Greek Recruitment

Advisory Committee

Final Report

6/2/2014 Contents Project Charter ...... 3 Introduction ...... 4 Context and Background Information ...... 4 The Greek Community ...... 4 Definition of Recruitment Models ...... 5 Fall Recruitment ...... 5 Delayed Recruitment ...... 6 Deferred Recruitment ...... 7 Layers of Research ...... 7 Seven Core Ideas ...... 8 Document Review ...... 9 Peer Institution Interviews...... 11 Staffing and Structure ...... 11 Institutional Statistics ...... 11 Greek Community Statistics ...... 12 Fall Recruitment Model ...... 13 Deferred Recruitment Model ...... 13 Notable Analysis ...... 14 Stakeholder Survey ...... 15 Respondents ...... 15 Results ...... 17 General Recruitment ...... 18 New Member Experience ...... 18 Fall Recruitment ...... 18 Delayed Recruitment ...... 19 Deferred Recruitment ...... 19 Alumni, Chapter Advisors, House Corporation Members ...... 20 Additional Feedback...... 20 Pro and Con Table ...... 21 Limitations ...... 29 Conclusions ...... 30

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Recommendations ...... 31 APPENDICIES ...... 33 I. Recruitment Review Committee Roster ...... 34 II. Bibliography of Document Review ...... 35 III. Peer Institution Interview Protocol...... 36 IV. Institutional Interview Data ...... 39 VI. Town Hall Meeting Minutes ...... 66 VII. GRAC Meeting Minutes ...... 72 VIII. Stakeholder Survey Results ...... 90

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Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee Project Charter 2013-2014 The purpose of this committee is to examine the current Greek recruitment structure and evaluate Committee Purpose if it best fits the needs (academic, social, emotional, transitional, etc.) of incoming freshmen students and the Greek Community.

This committee will research, examine, discuss and reflect on how different recruitment time periods might impact incoming freshmen students and the Greek Community. The committee Committee Description should also evaluate logistical feasibility of any specific recruitment time period. The committee will provide recommendations based on findings to the Dean of Students. The final decision about any recruitment time period modifications will be determined by the Dean of Students.

Sponsor Lori Berquam, Vice Provost for Student Life and Dean of Students Committee Chair Barb Kautz-Wittwer, Assistant Director of Involvement, CfLI Facilitator Office of Quality Improvement Facilitator, Nancy Thayer-Hart Advisory Committee Members from programs and organizations below will serve for the 2013-2014 academic year. Representation This committee will start in Fall 2013. This committee will include important stakeholders from the Greek Community and the University Community who can best speak to how timeline changes would impact: incoming freshmen Scope students, freshmen student parents and the UW campus. This committee will also take into consideration, the impact on Greek Chapters, Greek Housing and Greek Councils/Community. 1. IFC representative-Trevor Donahue 2. MGC representative-Arturo "Tito" Diaz 3. NPHC representative-India Anderson-Carter 4. PHA representative-Claire Usher

5. House Corporation Board representative-Anne Lawrence Members 6. Alumni Advisory Board representative-Troy Vosseller 7. University Housing representative-Phillip Werman 8. Center for First Year Experience Staff Member-Chris Verhaeghe 9. Center for Leadership & Involvement Staff Member-T.J. Sargent  Recruitment time period needs to take place during the academic year  Students are unable to move into the residence halls early for recruitment Assumptions  Deferred Recruitment will be one of the time periods that will be evaluated  Recruitment dates will not conflict with any religious observances  Committee convenes & receives charge  Review of literature on first year experience/Greek recruitment  Peer institutions interviews & data collection Work Plan  Research & impact analysis (stakeholder survey)  First draft of findings  Final report due  Presentation of findings to Dean of Students for review The committee will present viable recruitment period options to the Dean of Students by end of Deliverables the Spring 2014 Semester. Each option will include a list of pros and cons and be based on a (Recommendations) literature review, peer institution data, and incoming freshmen student/stakeholder impact

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analysis.

Introduction

Context and Background Information The Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee (GRAC) grew out of a situation during the fall of 2013 when the Panhellenic Association’s Recruitment Period overlapped with Jewish high holidays. The Dean of Students Office was notified in April 2013 by campus area Jewish Student Support groups that the conflict would likely affect the sizable population of Jewish women who are members of sororities and also have the desire to observe and celebrate high holidays. Multiple meetings between the Center for Leadership & Involvement Staff and Dean of Students Office Staff resulted in questions about the challenges and benefits of recruitment as it was currently organized. These discussions resulted in a desire to look further into recruitment process options, thus the committee charter was created. Overall, the Dean of Students Office had a variety of concerns with Greek recruitment processes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These concerns focused around the notion that current recruitment processes could potentially be challenging to first-year students’ transition (academic, social, emotional, etc.) to the UW-Madison campus. Additionally, when looking to match an individual with a values-based organization, members within the Dean of Students Office questioned whether or not it is plausible for an individual just out of high school to be able to identify their values and how the values might match with organizational values. Overall, the Dean of Students Office Staff wanted to know whether or not there was a better recruitment model and process for Greek-letter organizations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In creating the committee, it was important to consider the engagement of students and staff as part of the research and project. In doing so, representatives from across the four governing councils of the Greek Community, as well as other integral areas that are affected by recruitment were included (please see the committee roster in Appendix I for this information). The committee was charged with investigating specific sources of information and research, which came to include: review of scholarly literature and data, interviews and data collection on similar peer institutions, and analysis of the impact on stakeholders throughout the Greek Community. Furthermore, the committee was to provide a list of pros and cons for each recruitment model considered.

The Greek Community Currently the Greek Community at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is organized into four governing councils: Interfraternity Council (IFC), Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), National Pan- Hellenic Council (NPHC) and Panhellenic Association (PHA). Each council serves as a representative and governing body for the chapters with membership in the council. At the time of the report, the community is comprised of 59 individual chapters and approximately 3,800 undergraduate chapter members. This represents approximately 13% of the UW-Madison Undergraduate population. The Interfraternity Council represents 30 men’s organizations, most of which are nationally affiliated with the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). The average chapter size is 63 and 18 of the organizations have official chapter facilities. While located within close proximity to the

4 |GRAC Report 2014 university campus, these properties are owned, managed, and maintained privately, often by a group of organizational alumni known as an Alumni House Corporation. The Multicultural Greek Council recognizes 10 fraternities and sororities, which represent a number of different cultures and identities. The member groups of this council also hold national organizational membership in the National Asian Pacific Islander American Panhellenic Group (NAPA), National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, Inc. (NALFO), and the National Multicultural Greek Council, Inc. (NMGC). This council counts approximately 100 members in total membership. None of the MGC organizations currently have official housing. The National Pan-Hellenic Council is the collegiate governing council for the national umbrella organization, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated. The chapters who are members of this council are historically African-American in membership. On the UW-Madison campus, six or the nine eligible organizations are recognized. NPHC total membership is approximately 60 undergraduate students. No chapters currently have official housing locations. The Panhellenic Association is comprised of 11 chapters who are nationally represented by the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) and two associate member chapters. Average chapter size is 163. 10 of the 11 NPC organizations have officially recognized chapter facilities, which, similarly to the IFC organizations, are run by an Alumni Housing Corporation. Each of the 10 housed organizations also employs a live in staff member, often referred to as a house mother.

Definition of Recruitment Models Through the GRAC’s review of literature, described in further detail later in this document, three options for recruitment models were determined to be plausible for investigation. These models would each take place over a three -to four-week period during the academic year. However, the time of year and limits on eligibility of participation were noted as the core factors differentiating each model.

Fall Recruitment Fall Recruitment is the term used to refer to the current primary recruitment time frame that is structured primarily for the IFC and PHA. While some MGC and NPHC organizations may take members in the fall, these individuals are usually upperclassmen. A majority of MGC and NPHC intake activities occur during the spring semester. Under this model, first-year and transfer students are allowed to participate in recruitment activities and receive a bid to join an organization at any point during or after the designated bid day. The PHA organizes and facilitates the fall formal recruitment process as outlined in the NPC Manual of Information (MoI). This process is designed to allow for a systematic and fair evaluation of all chapters by potential new members (PNMs) and likewise for chapters to evaluate potential membership for incoming individuals. The mutual selection process currently involves three rounds of recruitment activities in which groups of PNMs visit chapters to interact with current members and learn about each organization. The Panhellenic recruitment process is the most structured of any council, but also provides organization for the 800+ women who register for the process each fall. Campus total is evaluated for NPC organizations following the conclusion of the formal recruitment process and uses both average chapter size and historical statistics in developing a recommended number. Campus total is intentionally set so that at least half of the NPC groups will have

5 |GRAC Report 2014 the opportunity for Continuous Open Bidding (COB) during the spring semester, if not earlier. Chapters whose membership is below the campus total may conduct recruitment activities and offer bids to individuals until they reach campus total. While Panhellenic recruitment for the fall of 2014 will take place over the course of four days, the addition of another chapter will also necessitate the evaluation of the three event model and will likely lead to a four event model in the near future where PNMs will have the opportunity to visit a maximum of 12, 9, 6, and 3 chapters respectively during each event period. According to the current PHA recruitment schedule, the first round of events takes place on the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Labor Day, the second round takes place on Labor Day, and the third round (Preference Night) takes place on the first Friday evening after classes begin. The following Sunday is organized as Bid Day. Additionally, a recruitment orientation and organization of recruitment groups, led by current PHA members (Rho Gammas) is held the Friday before the start of formal recruitment (Friday before Labor Day). Women who are members of the PHA Executive Board and Rho Gammas must temporarily disaffiliate from their chapters beginning one week prior to the start of formal recruitment and extending until Bid Day. Fall Recruitment is also the primary recruitment period for IFC chapters. Approximately 500 men join IFC chapters each fall. The IFC provides a semi-structured recruitment schedule that involves a week of IFC-hosted events in which all chapters have the opportunity to participate. The week of IFC-only events begins the Thursday before instruction and extends through the end of the Wednesday after instruction begins. Individual chapters may then hold recruitment events as they see fit. A semi- structured bidding process allows for chapters to hand out bids and receive commitments approximately two and a half weeks after they are first allowed to hold recruitment events. All IFC and PHA chapters take part in dry recruitment. Alcohol is not permitted at chapter functions until the Thursday after IFC bids are allowed to be handed out. Chapters are also not allowed to host social events until that Thursday as well and must complete a six-item checklist before being eligible to register and hold events.

Delayed Recruitment This model would keep the same format described through the Fall Recruitment process, but would shift the time of implementation to later in the fall semester. Structured recruitment periods for both IFC and PHA would not begin until October and would likely conclude by early November at the latest. PHA rounds would be conducted over the course of two to three weekends and IFC events would be throughout a three-week period, similar to that described in the Fall Recruitment outline. First-year and transfer students would be ineligible for a bid prior to the official bid day, likely in mid- to late October. However, since the campus and Greek Life Office supports a 365 (year-round) recruitment policy, upperclassmen would be eligible for bids before the start of the structured recruitment “freeze” period during which recruitment events are being conducted. Using this model, Panhellenic Executive Board members and Rho Gammas would likely be asked to temporarily disaffiliate at the beginning of the fall Semester through Bid Day.

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Deferred Recruitment The Deferred Recruitment model would again mirror the same functional setup as both the Fall and Delayed options. The main difference here is that this model would place the organized recruitment activities at the beginning of the spring academic semester. Additionally, recruitment events would likely not take place until the first week of instruction, as opposed to prior to instruction as found in the Fall Recruitment process. First-year and possibly transfer students would not be allowed to accept a bid or participate in recruitment activities until the spring semester. Again however, in keeping with the idea that the campus and community support continuous recruitment operations, upperclassmen would be eligible to participate and join organizations during the fall academic term. Panhellenic temporary disaffiliation would likely run from the end of Thanksgiving break until bid day, likely in early to mid-February.

Layers of Research In looking to conduct a structured and systematic evaluation of potential recruitment process options and in order to address, as best as possible, questions posed by the Dean of Students Office, the GRAC decided that multiple layers of inquiry were necessary. To this point, the committee deduced that information should be gathered from: previous works and data collection from other researchers and institutions relating to Greek recruitment and new student transition, peer institutions who may have similar or different recruitment processes, and from Greek Community members and stakeholders. The ultimate goal of this multi-layer approach was to provide the committee and Dean of Students Office with a wide range on information and support for the pro and con list that was to be created. The first of the three layers involved review of literature. A majority of this portion of the review focused on articles and documents pertaining to orientation for first-year students, elements of student success, research on deferred recruitment and new member education, and the effects of Greek membership on academics and grades. The second layer of research involved interviews with peer institutions, including other Big Ten universities and larger public colleges and universities. The committee completed interviews with 11 institutions, three of which either currently utilize or have utilized a Deferred Recruitment Model in the past. The eight remaining institutions currently operate using a Fall Recruitment Model, similar to that currently in place at UW-Madison. None of the institutions interviewed were currently using a Delayed recruitment Model. The final layer of research involved an Impact Analysis Survey in order to collect input and information from various stakeholders within the Greek Community. The survey included a variety of questions in order to gain information regarding individual experience, as well as perceived benefits and disadvantages of the three different recruitment models. As a result of the information garnered through these formats and basic analysis that took place after the conclusion of each layer, the committee added two additional data collection tools. The first of these was a Town Hall style meeting, which allowed community members to directly speak with a representative from both the committee and the Dean of Students Office. The minutes from this meeting can be found in Appendix VI. In addition, during the town hall meeting it was requested that chapters be afforded with the opportunity to provide an Individual Chapter Impact Analysis Report to be included with the final report. After two requests, no Chapter Impact Analysis Reports were submitted to the committee.

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Seven Core Ideas As the committee began to gather large amounts of information from multiple sources, a method of organizing the information into effective and easily identifiable categories became necessary. In order to accomplish this organization, the committee used the original charter and reasoning for creation of the committee, as well as preliminary information to establish a set of core ideas that were integral to both the Greek Community and the recruitment process. These core ideas would then be used in a matrix with the three different recruitment timeframes that were to be investigated to create an organized and easily defined pro/con evaluation. The seven core ideas are as follows: Academic Performance – how Greek students perform in the classroom. More specifically, known and anticipated impacts on overall individual, chapter, and community wide semester grade point averages. Affinity for UW-Madison – strength of relationship and connection to all things that constitute the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Interpreted for both undergraduate members and alumni members. High-Risk Behavior – use of and exposure to alcohol and other drugs. Also, acknowledging hazing, sexual assault, or other physical/mental harm. Housing Operations & Community Living – the business and financial workings of owning and/or leasing a housing facility. An understanding of current University and surrounding area housing information and practices. The impact of living in a space with other students and the environment and/or programming provided for those residents. Mental Health – psychological and emotional well-being of students. Especially in balancing commitments, relationships, and expectations. Social Skills – development of abilities used to communicate and interact with others, including verbal, non-verbal, and proper decorum. Student Involvement – understanding what a student does in addition to classroom time while enrolled at the University. This could include lab/research work, clubs and organizations, employment, sports and fitness, volunteering, etc.

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Document Review Scholars and researchers who have analyzed Greek recruitment over the past 40 years have identified both positive and negative aspects of fall, delayed, and deferred recruitment. Taking into account student development theory, collegiate pressures, and long-term effects of the Greek experience, they provide multiple angles from which to consider the three recruitment options. The majority of studies discussed below focus on data regarding social sororities within the National Panhellenic Council and social fraternities within the North-American Interfraternity Conference. Academics, involvement, and retention emerge as major themes regarding the impact of Greek recruitment and membership on the undergraduate experience. When considering the academic impact of joining a Greek organization, it is important to differentiate between the short and long term. Most scholars agree that for first-year students, joining a Greek organization will likely negatively impact their GPA during that semester. The pressures of the first or second semester of coursework and the time commitment associated with Greek membership make it more difficult for newly affiliated students than for unaffiliated students to adjust to university academics (Kuh et al., 2006). Numerous studies demonstrate that this affects men more than women; affiliated women tend to earn higher GPAs than affiliated and unaffiliated men and unaffiliated women. An unpublished study from Clemson University found that men’s lower academic performance during the pledging semester was confined to that semester. It did not matter if pledging occurred in the fall or the spring—the new members’ GPAs lowered during that semester and rose after (Auburn University, 2011; Pascarella, et al., 2006). But another study demonstrated that “deferring membership from the first semester to the second semester had a significant impact on the academic performance of both men and women” (DeBard et al., 2006). In a study conducted with data from a private, large northeastern university in 1991 and 1993, the GPA gap between affiliated and non-affiliated students that emerged in semester 1 had narrowed by semester 10, with the affiliated students maintaining slightly higher GPAs (Nelson et al., 2006). Overall, while most studies conclude that joining a Greek organization adversely affects the GPAs of men more seriously than women, the effect is short-lived and confined to a single semester. Moreover, many researchers consider GPA to be only one measure of multifaceted undergraduate intellectual growth. Affiliating with a Greek organization usually increases students’ involvement across campus and enriches their overall academic experience. Assuming that the values and goals of fraternities and sororities are aligned with the host university, the Greek organizations can foster important out-of-class learning for their members. Thus the earlier students join, the sooner they gain access to such opportunities (Kuh et al., 2006; Nelson et al., 2006). Greek organizations can provide these opportunities directly to their members through chapter-sponsored service, philanthropic, and social events. They often also encourage members to engage in intramural sports, to attend other organizations’ events, and to partner with other groups in academic- and service-oriented projects. All these opportunities provide Greek students not only with social outlets, but also with additional learning opportunities, both of which contribute to student satisfaction. The researchers who compiled a report on student success, commissioned by the National Symposium on Postsecondary Student Success, conclude: “Students who belong to Greek-letter organizations are generally as or more engaged than other students in educationally effective practices” (Kuh et al., 2006).

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Student satisfaction is often highly correlated with university retention. It is not based solely on academic achievement, but rather on a combination of social, extra-curricular, and academic satisfaction—the latter category considered to be a product of learning inside and outside the classroom (Kuh et al., 2006). Social satisfaction derives in part from a sense of belonging, and fraternities and sororities provide support networks and a home-away-from-home, which aid in the transition to college life (Pasacarella et al., 1996). A number of studies point to strong connections between Greek affiliation, increased campus involvement, and retention rates. According to Woosley (2003), the ability of students to engage in such socially enriching activities and groups within the first six weeks of college is positively correlated to higher retention rates. A study of the first-year cohort of a midsized midwestern state university in 2002-2003 found that although students who joined the Greek Community had lower predicted GPAs, they had higher retention rates from the first to second years of study than unaffiliated students. Greek women had a 10% higher retention rate than unaffiliated women and Greek men had a 12% higher retention rate than unaffiliated men (DeBard et al., 2006). Another study found drastically higher retention rates for affiliated versus unaffiliated students: 90% versus 70% (Nelson et al., 2006). A recent Gallup Poll (2014), conducted in partnership with Purdue University, surveyed Greek alumni about their undergraduate experience, current employment, and well-being. The survey found that Greek alumni are “more likely to be thriving in community well-being than all other college graduates (52% vs. 46%).” 39% of Greek alumni versus 16% of non-Greek alumni reported being extremely involved in extra-curricular activities and organizations (other than only their Greek organizations) during college. Greek alumni also reported stronger emotional attachment to their alma mater than non-Greek alumni (22% versus 17%), demonstrating that the transition from retention, to graduation, to long-term attachment to the university is stronger for Greek students. Scholars and Greek organizations both recognize the advantages and drawbacks of each form of recruitment and the challenges associated with changing recruitment procedures, which vary considerably depending on campus and context. Large universities that have assessed the literature and compiled reports on Greek recruitment models have noted that switching from fall to deferred or delayed recruitment negatively affects sororities significantly more than fraternities. For instance, the size and schedule of sorority recruitment and chapter officer structure and election creates significant problems in transitioning away from fall recruitment. Additionally, deferred and delayed recruitment interfere with university athletic events and academic commitments that intensify as the semester and academic year progress (Auburn University, 2011; University of Georgia, 2005).

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Peer Institution Interviews The peer institution interviews conducted by members of the GRAC were intended to benchmark the recruitment processes and practices of Greek communities at similar colleges and universities. Not only did committee members establish criteria for selected institutions, but they also designed appropriate methods for contacting institutions, specific interview protocol, and detailed interview questions. Overall, the interview was designed to gain an in-depth, accurate view of university and Greek community processes, including current staffing and structure of the institution’s Greek Life Office, institutional and Greek statistics, and current recruitment models and practices. GRAC meeting minutes included in Appendix VII can be consulted for further explanation and detail of this process. The committee completed interviews with 11 institutions, including six Big Ten institutions and five larger public colleges and universities. Nine of the institutions currently operate using a Fall Recruitment Model, similar to UW-Madison (University of Minnesota, Pennsylvania State University, University of Georgia, University of Illinois-Urbana Champagne, University of Iowa, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Washington, Purdue University and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill). The two remaining institutions currently utilize a Deferred Recruitment Model (University of Colorado-Boulder and the University of Virginia). Two institutions interviewed (University of Colorado- Boulder and the University of Virginia) currently operate a deferred recruitment process. None of the interviewed institutions currently utilize a Delayed Recruitment Model. While the sections below provide a brief overview of the information shared throughout the interviews, a comprehensive list of interview questions and responses can be found in Appendix IV for further reference and understanding.

Staffing and Structure Each institution's staffing structure and support varied considerably from both UW-Madison and other institutions benchmarked for this report. The number of full-time and part-time professionals at all 11 institutions ranged from one to five. Additionally, a notable majority of these institutions also utilized one to three graduate student staff and one to six undergraduate student staff or volunteers. Duties and responsibilities required of each of these positions were very similar across all institutions. Full-time and part-time professionals oversaw daily operations of their respective Greek communities and offices on campus. Some also directly advised different Greek councils within the community. Graduate student staff were often responsible for directly advising and working with Greek council officers, as well as creating and implementing programming. Undergraduate student staff and volunteers work in an administrative capacity, including updating records, social media, and their Greek community's website.

Institutional Statistics Institutional statistics varied between each peer institution with regard to student population, gender ratio (male vs. female), and region ratio (in-state vs. out-of-state). The most notable of these differences included the size of each university's undergraduate student population. Institutions, such as University of Virginia, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and University of Colorado-Boulder, reported a much smaller undergraduate student population than other benchmarked institutions and UW-Madison. This information was not only considered throughout the

11 |GRAC Report 2014 committee's analysis, but it was also addressed directly within the interviews with peer institution professionals.

Greek Community Statistics Greek community statistics also varied between each peer institution with regard to Greek student population, number of chapters and chapter facilities, departmental partnerships, judicial processes, new member education processes, and academic accountability. Overall, the size of Greek student populations ranged from approximately 2,500 to 7,800 students. It is important to note UW- Madison's current Greek Community population (3,800) when analyzing these statistics, particularly because it is situated on the lower end of this range. The number of chapter facilities on each institution's campus also varied, ranging from 9 to 60 chapter houses. A large majority of these facilities are privately owned by national Greek organizations or housing corporations, similar to chapter facilities at UW-Madison. Each institution reported supporting four Greek councils, including an Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Panhellenic Council. Of the four different councils present on each campus, Interfraternity Councils had the largest number of Greek chapters in comparison to the other councils. Additionally, National Pan-Hellenic Councils had the smallest number of Greek chapters on campus. Each of the Multicultural Greek Councils and Panhellenic Councils varied in size. However, it is important to note that chapters within each Panhellenic Council consistently had the largest membership and made up a considerable amount of each institution's Greek student population. All 11 institutions reported frequent partnering with other departments on campus, including the institution's student union, new student orientation, and housing. Many of the Greek Life Offices are housed within their institution's student union building. Additionally, individual Greek organizations and councils have office space within the union. Professional staff described a variety of Greek-specific presentations and tours that are delivered to both students and parents throughout summer orientation. Many of the professionals also detailed their relationship and frequent collaboration with their institution's department of housing and residence life, particularly regarding their Greek community's recruitment process. Students looking to participate in the recruitment process are often permitted to move into student housing prior to other first-year students. Greek community judicial processes, new member education, and academic accountability were extremely similar across all 11 benchmarked institutions. Consistently, judicial processes and new member education vary between each of the four Greek councils on campus. Each council is often responsible for creating and implementing its own processes and programming, rather than members of the office's professional staff. Conduct matters that involve individual Greek students, rather than Greek-letter organizations, are referred to and handled by the Dean of Students Office on campus. Many of the interviewed institutions also do not regulate academic accountability. Instead, each Greek council and individual Greek chapter creates and implements specific academic requirements and stipulations. Greek professionals reported that they often do not have issues with all-chapter grade point averages. However, they do attempt to meet with chapters of concern.

