy of all receipts to the Panhellenic VP Recruitment by Monday, January 26, 2014 at 5:00 pm. If the Panhellenic VP: Recruitment specifies a format for the itemized budget, this format must be followed. 16. Each individual chapter is responsible for the room that they use for the party. Chapters are expected to leave the room in the identical state in which it was found before the party, or they will be fined. There will be no use of wall decorations, streamers, tape, glitter, confetti, or candles. There is to be no red punch Thwing. The ban on candles will be strictly enforced due to fire hazard. 17. Chapters will be expected to check in with the VP of Recruitment, the VP of Recruitment-elect, the Director of Greek Life or his/her designee, or a specified member of the Panhellenic Executive Board-elect. Checking in will entail attaining a signature from one of the above stating that the room was inspected and complies with all Panhellenic Recruitment rules and the chapter s pre-approved party plans. 18. Chapters will be expected to check out with the VP of Recruitment, the VP of Recruitment-elect, the Director of Greek Life or his/her designee, or a specified member of the Panhellenic Executive Board-elect. Checking out will entail attaining a signature from one of the above stating that the room was inspected and has been returned to its original state. 19. Following the third and fourth rounds of parties, chapters will be given two hours in which to compile their preference party invite list. Once that list is turned in chapters will be given one hour in which to return the room to its original condition. 20. Room partitions are allowed as long as they are not decorated. 21. The Panhellenic Council will provide window coverings for Thwing West. Article Three: Preference Day/Strict Silence 1. The strict silence period will begin following a chapter's last Preference Party and will end on Monday, January 26, 2014, at the conclusion of formal bid acceptance (4:00 p.m.). Strict Silence is the period in which there will be no conversation or contact between sorority members and recruits. This includes all references to sororities--verbal, typed, written, or otherwise. 2. During the silence period, all sorority members must wear their Greek letters, sorority pin, or other sign of affiliation. This rule does not apply to disaffiliated members who are disaffiliated until the conclusion of formal bid acceptance. Article Four: Computer Based Matching System and Release Figure Methodology 1. Case Western Reserve University will contract the use of a computer based matching system prior to the start of Formal Recruitment. 2. Party and bid matching will be conducted using this computer database system. The Director of Greek Life or his/her designee will complete the matching and quota addition process with the NPC Release Figure Methodologist. 3. Potential New members must be registered via the computer database system.

7 4. All Potential New Members shall fill out a Preference/Membership Recruitment Acceptance, through the computer database and/or on paper, immediately after the last party she attends. This should be done in the presence of the Director of Greek Life or his/her designee. 5. The Director of Greek Life or his/her designee shall have sole access to the computer database system and will oversee the use of the system by the Panhellenic Council President, the Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment, the Panhellenic Assistant Vice President of Recruitment or the Recruitment Counselor Coordinator. No member of the Recruitment Team shall use the computer database system in an inappropriate manner or share the information accessed through the program. 6. All chapter invitation lists should be submitted using this program. 7. Invitations and Invitation lists, bids and bid lists must be delivered on time via the computer matching system. If a list is late, the chapter will be charged $10 for every 5 minutes the list was late. 8. Each chapter is urged to follow the numbers suggested by the Recruitment Figure Methodology system in terms of number of names to put on invitation lists, flex lists, and final bid lists. Women invited to a chapter s preference party must be on that chapter s bid list in ranked order. 9. The Interactive Collegiate Solutions cost $100 per chapter and $0.50 per PNM that registers for recruitment. Chapters shall each fund $100 and a fraction of the total registrant costs proportional to their relative chapter size. Section Four: Open Recruitment 1. Sororities not at total may extend open bids through the end of reading days to reach total for the following semester. Graduating seniors will not be counted in the next semester s number of chapter members needed to reach total. 2. Immediately following the close of the formal bid acceptance period, on Tuesday, January 27, 2013 at 4:00 pm, eligible chapters can issue open bids. 3. Freshmen women not completing or participating in formal recruitment may receive bids after the close of formal bid acceptance. Following formal recruitment, sororities that did not fill quota or are not at total may offer open bids to fill quota and offer additional bids to reach total. 4. Informal COB recruitment ends the last reading day of each semester. All bids must be accepted at this time or are not considered valid. 5. During the Fall Semester, any chapter below total, below campus median, or that did not make quota through formal recruitment or continuous open bidding will be eligible to participate in informal recruitment. Chapters will be allowed to recruit up to median. 6. Campus median will be calculated at the end of every spring semester. Chapter sizes will include any chapter members who will be on campus for at least one semester of the following year. The campus median will be the median of all chapter sizes. 7. Informal recruitment calendars should be submitted to the Vice President of Recruitment by the Sunday prior to Orientation Week. 8. Informal recruitment will begin on the first day of class (August 26, 2013) and will continue until bids are extended two weeks from that date (September 9, 2013). 9. Lists of women that chapters are willing to extend bids to are due to the Greek Life Office the Friday prior to bid extension (September 6, 2013). This is to check eligibility for bid acceptance. The list of women to whom chapters extend bids may include fewer women than the list they submit, but may not include additional women who were not checked for eligibility. 10. Chapters will extend bids in person on the day of bid extension. They will not be permitted to invite Potential New Members to their chapter home in order to extend bids. 11. Multiple bids may be received by the same Potential New Member. PNMs will have 48 hours to consider their options and may accept bids starting at 5pm on that day (September 11, 2013).