In an effort to increase participation in sorority recruitment, the Panhellenic Council has revealed its decision to reschedule the process from the week before classes begin to September.
The decision was made by the Panhellenic Council’s Vice President of External Recruitment, Jacey Wahlstrom, in response to concerns about the outcome of the 2022 fall recruitment.
“When I got put in this position I wanted to improve the number of potential new members coming in,” Wahlstrom said.
Since being elected to her position, Wahlstrom wants to make changes and do what she thinks will benefit the Panhellenic community.
“Moving recruitment to September will give us the opportunity to reach out to more students and give them a chance to learn about sorority life,” Wahlstrom said. “We believe this will help us increase our numbers and give more girls the opportunity to experience the many benefits of being part of a sorority.”
Wahlstrom said that the decision was made to improve the number of potential new members coming in, as the numbers have been down in recent years. In the last recruitment process, there were 98 women participating compared to the previous year having 145.
While the recruitment process will remain unchanged, pre-recruitment events will be introduced to generate more campus participation and enthusiasm.
The new schedule is expected to benefit both sororities and potential members. Sororities will have more time to prepare for recruitment and attract new members, while potential members will have more time to learn about sororities and make an informed decision to go through the recruitment process.
The council hopes that the new timeline will result in an increase in overall numbers, with a goal of 120 potential new members. They also anticipate that the change will make the process more comfortable and less stressful for potential new members.
Many students are excited about the change, with some saying that it will make it easier for them to balance recruitment with the demands of the start of the semester. The new schedule will also give freshmen a chance to settle into college life before making decisions about sorority membership.
“Coming in as a freshman was overwhelming, especially with having recruitment on top of that,” said Korinne Benson, a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. “The date change will be good, giving them time to adjust to a big change in their lives.”
Throughout the process of this change, Wahlstrom has had the Panhellenic Council supporting her as well as the assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Karlee Nuttelman.
“Moving it will be beneficial to first-year students, so they will get a few weeks to get college life figured out without implementing a sorority right away,” Nuttelman said.
However, there are potential challenges and obstacles to consider, such as balancing recruitment with academics and activities. The council is aware of these concerns and will work to implement them with the change of the schedule.
The Panhellenic Council is encouraging all potential sorority members to attend informational events in the weeks leading up to recruitment in September. They are confident that the new schedule will lead to increased membership and a stronger Greek community on campus.