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Fall Recruitment Model As stated previously, 8 of 11 interviewed institutions currently operate using a Fall Recruitment Model. However, similar to other operations and processes throughout Greek communities, each Greek council has created its own methods and timing within the Fall Recruitment Model. Interfraternity Councils operate rather informally, marketing themselves through tabling events and hosting recruitment events at various times throughout the year. However, many are unable to extend bids to first-year students prior to their arrival on campus. Multicultural Greek Councils and National Pan- Hellenic Councils also operate rather informally. Chapters throughout both councils often recruit as needed and abide by the guidelines set forth by their national organizations. Overall, each chapter holds tabling events and informational meetings as they see fit. On the other hand, Panhellenic Councils utilize a fully structured fall recruitment process that follows National Panhellenic Council guidelines and regulations. This process often takes place prior to the first week of classes or within the first two weeks of the semester. The institutions utilizing a Fall Recruitment Model report never questioning their current processes, particularly because it is what fits their institution best. Those with larger out-of-state student populations believe that Greek Life is a wonderful opportunity for first-year students to transition to life at the institution. Additionally, they believe first-year students that choose to participate in Greek Life benefit from acquiring upperclassmen role models and mentorship. Institutions that utilize a Fall Recruitment Model also expressed concern with limiting recruitment processes for Greek-letter organizations, especially without limiting practices for other student organizations. Professionals were also strongly concerned with recruitment infractions and development of chapter stereotypes. They believe a Fall Recruitment Model prevents chapters from hosting unofficial recruitment events. Additionally, Potential New Members do not have an extended period of time to formulate views and opinions of individual Greek organizations. Instead, first-year students are able to enter the process open-minded and uninfluenced. Overall, many of these institutions believe universities should work to support and teach Greek students how to appropriately recruit and operate utilizing a Fall Recruitment Model.

Deferred Recruitment Model The three remaining institutions interviewed throughout this process currently operate or have operated using a Deferred Recruitment Model in the past. Each institution has a unique history and background regarding their decision to change to a Deferred Recruitment Model. Additionally, they express very different opinions regarding the effect deferred practices have had throughout their Greek community and institution. All of this information is extremely important to outline and analyze and will be elaborated on in the following paragraphs. The University of Colorado-Boulder transitioned to a Deferred Recruitment Model ten years ago, following a terrible tragedy within the Greek Community. Since that time, the Interfraternity Council has disbanded and disaffiliated from the institution. As a result, UC-Boulder administration and other Greek Life professionals no longer have oversight of the fraternities on campus and are not involved in any of their processes. Additionally, a variety of unhealthy behaviors have started, including Panhellenic Council recruitment infractions. The Greek community has also experienced a negative impact on membership and those interested in participating in Greek Life. Other concerns include weather and

13 |GRAC Report 2014 logistics. Interviewed professionals explained that it is too cold at the very beginning of the spring semester and that in the past they have rented buses in order transport Potential New Members to and from chapter facilities. Overall, UC-Boulder Greek Life Staff expressed that transitioning to a Deferred Recruitment Model has negatively impacted both student academics and the size of their Greek community. Additionally, it does not provide opportunity or aid first-year, out-of-state students in transitioning to the institution. The University of Virginia transitioned to a Deferred Recruitment Model in 2000, following a new objective presented by the institution. Overall, members of university administration were looking to create a holistic, connected first-year experience throughout the residence halls on campus. Not only does this model allow students to get acquainted and forge positive relationships without the influence of fraternity and sorority life, but first-year students are also able to get involved in other activities on campus and educate themselves about the values of each Greek-letter organization. Generally, students have more time to figure out who they are as individuals prior to joining a chapter. However, professionals also expressed concern about the difficulty of breaking stereotypes developed by Potential New Members throughout the fall semester. Additionally, they believe deferred recruitment practices increase competitiveness amongst Greek chapters and create lack of accountability for organizations that commit violations throughout the fall semester. Altogether, it is important to note that University of Virginia professional staff believes that this recruitment model best fits their institution because of the size of their student population. It is extremely difficult for first-year students to make connections at an institution with over 5,000 incoming first-year students without a niche, such as membership in a fraternity or sorority. Purdue University transitioned from a Deferred Recruitment Model to a Fall Recruitment Model approximately ten years ago. Institution professionals explained that their community made the decision to return to Fall Recruitment when reflecting on the opportunity participation in Greek Life provides to first-year students. Additionally, they believe that students should have equal opportunity to join all student organizations, including fraternities and sororities. Lastly, they explained that programming created and implemented by Greek chapters aid new students in adjusting and transitioning to college life. Overall, there has been no consideration of changing back to a Deferred Recruitment Model, particularly because no one has asked for it.

Notable Analysis Overall, the committee came to realize a variety of important themes and characteristics through their discussion and analysis of this specific layer of research. However, the most notable component that consistently appeared throughout interviews with all 11 peer institutions was the importance of finding a process that works for each individual institution. When asked about the reasoning behind utilizing a particular recruitment model, many Greek Life professionals stated that their current model is simply what works best for their institution. Not only did this layer of research contribute to finding what works best for UW-Madison, but it also allowed the committee to further identify positive and negative aspects for each of the three different models.

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Stakeholder Survey The stakeholder survey was designed to gather attitudes and opinions on the three different recruitment models from individuals who are directly connected to the Greek Community at UW- Madison. The survey was created and edited by both the UW-Madison Office of Quality Improvement and survey/research staff members from Campus Labs, a comprehensive services company that provides the University and Division of Student Life with programs for engagement and learning, data collection, assessment reporting, as well as planning and documentation. The survey was made available via online links and email to all undergraduate Greek Community members and any other individuals directly associated with the community. Survey responses were collected over the course of one month between March 10 and April 10, 2014. A list of all questions and responses from the survey can be found in Appendix VIII.

Respondents The following information provides context for those who elected to complete the survey.

Greek Community Role House Corporation Greek Alumni, 37 Alumni Chapter Member, 3 Advisor, 47

Undergraduate Chapter Member, 1450

Council Affiliation

Interfraternity Council 42% Panhellenic Association Multicultural Greek 55% Council 2% National Pan- Hellenic Council 1%

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Undergraduate- Current When did you join your chapter? Standing Fall Semester Spring Semester Freshman 1060 (76%) 134 (10%) 5th Year 19 Senior 195 Sophomore 153 (11%) 27 (2%) Junior 320 Junior 14 (1%) 6 Sophomore 435 Senior 0 0 Freshman 426 5th Year 1 0 0 100 200 300 400 500

Alumni Respondents:

Years in Position 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Less than 1 1-3 years 4-6 years 7-9 years 10 or more year years

Graduated from Undergrad

50 40 30 20 10 0 Less than 1 year 1-3 years 4-6 years 7-9 years 10 or more years

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Joined Organization

Not at UW Madison At UW- 44% Madison 56%

Results In reviewing the data from the stakeholder survey, the prevailing feeling of response was an insistence that a fall recruitment format at the beginning of the semester would be the most viable option when factoring in class schedules, financial planning, and outside commitments. Throughout the time that the survey was available, many students attempting to complete the survey found interpretation of the questions and scaling to be difficult. Greek Life staff members in the Center for Leadership & Involvement provided numerous one-on-one consultations with students to help them understand the questions in hopes that they would also be able to assist their peers with any queries. While the sections below provide a brief overview of responses and thoughts shared, to get a comprehensive understanding of results, it would be advised to read through the full list of responses found in Appendix VIII.

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General Recruitment –Undergraduate Only (Q# 12-23) While a majority of those surveyed joined their respective organization in the fall (88%), when asked if they would join during a different time period, only 64% of total respondents said they would have joined during any available time. Furthermore, that same percentage (64%) of respondents shared that they were planning on joining a Greek organization upon enrolling at UW-Madison. Understanding that slightly over half of the respondents were planning to join a social Greek organization and that same amount would be willing to join an organization at any point may show that individuals questioning membership are more likely to join during the fall semester. When asked about the benefits and disadvantages of participating in recruitment during their respective process, the top benefits listed in both structured and open-ended questions were as follows (listed from most frequent): building friendships early, lack of conflict with academic schedule, educated about recruitment process, lack of other outside commitments, and weather. In surveying anticipated negatives of the recruitment process, over 70% of those surveyed said that there was absolutely no negative impact on the following: ability to build relationships with others in a residence hall, exposure to drinking culture, feeling rushed to make a decision about joining, acceptance from organizations, time for acclimation to campus, interference with academic commitments. While most responses provided that there were little to no negative effects from their respective recruitment process, some individuals did share that they felt the recruitment process was very long and they sometimes felt rushed to make a decision. Additionally, a number of individuals commented about the lack of information available about the recruitment process and the chapters. Specifically many individuals mentioned wanting to receive information from more than one source, or being pointed in the right direction to easily access that information.

New Member Experience – Undergraduate Only (Q# 24-37) The next series of questions addressed experiences as a new member, especially new member education. An opportunity to build friendships and relationships in addition to feeling a sense of belonging highlighted a majority of the answers related to the new member experience. A large majority (92%) of survey takers ranked building friendships at a 4 or a 5 on a scale measuring 5 as highly beneficial and 1 as not at all beneficial. Mentorship from upperclassmen or alumni was also a popular benefit. While many consider recruitment to have positively affected their academics, there were also a few individuals who felt that their academics may have suffered due to the time commitments necessary during the first semester of membership. Yet, others mentioned that the academic support mechanisms that are facilitated in many chapters aided in helping to balance their demands. Furthermore, being challenged with multiple obligations built time management skills for a number of respondents as well. There was very little that stood out in terms of disadvantage for new member education other than the time it took to complete.

Fall Recruitment – All (Q# 38-49) Again, the popular response in terms of benefits for Fall Recruitment was students feeling welcomed, part of a community, and aided in the transition process at UW-Madison via the fall recruitment model. The other two most prevalent benefits seemed to be a lack of academic schedule

18 |GRAC Report 2014 conflicts and weather that is cooperative for outdoor activity. Other benefits mentioned include housing transition and lease agreements that coordinate with University and city timelines. There was relatively little said about disadvantages to a fall recruitment structured period. Some thoughts that were shared more than once included concern about individuals and chapters being “real” about who or what they actually were, and limited time to attend all the events offered during the first few days of school and still attend all recruitment events, could add to the overwhelmed feeling that some students have when first adjusting to a collegiate life. Furthermore, some respondents felt that there are not enough opportunities or resources to advertise for recruitment prior to the start of the school year.

Delayed Recruitment – All (Q# 50-61) In reviewing answers related to delayed recruitment, there seemed to be some confusion about the specific timeframe in which such a process would occur. Some survey responses alluded to or directly mentioned that delayed recruitment and deferred recruitment were viewed as the same process. However, the most commonly mentioned benefit was time for students to consider which organization they wanted to join. Other frequently mentioned benefits were better weather (not as hot/cold) and time to explore other options on campus. Many open-ended responses also mentioned that delayed would be preferential to deferred, but that fall would be best. The overwhelming disadvantage stated numerous times throughout the survey was a conflict with academic schedules during what would be proposed delayed dates. Due to the process taking place during the middle of the semester, many concerns were raised about impact on students’ preparation time for exams. When recruitment is conducted at the beginning of a semester, as in fall or deferred options, academic course work outside the classroom has not picked up to the point that it can be a major source of conflict. Other concerns that were mentioned included a decrease in interest from unaffiliated students due to other outside obligations and apprehensions about “dirty” or inappropriate recruitment activities occurring between the start of the school year and the structured recruitment period.

Deferred Recruitment – All (Q# 62-73) While a majority of the responses about benefits for deferred recruitment tended toward the “not at all” end of the evaluation spectrum, some benefits were mentioned and highlighted. An opportunity for students to get involved and build experiences in other organizations and areas of campus before bringing their honed talents to the Greek Community was shared as a benefit. Additionally, some mentioned that nonaffiliated members have time to learn about the “reputations” of organizations and that first year students would have more time to transition to a collegiate lifestyle. Disadvantages that were shared included: concern for difficult and frigid weather that would be hazardous to the health and safety of those attending events and needing to travel from facility to facility frequently, a lack of access to upper-class mentorship, challenges in working with members to secure housing assignments when a majority of students make commitments in the late fall, influences of biases, stereotypes, and rumors on a potential new members decision to join an organization, and concerns about declining retention rates for students who do not find a small community within their first semester.

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Alumni, Chapter Advisors, House Corporation Members – (Q# 74-90) Overall this group did not think there would be much benefit to moving to a deferred recruitment model. They were asked to provide their prediction of positive outcomes for academics, quality of membership, commitment to membership, safety of chapter activities, or preparations for recruitment; none of these elicited an overall feeling that there would be much positive impact. Most responses and trends were similar to what was found amongst undergraduate respondents. The spread of concerns for issues that may arise from a deferred recruitment model was the most even of any of the structured survey questions. From the alumni perspective, the most impactful concerns centered around negative impacts on chapter membership in addition to challenges presented for chapter and house corporation finances.

Additional Feedback – All (Q#91-98) Arguably the most important information shared in this survey can be found in the final open- ended questions that prompted respondents for any other thoughts about what would be necessary for Greek organizations to support significant change to the current structure. A few themes that appeared often throughout these responses included: a lack of information gathered to make a choice and shared with the larger community, impact of this decision on other student organizations, public support and respect from the University of the Greek Community, time to plan for a transition, need for more resources (marketing outlets, support staffing, financial). Ultimately, the most frequent response was a call for support and advocacy from the University. Many respondents felt that their participation and efforts as members or supporters of the Greek Community are not fairly or equally recognized by University staff or faculty. A number of emotional and passionate responses were shared and in reviewing this report, you are encouraged to view these responses as the most important data collected from the stakeholder survey.

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Pro and Con Table

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Limitations The original charge of the committee was to evaluate and examine Greek recruitment options that fit the needs of students, both current and future. Furthermore, logistical feasibility was also to be considered in the event that a change in the current recruitment structure is suggested. As the committee progressed through their original process and outline there was a quick realization that there would not be sufficient time to complete a comprehensive evaluation of all relevant information and options. With that in mind, the committee decided to limit their primary level investigation to the three recruitment models defined in the introduction of this document. As information gathering commenced and literature was compiled, limited articles and accounts were able to be retrieved as review time available for the committee in addition to other early semester duties of the committee chair provided formidable restrictions. As other articles and applicable documents were shared with the committee, those pieces too were reviewed and discussed during committee meetings. The review of articles ultimately served as a guide for creating both the institutional interview protocol and the stakeholder survey. The committee intended to interview institutions of higher education that were comparable to the University of Wisconsin – Madison, eventually creating a list of 17 peer institutions. This list focused on institutions that had similar missions, selectivity, academic ranking, and Greek populations. Of the original 17 institutions identified, the committee was able to conduct interviews with professionals from 11 schools. Although a larger sample size may have been better, the committee felt that the responses garnered from these 11 interviews provided adequate information about what other similar campuses may be doing and what UW-Madison could adapt or learn from their processes. Representation and committee structure was decided at the formation of the committee to include an individual from each area that was expected to be directly impacted by discovering answers to these questions. As the work of the committee progressed, it became clear that there could be additional areas to consider as well. The most prominent of these would be representation from the academic side, especially academic departments that work directly with Greek social organizations (e.g. CALS, Engineering). Overall, the committee was able to complete its assigned task of investigating basic information about how recruitment is conducted and what impact changes to the time of structured recruitment might have. However, in completing this task, many other challenges and limitations presented themselves and there is a lot more information that can be gathered and shared related to this topic. The limitations of this initial investigation indicate that there are likely missing supports in the scaffolding that would need to be built for a substantial shift in the timeframe that recruitment is conducted.

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Conclusions While the committee feels that it has been able to only touch the surface of this complex and layered inquiry, there is still much more to be known before a full understanding can be reached. It is apparent that many types of recruitment models exist and are successful for a number of different reasons. There are definitely improvements to be made in any recruitment process, but also inherent truths that must be acknowledged. Ultimately, there are equitable pros and cons in any model that is considered. As mentioned, any recruitment process has a few limitedly variable aspects that are factors for UW-Madison: - Time: Any form of recruitment will take a significant portion of time. There is no easy way to learn about a multitude of organizations and options available and for them to learn about a Potential New Member in a short period. Each council has a slightly different process, but all of them take at least a few weeks. The process will inevitably seem too long for some and too short for others.

- Study Abroad: The majority of UW students study abroad during the spring semester, 76.94% in the Spring 2013 semester. A majority of these students are also female, 71.04% in 2012-2013 (International Academic Programs Office Study Abroad Statistics Report, November 5, 2013).

Additionally, there are some interesting statistics that answer questions about health and safety of first- year students:

- Student Misconduct: Greek student misconduct cases occur at a rate representative of its size of the total student population. Number of Number of Undergraduate Number of Individuals Incidents by First Population (Fall Incidents Responsible Year Students 2013) Undergraduate Students 9,927 6,574 5,509 29,504 Greek Students 1,569 1,016 902 3,771 Percentage Greek 15.8% 15.5% 16.4% 12.8% 1: Undergraduate Misconduct 2011 - 2014 (Dean of Students Office, May 7, 2014)

- Alcohol Consumption: While intended Greek Students are drinking at a higher rate than non- intended Greek students during their first few weeks on campus, the increase between drinking prior to UW attendance and the first 45 days of UW enrollment in is similar between both groups (University Health Services - AlcoholEdu Data, April 2014). Ultimately students who intend to join Greek organizations are coming in with more troubling drinking than those not intending to join a Greek organization. This information also does not track how many of those students actual joined Greek organizations.

Furthermore, from the information gathered across all three levels of data analysis, it is clear that the challenge in improving the Greek Community centers not necessarily around a wholesale change, but a shift in conversations and beliefs. Many of the concerns expressed in the original charter that were necessary for investigation can/are being addressed with programs and collaborative efforts through the

30 |GRAC Report 2014 work of multiple campus areas, most prominently the Center for Leadership & Involvement (CfLI), University Health Services (UHS), and the Multicultural Student Center (MSC). These groups are continuing to collect information and provide education about alcohol use and/or abuse within the Greek Community, and providing ongoing training for chapter presidents and council leaders about best practices for risk management, recruitment, and other chapter operations. Additionally, programming specifically for cultural organizations reflecting on their purpose and actions hosted by the MSC in conjunction with CfLI have been highly reviewed and implemented on a semester basis. More specific to the concerns of recruitment, the committee found that a cultural and conversational shift in who is considered for recruitment is necessary. A majority of IFC and PHA organizations consider first-year students as the “lifeblood” of their organizations, especially when talking about recruitment. While first-year students definitely make up a large portion of new member classes, many organizations do not consider upperclassmen or put equal effort towards recruiting individuals who have been on campus for more than one or two semesters. There is work to be done here in focusing on upperclassmen not only for recruitment, but also for educational initiatives, continued development, active membership, and affinity for the organization and institution.

Recommendations First and foremost, the committee would like to point out that the inquiry conducted minimally addresses the full scale of recruitment for social fraternities and sororities at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Thus, the committee would recommend that if further change and discussion is to be had about recruitment and recruitment models, active and thorough steps be taken to include the Greek Community as whole and other constituencies that are to be affected. As mentioned in the Limitations section, consultation with academic areas and larger portions of the University Community would be expected. Similar to other large-scale changes, the committee would recommend focus groups and town hall meetings that assisted in outreach and collection of thoughts and ideas. One of the other large concerns that has been expressed throughout this process is the impact that any change would have on other student organizations. While fraternities and sororities are unique in many ways, at the end of the day, they are still student organizations. Thus, it is the committees belief, in conjunction with national organizations, and many community members, that membership in Greek student organizations should not be limited if the same restrictions are not applied to all registered student organizations on the campus. Many other large student groups on campus provide social and learning outlets for students in addition to charging dues and maintaining membership requirements. In the event that membership limitations are imposed on social Greek organizations, arguably they should apply to all student organizations. Many of the concerns and objections evaluated through this process would benefit from a stronger relationship between members of the Greek Community and the University as a whole. While partnerships are being built over time between individual organizations, community groups, academic departments, research centers, and student support services, the overwhelming feeling seems to be that there is a lack of support for the Greek Community. Accounting for approximately 13% of the undergraduate student body, membership in fraternities and sororities is nearly twice the population of students who study abroad, and is comparable to or larger than undergraduate enrollment in seven of

31 |GRAC Report 2014 the nine schools/colleges of the University. Yet the support and resources provided to this community lags well behind those offered to any of the previously mentioned groups. The committee sees opportunity for partnerships to be built and resources provided to further the support of the community in areas such as education, advisement, programming, promotion of accomplishments and events, and alumni engagement. In reviewing data points, conducting in-depth discussion, and listening to many different viewpoints, the committee recommends that current recruitment timelines for all councils remain the same. However, there is opportunity for the individual councils and organizations to reflect on and evaluate their own processes. This evaluation specifically should focus on a values-based recruitment model, active recruitment throughout the academic and calendar year, and a dedication to selecting the absolute best members. Greek organizations and members “promise to be better”; that promise needs to be fulfilled across all aspects of the Greek Community and there is ample opportunity for organizations to challenge and support each other in fulfilling that promise.

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APPENDICIES

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I. Recruitment Review Committee Roster

First Last Role Greek Affiliated India Anderson-Carter NPHC Representative yes Arturo Diaz MGC Representative yes Trevor Donahue IFC Representative yes Barb Kautz-Wittwer Committee Chair (Maternity Leave) yes Anne Lawrence House Corp. Representative yes Megan Pepper Graduate Intern yes TJ Sargent CfLI Representative/Interim Committee Chair yes Nancy Thayer-Hart OQI Facilitator no Claire Usher PHA Representative yes Chris Verhaeghe CFYE Representative no Troy Vossler Alumni Advisory Board Representative yes Phillip Werman University Housing Representative yes

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II. Bibliography of Document Review

Auburn University: Division of Student Affairs. (2011). A Review of Deferred Recruitment. Retrieved from https://cws.auburn.edu/studentaffairs/greekLife/ConMan_Uploads/files/Deferred_Recruitment _Report_II.pdf

DeBard, R., Lake, T., & Binder, R. S. (2006). Greeks and grades: The first-year experience. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 43 (1), 56-68.

Gallup. Fraternities and Sororities: Understanding Life Outcomes. (2014). Gallup-Purdue Index. Retrieved from http://thegallupblog.gallup.com/2014/05/fraternity-and-sorority- membership.html.

Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J.A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C. (2006). What matters to student success: A review of the literature. National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) Commissioned Paper.

Nelson, S. M., Halperin, S., Wasserman, T. H., Smith, C., & Graham, P. (2006). Effects of fraternity/sorority membership and recruitment semester on GPA and retention. Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity Advisors, 2 (1), 61-73.

Pascarella, E., Edison, M., Whitt, E., Nora, A., Hagedorn, L., & Terenzini, P. (1996). Cognitive effects of Greek affiliation during the first year of college. NASPA Journal, 33 (4), 242-259.

