Sorority recruitment to add values-based approach


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Bloomfield Hills senior Spencer Thomas talks to students about the opportunities of Greek Life during Meet the Greeks on Sept. 6 in UC Rotunda.

Recruitment season begins Sept. 22 for 11 sororities in the Panhellenic Council.

This year, women are going through the recruitment process with a “values-based approach.”

The guideline was made by the National Panhellenic Conference to avoid chapters recruiting new members based on physical appearance or other superficial reasons, said Courtney Gavitt, vice president of recruitment for Panhellenic Council.

“It’s recruiting based on the potential new members’ values and if they correlate with the chapter values,” Gavitt said.

Formal Panhellenic fall recruitment includes a kick-off event Sept. 22 — which is the last time women can sign up for recruitment this semester. Five days of recruitment events follow: Sept. 23 - 25, Sept. 29 and 30. During these events, women will learn about sorority activities, financial obligations, new member programs, scholarship, community service and sorority life in general.

Each woman in the recruitment process is assigned a recruitment counselor, known as a Gamma Chi, who is available during the entire process to answer questions from potential new members.

Gavitt held info sessions with the vice president and recruitment chairs of each chapter to go over the new values-based recruiting guidelines, she said.

“My plan is to go to chapters and enforce the values-based idea as it’s relevant to our community and why we’re doing it, rather than ‘this is what we’re doing’ and giving no value or substance to why we’re doing it,” she said.

Hannah Sassone, vice president of leadership development for Panhellenic Council, said the council is enforcing the chapters to follow the rule closely.

“All of the chapters are very open to doing this,” said the Frankenmuth senior. “They think it’s a great idea and are really easy-going when we were giving them ideas.”

Gavitt said many chapters used a values-based recruiting method before this year.

Another new addition to recruitment this fall is a session where Dan Gaken, director of the Leadership Institute, will talk to potential new members about identifying their own values, so they know what kind of chapter they want to join, Gavitt said.

“So (myself and the other Gamma Chis) have trained the chapters not to look for superficial things in girls — but to be more focused on values,” Sassone said. “We’re looking at these girls coming in fresh out of high school or older who have never had an experience like this and teaching them what those values mean to that chapter.”

Sassone and Gavitt explained the kick-off event allows potential new members to get more information about what to expect each recruitment day. A dress code for the different nights will also be made known that day.

“We don’t like telling people what to wear, but if it’s a dressier night, we don’t want someone showing up in jeans,” Sassone said. “They’re meant to be more suggestions.”

“Whoever fits best with a chapter, or if the potential new member feels they fit better with a chapter — the potential new member gets a say in where they end up,” Gavitt said.

Panhellenic recruitment is a mutual selection process, Gavitt said. Potential new members will be introduced to the 11 chapters on campus and by the end they narrow down to two chapters.

People interested in recruitment can email sororityrecruitmentcmu@gmail.com

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Editor-in-Chief Kate Carlson is a senior from Lapeer who is majoring in journalism with a minor in ...

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