Pascarella, E., Flowers, L., Whitt, E. (2006). Research revisted: Cognitive effects of Greek affiliation during the first year of college: Additional Evidence. The Oracle, 2 (2), 117-132.

University of Georgia: Division of Student Affairs. (2005). A study on Greek recruitment. Retrieved from http://studentaffairs.uga.edu/assess/pdfs/2005_Greek_Recruitment_Study.pdf.

Woosley, S. (2003). How Important Are the First Few Weeks of College? The Long Term Effects of Initial College Experiences. College Student Journal, 37 (2), 201-207.

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III. Peer Institution Interview Protocol University Interview Protocol Please follow the following steps in order to set-up and conduct an interview(s) with your assigned university/universities. On the ‘University Interviews’ Spreadsheet/Google Doc, each university will have a contact person listed. If this person is unresponsive, please go to the website listed and try contacting an alternate staff person working in the area of Greek Life.

1. Email Contact (see ‘Initial Contact Email Template’ below) – to set up time to schedule phone interview 2. Once a time has been agreed upon, interviews should take ½ hour to 45 minutes. Please email your interviewee a copy of the ‘University Interview Questions’ Spreadsheet with questions that will be asked in the interview (see ‘Confirmed Date/Time Email Template’ below) 3. Please call Contact at agreed upon time/date. Please follow ‘Phone Interview Script’ below.

Initial Contact Email Template

Subject Line: Setting-up a Phone Meeting

Message:

Dear [Insert Institution’s Contact’s Name],

My name is [Insert Name] and I serve on the Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Our committee was developed to research different Greek Recruitment Models and demonstrate how each model could impact our University and Greek Communities.

We are hoping to learn from other university’s experiences by conducting interviews with similar institutions. We’d be happy to share our findings with you, when our interviews have concluded.

I’m wondering if we could find a time to set-up a phone interview. My best times/days are: [Insert times/days that work best for you]. Please let me know a time/date that is most convenient for you. We are hoping to finish interviews by March 1, 2014. I would also be happy to send you the questions in advance.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours truly,

[Insert Name & Position (if applicable)]

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Confirmed Date/Time Email Template:

Subject Line: Phone Meeting Date/Time Confirmation & Interview Questions

Message:

Dear [Insert Institution’s Contact’s Name],

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to have a phone meeting with you on [Insert date/time]. Is the best number to reach you at [Insert the number in the spread sheet]? Please let me know if you have an alternate number you’d like me to use. I will plan to call you, however my number is [Insert your phone number] in case we get cut off or run into issues connecting with one another.

Attached are the questions I’m planning to ask for your review. It is in a spread sheet format and has multiple sheets located on the bottom of the page and each sheet has a different category of questions. Please let me know if you have any trouble accessing the questions. I’m really looking forward to speaking with you about the [Insert Institution’s Name].

Thanks again for this opportunity!

Yours truly,

[Insert Name & Position (if applicable)]

Phone Interview Script:

Hello [Insert Institution’s Contact’s Name]. Thank you for taking time out of your day to speak with me. As I mentioned in my email, I serve on the Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Our committee was developed to look at different recruitment models and demonstrate how each model could impact our University and Greek Communities.

We are hoping to learn from your university today by conducting an interview about your campus and your experience with your campus’s recruitment model or models. We’d be happy to share our findings with you, when our interviews have concluded. Is receiving this information something you might be interested in? [Denote on ‘University Interview Questions’ spread sheet>> ‘Contact Information’ Sheet >> Column I]

Before we begin, I just wanted to invite you to feel free to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable sharing. If you’d like to skip or return to a question at a later point in the interview, just let me know.

[Ask questions from ‘University Interview’ spread sheet, please be sure to click on each sheet on the bottom of spread sheet]

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Those are all of the questions that I have for you today. Is there anything you’d like to add about your institution, your Greek Community, your Greek Recruitment Model(s) or any other questions that you feel we should be asking in future interviews with other institutions?

If our committee has any follow-up questions, would it be okay to contact you again?

It was great speaking with you today. Thank you again for giving me this opportunity. The information that you shared today has been extremely helpful and will be very beneficial to our committee.

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IV. Institutional Interview Data

Institutional Contact Information

Date of School Name Contact Name Title Interview Director of Greek Life/Panhellenic University of Michigan N/A Mary Beth Seiler Advisor Sharrell Hassell- The Ohio State University N/A Assistant Director, Ohio Union Goodman Coordinator of Sorority and Fraternity University of Texas-Austin N/A Marilyn Russell Life Michael Senior Assistant Director for Fraternity Indiana University N/A Goodman and Sorority Life Program Director, Office for Fraternity University of Minnesota 2/25/2014 Matt Levine and Sorority Life University of Missouri- N/A Julie Drury Senior Coordinator of Greek Life Columbia University of Colorado- Stephanie Coordinator for Greek Life and 2/19/2014 Boulder Baldwin Leadership Programs Pennsylvania State Assistant Director of Fraternity & 2/13/2014 Dina Liberatore University Sorority Life University of Georgia 3/4/2014 Elizabeth Pittard Advisor to the Panhellenic Council Director of Fraternity and Sorority University of Illinois - 3/19/2014 Ashley Dye Affairs Urbana Champaign and Assistant Dean of Students Colorado State University N/A Lindsay Sell Director Coordinator for Fraternity & Life, University of Iowa 2/20/2014 Leslie Schacht Center for Student Involvement & Leadership University of Nebraska- Linda 3/18/2014 UNL Office of Greek Affairs Lincoln Scwartzkopf Danielle C. Program Coordinator for Fraternity University of Virginia 3/26/2014 Driscoll and Sorority Life University of Washington 3/12/2014 David Hotz Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Purdue University 3/26/2014 Brandon Cutler Fraternity, Sorority, and Cooperative Life University of North Aaron 2/26/2014 Director Carolina-Chapel Hill Bachenheimer

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Institutional Greek Staffing and Structure School Name Where is Greek Life housed # of full time # of part time # of # of other in the University Structure? professionals professionals graduate types of staff staff University of Student Affairs - Assistant 2 Full Time No Part Time 1 1 10-15 Minnesota Dean of Students/Chief of (just added Staff hr/wk Staff (Changing soon with 2nd full time in student new Vice Provost) July) worker University of under Student Affairs - 0 1 1 Colorado- specifically Student Union/ Boulder Student Involvement Office Pennsylvania Student Affairs 3 0 1 2 staff State University assistants University of Reports to Dean of Students, 5; 1 Director 0 3 1 full-time Georgia housed within the Division of and 4 administrativ Student Life Professional e assistant Staff with specific council or housing duties University of Student Affairs --> Dean of 3: 1 Assistant None 3 1 Illinois -Urbana Students --> Fraternity and Dean and 2 Graduates: undergraduat Champaign Sorority Affairs Assistant duties e does social Directors range from media and advising website councils to updating. 1 planning full time programmi administrativ ng e assistant University of Division of Student Affairs, 2: 1 0 2 Iowa under Center for Student Coordinator, 1 Involvement and Leadership, Associate under Fraternity and Sorority Director Life University of Division of Student Affairs, 1 full-time 0 2 graduate student Nebraska- stand-alone office; direct coordinator for assistants volunteers Lincoln report for Vice Chancellor of Fraternity Life, Student Affairs full-time office manager University of Office of the Vice President of 3 full-time, ISC 1 office 1 2 student Virginia Student Affairs, Dean of & MGC, IFC & manager assistants Students Office, 1 of 5 office NPHC, Director within this structure oversees FSL and Student Activities

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School Name Where is Greek Life housed # of full time # of part time # of # of other in the University Structure? professionals professionals graduate types of staff staff University of Department within the 4; 1 Director, 3 0 0 1 Student Washington Division of Student Life; Assistant Assistant Department Director Directors, (undergradua however 1 is te student) shared with another department Purdue Student Affairs --> Dean of 4 0 0 5 University Students --> Student undergraduat Activities and Organizations e student Office --> Housed in the workers who Fraternity, Sorority, and do Cooperative Life Office administrativ e work in the office University of Similar to Purdue. Division of 3 currently 0 1 6 students North Carolina- Student Affairs just reports to looking for a Chapel Hill Deans Office 4th

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Institutional Statistics School Name Size of Student Men vs. In state vs. Out of State Population Women Population University of Minnesota 52,557 (Twin Cities 47.9% men / 30,887 in state / 12,582 out campus) approx. 51% women of state / 6,107 international 33,000 / 1.1% / 2,277 unknown undergraduate unknown University of Colorado-Boulder 23,000 undergrads slightly more 11,000 in state, 5,700 out men Pennsylvania State University 46,184 (University 58% men / not sure Park) 42% women University of Georgia 34,536 total, 26,278 ~43% men, unsure undergraduate ~57% women University of Illinois -Urbana 32,000 18,000 men Mostly in state, but didn't Champaign undergraduate vs 14,000 have exact numbers women University of Iowa 31,000 total 22,000 10,600 men 13,700 residents vs 11,900 undergrad vs 11,400 non-residents women University of Nebraska-Lincoln 19,376 10,438 men 79.2% in-state, 20.8% out- undergraduate vs. 8,838 state female University of Virginia 21,000 students, 55% female, 2/3 in-state, 1/3 out of state 15,000 45% male undergraduate University of Washington 44,000 total students ~51% 2/3 in-state, 1/3 out-state women, 49% (includes international) men Purdue University 40,000 total students; 16,843 men unsure 29,440 vs 12,597 undergraduate women students University of North Carolina- Total: 29,127 49.9%(7,696) Undergrad (82% In state, Chapel Hill Undgergrad:18,370 Men 58.1% 18% Out) Total(73%,27%) (10,673) Women

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# of # of Chapter Govern Houses # of # of Greek ance # of IFC # of PHC # of School Name (University or Multicultural other Population Councils Chapters Chapters NPHC Privately Chapters chapters present Owned) ?

31 privately 4 owned governi property. 2 1 ng 14 (3 University of chapters lease unaffiliat 2800 Student councils 28 associate 6 6 Minnesota University ed . NPHC members) space. 1 colony just university started leases space.

PHC, MGC, NPHC (affiliate with 2100 PHC + MGC); 100 MGC + University of 9 PHC chapter city- 1500 IFC 13% coloradoi 9 + 2 Colorado- houses based 8 0 0 Greek fc.org associate Boulder (privately) charters (men+wome versus n) instituti onal charters (mostly NPHC)

Pennsylvania 42 IFC chapter State ~6000 houses 4 50 21 12 5 University (estimate)

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# of # of Chapter Govern Houses # of # of Greek ance # of IFC # of PHC # of School Name (University or Multicultural other Population Councils Chapters Chapters NPHC Privately Chapters chapters present Owned) ? There are a few university- owned facilities in which a couple chapters ~26% of the reside, University of total student otherwise most 4 26 17 12 7 0 Georgia population of their chapter facilities are owned privately; ~40 privately- owned facilities.

60 of the 96 7 chapters have 4: Black culturally facilities that Greek based are privately Council, BGC: chapters University of owned, but do IFC, 19 NPC 9 (8 are Illinois - 7,796 last collaborate PHC, 49 and 7 UGC: 12 NPHC affiliated Urbana semester with university and associates and 1 with IFC Champaign by getting a United other) or PHC "certified Greek (included housing" Council in total designation numbers)

25 chapters with houses, none considered on University of 2500-3000 campus, 12 IFC 4 18 15 8 7 0 Iowa students chapters 13 PHC chapters, all privately owned

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# of # of Chapter Govern Houses # of # of Greek ance # of IFC # of PHC # of School Name (University or Multicultural other Population Councils Chapters Chapters NPHC Privately Chapters chapters present Owned) ? 33 chapters on campus, 3 considered off- campus; all are University of privately 3,576 Nebraska- owned and 4 24 15 4 8 51 students Lincoln operated, including the property they sit on and the facility 1 local 4,500 all privately- sorority University of students owned, 15 ISC, 4 32 16 8 7 looking Virginia (spring), 27 IFC for a 3,500 (fall) home PHC, IFC, NPHC, 4,000 3 United students, unaffiliat 50 chapter Greek IFC/PHA; ed University of facilities; all Council; 2,531 IFC, 32 18 12 6 sororities Washington privately 3 2,067 PHA; (used to owned sororitie 70 chapters be a part s that total of UGC) operate indepen dently

Approximately 4: IFC, 3 of PHC 50 chapter 5,429 PHC, chapters Purdue facilities that students last MGC, 41 20 10 7 are not University are owned by semester and NPC housing NPHC chapters corporations

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# of # of Chapter Govern Houses # of # of Greek ance # of IFC # of PHC # of School Name (University or Multicultural other Population Councils Chapters Chapters NPHC Privately Chapters chapters present Owned) ? 31 Greek Houses. (11 PHA, 20 IFC) All 4: IFC, are privately PHA, 11 8 owned either University of NPHC 23 Chapters. Chapt local house North Fall 2013: and Chapters. (1 14 Chapters. ers. cooperation or 0 Carolina- 3,156 Total GAC 1,168 Associate) 140 Members 55 by nationals. Chapel Hill (Greek Members 1,793 Memb Only one is Alliance Members ers lease. All Council) houses are with in 1/2-1 mile of school

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Around how many What is Greek involvement What is the Greek judicial cases does the with other Campus School Name Community's Judicial Greek Community Partners (orientation, Process? have each semester housing, union, etc.)? (fall & spring)?

Each council has own Orientation/1st year judicial process. Begin programs: working at in FSL Office and in Orientation, University collaboration with HQ. Housing: Panhellenic living Working with HQ to in residence halls as 2-3 a semester. provide specific overflow next year, lease Panhellenic has mainly organizational meetings spaces, Student seen recruitment sanctions. Working University of Unions: meeting space and cases. Matt is appeals with Student Activities Minnesota having organizations process through Areas, as well. If registered, Finalizing memo mediation. IFC has 10- Individuals involved, of agreement with 15 minor to they also go through Admissions. Alumni substantial. student conduct. Very Association: situational. Do best to Communicating with Greek give to national Alumni, Greek Life has organization to handle Greek Alumni Council. specific organization. mediation heavy, so 0 official cases; mediation includes Greek Life some "interest sessions"; University of (Stephanie); strong PHC invited to parent fair council by council Colorado-Boulder relationship with law orientation enforcement - students held accountable as individuals

Each council handles Panhellenic - 2; MGC Pennsylvania State their own judicial and NPHC - 0; IFC - University violations according to 10+ (unsure) their bylaws

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Around how many What is Greek involvement What is the Greek judicial cases does the with other Campus School Name Community's Judicial Greek Community Partners (orientation, Process? have each semester housing, union, etc.)? (fall & spring)?

They partner quite frequently with orientation and housing. They give a variety of presentations at Each council orientation sessions maintains their own throughout the summer to judicial process; both students and parents. follows the guidelines IFC sees the most out However, they do have a set forth by their of all of the councils, unique situation in which national council (if around 10 per year. they do not have to applicable). The PHA has low numbers advertise for recruitment. university does not University of Georgia that are mostly Most students that go handle any recruitment-related through the recruitment disciplinary measures issues. MGC and NPHC process at UGA plan on for Greek have low numbers as going Greek before arriving organizations on well. on campus. Women going campus, instead through PHA formal leaves that up to the recruitment are permitted students and their to move into UGA Housing advisors. one day early in order to start the recruitment process.

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Around how many What is Greek involvement What is the Greek judicial cases does the with other Campus School Name Community's Judicial Greek Community Partners (orientation, Process? have each semester housing, union, etc.)? (fall & spring)?

There are three different tiers that chapters can be placed on. Tier one would essentially be for minor infractions, tier 2 are for chapters that are on probation or potentially During admitted suspended on orientation, there is a Greek campus, and if put on University of Iowa unavailable tour that is optional for tier 3 your chapter has students to attend. nationals brought in for potential membership review or removal from campus. During a judicial hearing you are told which tier you will be placed on and when you can be potentially removed

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Around how many What is Greek involvement What is the Greek judicial cases does the with other Campus School Name Community's Judicial Greek Community Partners (orientation, Process? have each semester housing, union, etc.)? (fall & spring)? No overarching process for the entire Greek Community; have an honor system that is completely student-run, no staff Housing and orientation are involvement; Honor Spring is higher than housed within the Dean of Committee (lying, fall due to Students of Office, cheating, stealing), recruitment; ~12 University of Virginia collaborate quite a bit University Judicial combined in the fall, through programming and Committee (major ~30 combined in the events issues); IFC and ISC spring have their own judicial boards, however they often rely on the other judiciary committees on campus

Lots of involvement, housed in student union building, interact a lot with student activities office (unit within the student union; they advise NPHC PHC-follows standard quarter system; IFC (3- and United Greek Council), NPC process; IFC-7 4 cases a week, 100 not a lot of interaction with member Standards cases a school year); housing--however, ongoing Board, hearing body University of PHC most are relationship because for fraternity issues; Washington recruitment fraternities and sororities university refers all infractions, non- house freshmen (will behavioral problems recruitment no more refund deposits if freshmen and disciplinary than 6 a year join a chapter); 5 different actions to councils presentations during orientation, about 20 orientation sessions total, 3 student presentations, 2 parent presentations

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Around how many What is Greek involvement What is the Greek judicial cases does the with other Campus School Name Community's Judicial Greek Community Partners (orientation, Process? have each semester housing, union, etc.)? (fall & spring)? Each council has their own judicial board, which is not used much (she attributed it to not having many issues). Mostly used for council specific issues, like recruitment infractions. *NEW Loosely involved. Not very (AWESOME) involved with student PROCESS* the student They see housing since chapters have conduct office approximately 8-10 their own facilities. Councils (essentially CSO, but hearings through CSB and some chapters have called CSB) each semester (this office space on campus, coordinates with comes from all Purdue University which is through the Union. Greek life for issues councils). There hasn't Continuing to work on related to university been a significant relationship with the policy. One member difference noticed administration to get from each council between fall and involved with different meets weekly with spring. orientation programs CSB to determine if Greek violations should go to a hearing. At a hearing, there are 3 members of staff and 2 students and the 2 students are members of Greek life, specifically the council involved in the hearing NPHC (1 a year) GAC ( Mostly involved with other Each council has their 2 a semester) mostly departments. Have many own J Board. Some intake infractions so orientation leaders and are hearings and either medication or housing RAs. The office others are mediations. hearing. IFC (15 a University of North does partner with others on Office provides semester relation to Carolina-Chapel Hill move in and Fall Fest and oversight and training hazing or alcohol. 2-3 have a welcome to Greek for the students. Also on other topics) PHA life program. Big on work with office of (8-15 in Fall for Partnerships with other student conduct if recruitment, 2-3 a campus departments. needed year alcohol)

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What systems are in place to What does Greek New Member Programming School Name hold chapters accountable entail from the councils/university? academically?

Alcohol EDU (all UM students must complete) Greek EDU for new Greek members. 100% completion. Large scale new member education program. Will be separating IFC/Panhellenic seminars in the future. Cover: Partner with SA prevention, women's health. Healthy Registering with student union University of relationships, mental health, risk management and activities. Inclusive language Minnesota program, community layout, risk management in creed. process, PR/Marketing, professional development in various aspects. Panhellenic is also creating some Alumni Training workshops. MGC will be more support focuses due to less incident and personal development.

MGC: each charter signs "registered fraternal organization" agreement, hazing/risk no issue; most chapters at or management workshop required; death on above all-women's average; University of campus 10 years ago; PHC: live-in house director semester grade checks = Colorado- required; deferred recruitment but numbers chapters/members required to Boulder plummeted. Now PHC chapters can achieve release grades, but nothing to "accreditation" status that allows them to recruit hold them accountable for not 1st semester (but NOT before school starts, doing that rather 30 days after freshmen move-in)

Pennsylvania Each Council is in charge of their own new None State University member programming

Each council handles their own new member Chapters have their own education programming. Some will collaborate individual stipulations and University of with one another; however some councils will requirements. The university Georgia choose to hold each chapter accountable and councils do not hold anyone individually to complete this programming to a specific academic standard. requirement.

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What systems are in place to School Name What does Greek New Member Programming hold chapters accountable entail from the councils/university? academically?

IFC has a chapter minimum of 2.75. BGC and UGC have a There is no NME programming from the office chapter minimum of 2.5. PHA because there are too many new members to do has no chapter minimum, as it is University of it logistically. They believe it is the role of the not allowed by NPC. The All Illinois -Urbana chapters to educate and orient new members. Greek Average is consistently Champaign BGC and UGC do a brief programming about higher than the All Campus Greek Life, but do not cover topics like alcohol or Average. IFC, UGC, and PHA are hazing. consistently above averages, with PHA being the strongest. BGC still needs improvement. For new members, there are 2 2-hour lectures to attend. The first is an alcohol awareness lecture and the second lecture is how to represent your fraternity/sorority appropriately on campus. New If your chapter does not fall members are also required to complete an online above the all men's average for University of educational session on alcohol awareness as well. fraternities or all women's Iowa To continually educate these members, every average for sororities, then your member of the Greek community is required to chapter will be placed in the tier attend one out-of-house and one in-house one portion of Greek Life educational event. Your chapter not fulfilling this requirement each semester could potentially put you on tier 1 of the judicial process. they do a new member summit in the fall for all the new PHA and IFC members; last few years before classes even start, weekend before classes start, couple of hours; talks about what it means grade point averages are to be Greek, what they can expect from their new incredibly high compared to member experience, what a new member non-Greek students, IFC chapter University of program should look like, what it shouldn't look gpa needs to be above all-men's Nebraska- like, transitions to college; MGC NPHC --> require gpa; women's gpa is all above a Lincoln everyone going through intake have a meeting 3.0' chapters there naturally with a staff member within Greek Affairs, focus on academics, first- chapters need to include staff member with their priority, culture that has intake programming, focuses on hazing; first-year developed overtime and transition program has a program mid- semester on transition, encourage all new members to attend

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What systems are in place to What does Greek New Member Programming School Name hold chapters accountable entail from the councils/university? academically?

Councils have individual new member programming processes; ISC puts together a 4- part speaker series, NPC Area Advisor (Ritual of Meet with chapters of concern; Reality), individual that speaks about what it however do not necessarily means to be a part of a values-based struggle with this. GPAs are University of organization, educate about the other 4 councils typically higher than a 3.0 (more Virginia and their values, risk management; IFC puts in the 3.3-3.5 range). together a 4-5 hour program for new members, Expectation is that they are watch HAZE and talk about engaging in safe following their national chapter behaviors, drinking responsibly; NPHC and MGC policy. bring in members of other councils to talk about new member processes Councils put on a New Member Day at the beginning of the year; university does require fraternities and sororities to host some sort of substance abuse and sexual violence Not on the university level, University of programming (fall quarter, 80% attendance of councils do have stipulations; Washington entire chapter); up to each fraternity and sorority only if they fall below a 3.0 (IFC) to plan themselves, only if they are participating in university recognition program (recognition allows them access to members grades, chapter GPA, housing refunds, etc.) NPHC and MGC have a GPA standard that all chapters must reach. If they don't, they can't New Member Orientation for all councils. There is vote. PHA and IFC do not have typically a speaker and then breakouts led by that standard. Typically see the Purdue student leaders. Typically cover topics like hazing All Sorority GPA above the All University and alcohol education. MGC and NPHC also have Women's GPA. Typically see the their own neophyte induction, which teaches All Fraternity GPA below the All them more about their councils. Men's GPA. Overall, the All Greek Average is below the All Campus Average. Two policies. 1) Chapters must Each council is different. IFC has a new member have a 2.7 GPA to be recognized series. 4 programs that have speakers and University of by school either recent semester expectation workshops also focus on hazing and North Carolina- or cumulative. 2) Performance sexual prevention. PHA Similar but one day long Chapel Hill based recruitment. Must have a conferences also focus on health and wellness. 3.0 GPA to intake 1st year 1st GAC had a retreat and NPHC varies. semester students.

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PHC Recruitment Model/Timing (include Multicultural # of rounds and days, Greek Org Class difference in #'s Recruitment offered/ NPHC IFC Recruitment between fall and Model/Timing related to School Name Recruitment Model/Timing spring, # of bids not (if different joining a Model/Timing received, retention for different fraternity rate during new chapters, /sorority? member process, and please note) retention rate overall) Some alumni think recruitment should be before school begins. Focus on the first 2 weeks of formalized recruitment period, but Just split. Just split. it's "loosely formal Primarily Primarily recruitment." This year spring spring looking at 2 weeks of recruitment. recruitment. structured recruitment Not a lot of Not a lot of vs a couple of days. fall. #s are low fall. #s are low Similar to Iowa model. First 2 weeks of school. in in Timing will be first Starts Labor Day when organizations. organizations. couple of weeks. students come back Aren't Aren't Challenge with before University of right after orientation. applying early applying early school with move in/out No. Minnesota Work around football enough to be enough to be date is Labor day schedule. Very formal. eligible for fall eligible for fall weekend. Hard time 11 7 5 3 rounds. Most recruitment. recruitment. getting settled in get 1st / 2nd choice. Greek Life is Greek Life is houses. Could be pushing to pushing to moving to Greek move to fall. move to fall. Organization Fair to Recruit a lot Recruit a lot teach them about of of recruitment, bids. juniors/senior juniors/senior Working on building s. s. relationships and have set Greek general recruitment meetings in Residence Halls in collaboration with University Housing.

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PHC Recruitment Model/Timing (include Multicultural # of rounds and days, Greek Org Class difference in #'s Recruitment offered/ NPHC IFC Recruitment between fall and Model/Timing related to School Name Recruitment Model/Timing spring, # of bids not (if different joining a Model/Timing received, retention for different fraternity rate during new chapters, /sorority? member process, and please note) retention rate overall)

unaffiliated with the campus (because of not not no; but University of Gordy Bailey death) but if accredited (all necessarily necessarily PHC Colorado- it is structured chapters are) 30 days recruiting recruiting orientatio Boulder (administration wants after freshmen move-in every every n required IFC to re-affiliate with semester semester University)

Most Councils Fall Formal, sometimes offer Pennsylvania each semester each semester Each semester, first 5 delayed depending on some kind State as needed, as needed, weeks football and Jewish of University delayed delayed holidays Orientatio n or Info Session Very informal, Registration is Fully structured fall no overall mandatory for men that recruitment that council are planning to go follows NPC guidelines coordination. through recruitment. and regulations. Individual No, not However, process is Includes Check-in and chapters outside of rather informal. Does Orientation, as well as handle tabling the include house tours 4 different rounds. and informatio which are not Similar to University of Round 1-PNMs visit all informationals n sessions mandatory if an multicultural Georgia 17 chapters, Round 2- as they see fit. conducted individual accepted a bid organizations. PNMs can attend up to Some have throughou before recruitment 12, Round 3-PNMs national t student events start in the fall. attend up to 6 guidelines orientatio Fraternities can start chapters, Round 4 that do not n. extending bids (Preference Round)- permit them throughout the summer, PNMs attend up to 3 to recruit first- as well as hold summer chapters. semester recruitment events. freshman.

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PHC Recruitment Model/Timing (include Multicultural # of rounds and days, Greek Org Class difference in #'s Recruitment offered/ NPHC IFC Recruitment between fall and Model/Timing related to School Name Recruitment Model/Timing spring, # of bids not (if different joining a Model/Timing received, retention for different fraternity rate during new chapters, /sorority? member process, and please note) retention rate overall)

No Year-round informal Fully structured fall coordination. recruitment. Only real recruitment. Happens Informal. Any rule is that you must after classes starts on 2 NALFLO recruit students from consecutive weekends. chapters can't Illinois and there is no The weekend varies recruit first No. She alcohol allowed at depending on different semester has only recruitment events. scheduling events freshmen. Same as UGC: heard of There is a social alcohol (weeks 1-3 of classes), Anecdotally, no University of that at ban that starts a week but will hold the top coordination. Illinois - Ohio State before classes and recruitment on home academic No Urbana and it continues for the first 3 football games. Use a 4 chapters recruitment of Champaign pertains weeks of classes (no round model with open recruit first first semester strictly to events with alcohol). house being 2 days and semester freshmen. NPHC Higher recruitment seen Bid Day on a Monday freshmen (she members. in the fall (about 1000) evening. Calculate total noted that and lower numbers in as soon as bids are most of these the spring (about 200). distributed and COB organizations IFC does marketing can start immediately are Asian- through tabling events. after that. interest groups).

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PHC Recruitment Model/Timing (include Multicultural # of rounds and days, Greek Org Class difference in #'s Recruitment offered/ NPHC IFC Recruitment between fall and Model/Timing related to School Name Recruitment Model/Timing spring, # of bids not (if different joining a Model/Timing received, retention for different fraternity rate during new chapters, /sorority? member process, and please note) retention rate overall)

10 days of formal recruitment at the beginning of the fall semester, each day Year-round informal there is a new round recruitment, one week and a new opportunity of formal recruitment in to visit a new sorority the fall, for formal chapter house. This recruitment bids can be University of seems like a highly handed out on that No Iowa regulated formal Friday of that week, process like the UW: informal process in the women are not spring, up to fraternity allowed to be seen when you would like to with other fraternity hand out bids, members, not allowed to be seen over the weekend of rush out on the town.

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PHC Recruitment Model/Timing (include Multicultural # of rounds and days, Greek Org Class difference in #'s Recruitment offered/ NPHC IFC Recruitment between fall and Model/Timing related to School Name Recruitment Model/Timing spring, # of bids not (if different joining a Model/Timing received, retention for different fraternity rate during new chapters, /sorority? member process, and please note) retention rate overall) IFC refers to their recruitment model as year-round recruitment, No, tossed university has an on- around campus live-in the idea requirement; chapters of can petition the creating a university to be granted student approved housing organizati status; have to agree to on for abide by university students loosely housing regulations; 20 that are fully-structured, prior structured, chapters that can house interested to start of school, not a first-year members; in PNMs move in the structured Greek Preview MGC/NPH week before classes recruitment (fraternity and sorority C groups; move in, move in on period, have edition) first time also University of Monday, halls open to parameters as fraternities can host an tossed Nebraska- general student to when they event for high school around Lincoln population on can recruit, students (now); next the idea Thursday; 5 rounds (2 have opportunity is Saturday, of having open rounds, 2 mandatory April 12th, can host an a group invitation rounds, paperwork; open house before or that are preference round, bid meetings are after spring game; kicks interested day) extremely into gear after in joining beneficial commencement an IFC weekend; applications chapter are released after then that didn’t and chapters can start pledge in contacting prospective the members; loosely summer structured throughout but may the summer and rest of still be the year, will mostly interested pledge throughout the summer

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PHC Recruitment Model/Timing (include Multicultural # of rounds and days, Greek Org Class difference in #'s Recruitment offered/ NPHC IFC Recruitment between fall and Model/Timing related to School Name Recruitment Model/Timing spring, # of bids not (if different joining a Model/Timing received, retention for different fraternity rate during new chapters, /sorority? member process, and please note) retention rate overall) Start the second week of Have to go Have to go classes in January, 2 through through weeks long, have open Starts the weekend intake intake houses, unstructured, before classes in the guidelines and guidelines and new members visit Spring, fully structures dates with dates with University of chapters they want to 10-day long process, representative representative No Virginia visit, invites rotate with have to take a break s in the Greek s in the Greek no contact days, Bid Day with the first 3 days of Life Office, Life Office, is usually the first classes. Scheduled so covers all new covers all new Saturday of February. Bid Day is on MLK day. member member Council sets the dates events. events. and manages risk. Completely open model, no restrictions; can Rely a lot on recruit whoever they high visibility NPC fully structured want whenever they tabling on recruitment, no frills want. Start recruiting in campus, some Follow recruitment; 4 rounds, the summer, some as evidence of national 2 weeks before school early as April. Not events on standards on starts; 700 women unusual for fraternities campus, no first-term participate in to have high school informationals freshman; recruitment; PHA seniors accept bids ; vary quite a tabling for houses 250-300 before graduation. bit, some will visibility; University of women from out-of- Individual bids take and informationals No Washington state to go through correspond to the won't take 1st ; don't see a recruitment in campus number of beds they semester lot of housing; local have in their house. freshman; evidence on- participants drive back Recruitment events over average campus of and forth from home the summer, when around 18-20 their to go through others come in for members; 3 recruitment recruitment; Bid Day orientation. However, unaffiliated efforts they move directly into end up primarily sororities the chapter facility drawing from the same used to be a population (Seattle, part of UGC metro area).

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PHC Recruitment Model/Timing (include Multicultural # of rounds and days, Greek Org Class difference in #'s Recruitment offered/ NPHC IFC Recruitment between fall and Model/Timing related to School Name Recruitment Model/Timing spring, # of bids not (if different joining a Model/Timing received, retention for different fraternity rate during new chapters, /sorority? member process, and please note) retention rate overall) 17 chapters (NPC) participate in formal recruitment, while the other 3 do continuous recruitment. Recruitment begins the first weekend after Intake (no classes begin. Mostly open events). first semester Participate in freshmen going "Meet the through recruitment. Greeks." No Fall and Spring Not Participate in "Meet first semester recruitment. Fall is more consistent. the Greeks." Just raised freshmen and popular. Allowed to Participate in total to 139, so more many don't Not for recruit first semester "Meet the chapters will be take freshmen new freshmen. Most also Greeks." participating in COB at all. Mostly members, participate in spring, but Some this spring. They have 4 see however have smaller pledge chapters do Purdue rounds of recruitment. sophomores, there is a classes. Council tries to intake and University Open house takes 2 juniors, and class publish event lists for some do days, so is typically seniors joining based on easy access for continuous held on a Saturday and their leadership freshmen. Not recruitment. Sunday. 2nd rounds: organizations. for Greek structured. Participate in All but one women can go to a They have not members. "Meet the Greeks" chapter takes maximum of 13 seen this tabling event, which IFC first semester chapters, so it also delayed relies heavily on. freshmen. takes 2 days, which recruitment typically spans late effect the Friday and all day performance Saturday. 3rd rounds: of NPHC maximum of 8 members. chapters, which is done on Sunday. Pref round: maximum of 3 chapters and is held the Monday. Bid day on Tuesday.

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PHC Recruitment Model/Timing (include Multicultural # of rounds and days, Greek Org Class difference in #'s Recruitment offered/ NPHC IFC Recruitment between fall and Model/Timing related to School Name Recruitment Model/Timing spring, # of bids not (if different joining a Model/Timing received, retention for different fraternity rate during new chapters, /sorority? member process, and please note) retention rate overall) University of Fall semi-formal, have Fall 2-weeks after class Have meet Usual NPHC Class only North info sessions and kick fully structured. About the Greeks. polices after Carolina- off. It is early in the 4-5 days. 4 rounds over Each group joining. 1) Chapel Hill semester starts the labor day weekend. can recruit if Through week after class. Last Open House first 2 they want. Business 10-12 days. All do fall days, 1st preference Very few in school recruitment. Some may round, 2nd. COB starts the fall about and do 2nd fall recruitment. in spring Total is 167. 4-5 chapter Presidents Spring same as fall but mostly the only. 2) only about 15-16 spring. Greek chapter participate. Emerging leaders rising 2nd/3rd years.

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Question for Fall Recruitment Institutions ONLY Why does your institution continue to have fall recruitment? Why doesn't it switch to deferred School Name recruitment?

Not picking fight with NIC. It's not worth it. Believes chapters should be recruiting 365 days a year. University should be supporting and teaching how to do it appropriately. Deferred recruitment drives University of dirty recruitment underground, in houses, apartments, off campus facilities. It's not worth it. Easier to Minnesota keep tabs in early beginning. IFC feels strongly about removing alcohol from recruitment. IFC infractions are minimal to none because they jump right into recruitment. University of because it's a large state university (with many out-of-state students and legacies) the Greek community Colorado- can really help 1st semester freshmen (formative) Boulder Pennsylvania Not something that we've considered…if a student can join the football team in the first semester, they State should be able to join a fraternity or sorority University Fall recruitment is really what fits their institution best. Individuals that choose to go through the recruitment process often already know this before getting to campus. Therefore, fall recruitment cuts University of down on rule violations and bid promising issues. Additional time would just give chapters and Potential Georgia New Members more time to communicate and develop judgments of one another that they really try to avoid throughout the recruitment process. In her 8 years at U of I, nobody has ever questioned fall recruitment because they see the benefits to University of joining a Greek organization. Another huge component would be how it would affect housing. Illinois - Additionally, she has seen that at universities that have deferred recruitment that so many resources of Urbana the chapters and the councils are put into following contact rules with PNMs that it limits the Champaign programming and benefits that being part of a Greek organization offers. looked at changing it 30-40 years ago, is a model that works well for them; have great partnerships to University of other university departments, very sensitive to other welcome week events, new student activities, been Nebraska- able to work it out with colleges that have new student activities and events; benefits to having Lincoln upperclassmen role models Tradition for the institution and west-coast schools; institution is very hands-off in how students choose University of to recruit their members; public institution (freedom of association), institution wouldn't touch it Washington because it would be a freedom of association issues Purdue had deferred recruitment about 10 years ago, but switched back to fall recruitment. She did not have information about how long they did deferred recruitment. She believes the reason they went back to fall recruitment was that Greek Life is seen as a great opportunity for students and if a student can Purdue join other student organizations as a first semester freshman, why shouldn't they be able to join a Greek University organization? They also believe that the programming put in place by chapters will help new students adjusting to college life. There hasn't been a consideration of switching to deferred recruitment again because there hasn't been anyone calling for it. University of Board of Trustees have brought it up 3 times in the last 15 years but have not made a change. Do not North switch because of Strong displeasure from Alumni and the National Partners. Do not want to hurt those Carolina- relations. Have their own data on how Greeks do as well or better in grades. The benefits out way the Chapel Hill cost of switching. They are a public campus. They do not require other orgs to delay.

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Questions for Deferred Recruitment Institutions ONLY How many underground When was How do you prohibit recruitment deferred underground School What are the What are the activities/events recruitment recruitment Name benefits? cons? take place in fall implemented activities/events in the (estimate #)? Do and why? fall? they include alcohol? drop in University numbers, even no alcohol; 4 of closed a rounds of PHC 10 years ago Colorado chapter; too recruitment (less no social events with because of - Boulder none cold in the than one week alcohol present 30 days student spring to do Friday orientation after bid day death Rush (had to to Wednesday bid

rent buses to go day) house to house) Councils will do quite a Allows for students to bit of preventative get acquainted on Difficult to work during the fall grounds and forge break semester prior to Ones that are good relationships stereotypes and recruitment, also brought to their Implemented without the influence deal with started doing a little in attention are in 2000, of FSL. Able to have individuals that the spring. Self- usually those that university's friends outside of their are only governance leads to appear in front of objective is own chapter that they interested in expectation that judicial board, 6- University to have a may not have particular students will take care 10 throughout the of wholistic, otherwise had they chapters. Can of these issues. Office fall semester, Virginia connected gone through cause counsels student tends to be a first-year recruitment their first competitiveness leaders through group of second experience in semester freshman . No handling the situation year students the residence year. Also can get accountability rather than doing instead of the halls involved with other for those that anything themselves. whole chapter, all activities. Get to figure commit Office is most include alcohol. out what each violations in the concerned with the fraternity and sorority fall. health and well-being is like. of the individuals involved.

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Questions for Deferred Recruitment Institutions ONLY Do you feel Do you feel deferred Do you feel deferred About how recruitment deferred Any advice for recruitment many How many positively or recruitment institutions switching positively or School recruitment students do negatively positively or negatively from Fall to Spring Name infractions not receive impacts the negatively impacts the Recruitment? occur in the bids? amount of impacts size of your fall? behavioral student's Greek issues/judicial academics? Community? complaints? deferred recruitment is terrible; if done not many, University PHC has correctly - first of gotten a lot unmatched: semester experience Colorado better at 36 (out of can be formative and - Boulder educating. 1054 who neutral negatively negatively positive; deferred

Mostly start the recruitment leads to timing process) "informal"/dirty violations 1 recruitment which is or 2 days more dangerous

Feels it is difficult for freshman to make connections at an Women-- institution with over those that Feel that intentionally No, average 5,000 incoming first- they have single- sorority GPA year students without more people preference; is 3.4, a niche like fraternity that choose over 20% average to go and sorority intentionally Have more fraternity through membership; does None single- time to find GPA is 3.25 recruitment not necessarily University outside of preference, themselves regardless of because of underground 8%-10% are and figure out semester. recommend the they have a Virginia recruitment not initially who they are; Office tracks change; logistical semester activities. matched; repeat new issues; financial issues under their however offenders member are a concern. belt. Difficult they do GPA before for second Difficult to plan for hand- and after and third the full year regarding match. joining an year chapter facilities and Men--24 organization. students. usually do chapter membership, not receive are not able to plan ahead of time.

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VI. Town Hall Meeting Minutes

Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee Town Hall Meeting Minutes Thursday, April 17, 2014; 6-7pm Lowell Center, Room B1 A/B

TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator  Introduction of himself and Megan Pepper, a Greek Graduate Advisor that serves on the committee and will be helping to compile the final report  Explanation of the format of the meeting o TJ and Dean Helmkamp will go through the context of the situation, including where it started, where we are at currently, and where it is going o Then will move into a Q&A portion . When asking a question, be sure to stand up, state your name, and describe your role in or connection to the Greek Community, prior to asking the question ______

Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students  Introduction of himself  Description of what situation prompted the formation of the Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee o Group grew out of a situation last year when sorority recruitment period overlapped with Jewish holidays o Panhellenic Association engaged with the Dean of Students Office o Panhellenic Association was able to work the situation out with the Dean of Students Office, however it still raised other concerns and questions for members of the Dean of Students Office o Overall, they had concerns with Greek recruitment . Quickly taps into freshmen students and their first moments on campus . Given that Greek organizations are values-based, question whether or not the selection process was fair to the Greek Community . When looking to match an individual with a values-based organization, is this plausible for someone just out of high school? . Is there a better way to do this? o Proceeded to put together a group of staff and students in order to collect information to help answer some of these questions; wanted to engage students and staff for this research and project o Does not know what the individual selection process was like for each unit asked to join the committee o Asked for them to conduct research of scholarly literature, look at similar institutions, and find what the impact of these models are on the Greek Community and its current stakeholders o Final report will be submitted some time during the middle to end of May or early June o Want to look at various recruitment models, the pros and cons of each, and whether or not there is a better process than the one that is currently in place o Until they receive the final report, they are not leaning any specific way

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TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator  Description of layers of research o Literature review o Peer institution interviews . Including both Big 10 institutions, as well as larger public institutions o Stakeholder input (impact analysis survey) o Have now added another layer involving this Town Hall Meeting  Committee has decided to look into 3 different models of recruitment, including fall recruitment, delayed recruitment, and deferred recruitment  The Committee has also come up with 7 core ideas that they will be comparing with the 3 different recruitment models in order to come up with pros and cons  The 7 core ideas include o Academic performance o High-risk behaviors and conduct incidents (alcohol use, sexual assault, hazing, etc.) o Strong affinity for the institution (both undergraduate and alumni) o Student involvement (pluralistic view) o Mental health o Social skills o Housing and community living ______

Question and Answer Portion  Callen Raveret, chapter member (Theta Chi) o Q: What will be done with the final report?  TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator o A: Report will be compiled summarizing all of the Committee’s findings; it will look similar to an academic or scholarly research project; will draw conclusions based on the findings and include limitations, as well as ideas for further research; the final report will then be sent to the Dean of Students Office for review  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: The office will then take the information in the final report and re-engage with members of the Greek Community

 Sarah Neibart, chapter member (Chi Omega) o Q: Spoke with Nancy Lynch about the situation earlier. Can you clarify what it means when she said the committee delegated authority to Dean Berquam to make the final decision?  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: The committee decided the way in which they wanted to operate; decided to give Dean Berquam the ability to make the final decision regarding their findings; Dean Berquam will not make this decision lightly  TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator o A: Another concern with this situation involves timelines; if a change were to take place, the earliest anything would be instituted is Fall of 2016

 Dan O’Keefe, chapter member o Q: Will Greek councils be given any input in the final decision?  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: Dean Berquam would engage with the Greek Community after reading the information in the report; other agencies would be interested in the findings as well,

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including the academic community; would most likely return back to the Greek Community and ask what they think the report says

 Fred Mohs, Greek Alumni (Chi Psi) o Q: Believes and suggests that the Dean Berquam should be here for a meeting like this, especially out of respect for all the members of the community that are present; believes that freshmen students can make the decision to join a Greek organization, especially due to the type of students that are accepted at this institution  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: Respectfully disagrees; he meets with Dean Berquam every week to discuss situations like these; Dean Berquam is not stiffing this community; Dean Helmkamp was invited specifically to the meeting tonight to discuss this situation and engage with members of the Greek Community

 David Zeitlin, chapter president (Tau Kappa Epsilon) o Q: Still feels in the dark about the situation. Can you shed light on the preliminary findings of the Committee?  TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator o A: Seeing pros and cons across all different models; approximately 30% of institutions that the Committee interviewed are conducting deferred recruitment, while the remainder conduct recruitment in the fall semester; there is no perfect solution to any of the pieces that are being discussed; survey results show strong opinions within the community which will be included in the final report

 Brandon Gentile, chapter president (Pi Kappa Alpha) o Q: If Greek recruitment is deferred, is the university going to defer recruitment for all student organizations within the university? There are a lot of different organizations out there and Wisconsin constantly pushes students to get involved and contribute to a diverse community.  Kevin Helmkamp, Assoociate Dean of Students o A: Hopes that the Committee addresses the processes of other student organizations and whether or not to defer recruitment for all student organizations; believes that Greek organizations are different due to lifelong membership and values; questions whether or not freshmen students have the ability to make that kind of commitment, or are they joining the organization for stereotypes and what they know before coming to college? Overall, the Committee needs to address the way other student organizations recruit as well

 Dan Troutman, chapter member (Phi Gamma Delta) o Q: What are the specific pros and cons for each model?  TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator o A: Have not come up with a specific list at this point; have a Committee meeting coming up next Friday in which the list will be compiled for the final report; many are very similar to what you would expect, including weather and logistics, academic commitments, ability to transition to the institution, mentorship and fellowship; no model has a list of all pros or all cons

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 Callen Raveret, chapter member (Theta Chi) o Q: Will the minutes from the meeting and the final report be available to all students? How were invitations sent out for the committee? Can you clarify some of the specific deadlines? How were the representatives for the Committee chosen?  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: Yes, they will be posted to the Greek Life website (greeklife.wisc.edu)  TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator o A: Looked to create the Committee within the deadlines they were given; in order to fill those spots, there were 24-hour turn-arounds; wanted to bring in alumni members from the Greek Community, as well as other stakeholders on campus; there are 4 current student representatives on the Committee, including Trevor Donahue (IFC), Claire Usher (PHA), Tito Diaz (MGC), and India Anderson-Carter (NPHC); started by reaching out to Council Executive Boards, as many of those individuals have great knowledge and understanding of the community; if they did not hear from those individuals, they proceeded to individuals at the chapter level

 Sarah Neibart, chapter member (Chi Omega) o Q: Have made contact with 2 members of an academic advisory committee. They had never heard of this committee. Can you clarify why they have not heard of it? Additionally, has the Dean of Students Office considered this action as possibly infringing upon fraternities’ and sororities’ freedom of association?  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: Met with the committee to make sure they were briefed on this situation based on the nature of the feedback they were receiving from the Greek Community; Dean of Students Office has not considered this action as possibly infringing upon fraternities’ and sororities’ freedom of association; has asked for input from members of the Greek Community; Dean of Students Office consults frequently with the legal office on campus; continues to return to the question of whether or not there is a better way of going about Greek recruitment processes; hoped that the action would be applauded at a research institution such as UW-Madison; the idea of a university is to embrace challenging yourself and asking tough questions; there is no predetermined conclusion; simply asking is there a better way to do this? If there is, it may be in everyone’s best interest

 David Zeitlin, chapter president (Tau Kappa Epsilon) o Q: Can we expect to have another meeting like this in the fall to engage with the findings? How is it the responsibility of the Division of Student Life to do an in-depth look at Greek Community recruitment processes? Should be the responsibility of the individual organizations. Is this a recruitment concern or a conduct concern?  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: Yes, we can have another meeting like this in the fall; there is a connection here, the Dean of Students Office has an interest and connection to what is going on here; when something goes wrong within the university community, the Dean of Students Office is the first to get contacted by outside individuals such as students’ parents; therefore, they have a vested interest in working with the community and other stakeholders on campus; Dean of Students Office looks at it as a 2-way street; there are concerns about whether or not individuals join organizations for what they know about them prior to coming to college; is this the best way to find members?; cleaning house means that organizations had members that should not be in the organization; this approach is proactive rather than reactive; if there is a way to be proactive so that Greek organizations can avoid conduct

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situations, it may be a better choice; is it doable here at UW-Madison, we do not know yet

 Richard Batzler, chapter member (Chi Psi) o Q: It was stated that Jewish holidays started this process initially. Who exactly had concerns? What are they based on? What resources did you consult before deciding to form the committee? Is this the best way to collect information on this topic for the community?  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: Primary explanation would be a combined experience of 50 years in higher education; had questions and it seemed reasonable to ask them; Committee was formed to understand the situation better; Committee was in charge of the way in which it wanted to go; important to have these conversations, however, it would take an extremely long time to have interactions with all individuals

 Emilie Klos, Panhellenic Association Vice President-External Recruitment (Delta Delta Delta) o Q: Finances are a large concern, especially in being able to keep up chapter facilities and the organizations in general. Will these concerns be taken into consideration? Additionally, if a change is made, how will organizations be helped in working through these issues?  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: Would speculate that when it comes to finances, the Committee would look at whether or not it is an area of concern in comparison to education of students and academic mission

 Riley Sexton, chapter member (Sigma Alpha Epsilon) o Q: Important to make a decision that is right for Wisconsin. Is it possible to include in the final report a chapter-by-chapter assessment of how a change would affect and work for individual organizations?  TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator o A: Believe we received a lot of that feedback from the open-ended questions in the survey; important to look at qualitative and quantitative pieces; feel as if we have an accurate representation of how it would affect individuals; however, can definitely bring the idea back to the Committee for discussion

 John Sharpless, Greek Alumni and History Professor (Chi Psi) o Q: Expression of concern about the idea that freshmen students cannot make educated decisions

 Rolf Iueter, chapter member (Phi Gamma Delta) o Q: Concern that there are specific groups that are being underrepresented on the Committee, especially those that may not have gone through the recruitment process before. Believes a change would be detrimental to chapter’s Housing Corporation. Concern about the effect a change would have on philanthropic events, including Humorology. Believes it would be greatly hindered. Has the Committee looked at ways that philanthropic organizations and events may be hindered in giving back to the community if recruitment were to be deferred? Many of these events are great ways for freshmen members to get involved right away. Upperclassmen give back on different levels.

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 TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator o A: Many organizations count on their new members to do everything; why aren’t we challenging our upperclassmen to do these things as well?

 John Ruocco, chapter member (Theta Chi) o Q: Concerns in pushing recruitment back. Was bombarded with emails from other organizations, even before being enrolled at the institution. Why only look at Greek organizations? Why not look at the recruitment of other student organizations as well?  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: Committee would look at that as a possible model; perceived nature of Greek chapters is that they are different, including the sense of commitment and values that go along with membership; a lot of issues come out of the Greek Community; want to look at organizations that students join as a life-long commitment and are heavily values-based

 Fred Mohs, Greek Alumni (Chi Psi) o Q: Greek organizations are designed to allow people to have responsibilities they may have later on in life, including personnel situations; experience is very valuable, learning leadership; great to have 4 years of it; get to have responsibilities that many other 18 year olds do not get; from an alumni point of view, doing something that would cause a serious economic effect and is extremely daunting; pulls a rug out from underneath the alumni; hopes that those making decisions will look at all of those components  Kevin Helmkamp, Association Dean of Students o A: Believes the process is demonstrating that they are being thoughtful, analytical, and broad in their assessment; challenged the Committee to look at the UW-Madison Community; Greek Life has changed drastically over the years; leadership of the organizations have started to become much younger; questions whether or not this makes a difference; another reason to have the Committee look at what this might mean for Madison

 Dewey Warner, chapter president (Sigma Phi Epsilon) o Q: How many individuals involved in making the final decision have a background in Greek Life?  TJ Sargent, Greek Life Coordinator o A: In addition to the four student representatives, there is a Housing Corporation representative and an Alumni Association representative, along with himself and Megan  Kevin Helmkamp, Associate Dean of Students o A: The decision that is made will be made very broadly; does not believe that not having lived the experience limits someone from asking questions; would like members of the Greek Community to ask themselves and others in their organization, can we do this better?

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VII. GRAC Meeting Minutes Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee 11:00 a.m. -12 p.m. 3rd Floor Red Gym, CfLI Conference Room 11/21/13

2. Welcome & Introductions (5 mins)  Barb Kautz – Asst. Director of Involvement (CfLI)  Troy Vossler – IFC Alumni & Housing  Trevor Donahue – Interfraternity Council Representative  Claire Usher – Panhellenic Association Representative  Nancy – Office of Quality Improvement Facilitator  Phillip – Residence Life Coordinator (University Housing Representative)  Tito Diaz – Multicultural Greek Council Representative  Anne Lawrence – PHA Alumni & Housing  TJ Sargent – Greek Life Coordinator

3. Charge given by Associate Dean Kevin Helmkamp (10 minutes)  Challenge: Provide analysis form perspective of being an educator, not just the constituency you represent. Also, doing so from the values based prospective.  What are the needs of each area, chapters, offices, and especially students?  Process that is fair to individual students and helps the chapter meet students who truly share their values.  Keeping in mind the values of the University, Division of Student Life, and the Greek Community  History of creation of committee o Short term reasoning, Fall 2013 Jewish religious holidays brought to light a desire to fully evaluate the recruitment process as a whole from many different viewpoints. o Long term reasoning, desire to make sure that the University is doing what is best for all students and continually evaluating our processes  Wanting to understand a deeper meaning of more than just the pros and cons. How does this impact students and chapters?  Cultural Relevancy: Challenge in representing four councils and 58 chapters and the numerous differences that occur within those differences. The goal is to have the committee be able to articulate specifics for each council.  University Values: Integrity, Wisconsin Idea and Wisconsin Experience, Mission Statement, etc.

4. Review of Timeline (5 minutes)

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 Looking to schedule another meeting before winter break  Full timeline can be found on project charter  Completed by beginning of April

5. Determine Recruitment Models to Evaluate (15 minutes) a. Deferred Recruitment b. Current Model: First two weeks of Fall c. Mid Fall/Delayed Model (October) d. Thoughts on Info Needed for full consideration: o Maggie (PHA Graduate Advisor) will come in to present data from PHA recruitment experience. Will also ask other councils to gather experiences from their members. o Looking for data on drops, retention, etc.

6. Literature Review (20 minutes) a. If you find other articles during your research, please forward them along to Barb. b. Barb has a few articles available, will create Dropbox folder chat space for committee members to comment – email will contain info on accessing this c. Each member will be requested to read an article and answer the questions below. d. Questions i. What stood out to you? ii. What does this mean for this project? iii. Any quotes or statistics that should be shared in the proposal? iv. Any additional questions? e. Literature Review Teams i. 2 to 3 people per group ii. Can meet as a team or give individual feedback f. Shared Feedback Method i. Deadline for completion ii. Google Doc.

7. Next Meeting (5 minutes) a. Please respond to Doodle Poll in order to find a date/time b. Topics Discussed at Next Meeting i. Discuss Google Doc feedback about literature 1. Deadline for due date of comments on literature will be 2 days before next meeting ii. Discuss Peer Institution Review

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Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee 11:00 a.m. -12 p.m. 3rd Floor Red Gym, CfLI Conference Room 12/12/13

1. Welcome & Introductions (5 mins)

2. Literature Review (15 minutes) a. Review Google Doc. i. Discuss anything anyone would like to add about the article(s) they reviewed? 1. Need to make the right things to do easy and the wrong things to do more difficult. 2. Reminder: we are looking at all potential options and any suggestions that would go along with implementation of that format. 3. Further research questions have been asked as a result of looking at the current information presented, would it be viable to propose that these questions be answered before a full decision is reached? 4. Academic course work in conjunction with recruitment is something we would like to know more about. 5. What are the retention rates for individuals who don’t end up joining a chapter after going through recruitment? What other impacts are there? ii. Discuss anything anyone wanted to ask of article reviewer(s)? iii. Next Steps 1. Barb will create shortened and formatted pro/con document over break (mid-January) 2. If you continue to want to add comments to the Google spreadsheet, please do.

3. Peer Institution Review ( 35 minutes) a. Institution Selection i. Establish Criteria 1. Classification (Big 10, Research 1, Public, etc.) a. Big 10 (base) – Need others outside conference b. Public – No Private c. Research 1 d. Highly selective 2. Population Size (Student, Greek, etc.) a. Greek Population – one school on each end of spectrum b. Comparable In-State vs. Out of State percentages 3. Culture (Alcohol, Residential, etc.) a. Dry campus or chapters vs. no alcohol restrictions

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b. University owned chapter facilities vs. Non-University owned 4. Location (Midwest, Urban, etc.) a. Midwest (base) – also other areas considered b. Similar sized surrounding community to Madison ii. Make Institutional Selections 1. Determine a reasonable number of institutions to select: 12 – 15, varying assignments 2. Determine if any institutions should be given priority based on undergoing recruitment timeline changes 3. Institutions a. University of Michigan b. The Ohio State University c. University of Texas – Austin (Trevor) d. Indiana University (Trevor) e. University of Minnesota f. University of Missouri – Columbia g. University of Colorado - Boulder h. Pennsylvania State University i. University of Georgia j. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Claire) k. Colorado State University l. University of Iowa m. University of Nebraska – Lincoln n. University of Virginia o. University of Washington b. Interview Questions i. Review Sample Questions from past interviews 1. Discuss which questions should remain on questionnaire 2. Determine what questions should be added to the questionnaire c. Interviewer Selection – If you have any preferences please email Barb d. Interview Protocol i. Determine the best person to speak to at each institution – Greek Coordinator or Director ii. Determine the best timing for institutional interviews – Do over winter break as much as possible iii. Determine the best method for contacting institutions – Barb and TJ will create templates 1. Email – to set up time to schedule phone interview 2. Email – questions that will be asked 3. Phone – conversation and answers iv. Develop scripted introductory statement or email message v. Will create Google Doc to develop standard questions 1. Men vs. Women 2. Which councils are present

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3. In-State vs. Out-of-State Population 4. Percentage of students that are affiliated 5. What type of recruitment, 6. Staff support for Greek Community? 7. Where are you housed within the university structure 8. Class related to joining a fraternity or sorority 9. Formal vs. Informal Structure 10. How do MGC organizations work within deferred system 11. What systems are in place to hold groups accountable academically? 12. How do you prohibit underground recruitment activities occurring in the Fall semester with deferred recruitment? 13. What is Greek involvement with other campus partners (orientation, housing, union activities) 14. Judicial processes related to Greek Community 15. What is “typical” new member programming e. Shared Feedback Method i. Deadline for completion – February 15, 2014 ii. Google Doc 1. Fill in contact person’s name, email and phone 2. Fill in date of interview 3. Fill a response to each question 4. Fill in any additional comments or responses to follow-up questions that you deem relevant

4. Next Meeting (5 minutes) a. Please respond to Doodle Poll in order to find a date/time next semester b. Topics Discussed at Next Meeting i. Discuss Google Doc feedback about institutional interviews ii. Discuss Impact Analysis (first year students & stakeholders)

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Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee 1:15 p.m. -2:15 p.m. 3rd Floor Red Gym, CfLI Conference Room 2/14/14

1. Welcome & Introductions (5 mins)

2. Progress on Peer Institution Interviews: Review & Check-in ( 10 minutes) a. Ability to set up and conduct interviews at institutions i. Challenges in getting in contact with Colorado State and Univ. of Texas ii. Trevor has Indiana interview scheduled iii. Please continue to sign up for interviews with schools, also fill in the date that interview was conducted once completed iv. Megan Pepper, Greek gradate Advisor, can help with some interviews and will be assisting in final report building. b. Interview Questions – Determine if any additions or changes are needed i. Does IFC conduct formal/informal recruitment? – This is covered in the recruitment model tab ii. Make sure to ask more questions if you want to know more. Especially if an interesting point is brought up. iii. Please feel free to add questions to the Google doc, but let Barb know that you have added this. iv. Making sure to understand that culture change or value change will not likely be seen for 4-5 years due to the time it takes for a new member/pledge class to fully move through their university careers. v. Panhellenic Specific – How many rounds are conducted and over how many days? vi. Retention 1. Through recruitment processes 2. To initiation 3. To graduation (do inactive statuses factor into this) vii. Difference in participation numbers between Fall and Spring recruitment viii. Statistics about alcohol consumption across campus populations c. Shared Feedback Method i. Deadline for completion-March 1st ii. Google Doc. Protocol 1. Fill in contact person’s name, email and phone (if not correct on spreadsheet) 2. Fill in date of interview 3. Fill in a response to each question 4. Fill in any additional comments or responses to follow-up questions that you deem relevant

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3. Impact Analysis Planning (40 minutes) a. Discuss Purpose of Greek Recruitment Impact Analysis Survey i. Survey is intended to develop demographic information, recruitment semester info, highs and lows of recruitment processes, identify impact of new member education ii. Questions are intended to focus on specific groups and stakeholders iii. If general members feel they are being given additional education not provided through in class learning. iv. How educated did you feel about the entire Greek Community before and during your recruitment process? v. Is individual taking the survey a legacy? vi. When coming to campus, were you intending on joining a Greek organization? vii. Change wording for #’s 10 and 11 to have all answer options available as both a benefit and disadvantage viii. Make sure to clarify whether each question is to be answered from personal experience or as more of a generalization of how they think others feel ix. Question about involvement with other student organizations on campus and whether they held those leadership positions in those organizations x. What housing corp members and advisors feel challenges would be in filling the chapter facility if recruitment were to change from current model xi. What resources and support would you anticipate needing from the University in working through the recruitment change (i.e. Recruitment Workshops, Time for education of chapter members) xii. My chapter currently participates in deferred recruitment b. Review Survey Details and Draft Questions: i. Audience/Participants ii. Recruitment Models iii. Demographic questions 1. Have you held an executive board position at the council level or as a chapter president 2. Have you held a position on your chapter executive board? Was that position also on the facility corporation for your chapter? 3. First year student, vs. freshman 4. Put demographic information about participant at end of survey 5. Ask when the student started at UW (first semester freshman, transfer in as second semester freshman, etc). iv. Chapter member questions & responses (any additions or omissions) v. Stakeholder questions & responses (any additions or omissions) vi. Thoughts on National/International Office & Freedom of Association questions – not needed

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vii. Add comment boxes throughout survey for individuals to provide further feedback in certain sections. viii. Have final draft of survey out to committee by next Friday (2/21/14) ix. Barb will provide deadline for any changes in email about final draft of survey

4. Next Meeting (5 minutes) a. Please respond to Doodle Poll in order to find a date/time for a 2 hour meeting b. Topics for Next Meeting i. Impact Analysis Results ii. Institutional Interview Results iii. Recommendations of what to include in the report

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Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee 1:15 p.m. -2:15 p.m. 3rd Floor Red Gym, CfLI Conference Room 3/28/14

1. Welcome (5 minutes) a. Barb is now out through next year b. Megan and TJ will be taking over her responsibilities regarding this committee

2. Peer Institution Interviews (40 minutes) a. Initial thoughts i. Trevor-got the opportunity to talk to members and professionals involved with recruitment from other institutions at AFLV 1. Other institutions have great support from their university 2. How they can market on campus 3. When and where they can educate students about Greek Life 4. Increased education towards the student body 5. Where they can post flyers 6. Brought in 3rd parties to help in the recruitment process ii. Phillip (Minnesota)-got a lot of this is how it fits at out school 1. Noticed a lot of collaboration between campus department (student union, university housing, etc.) iii. Troy (Penn State/Colorado) 1. Moved to deferred recruitment due to a tragedy within the Greek Community 2. IFC has disbanded, no control over the fraternity side of things; did not want to answer questions about fraternities because they do not have oversight 3. Rather unhealthy behaviors have started, quite a bit of dirty rushing for Panhellenic 4. Weather is a large concern; need to put together buses to take potential new members from house to house 5. Deferred recruitment has had a positive impact on grades iv. Tito (UNC-Chapel Hill)-Board of Trustees has brought up deferred recruitment in the past 1. Have not changed due to alumni base 2. Great partnerships with national organizations 3. Many students that join freshman year have higher GPAs than non- Greek students

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4. Performance-based model, chapters have to have a 3.0 or better in order to recruit first semester freshman 5. Move-in mid-August, don’t start recruitment until September v. Megan (Virginia) 1. Made switch to allow students to become a part of the institution 2. Size of university makes a difference vi. Finding a niche 1. Students are not educated as to what our organizations 2. They go through the recruitment process for the stereotypes 3. However, the students already within our community need to live those values as well b. Discussion i. Pinpoint trends in the data 1. The process is “what works for us” 2. Need to put together positives and negatives for each of the 3 different options 3. Need a metric system to measure against in order to figure out “what works for us” 4. Housing situation and the marketplace throughout Madison 5. Core ideas discussion (academic, social, emotional, transitional) a. Grades and academic performance b. Alcohol-use and abuse, sexual assault, and hazing (high risk behavior) i. Greek students are drinking at much higher rates than the rest of campus c. Engagement and connection with the university i. Doesn’t necessarily have to be a university-sponsored group d. Maintaining strong affinities (as an alumni and an undergraduate) e. Leadership participation f. Involvement of students throughout the campus community, both Greek and non-Greek (pluralistic view of student involvement) g. Retention at the university level and drop-out rate h. UHS, mental health consultations i. CFYE data about social skills of Greek students versus non-Greek students j. Dean of Students Office for conduct issues k. Housing surveys, involvement and engagement within campus? i. Community living (housing); emotional stress? ii. Highlight information that stood out

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iii. Identify application and translation to our campus

3. Greek Recruitment Review Survey Update (10 minutes) a. Outline who we have sent it out to thus far b. Discuss other individuals that we may want to reach out to c. Touch on initial feedback we are receiving

4. Next Steps (5 minutes) a. Schedule next meeting time for mid-April b. Briefly touch on outline for report c. Topics for next meeting i. Greek Recruitment Review Survey results ii. Review initial draft of report and provide feedback 1. Possibility of councils disbanding iii. Discuss steps moving forward

Core Thoughts and Ideas—to be compared to the 3 different recruitment models 1. Academic performance 2. High-risk behavior (alcohol-use, sexual assault, hazing, etc.) 3. Strong affinity for institution (undergraduate, alumni) 4. Student involvement (pluralistic look) 5. Mental heath, conduct incidents 6. Social skills 7. Housing/community living

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Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee 1:15 p.m. -2:15 p.m. 3rd Floor Red Gym, CfLI Conference Room 4/25/14 1. Welcome

2. Impact Analysis Survey Results (15 minutes) a. Initial thoughts i. There are a variety of breakdowns and comparisons of the data on the Google Drive, along with a copy of the raw data b. Discussion i. Pinpoint trends in the data ii. Highlight information that stood out iii. Identify application and translation to our campus c. Assign members to find trends in open question data i. Q16 (other benefits going through recruitment process) – Troy ii. Q23 (other disadvantages going through recruitment process) – Nancy iii. Q31 (other benefits to new member education) – Phillip iv. Q37 (other disadvantages to new member education) – TJ v. Q43 (other benefits for Fall Recruitment) – Claire vi. Q49 (other disadvantages of Fall Recruitment) – Trevor vii. Q55 (other benefits of Delayed Recruitment) – Claire viii. Q61 (other disadvantages of Delayed Recruitment) – Anne ix. Q67 (other benefits of Deferred Recruitment) – Phillip x. Q73 (other disadvantages to Deferred Recruitment) – Megan xi. Q91 (additional feedback/insights) – Trevor xii. Q98 (necessities of the institution) – TJ

3. Greek Life Town Hall Meeting (5 minutes) a. Outline of the meeting and discussion points i. Minutes from the meeting have been posted on greeklife.wisc.edu, as well as on the Google Drive ii. Was a great opportunity for members of the community to express themselves and ask questions of both TJ and Dean Helmkamp from the Dean of Students Office iii. Gave us a good idea of where members of our community are at iv. Has also prompted a lot of discussion and communication b. Follow-up on an idea suggested by a chapter member at the meeting i. Wanted feedback from the committee outlining this request ii. Trevor – How much is too much information to include in the appendix portion of the report?

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iii. TJ – voice is an important piece to this report; impact comes down to the voice and narrative that goes along with these numbers; want to give constituents the opportunity to share this narrative; 58 chapters, maybe receive 10-12 reports iv. Anne – pleased that chapters want to do this; want to be more involved in the process v. Nancy – would it take 2-3 pages to say what they want to that is relevant? vi. TJ – original suggestion at the town hall meeting was 2 pages; as we send out that request, we can say up to word count or page count; also discussed providing the 7 core ideas, so they know where to address their concerns and positives within all of this vii. Trevor – wants to make sure it has to do with their own chapter, logistical processes, rather than what they want for the Greek Community viii. TJ – has to be an individual chapter impact, ability to provide narrative behind organizational impact; limitations? ix. Claire, Trevor, Nancy – 2 pages is plenty, required font size, format, margins x. TJ – do we want time to look through what it is that comes in or should they send it to us a few days before? xi. Nancy – if you want it included in the analysis, we need it by May 9th; if you want it included in the documentation, we need it by May 26th; be sure to tell those chapters that want us to look at their report that we need it by May 8th at 11:59pm

4. Review of 7 Core Thoughts and Ideas (5 minutes) *a few changes and modifications made a. Academic performance b. High-risk behavior and conduct (alcohol-use, sexual assault, hazing, etc.) c. Affinity for UW-Madison (both undergraduate and alumni) d. Student involvement (pluralistic view) e. Mental health f. Social skills g. Housing operations and community living

5. List of Pros and Cons (30 minutes) a. Trevor and Claire have begun this process i. Be sure to cite where you found the pro/con, put in parentheses at the end of the sentence (where you found the information) ii. We will then have supporting documentation, want as much as possible iii. If you found it somewhere else, be sure to cite it anyway b. Discussion—remember to provide links to information we have collected, the 7 core thoughts and ideas, and the 3 recruitment models

6. Next Steps (5 minutes) a. Next meeting is Friday, May 9th, 1:15-3:15pm in the CfLI Conference Room b. Topics for next meeting

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i. Continuation of Pros and Cons List 1. Try to complete 3-4 by Tuesday night (April 29th) 2. Continue to add over the next 2 weeks prior to our final meeting ii. Look at initial draft of report 1. Hopefully will have initial responses and reports from individual chapters to look at iii. Final wrap-up for the year c. Will be providing preliminary report to DoS Office for Chancellor by end of April i. Wants to have some talking points ii. Will be completed and sent to the DoSO by next Wednesday iii. Will need the bulk of the pros and cons list done, please try to work on that by Tuesday night (April 29th); minimum of 4 pro or con per individual d. Questions? i. Claire – been contacted by ASM a few times ii. Trevor – been contacted by ASM as well iii. TJ – being able to work with constituencies, listen to what it is that they are saying and bringing it back into what we are creating here, both pros/cons list and discussion; ASM has gotten involved as far as students rights and constitutional rights; Alumni have also gotten involved in the discussion; committee members’ names and email addresses have been passed out to individuals so they are able to get a hold of their representative; can contact Megan or TJ in order to get that information; those that charged the committee may not have foreseen what could have happened or what kind of impact this situation could have created; this is a learning experience for everyone iv. Trevor – question was asked about committee deferring recruitment for other student organizations in the Town Hall Meeting, where does this fall in the pro/con model? v. TJ – can fall into a con of Deferred Recruitment when looking at student involvement pluralistically vi. Nancy – maybe something that should be studied by another group

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Greek Recruitment Advisory Committee 1:15 p.m. -3:15 p.m. 3rd Floor Red Gym, CfLI Conference Room 5/9/14 1. Welcome

2. Update on review of open-ended survey questions (5 minutes)  Going to look to work on items 2 and 6 at the same time  Have quite a bit for Fall recruitment, will need to build for Delayed and Deferred  Q16 – benefits to Fall recruitment according to members’ experiences  Q23 – disadvantages to Fall recruitment according to members’ experiences o Long period of time commitment o Rushed to make a decision o Many benefits were listed, however they may not be a benefit to everybody o Need to be sure to highlight some of the outlying voices  Q31 & 37 – New member education, experiences of current members o Not many disadvantages o Time consuming, however helped them to build time management skills o Provided a sense of belonging and transition to the university o Getting academic resources and support  Q91 – additional feedback or insights o Information o Impact on other student organizations o Change discussion about how recruitment is conducted . Why we recruit . How we become more inclusive o We don’t have the data to back up a clear choice  Q98 – suggestions and needs from the university o No matter the change, we need public support from the university o Respect for the community o Marketing support if time period were to shift o Time to plan and transition o Increased professional staffing; when making the change, chapters need someone to talk to about how we make this happen o Financial support; housing corporation side—Madison’s tendencies, chapters— making some of these switches, how do we get financial support for bringing in people t help make some of these changes?

3. Preliminary Report submitted to DoS Office for Chancellor on May 5, 2014 (10 minutes) c. Initial thoughts d. Discussion—where to build, what to change, etc.

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4. Individual Chapter Impact Analysis Reports (20 minutes) e. Those received by today will be included in analysis of the report f. Those received between today and May 26th, will be included in the appendices of the report g. Initial thoughts and discussion

5. Review of 7 Core Thoughts and Ideas (5 minutes) h. Academic Performance i. High-risk Behavior and Conduct (alcohol-use, sexual assault, hazing, etc.) j. Affinity for UW-Madison (both undergraduate and alumni) k. Student Involvement (pluralistic view)—in multiple areas, within and beyond the Greek Community l. Mental Health m. Social Skills n. Housing Operations and Community Living

6. List of Pros and Cons (60 minutes) o. Discussion—remember to provide links to information we have collected, the 7 core thoughts and ideas, and the 3 recruitment models i. Fall recruitment pro 1. Weather 2. Less opportunity for behind closed doors recruiting 3. Instant support system (mental health) 4. Lack of class and academic conflicts 5. Out of state students, not many classmates came to UW, helped them to find others who share experience quickly; RETENTION 6. Provides structure and activity to occupy new students during the first few weeks of school 7. Academic support (resources, mentorship); academic programming 8. Students participate in Badgers Step Up during first semester ii. Fall recruitment con 1. Can conflict with involvement in other areas of campus 2. Preparation for recruitment and sharing of information can be rushed 3. Sorority recruitment is done prior to the fall student organization fair iii. Delayed recruitment pro 1. Weather 2. Increased time to acclimate to campus 3. Can get involved in other student organizations prior to Greek life 4. More time to gather information on various Greek chapters/process 5. Gives the university time to do programming and education for first year students on high risk behavior

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iv. Delayed recruitment con 1. Academic interference 2. Biases of chapters and individual’s impact selection 3. Impact on academics could be seen as care by university and Greek Community of academic experience 4. Delayed experience with time management, support system and building schedule 5. Preparations and recruitment process occur during highly use class times 6. Conflict with homecoming events and other Fall programming 7. Students not willing to go through recruitment due to conflict v. Deferred recruitment pro 1. Time to understand differences between chapters 2. Acclimation to campus and college life 3. Spring transfer students can join right away once coming to campus 4. More junior and senior leadership 5. Allows students to build affinity for institution before organization (Virginia) 6. Gives the university time to do programming and education for first year students on high risk behavior vi. Deferred recruitment con 1. Weather 2. Biases of chapters and individuals impact selection 3. Finances—filling chapter facility 4. Question on disaffiliation for Rho Gammas and PHA Exec 5. Actives abroad in spring cannot participate in the process 6. If relationships have not found early, this is further away for them 7. Can inhibit leadership and skill building for application to professional schools (business, education, engineering, etc.) 8. Students are not exposed to Badgers Step Up until later in college career vii. Inherent in any recruitment process (limitations) 1. It takes time 2. Majority of students study abroad in spring 3. Some will feel to long/short; length of process will likely be the same for all times 4. Greek misconduct is representative of Greek population compared to university population 5. Assumption is that Greek students drink more after joining, but come to the university drinking quite a bit already (change is similar to overall university change) viii. Recommendations (thoughts on where we should go as a result)

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1. Information on recruitment 2. Impact on other student organizations 3. Change discussion about how recruitment is conducted a. Why we recruit b. How we become more inclusive 4. We don’t have the data to back up a clear choice 5. Would need to track any changes in conduct data 6. Continued education on high-risk behavior by individual chapters 7. Educational structure 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years 8. Support of the Greek Community by university and administration p. Also, remember to cite where supporting information can be found

7. Final Wrap-up (10 minutes)

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VIII. Stakeholder Survey Results

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Q1. Please select your role within the Greek Community: Count Percent 1450 93.01% Chapter Member 47 3.01% Chapter Advisor 22 1.41% House Corporation Member 3 0.19% Greek House Director 37 2.37% Greek Alumni 1559 Respondents

Q2. Of what Greek Governance Council is your chapter a member? Count Percent 655 42.01% Interfraternity Council (IFC) 30 1.92% Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) 10 0.64% National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)-Historically African American Fraternities & Sororities 864 55.42% Pan-hellenic Association (PHA) 1559 Respondents

Q3. Does your UW-Madison chapter provide a place where members can live? Count Percent 1320 84.67% Yes, Chapter owns a place where members can live 141 9.04% Yes, Chapter rents a place where members can live 98 6.29% No, Chapter does not provide a place where members can live 1559 Respondents

Q4. What geographic area do you consider yourself from? Count Percent 16 1.03% Country other than the United States 157 10.07% East Coast region of the United States 1236 79.28% Midwest region of the United States 10 0.64% Northwest region of the United States 94 6.03% West Coast region of the United States 36 2.31% South region of the United States 10 0.64% Southwest region of the United States 1559 Respondents

Q5. At what point in your college experience did you begin at UW-Madison? Count Percent 1297 92.97% Freshman year 81 5.81% Sophomore year 13 0.93% Junior year 4 0.29% Senior year 0 0.00% As a 5th year Senior 1395 Respondents

Q6. Did you do that in the fall or spring semester? Count Percent 1367 97.99% Fall semester 28 2.01% Spring semester 1395 Respondents

Q7. What is your current year in school? Count Percent 426 30.54% Freshman 435 31.18% Sophomore 320 22.94% Junior 195 13.98% Senior 19 1.36% 5th year Senior 1395 Respondents

Q8. In what year did you first go through the recruitment process (also called rush or informationals)? Count Percent 1194 85.59% Freshman year 180 12.90% Sophomore year 20 1.43% Junior year 0 0.00% Senior year 1 0.07% As a 5th year Senior 1395 Respondents

Q9. Did you do that in the fall or spring semester? Count Percent 1228 88.03% Fall semester 167 11.97% Spring semester 1395 Respondents

Q10. Had you not been able to go through the recruitment process during that year and semester, would you have gone through at a different time? Count Percent 893 64.01% Yes 502 35.99% No 1395 Respondents

Q11. Prior to coming to campus, were you planning on joining a Greek Organization? Count Percent 892 63.94% Yes 503 36.06% No 1395 Respondents

Q12. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - Did not conflict with my class schedule/academic commitments Count Percent 318 27.70% Not at all 102 8.89% A little 89 7.75% Somewhat 118 10.28% Quite a bit 521 45.38% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q13. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - The weather/climate did not interfere with me getting to and from recruitment events

Count Percent 337 29.36% Not at all 113 9.84% A little 104 9.06% Somewhat 109 9.49% Quite a bit 485 42.25% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q14. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - I didn't have other commitments interfering with my ability to take part in the recruitment process Count Percent 286 24.91% Not at all 129 11.24% A little 114 9.93% Somewhat 124 10.80% Quite a bit 495 43.12% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q15. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - Felt I was fully educated and informed about the recruitment process Count Percent 64 5.57% Not at all 90 7.84% A little 137 11.93% Somewhat 229 19.95% Quite a bit 628 54.70% A lot 1148 Respondents Q16. Please specify any other benefits from going through the recruitment process: Count Percent 700 100.00% - I was able to meet new people "dirty rushing" is almost non-existent with fall rush 100% necessary to get this long and involved process out of the way before school begins or during syllabus week at the latest. It would be too involved to keep up with school work and recruitment--it is an exhausting process for everyone involved.

A great way to initially meet other women, before classes/stress starts, an exciting welcome to campus A great way to make friends right away when coming to college A great way to meet lots of people right away when you get to school before classes really take off and get stressful A huge benefit going through the recruitment process during welcome week was not having to mix my classes with the process. I got to meet a lot of cool people during the day and then hangout with my floor at night. It was a great experience to meet a variety of different people and really figure out where I fit in. A strong sense of which fraternity was the right one for me Able to easily form relationships with students years ahead of myself in school. Learn from them. It also made me more than just a number here on campus. Able to meet other freshman in my dorms that were not only specific floor, able to have a structured day during welcome week and not be sitting around looking for something to do, able to talk to upperclassmen and gain insight to campus which I wouldn't have otherwise if I did not go through recruitment. All the friends I have now I met through recruitment. Some of my best friends were in my recruitment group and didn't decide to join the same sorority as me. Allowed me to meet other people right away and get involved in the Madison and UW community. Allowed me to see the options in other houses and meet people right when I got to school. Although I was a Sophomore in the Spring, one of my biggest regrets in college is not participating in rush during my Freshman Fall. Having experience Fall Rush as a member, the ease, positive weather, and ability to meet hundreds of different people seems extremely beneficial and I wish I would have taken advantage of that opportunity. As a freshman I couldn't talk to my older Greek friends and so because rush was right away that didn't have to go on for a while.

As a freshman, I think it was a benefit that we were still able to participate in Welcome Week events (I met many other people who were not rushing) and also rush and get connected with another group of people as well (the Greek community).

As a new student on campus, I felt that recruitment really helped me integrate at UW-Madison. I live in a less social dorm so recruitment helped me meet a lot of people right away. In turn, these people introduced me to people they knew on campus and allowed me to meet other people not only within the Greek community but also many people who are not involved in Greek life as well. The recruitment process also helped me discover campus. Because my group met at places such as Memorial Union, Bascom Hill, Social Sciences, and walked by many other places during the process, I was able to get a feel for the ins and outs of campus. It was a lot easier to find some of my classes on the first day because I had walked by them during recruitment.

As a sophomore I probably had a different experience than freshman, but the fall was beneficial because I have had an entire year to understand and feel part of the organization. The first semester is a lot different than the second, by the second you really feel lke you know what is going on and I felt like it is beneficial rather than rushing and then leaving for summer because then you basically have to start all over. As a student from another state, I knew that I wanted to meet a variety of guys that weren't just on my floor. As a student who came from high school alone to Madison, I was so excited to have the opportunity to join a greek organization from the start of school. I was able to have an immediate support system, help in classes, and a new group of friends who helped me adjust to college. Some of my friends that I had already made on my floor also joined my sorority, which further justified that I had made the right choice. Had recruitment not been in the fall, I think I would have struggled to find my place much more as a first year student. As an incoming freshman, I was nervous about coming to a school as large as Wisconsin and was very timid about meeting new people. Going through recruitment in the beginning of my college career has allowed me to meet and establish strong relationships with wonderful people right from the start and it eased the transition from high school to college. I was able to get real life advice about college, and able to find a group of women that held similar values and morals to the ideals, values, and beliefs I hold.

As recruitment was one of the first activities I did on campus, it allowed me to go in with an open mind and a willingness to meet people. I do not think I would have had the same open mindedness and willingness to put myself outside of my comfort zone if I had done it later in the semester, year or my time at UW Madison. I also went in with a clear mind about the individual sororities. I looked at them all as equals, and was able to choose the house that I liked most for my own reasons. Had I even waited a month, rumors and stereotypes would have clouded my judgement. I would have wanted the wrong house for the wrong reasons, thus creating a higher probability of being disappointed in the end.

As someone coming to a university where I knew no other students, it provided me with the opportunity to meet friends and feel comfortable on campus. As someone who went through spring recruitment, I had an entire semester to talk with others and decide that joining a sorority was something that I really wanted to do. I believe that because of this, I am one of the more committed members of my chapter.

At the beginning of Freshman year, it really helped me get out of my comfort zone right away to meet new people. I'm very shy, and going through the recruitment process really helped my college experience get off to a great start. At the beginning of the school year it was very nice to find friends right away and also not have to worry about the stress of classes in addition to recruitment. The weather being nice was an enormous advantage as it allowed us to walk from house to house without dragging parkas and boots along. Because recruitment usually starts prior to the academic year commencing, I found that Fall rush provides a huge benefit to this campus--both academically and socially. It's a large time commitment, so you're able to focus on your academics once the school year begins instead of having to balance the two. Because rush was at the beginning of the year, I met a ton of friends as soon as I got to school. This was a big relief because it made for a much easier transition to college. Because rush was in the beginning of the year I didn't have many other things going on yet and I was able to choose the one that was best for me Because the recruitment process was at the beginning of the year, I was able to rush without my school work being compromised. become a better, more well-rounded individual Before coming to campus, Greek life wasn't something that I had really considered. As someone coming from out of state, I realized that by becoming Greek, or, at the very least, going through recruitment, would help me to meet people on campus and make friends. Because recruitment was within my first few days on campus, I was able to start meeting people immediately, which I really enjoyed. If the process occurred later in the fall semester and I had exams or homework, I would be much less inclined to go through recruitment. I consider myself a diligent and hardworking student; school always comes first. I honestly believe that if recruitment came later, I would not have gone through. Having been a member for almost 4 semesters now, I can honestly say that not going through would have been huge mistake for me. I've developed so much as a person since joining my chapter and I could have missed out on that if recruitment happened later.

Being able to meet people other than freshman and not in you dorm out classes. Being able to participate in Fall Recruitment was especially important to me because since I am from California, I came to this school not knowing a single person. Going through recruitment right away helped me meet so many people of all different grade levels at the same time and was really an awesome way to meet friends. It made a large school feel much smaller less overwhelming. Many of my friends from other chapters, I met during the recruitment process.

Being able to rush first semester, right at the beginning of the semester, significantly improved my experience as a freshman at UW. We did not have to walk around in dresses and heels in the freezing cold. Recruitment is a time consuming process and it was so nice to go through it when I did not have classes and had hardly any homework. I love the fact that UW rushes first semester because it made me feel involved and part of a community right away, which is hard to find at large campus. Because of recruitment, my transition as a freshman was so smooth. Being able to spend enough time to learn about the commitment your making and if it is right for you. Being an out of stater, I was super homesick the first couple of weeks of school because I hadnt felt that I had made that great of friends with people on my floor yet and I had all this free time because classes hadnt really started to get hard yet. Going through recruitment allowed me to spend my time towards building relationships when I needed it most. It countered my homesickness and got me to a happier state much faster. All in all, I became better off because of fall recruitment.

Being at the beginning of the year, I was able to make friends and find a place early on. It was also nice that classes had not really started up yet in that I was able to focus on my school work once I was already in the story, and I found that my sorority provided many educational benefits that really helped me in my first college classes. Being from the east coast it was so nice having recruitment at the being of the semester because I was able to meet so many new friends Branching out off of dorm floor socially, bi-annual rush allows a recruit to get more information on the fraternities in order to make a more informed decision on which to join (invaluable in my case) Broadened my networks/friendships. Met new people in various houses, was able to take part immediately in the benefits of Greek life, including taking leadership positions within the chapter. By being held at the beginning of the year, it did not interfere with any academic commitments such as classes and midterm exams.

By going through formal recruitment, I was able to fully experience each sorority on campus and was able to gain a greater respect for each house's unique qualities. By going through recruitment in the fall, I was able to delve into an amazing group of girls that helped me adjust from a small high school to an immensely large university. By joining a sorority the fall semester before beginning my freshman year, I was able to meet girls that have already gone through what I was experiencing and give me pointers that helped in a way that I wouldn't have had if recruitment was moved to the winter/spring. I would give a lot of the credit of my success in school to joining a sorority the fall semester before my freshman year. A second huge reason for why I'm glad recruitment was in the fall is that coming from a town close to Madison, I knew a lot of girls from my hometown at the school, but the sorority allowed me to meet a whole new collaboration of girls and expand my relationships.

By having recruitment upon first entering UW-Madison no one was able to influence my decision negatively by having me form a bias against any of the houses. I also may have possibly been talked out of rushing by those that I lived with that had negative (and false) beliefs about the Greek community, which would have caused me to miss out on some of the best friendships I have ever formed. By rushing in the fall I gained a confidence and comfort on campus I would not have had. The fall rush process is necessary and works. There is no reason why it should ever change. classes hadn't started yet, met many new girls with the same interests as me, branch out and find friends other than my floor and from high school. Coming from out of state, going through recruitment right away was a way for me to find my place and feel more comfortable initially. Recruitment should not be held any more than a month after move in to ensure that everyone can have this benefit Coming from the east coast I didn't know anyone so recruitment helped me to meet new girls and actually make friends. Since it was in the fall it was really beneficial for me to start off the year meeting new people and immediately having friends there for me

Coming from Wisconsin, going through the recruitment process right when I came to school allowed for me to meet different people from all over the country. I am still friends with girls that I met during rush that are in a different house. Having recruitment right when I came to school was very beneficial for my transition to Madison. I was able to text my rho gamma about all different kinds of questions. I also enjoyed the process, making it a fun first memory of Madison. Going through recruitment was only beneficial for me. It helped me meet so many different kinds of girls that live on different floors and in different resident halls. Being in Greek life is a huge part of my experience at Madison and going through the process right when I was transitioning to college help to structure my lifestyle immediately upon moving here. I felt that every chapter was accepting and open to listening to me.

Coming in as a freshman it was a fun way to meet people Coming to school knowing no one it was a great way to meet new people who shared the same interest in greek life

Conversation experience Definitely the informationals. It enabled me to gather in-sight on what was to come after the process such as holding events, and socials with mny different orgs. Doing fall recruitment allows the Greek community and the potential new members to fully dedicate all of their time to recruitment - - classes have not started, students aren't involved with other organizations yet, and students are fresh and open to meeting new people. If anything joining the Greek community allowed me to acclimate to UW-Madison better. I was given opportunities to talk to older students who could give me advice. doing in the fall was perfect because i had time before classes started and it was a great way to make friends a freshman

Doing it in the fall is ideal because of the better weather that allows for a greater variety of events both outdoors and inside, as well as a lack of any academic commitments yet that would interfere with rush events. Joining in the fall of my freshman year also gave me multiple older role models to help me learn how to adapt to the academic workload and to give me advice on studying.

Early on I was able to identify which organization I felt the most comfortable with. From that I was able to form deeper friendships and have the support of my brothers for the entirety of the school year. In starting out with these friendships and support I was able to quickly find my place within UW and prioritize my values early on. easy and food -enabled me to make a choice for myself and find a group of friends that i felt comfortable around Especially as a freshman or transfer student, it's a great way to make new friends right away which is crucial when going to a large school. Everything Exposure to Greek culture Fall had optimal weather over winter. I liked getting involved on campus right away. Fall is a time when everyone is new on campus, and rushing that semester is a huge part of finding out where you want to go

Fall is best time of year. Football was a good link to the greek houses Fall is the time for recruitment. Its the time when incoming freshman are most eager to join fraternities. Fall recruitment allowed me to kickstart my journey through the UW system, allowing me quickly make new friends and see familiar faces. Fall recruitment allows students to get involved immediately and begin building relationships and leadership in their organizations.

Fall recruitment got me immediately involved in campus in a positive way. It connected me with other leaders on campus and provided countless opportunities for community and personal enrichment. Fall recruitment helped me meet more people from other dorms. I was able to meet active brothers of the chapters that I rushed by but the more exciting part was talking to the people who were also rushing but were living on different parts of campus.

Fall recruitment is an ideal time to create a group of friends, most if whom have been in school for a while, before school really gets underway. Fall recruitment is the best way to do it. Spring recruitment ruins a lot that recruitment has to offer. Fall recruitment was great because of the weather and the ability to be outside and the lack of any big academic issues, such as tests, papers, quizzes, etc. Fall recruitment was the best possible thing to happen to me. Fall recruitment was very beneficial and really helped me get acclimated to campus. During the rush process I met a lot of girls that without I would have never met. Also, finding a group of people to hangout with and all discover the college atmosphere together was very beneficial to my overall love for UW-Madison. I met girls that are now in every house and we still hangout very often. Having the recruitment at the beginning of the year was even more beneficial because it did not conflict with any of my classes or midterms. By the time I got my bid the semester was just picking up and it was an extra layer of comfort having a whole group of people that I knew to support me. Fall recruitment was well-organized so that my class schedule, the weather, and other commitments on campus did not interfere with my decision to rush. Throughout the recruitment process, all of my questions and concerns were answered by members of Greek life, students not involved in Greek life or students responsible for the organization of Greek life.

Fall rush gives you more time in your chapter. Fall rush provided me with the opportunity to meet and converse with a diverse group of students right from the beginning of my enrollment at UW-Madison. Fall rush provides an organized, efficient, and quick way to meet students from many different backgrounds, socioeconomic classes, and cultures. Fall semester rush allowed me to meet people and socialize right as school was starting, creating a comfortable, friendly college experience. Familiarized me with the campus more than I could have ever imagined. I would not feel as comfortable at UW-Madison had I not gone Greek. Felt Welcomed during recruitment events figured out what house I wanted Finding a place on campus that I was comfortable in. Meeting other people who were similar to me early on in the semester, who I would not have met if it wasn't for greek life. Finding a place to belong on the large campus. Access to older people to support and guide you in your college transition.

First semester was by far my easiest at this university. Also, the questions and answers for the part above are horribly worded. I can't tell if "A lot" means a lot of interference from weather and climate or what I'm assuming it is: a lot of "not interfering".

For myself I didn't have anyone on campus to bond with and having recruitment right when I got here gave me a group of guys to actually hang with. Formed stronger friendships Fraternity was able to get me to football games that I otherwise would not have gone to. Free stuff Friends and a support system From rushing the Fall, I was able to get acclimated to college life a lot faster than if I rushed in the spring. It helped me make strong friendships as soon as I became a UW student. Fun, gave me something to involve myself in the first semester being at school get to know a lot of faces in a short period of time Get to meet a lot of other freshman right when you arrive at school. Helps make friends fast. You also get to talk with upper class men in fraternities who can give you guidance and help you along early in your college career. Get to meet tons of new people from all different places across the country/world. Get to go to many different houses and everyone is welcoming and friendly. Never put in an uncomfortable situation, everyone told me to check out all the houses and see what fits me the best. Get to try every house and learn about greek life from all perspectives. Getting to know members of each chapter is important in order to select the chapter that is best for you. I was able to do this while I rushed and I would not ever take that away from my college experience Getting to know more people from different geographical, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Getting to know new faces and new freshman Getting to know people in the respective chapters Getting to know the basics of current members Getting to know the history of the sorority better. Getting to the sisters, Asian/Asian-American awareness, and the importance of cultural identity. Going Greek was one of the most meaningful experiences of my college career. Not only did it give me a group of loving, supportive sisters but it also gave me the opportunity to hold numerous leadership positions and better myself as a person. I know without a doubt that the experiences, networking, peer role models, and leadership roles I gained through joining a sorority was one of the reasons I was accepted to and will be attending medical school in the fall.

Going through at that time helped because everybody for the most part had the same knowledge about the greek system and we didnt't have time to be influenced by rumors or reputations. We were able to judge the different chapters on our own. It was also really nice to meet other people in the same situation as us, and make connections and important relationships during rush right away at the beginning of the year. Going through fall recruitment help me get better acclimated to the school quicker. Going through Fall recruitment was a great way to make friends as soon as you come to school. Not only do you make friends on your floor but also have all of the 800 other women that are going through recruitment that you can meet. There are also no other commitments that recruitment interferes with. Since school has not started there is no interference with school.

Going through in the fall meant you didnt have to hear rumors and stereotypes that might've swayed me away from where I was actually most comfortable Going through recruitment at this time made it extremely helpful in getting to know people. While meeting people through the dorms is good, not everyone will end up becoming best friends with those people, naturally. Recruitment allowed me to meet girls from all over campus. Also, completing recruitment right in the beginning of the year was the best academic wise because it didn't conflict with any exams or studying, as classes were just beginning. Having it at another time later in the year would have been very stressful. Going through recruitment early helped ease into college. Classes had not begun yet and I was able to make a lot of reliable friends very quickly. I was able to meet a lot of people in my Rush group as well not just girls in my sorority. I got to bond with other girls in my residence hall as well because we were going through it all together. Going through recruitment in the fall allowed me to branch out and meet people I could hang out with in Madison other than people from my hometown. Going through recruitment in the fall was a great way for me to start of the year. I met so many people through the recruitment process, and I honestly don't know who I would have b den friends with if I went that whole semester without the Greek system!

Going through recruitment in the fall was very convenient because it didn't interfere with my classes or other social events. Going through recruitment in the fall when I arrived at school allowed me to meet a variety of people outside of those people that lived on my floor freshman year. I was able to make friends that expanded beyond class or dorm life. Recruitment also helped me feel more comfortable on campus freshman year because I knew more people from recruitment and then once I joined a chapter, I had over 100 new people that I would see around campus. It made the transition into college so much easier because I had a place to go and I had planned events through my sorority.

Going through recruitment in the spring, I had more time to adjust to college life (the biggest benefit) and learn about greek life, as well as ensure that participating in recruitment was the right decision for me. Going through recruitment made the campus smaller from the start and helped me bond with people on my floor freshman year. Recruitment helped me get invoked right away and made me feel like I was valued at this University. There are a surplus of benefits from the recruitment process. Going through recruitment process in the fall of my freshman year made it easy to meet new people as soon as I got to campus. The girls I met in my rush group provided me with a group of friends for all of first semester and on. Going through Rush during the fall of my freshman year was the best possible time considering the above-mentioned factors. Specifically, I was not exposed to excessive drinking that would have influenced my decision. If I would have Rushed in the springtime, this would not have been the case because I would have had a full semester at Madison where I would have been exposed to drinking and had various fraternities trying to influence my decision outside of the formal IFC Recruitment/Dry Rush process. Going through rush in the fall was a really nice way to meet new friends and have a community to be involved with right away.

Going through Spring Recruitment (COB) allowed me to first get acclimated to UW-Madison, my classes, and residence hall. The COB process was also much more laid back with far less pressure. Going through the recruitment in the fall was a lot better than the spring because it was still nice, and not really cold, out so I was more willing to attend more rush events. Going through the recruitment process allowed me to meet people and build relationships early on in the year that I still have today. Having recruitment in the fall semester of my freshman year was also helpful because I was able to meet upperclass women who were extremely helpful in answering the multiple questions I had as a new student at Madison. Joining Greek life made Madison seem much smaller and more manageable. Going through the recruitment process at the beginning of fall semester allowed me to have an easier transition into college life and made it more possible to make friendships within the Greek community. Also as a chapter member going through recruitment, not having to worry about school or other obligations allowed me to fully focus on recruitment.

Going through the recruitment process at the beginning of the freshman year and joining the Greek community helped me meet people, learn the campus, and feel comfortable being away from home because not many people from my high school came to Madison. Going through the recruitment process before classes started in the fall was a huge benefit to me. Not only was I able to make friends through sorority rushing, I was able to make friends in my sorority and be more comfortable with being a new freshman at a huge campus because I had a supportive group of girls already Going through the recruitment process during the early Fall was perfect. The weather was cooperative and it really was beneficial to make so many new friends right away. Going through the recruitment process during the fall of my freshman year was the best decision I made during college. I got to meet a variety of guys from different houses that all gave me great advice about how to deal with the first few weeks of school along with other general advice for freshman year. I have had the opportunity to be my chapter's rush chair the past two years and I always make sure my focus is on helping kids adjust to the new college life.

Going through the recruitment process during the fall of my freshman year was the best welcoming into UW I could have possibly experienced. It gave me the opportunity to meet a ton of new people and truly branch out quickly and really got me invested in UW- Madison. Between the warm weather and not having classes in full swing yet, fall rush is perfect timing.

Going through the recruitment process during the fall was very beneficial. I probably would not have rushed had it not been in the fall, and I know that it would have changed my experience at this school and I would not have been as happy as I am not. I did not need to worry about academics yet, I met new people during a time I knew nobody simple from going through the process, and I didn't know people so I didn't feel pressure to join any specific house, I chose purely based on which house I felt most comfortable about rather than the reputations of the house. Going through the recruitment process fall of freshman year helped me feel more comfortable being away from home. Being in the greek community allowed me to meet many people at college easily and feel accepted. Going through the recruitment process has only added to my life, it has not ever affected other commitments that I have had. I am still able to work, and I truly believe that I am doing BETTER in school because of my involvement with the greek community. If I had not rushed, I wouldn't have dozens of girls convincing me to study even when I'm tired and supporting me when classes are rough. Having older girls who have taken the same classes as I am currently in who are willing to tutor me has been a huge help. I'm not very inclined to seek out a regular tutor, but having a sister who is willing to tutor me, and who knows me and knows how I will learn has helped me immensely. The amount of time I spend studying has increased exponentially since I went through the recruitment process. Going through the recruitment process helped me to meet many other people and make friends when I did not know many people when starting school. It also helped me to feel more comfortable and welcome on campus. Going through the recruitment process in fall was a great experience for several reasons. I met a lot of friends even before school started, and it was a great way for me to learn my way around campus, and hear different things about the school. It made me comfortable before school started. Going through the recruitment process in my first semester on campus was the best decision I ever made. It allowed me to meet some of the closest friends I have today who I rushed several houses with because we were all able to bond in the fact that we were brand new to college and all were looking to join a similar organization. Going through the recruitment process in the beginning of the year is extremely beneficial. It helped me feel comfortable beginning school and allowed me to make a set group of friends right from the beginning. Going through the recruitment process in the fall gave me a social life and group of friends early on in my college career

Going through the recruitment process in the fall semester of freshman year gives students a great chance to meet other students who are in their exact position. Very few freshman have solid friend groups set up during this time and recruitment gives students a great avenue to get to know each other in a way they would normally have not, and before they already have other friend groups set up. Going through the recruitment process in the Fall semester was a huge help to me. I was able to meet a core group of friends that I identified with and never felt alone while living in a new place. I found people who I could study with and have fun with and found a lot of older kids I would consider mentors for me. If I had not rushed in my fall semester I know my first semester would have much more difficult for me socially and academically. Going through the recruitment process in the fall was a major reason my transition into college was so smooth. My freshman year roommate chose not to go Greek and she repeatedly told me how she wished she had because I was able to make friends so much faster, and I was given a lot of advice from upperclassmen in my sorority that she was not exposed to because she did not know any upperclassmen. The only people she met was people on my floor, while I became best friends with people on my floor and with other people in greek life that lived in other dorms. If it was not for greek life I would have never gotten to know the students in the other dorms. Going through the recruitment process in the fall was beneficial because classes had not started yet. It did not interfere with any other commitments I had made. It was also beneficial in the fall because coming from the east coast I did not know many people when I had come to school. I formed strong relationships with other members going through recruitment.

Going through the recruitment process in the fall was very beneficial to helping me acclimate to campus and make friends easily. Additionally, the nice weather made the recruitment process smooth and fun. I loved being a part of a community immediately upon my arrival to campus. Recruitment really helped make my transition into college smooth.

Going through the recruitment process right when I arrived at school enabled me to meet new friends right away and learn about other student orgs to get involved in from my new sorority sisters that I met after joining a chapter. I also felt more comfortable going into my first semester of college courses knowing more women on campus and hearing tips on how to excel academically at such a large school. Going through the recruitment process the fall of my freshman year allowed me to take advantage of a full 4 years as a member of my chapter. Going through the recruitment process, especially in the fall of my freshman year, allowed me to connect with a large network of newfound friends that I would not have otherwise come in contact with. Going through recruitment at this time and further joining a sorority allowed me to find my footing socially, academically, and more. This timing allowed to to build a support system that has greatly aided me throughout my journey at UW-Madison.

Going through the recruitment process, I was able to meet many other quality young men who were interested in different fraternities but were each interesting with unique backgrounds. Recruitment served as an icebreaker to get to meet new people.

Going through this recruitment process in the fall gave me the opportunity to get involved right away. It gave me a great friend base and a strong academic resource group within weeks of coming to Madison. Overall, it made my transition very smooth and exciting!

Gong through the recruitment process during the Fall rather than the Spring semester allowed me to bond more with my brothers and it allowed me to experience more things than I would have had I joined in the Spring. Every current brother that joined wishes they would have joined in the Fall rather than the Spring. Good feel for all the chapters Got a chance to meet a lot of other girls during welcome week even if we didn't end up in the same sorority. Got a chance to see all houses before deciding which ones I really liked. Got involved early on Got to be involved in the fraternity early on and was able to learn to balance school and fraternity life better. Got to go to a lot of chapters Got to know a lot of people and houses Got to know all the current brothers and other pledges through events together Got to know many new girls. Got to meet a lot of cool guys. Really fun Got to meet new people Got to meet the brothers Got to see and learn about each and every house, and decide where I fit in based on personal goals and connections with members.

Great experience to grow my character and met a lot of great people Great for networking, met many people who I didn't know then and am still friends with now, got to know the campus a little better. Great opportunity to meet campus upperclassmen and to learn about the UW community and traditions. Great way of meeting people. Help me get acquainted with campus. Got to be better friends with girls on my floor, was sort of a bonding activity. Great way to get to know peers, most of the time going through the same stage in life as you. Which is being a freshman at a huge university. Great way to immediately expand your network at the university. 1. By joining a fraternity and meeting those guys 2. By meeting a bunch of other freshman rushing other fraternities great way to make friends especially when you go to such a big school! Great way to meet new people coming in as a Freshman who knew no one. Great way to meet other students prior to the start of the academic year. I'm a senior still in contact with girls who I went through recruitment with and aren't in my chapter. Great way to meet people and connect. Great way to meet people on campus! Great way to meet people right when you come to UW. As a transfer student, I was in a difficult position to meet people and rushing a fraternity right away in fall introduced me to friends that I will call brothers for the rest of my life. It gave me someone to attend football games with, ask advice about academics at UW, and helped me with overall transition to the UW.

Great way to quickly meet new people in a new environment. Had the opportunity to meet a lot of people and could definitely make the right choice Having a fall recruitment process allows for the philanthropy Humorology to happen. Without a fall recruitment period, many casts wouldn't have the numbers to maintain a functioning cast. Humo introduced me to other Greek members and especially older students on campus. Having it be in the fall was great as well as the ability to go to whatever chapters you wanted to. I think it was a great way to meet tons of new people. The only thing I would change is maybe make the rush period a little shorter.

Having it right away allowed me to meet a bunch of new friends. It also did not get in the way of school at all. Having members of the Greek Community as resources to help answer any questions, ensure our comfort level was great, and be a long-lasting help in my experience in the Greek Community. Further, the fact that recruitment started at the beginning of school made sure that stereotypes about any particular Greek house were not a factor in my decision, so I was able to be placed in a house that I enjoyed based on first impressions rather than hearing gossip throughout the campus.

Having recruitment at the beginning of the semester allowed me to not worry about rushing or work week during classes and most importantly exams. I also felt I benefited from rushing in the fall because I could make friends right away. Fall rush also takes into account dues, making a sorority more affordable for all members. Having recruitment at the very beginning of my college experience allowed me to feel connected to a close group of people in the beginning of a confusing and new experience. This had a MAJOR BENEFIT on my ability to adjust to college life and also help with my academics. I was able to ask older girls advice on how to study, what things I should do during class, etc. Also, it helped me feel like I had a group of friends to fall back on when I came to college and was still trying to make new friends in my dorm but that took longer to be in place, so it was nice to have my sorority there for me. I would not have had such a successful transition into college if the recruitment process had been any later in the year.

Having rush during the fall was a major advantage during my freshman year because I was able to get advice from older active members, got a better understanding of how campus life worked, and was able to many more fellow freshman than if I had not had rush in the fall. If rush were in the spring people would join greek houses with the friends they already have from dorm floors, etc. and would not have as much of an opportunity to meet new people.

Having the recruitment in the fall prior to classes really getting into full swing allowed me to become really engaged in the greek community and eventually increase my involvement to a leadership role where I could make a difference.

Having the recruitment process at this time allowed me to only focus on recruitment and not be distracted by other student org. commitments as well as other academic responsibilities. Helped knowing people first semester to overcome going to such a big school. Made a small community at a big school.

Helped make the transition into college a lot easier. Helped me feel comfortable on campus and make friends immediately. The older girls in my chapter were also very helpful with my transition into college 1st semester. Helped me get acclimated to my new school community and meet people quickly! Helped me make friends right away, helped me come out of my shell and become outgoing How are the above "benefits"? The recruitment prices helped me break outfof my shell in the first few weeks of college, and open myself up to new opportunities. Huge improvement in conversation skills. I actually find this survey insulting. These questions are impossibly leading, and absurdly hard to follow. I ACTUALLY do not know how to answer half of these because the survey uses double negatives, and some of the most pitiful wording I have ever seen.

I am from New York and everyone on my floor in sellery was from the Midwest. This was extremely stressful for me and going through the recruitment proccess gave me the opportunity to meet peopel from all over the country. I automatically had a ton of friends at the beginning of the school year I became closer with girls on this campus that I may not have met otherwise, while also getting the opportunity to learn about all the philanthropies that the greek community is involved in. I became extremely close with my rush group. I felt like I belonged to a community through the recruitment process.

I believe more information before entering the rounds at the sororities could be beneficial. I believe that going through the recruitment process in the beginning of the semester really gave me a support system right away. Especially since I did not know many people coming here, it allowed me to meet so many great people just within the first few weeks of school. I think that it helped my transition to college enormously, because I had such a strong support system within Gamma Phi from the very beginning. I believe that my experience at college was improved tremendously from joining in the beginning of the school year, rather than later on in the semester or during second semester.

I believe those were all great benefits! And it got me involved right away! I came from out of state and did not know anyone coming to this school. I really enjoyed the recruitment process because I immediately met people and made friends. It also kept me busy. I was home sick but the recruitment process had me focused on my school and making friends here rather than my friends I left. It was also something for me to do. If i didn't have the recruitment process in the beginning of the year I wouldn't have been involved with the school as much as I am now.

I came from out of state and thus, I didn't know a single person. Going through fall recruitment gave me the ability to meet so many girls that I would have never met otherwise. It made me feel comfortable coming to such a large campus and having a smaller community to lean on whenever I felt homesick. It also helped me with my academics. I had older girls who I could go to for questions about classes, professors, the libraries, etc. Without their guidance I would have been extremely lost.

I came to this school not knowing a single person, which was extremely overwhelming considering the amount of instate students at this school. Joining Greek Life right away gave me a group of people that I knew I could trust to be there for me no matter what. Having this safety net behind me I felt more confident to look into other organizations, clubs and even friends. It also gave me close connections with upperclassmen, they gave me advice and support in the first semester where everything is extremely new and confusing. I came to UW-Madison not knowing anyone and at the beginning when I came here it seemed like everyone was just hanging out with people they knew from high school because that was what they knew and what was comfortable. I came here knowing no one, so I really thought it was beneficial to have recruitment right when I came to campus so that I could meet so many different people and not feel as left out for not knowing anyone here from my high school and have that immediate bond with so many people right away. I came to UW-Madison with absolutely NO prior acquaintances in this city or at the university. The recruitment process immersed me into a group of people also seeking out new friends and a community to call "home" on campus.

I came to Wisconsin as a student in a small major department. Joining a sorority was another way for me to meet people like me and feel part of a greater community. I faced some logistical obstacles during recruitment my freshman year and the PHA was very accomodating! I cannot begin to explain the tremendous benefit it was for me to go through the recruitment process. As a timid freshman my undergraduate experience would not be nearly as fulfilling without the recruitment process. I am still close with my rho gamma, in fact, she helps me with class choices and other academic decisions. I also made what I believe to be long lasting friendships with women I can depend on throughout the highs and lows of my undergraduate time here. Without this recruitment I would feel lost and unmotivated, because I would have to focus on forming relationships on my own in this large school. As a side not I am confused about the wording of this section, the double negative made it confusing for me to understand what the question was asking but the recruitment process did not conflict with my class, the weather did not interfere with my transportation to events, I did not have any other commitments interfering with my ability to take part in the process and I felt fully informed about the recruitment process.

I could live in my sophomore year which is crucial to fraternity life and brotherhood. Leases are signed in the fall and this is not possible with spring rush. Members of my fraternity that rushed in the spring really wish they could have rushed in the fall.

I could meet a lot of new people and get involved in clubs other members were in I did it at the same time as many of my friends, but that certainly is not specific to that semester. I did not know any people coming into college and through rushing right away first semester, I made a group of friends right of the bat. I also met a lot of older girls who gave me helpful advice such as advising for my major, good classes to take, and other useful information someone who was knew to campus would need. I did not know many people at Wisconsin, going through recruitment allowed me to meet a lot of people right at the beginning. I am still best friends with the four other girls from my floor that went through recruitment! I do not understand the way the previous question is worded with the double negatives, but going through recruitment during the fall of my freshman year did not conflict with any of my academics due to the fact that it was perfectly placed right before school had started. The weather in the fall was perfect because you have to walk from house to house making it so you are outside for a portion of time. I was completely aware of what I was getting myself into due to the informational sessions and there were not any other commitments I had to give up in order to be a part of the recruitment process.

I enjoyed going through in Fall instead of Spring because it kept my options open to all Chapters, not just the ones that decide to do COB. I enjoyed rush immensely and would not change a thing about it. I enjoyed that it was right away and was mixed with other orientation activities. It allowed me to find a group of friends I related to quickly and helped me settle in. I feel as though these questions are worded rather tricky, but i want to emphasize that i had a great recruitment experience and i had no conflict of any kind while going through recruitment. I feel like coming into the greek community at the beginning of the year as opposed to the middle of the year was a benefit to me. I feel like my choice of house was less influenced by others and preconceived notions. I made my decision based on the real personal interactions I had with the girls and not what I'd heard about them. I felt as if I was able to make a lot of new friends through joining the Greek community at UW-Madison. Not only am I good friends with the girls in my house, but I am also extremely close with different houses on campus and people who are not Greek. This community helped me to meet people that participated in Greek life, but it also allowed me to become friends with people who did not. I felt as if the traditional time to rush was in the fall. I would not have gone out in the spring because it is a more formal (and seemingly awkward) time. Spring is about the people members know, whereas fall attracts a lot of possible members.

I felt I had a place on campus I belonged and was accepted I felt immediately acclimated to the uw madison community by joining a Greek organization. It gave me friends to rely on for anything from homework help to advice and consolation. I felt like fall recruitment helped me because I immediately knew older girls who were there to guide me through college from almost day one. Also recruitment was before my classes really started to get going so it was not an interference.

I felt like I lived in a rather unsocial dorm and with people very unlike me, so going through the recruitment process at the beginning of my freshman year was a major benefit to my social life and the process of finding my true friends. It gave me more options than just my floor, which so many college freshman rely on for their solid group of friends. In addition to that, having recruitment at the very beginning of the school year ensures that there aren't be any major conflicts with school work because there are hardly ever exams or major homework assignments within the first week or two.

I felt that the recruitment process helped me become acclimated to life in Madison by helping me meet so many different people from the start. It was very comforting to automatically meet so many girls who were going through the same transitions as myself. I made many friends with girls in my rush group, and I have maintained those relationships even after ending up in different sororities than several of them. Also, the recruitment process forced me to learn how to manage my time and create schedules starting at the very beginning of the year. I felt the wording/structure of question 15 was strange and confusion but this is how I feel about the benefits of the recruitment process: At first I was unsure if I was going to go through recruitment, but having recruitment in the fall and choosing to rush was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Not knowing a lot of people before coming here, I made great friends throughout the recruitment process (rush groups) and the girls within the sorority I chose to join. Because recruitment was right before school began, I had friendly people to sit by in my classes or sit with at the dining halls, in addition to my friends on my dorm floor, as my experience at UW began as a freshman. I could not imagine how I would have made as many great friends as I have, had I not gone through the recruitment process of the Greek system.

I felt welcomed into college immediately and I felt that I was introduced to a network of wonderful young women with whom I will share connections with for a lifetime. I felt welcomed into the Wisconsin community since I was a first year student going through the process because the Greek community made me feel at home. I find our current system to be extremely effective. Fall semester (when I joined) is a time of exploration for every student, especially first-years. I loved being able to go out and see all there was to see with my new friends that I was getting to know at the time. The weather was beautiful, and all we wanted to do was explore and expose ourselves to as much as possible. I also enjoy spring semester as a recruitment period for those that maybe missed out on something in the fall, or for those who perhaps needed to get a semester away from home under their belt before committing to something like a greek organization. I think to eliminate or adjust the timing of either semester of recruitment would be one of the worst mistakes our community could possibly make.

I found an excellent group of people that made me feel wanted and accepted me for who I was. I also found their volunteer work, commitment to academia, and emphasis on supporting each other admirable and a reflection of what I wanted from a college experience. I found it extremely nice to go through the recruitment process in the very beginning of the school year because i was able to make sisters who helped me get through my first semester of college. There are many things about having this group of people to go to for advice that made my first semester easier. Because it was spread out of 2 weekends it gave us the opportunity to think about our decisions and where we felt we belonged. I found it to be very beneficial to go through the recruitment process within the first week of getting onto campus. Throughout the days of formal recruitment, I was able to meet a great amount of girls that were in my rush group, most of which did not end up at the same sorority as myself and that I am still in contact with. Also, recruitment was a great chance to become immediately immersed into the UW-Madison community. I do not see any disadvantages from the recruitment process.

I found that the recruitment process taking place before classes started was very beneficial because I didn't have to worry about scheduling conflicts and I could make sure I was giving my rush experience my best effort. I got involved right away and made friends not just through my sorority but through recruitment events and recruitment itself.

I got to experience all the chapters on campus. I got to know a lot of other people, this mainly in my "rush" group. It helped me establish friendships and meet girls who were interested in greek life as well even if they didn't join the same sorority I am still very close with them. Also it established some order to the first week of chaos freshman year. I got to meet a lot of great girls. I got to meet a lot of people and really feel comfortable on campus right away. I made a home on campus so fast throughout the entire Greek life community. I was also able to focus on the first week of school without having to go through rush during the school week or with the worry of exams. I got to meet all of my future brothers, I was taught a lot of first hand experience about campus that I wouldn't have learned otherwise, I had a huge resource pool for what classes to take, etc. I got to meet everybody at all of the events and because they organized all the details I could see what kind of organization it was in all manners. It was also nice getting to school and immediately being introduced to friendly people who were older and had helpful advice I got to meet many girls who were in my position. I even made some good friends in my rush group. I got to meet people right away and make friends since I came from out of state and knew nobody. I got to see every house and got lots of information about membership during this process. I got to see several options that may not have been as apparent if there was not an IFC organized greek recruitment schedule

I got to see/talk to members from all of the chapters. I got to speak with women of each chapter before making my decision which was great, because I ended up very happy in a chapter that I originally thought I wouldn't like. I got to transition into college life with being part of a fraternity already a part of the transition. I grew as an individual and become more involved on campus. I began volunteering. I made great friends and felt welcomed to the University of Wisconsin. I had a chance to produce for the group early, learn early so that I could be a better member sooner and hold positions that I wanted to hold. I had a really difficult time making friends on my floor and had a really rough time until I went through the recruitment process. It really helped me meet people (other potential new members/Freshmen in particular) and helped me feel like I belonged somewhere. If I didn't have recruitment in the beginning of the Fall semester and joined Greek Life at that time, I probably would have transferred because I was so miserable with an unfriendly dorm floor.

I had a way to spend my first couple days at school, it was a good way to meet other freshman and it was before school started so it didn't interfere with classes or other student orgs I had an early opportunity to meet new people. I had no idea I wanted to join a fraternity until I came to campus. It was the perfect time to find my friends that are now a huge part of my life almost two years later. I quickly found my niche, where I could find motivation to succeed in academics and social comfort. I had no other commitments before classes began my freshman year, and the recruitment process filled my days before class began while still allowing me to attend the convocation and other floor meetings we had. Allowing freshman to go through the recruitment process at this time helps ease the transition into college by giving them the opportunity to bond and form friendships with other students especially if they are not from Wisconsin and might not be able to connect to other people on their floors right away. I had plenty of reservations coming into the process, but I would not change a thing. I am so very happy with the people we have chosen to surround ourselves with and I think that has a lot to do with how we recruit them. I have met countless life long friends as a result of this process. I would want my kids to go through the exact same one I had so much fun going through the recruitment process and met some of my best friends in my rush group. The girls are now my support group and campus and I have no idea how I would've made it through first semester without them.

I have gained many valuable friends and contacts who are willing to help me in my academic pursuit. I have met some of my greatest friends that I will keep with me for a lifetime. I have been able to grow as a leader in all aspects of my life, from the knowledge I have gained from the recruitment process and greek life as a whole. I immediately got onto a campus full of 40,000 kids that I didn't know, and within a few days I had met upperclassmen who were telling me all about what life in Madison was like. It also allowed me to meet a bunch of other freshman who were all in the same boat as me going through the same recruitment process. At least half of the close friends I still have today in Madison, I met during the first 3 weeks of recruitment. I immediately made friends when going through the process, in my rush group. Even if I didn't end up in a house, my best friend would still be the girl I first met in my rush group. I also know a girl who didn't get into a house, but still hangs out with the friends she made in her rush group. I learned time management skills and organization. I liked being part of a sorority prior to school beginning to start. Took away from the chances of developing stereotypes. Felt as though I had a community right away. I liked going through recruitment in the spring. My freshman year was the year I think almost all sororities had to have spring recruitment. I liked going through the recruitment process in the fall semester for several reasons. First it allowed me to meet new people and find fun things to do. It also allowed me to become involved in my fraternity right away. Joining later would have given me the feeling like I was out of the loop. If i hadn't been involved with my fraternity, I would have ended up sitting around my dorm room doing nothing. I liked how it allowed me to meet many girls upon my arrival to UW-Madison. It helped me ease into things. I liked how it was during the first few weeks of school my freshman year because recruitment did not interfere with my classwork and it led me to meet many more people than I would have otherwise. I liked how it was right at the beginning of the school year because I wanted to make friends outside my dorm ASAP!

I liked that I could get involved right away, as a freshman, I feel as if that is very important. I liked that I was able to join a fraternity right a way. It was great to have a place to go and friends to hang out with right after college began. It made the transition from high school to college much easier. I liked that I was able to meet a group of girls in the beginning of my college experience. It helped me feel comfortable on campus.

I liked that it was before my classes really started so my grades were not effected I liked that it was before school started so it didn't interfere with class work. Also, I liked that it kept me busy during my first weekend in Madison and helped me to make friends quickly so I didn't get homesick. I liked that it was during the summer and it didn't interfere with my class. Would've been to hectic if it was going on while I had to deal with school and becoming adjusted to college. I liked that recruitment was right at the beginning of the school year because academics and clubs had not really begun yet, the weather was nice and it was a great start to the school year. I loved being able to have the opportunity to just speak and be with different girls whom I never would have met otherwise.

I loved being able to rush in the fall because it was nice to be able to meet a lot of nice girls from the start of school. It helped make Madison seem a lot smaller and a closer knit group. I loved it I made a lot of connections with older students who had taken similar classes. This allowed me to go to them for help and advice I wouldn't have normally had. I made friends in the rush line swell as in my chapter. I made friends with girls that I had many things in common with. I also was able to make friends with people on my floor and therefore made a new network of friends I made friends with similar values and goals right away. I also felt a part of something and had older women to look up to during that first semester of freshmen year. These older members taught me how to adjust to college and become the best version of myself by helping get involved in different majors and student organizations. I met a diverse group of men in my field of study who were welcoming and have turned into strong friendships. I met a lot of fellow freshman with similar interests and quickly expanded my network on campus. I met a lot of friendly girls even if we didn't end up in the same sorority I met a lot of girls that I got along with, and even if they ended up in different chapters, I have continued to be good friends with them. I met a lot of girls who were also going through recruitment and got to better know the girls on my floor who were going through the process as well. The recruitment process introduced me to the many houses on our campus and their respective philanthropies.

I met a lot of new people, not just from the fraternity I ended up pledging but from other Greek chapters as well. I met a lot of people I met a lot of people early in my college career. I met a lot of people I still interact with today. More friendly faces around campus. I met a lot of people I'm friends with today. I met a lot of people in my rush group, and the girls rushing me. I met a lot of really cool guys that I would not have met because my dorm floor was really boring I met a significant amount of great girls, both in my rush group and rho gammas who were older. Also, it was a great way to make friends and meet others who are also freshman at the beginning of the school year, besides the other students I had already made friends with on my floor. I also got to see a great representation of Greek Life first hand.

I met friends from all over campus that I am still in contact with even though they were not part of the fraternity I rushed.

I met kids that I knew right away I would have a lifelong connection with. I met my best friends right away. I was able to have an immediate social life, as well as learn from older students about classes and other organizations on campus that I would be interested in. Through joining a sorority, I found a newspaper to write for, a club to join and a major to take on. If joining a sorority hadn't been immediate, I feel as though I would have fallen behind and found myself overwhelmed. I met people right away that I was able to make connections with and confide with. I met some of my best friends, and fall recruitment is perfect because the weather is nice so there's not really a problem with going to events, as opposed to the cold weather at the beginning of spring recruitment being an imprudence and frankly stopped me from wanting to rush in the spring. I met some of my bestfriends through rushing, even standing in line I became so close to these girls even though they are in different chapters we are still extremely close! I came here not knowing anyone and having rush first semester really helped me get adjusted here at Madison and actually made my reconsider from transferring because i finally felt like i was part of something a big community that is so close and really helps one another out. I think being out-of state and rushing is THE BEST way to meet people and I am so thankful for the opportunity that I got to rush right away and have met the most amazing friends in every chapter hat I know will be life-long friends. I met tons of people that I wouldn't have met otherwise. I felt like I had a purpose during Welcome Week and it made school less intimidating. I only had one other freshman girl on my residence hall floor fall of my freshman year, so I really liked having recruitment start immediately so I could make new friends and meet other people I would have otherwise never met. Coming to UW I did not know a single person, so going through recruitment right away was the best thing that could have happened for me, otherwise I don't know if I would have stayed here. I really appreciated that recruitment happened right away and didn't interfere with school. If it had I would have been more stressed and that would have deterred me from going through recruitment. I really enjoyed being able to meet so many new girls and showing them why our chapter is so great! I really enjoyed the time to go through and meet other members in a more informal setting. I really liked that I was basically done with recruitment before the school year started. I really liked that most of recruitment happened before school started. It was definitely a whirlwind but it was less stressful for me because it did not interfere with my first classes as a freshman. The informational sessions and Rho Gammas were very helpful in preparing us for the process and I don't know for sure if I would have rushed once classes picked up.

I rushed both fall and spring, which gave me the chance to fully make the right choice. The first semester I checked out a few houses and did not like the few I checked out but then had a second chance to heavily check out a few the next semester. These two rounds, which allowed me to check out three houses each semester heavily, helped me decide. If I only had one round I would not have been able to go through the rush process with as many houses as in depth. People have to put all their cards on the table when there are official rush processes, which I like. I rushed Fall of my freshman year as well but dropped. I liked Spring recruitment much better because it was much more relaxed and I felt more comfortable throughout. I also liked that the events were in the evening and you could go to whichever houses you wanted (not required to go to all). The shorter shifts were much easier to handle, especially with classes. I rushed in the fall and am glad I did. We had events outside and the weather was great. School was just in the early stages so I wasn't falling behind on school work since I didn't have a lot yet. After being a brother during spring recruitment, it just didn't seem as fun and exciting during the cold winter months. The Rushees dreaded having to walk all the way to the events in the cold and everything had to be held indoors. I rushed twice, both fall and spring, but turned down my bid fall semester because I didn't think I was educated enough about what it meant to be in Greek life and join a fraternity. After thinking about it for a semester, and seeing friends get initiated, I knew it was what I wanted to do. I think going through recruitment right when we arrived on campus was great. I had already met the people on my floor, and it allowed me to meet more people across campus, not just the ones who joined the same house as I. I think including double negatives (negatives in the statements and answers) in this survey confuses the way people will answer these questions. I think it is imperative to have a fall rush because it allows students to get straight into the greek community here on this massive campus and find people with lots of similar interests to them immediately. Many people complain from other schools that spring rush leaves them feeling less connected during the fall and have a sense of community.

I think it's crucial that we continue to have fall rush at the beginning of the year before classes start. I am devoted to my studies here as well as the extracurriculars I take part in, and find that most the time during the school year I don't have very much free time. Recruitment is a long process that is very time consuming, which is very necessary to ensure new members are well educated on the Greek life system and in choosing whether or not to participate, and which house to join. During the school year this process would be nearly impossible due to school work and balancing busy schedules. In addition I believe having recruitment early is crucial to new students adjusting to their first year. When I came to Madison I did not know anyone from high school and was anxious to make friends. Rushing helped me to find a great group of friends early on and made my transition so much easier, and in turn effected my school work, participation in student organizations, and overall happiness here at Madison. Without rushing at the beginning of the fall semester I would not have found the group of friends I did, and my transition would have been stressful and confusing rather than welcoming. I am grateful for the recruitment system existing the way it does for these reasons.

I think meeting new people was a benefit of going through the recruitment process because before college I was so shy. Coming from out-of-state and not knowing anyone pushed me to become more outgoing and come out of my shell a lot more, especially when going through recruitment. I think that having the recruitment process be early in the semester it allows women to put they full attention on the process rather than have to compromise the process with school work or extracurriculars or vise versa. I think that it was nice because I didn't know the stereotypes of each sorority then and so I could really pick my chapter based on the girls. I feel like if I had gone through rush later I would have had pictures in my mind of what girls from each house were supposed to be like and then I would have had a very biased rush. Also, it really helped me narrow down the campus and make friends because I didn't know anyone when I came to madison. I think that there are a variety of benefits that come with going through recruitment at the beginning of the fall semester. For me, going through it at the same time as I was getting to know my way around the campus was a great thing. I felt that it was essentially another aspect of welcome week in that you had additional chances to meet new people, walk around campus and get accustomed to it, and find out more about the opportunities available to you at UW-Madison. I think that it integrates quite well with that first week before classes begin, and it also occurs at a time when you don't really have any other commitments to worry about. This is also true of "polish week." As recruitment requires a large amount of preparation by current members of Greek houses, having our work week occur before classes started in the fall was ideal timing. I believe that having polish week during fall semester or winter break would be much more inconvenient for everyone involved because it would interfere with class schedules and the ability to go home or work over winter break.

I think the fact that I did not have school work and other commitments interfering was the most amazing thing. I am someone who gets stressed and overwhelmed with my school work and I really don't think I could have handled a full work load and rush at the same time. I think the recruitment process gave me a way of learning how to manage my time. I thought it was good I was in my sophomore year when I did it because it let me see what other organizations there were out there before I joined such an involved one but I really enjoy it I was able to be immersed within a community that was safe and respectful of each other. I was able to meet many people my first couple weeks of school by going through this process. I was able to find my niche within the UW community very fast for an easier transition to college. I was able to bond with my member class for the remainder of the semester and the year, as opposed to going through recruitment in the spring and then not having as much time to get to know them. I was able to expand the amount of people I met in the beginning of my college experience. A surprising amount of my best friends are in other Greek organizations whom I met during fall rush/informational events. This really helped me to meet new people from more different backgrounds right at the beginning of my college experience when it was most beneficial.

I was able to form a long lasting support system. I am far from home, and greek life provided a supportive environment that helped me become more involved and more comfortable on campus. I was able to get into the process early and easily setting me up for a strong first semester. I was able to get involved on campus and become a part of a great group of girls. Even though I am in a sorority, I still was able to join the club waterskiing team and other organizations on campus. The weather was perfect for recruitment.

I was able to get to know all of the members well since rush lasts longer in the fall. I was able to instantly able to meet significantly more people instead of not leaving my dorm floor. I met people who opened opportunities to join other organizations that I wouldn't have been aware or and would have missed out on if recruitment had been later in the year. I was able to instantly connect with a group of girls, that I know I will be friends with throughout all of college and even after I graduate I was able to join an organization of women in order to help integrate me to campus here at the University of Wisconsin. These women and the organization have positively influenced my friendships, academics, and philanthropy here.

I was able to make friends in the first two weeks of school & meet girls who lived in my dorm or in my neighborhood of dorms and therefore become more comfortable and well-adjusted to a new school and surroundings.

I was able to make friends right away and feel like I have somewhere I belong on a large campus. It was also a good way to fill a lot of free time I had at the beginning of the year. It kept me thinking about things other than starting college for the first time.

I was able to make friends with my sisters in the beginning of me starting school. The recruitment process itself helped me meet people and make friends before school had even started. It made me feel like I was a part of something right away on campus instead of just another lingering body on campus. I was able to make friends with the girls in my rush groups right at the beginning of the year so I didn't panic about not knowing anyone. It was very relieving to have friends right at the beginning of the year and to this day I am still good friends with the girls in my rush group. I was able to make new friends, learn how to converse with many people in a semi-professional setting, and was able to learn about different organizations I could be involved in on campus. I was able to meet a lot of girls and form friendships in the very beginning of school which was crucial because I did not come in knowing anyone and I would not otherwise have met if I hadn't rushed. I was able to meet a lot of new people that I see around campus. I was able to meet lots of other girls from all over the country who had similar interests and goals that i did. Made lots of other friends in other houses as well. I was able to meet many freshman girls before classes started that I probably would not have, especially since freshman are not allowed to move in till very close to the start of school. I got the feel of campus from the older girls/Rho Gammas and Pan Hellenic Advisors as well as advice for general freshman year issues and questions not only with greek life. It was a great way to start off the year, making me feel more comfortable in a large school. I was able to meet many girls that ended up in different houses, but I am still good friends with them. I was able to meet many girls who ended up in different chapters I was able to meet many people (other freshmen as well as greeks) and make many new friends. I was able to meet many people, some of which are my good friends. I was able to meet my new people at the beginning of the school year, which allowed me to plan for future living situations. As well, my time rushing in the fall was a great opportunity to meet new people as a transfer student because I knew no one coming here.

I was able to meet new friends, and explore options at UW - Madison I was able to meet new people before i even started classes. I was not stressed about having to go through rush and balance my classes because rush was before classes started. Going through rush first semester helped me adapt to the college environment and feel more comfortable in a new state. It is now second semester and i have had time to get close to my sisters and i am able to say i have close friends that i love. I would hate having to start making new friends this late in my freshman year.

I was able to meet other freshman girls who I bonded with, and the Rho Gammas are people that I respect and look to for advice.

I was able to meet other girls through the recruitment process. I learned more about UW in general because I was meeting so many other people. I found people to sit with on the first day of classes. It was really beneficial into easing the transition into classes.

I was able to meet people right away, which helped me transition into college. I was able to meet people right when I got to campus I was able to meet people who were also freshman who living in my dorm that were also going through recruitment right away.

I was able to quickly connect with other students going through the recruitment process, and as a student from a small town it was very beneficial to be able to become fast friends with others going through the similar experience.

I was able to see a lot of different chapters, not only a couple. I think this helped a lot in undoing any type of previous stereotype I had about each chapter because I actually got to talk to them first hand. I was able to see Greek life for myself (without any bias) and have it become a part of my college experience right away. I met many girls who did not live in the same dorm as me that I still see and hang out with today. I was able to seek advice from more experienced college students about studying, time management, and other skills.

I was eligible to live in my sophomore year because leases were signed in the fall and not the spring. I was not planning on going through recruitment, but i could not have made a better choice. Being Greek has taught me how to be a leader, how to network, and has provided me opportunities to grow as a woman and also as student by holding me to a higher standard that I would have had I not been involved. All of these are things I would not have experienced had I not gone through recruitment on a whim in the fall of my freshman year. I was really thankful that I had a big group of friends right away to start off my college career. I made close friends with the people on my floor right away, however if I didn't have my sorority I think I would have been very unhappy only having friends on my floor in the beginning. I went through it before I had the stress of school on me. If I went through the process during school my classes would have suffered and I would have been very stressed out. I went through recruitment as a sophomore so I had enough time to get acclimated to the campus during my freshman year. I also had friends (both female and male) who were a part of the Greek system and enjoyed it. I would have preferred to rush in the fall, but didn't get my act together I'll be honest the above questions are worded in a confusing manner so I hope I portrayed my experience correctly, but I would like to make it clear that fall recruitment was a wonderful experience for me. It did not interfere with my academic commitments or commitments to other student orgs, and the weather was not an issue. The Rho Gammas were well trained to explain the recruitment process for us so I did not feel confused or overwhelmed. Fall recruitment allowed me to make friends within my first week on campus and to feel like I had a purpose and a place at such a large university.

Imagine going to a university of 40,000 people and not knowing one person. Joining the greek system is the best thing someone from out of state can do. The majority of people who cannot fathom that are from the state of Wisconsin. Yes, it is a social club - and I understand that the school doesn't like that. But there are thousands of organizations on this campus, and I do not understand your need to constantly interfere with a community that is self-supportive, is required to give back service to the community, has a higher GPA than the school average, and is almost entirely made of out-of-state students (the majority of your tuition). I have made incredible, intelligent friends, and I would not want to give that up for anything. Joining the Greek system gave me a home-away- from-home, which is far more than I can say for the dorms.

Immediate fall recruitment allows freshmen to immediately make many more friends than available in the dormitories.

Immediately provided a sense of community upon arriving at such a large campus. influence of older chapter members for encouragement, guidance, and leadership in first few months of school, quickly developing strong group of friends in first few months which can be a lonely time for students, structured study hour time to stay focused on academics It allowed me to become closer to my peers through several bonding experiences that happened right when I entered school in the Fall of 2011. This is really key in establishing brotherhood and making connections in college. Fall recruitment is by far the best time to foster these experiences. It allowed me to get to know the campus and have rho gammas to contact with any questions I had about college as I was just starting my freshman year. It allowed me to immediately make friends, and I knew I fit in somewhere. Also, it made my transition easier. It allowed me to meet a lot of other people that I may not have had the chance to meet had I not gone through recruitment.

It allowed me to meet people in my first few weeks of school It allowed you to form connections with your pledge class and house from the very beginning of the college experience.

It allows you to get to know a ton of people all at once - most of whom have similar interests and plans for college. It is hands down the most important time for someone who is considering joining Greek life. To stop this process would severely hinder the success of Greek life on this campus. It allows you to see a very large and potentially beneficial addition to a college experience, free of charge. If it is for you, great. If not, you don't have to accept a bid anywhere. It definitely helped me manage my time better than I did previously. There was a learning curve, but I picked it up pretty quickly.

It did not interfere with any academic commitments It did not interfere with the start of classes freshman year & I quickly was adjusted onto campus by meeting girls in my rush group who lived by me. It forces you to step out of your comfort zone and get out and meet new people. It also helps you explore the university just a little bit more. It gave me something to do before classes started and was a good way to meet people. It gave me the opportunity to grow as a leader. I had hands on experience leading a group and making an impact on campus within the multicultural community It gives you an excellent opportunity to get acclimated with new people It happened before classes started and it was during warm weather so we didn't have to bring a lot of things with us It happened before classes, which was a huge benefit because if I had a lot going on with school, there's no way I would have gone through recruitment. it helped alleviated the negative stigma on campus about Greek life It helped me feel more comfortable and accepted on campus when I had just gotten there and didn't know anyone. It helped me find a place I felt I belonged It helped me find friends right away it helped me find the friends i fit in with most early on in college It helped me get to know new girls before school started and I could find familiar faces in class after going though rush.

It helped me immediately make friends and cross paths with people that I might have never talked to is I had never gone through rush. I was able to meet girls in my rush group and actually made a significant number of friends through that even if they ended up joining another chapter different from me. I also learned a lot about clubs, class, and campus resources from talking to the girls in other houses who had already been attending the university for a year.

It helped me make good friendships at the beginning of my college experience, I was able to talk to older girls about classes, and find my way around campus. It helped me meet people who were rushing just like I was and it also was only on weekends not during the week so that was helpful with school. It helped me meet so many people that I remained friends with after rush was over! It helped me so much fall semester! It gave me things to do when I knew no one welcome week, and people to meet! Great ease into the fall semester It immediately made me know that, despite coming to school from a thousand miles away, I had found a family on campus that would help me through any hardship I encounter and make sure that my college experience is as enriching as possible. it is a great way to get acclimated to uw It is before midterms and school starts so the transition is easier It is not cold out, the process is less biased because older students have not had the opportunity to befriend and favor freshmen students It is very nice to be a part of something positive and have a good friend group full of activities and leadership opportunities as a freshman in the fall semester. It is very welcoming. It kicks the school year off on the right foot to have recruitment in the fall - much more lively, wonderful weather, everyone is excited about returning to Madison and recruiting new members It let's you find out which fraternity is the right fit for you It made a big campus seem much smaller right away, and I felt more at home here. It was a good transition from leaving my hometown to coming to UW. It made me feel at home right away! I was so nervous to come to UW and rushing right away gave me an outlet and activities and a way to meet people. It was the best decision I have ever made! It made my transition into UW Madison easier, quicker, and more comfortable. it really allowed me to make connections and get integrated into the UW-Madison community right away. It really helped me get to know the campus, and I felt at home much quicker by going through recruitment right away. As a transfer, it really helped me find my place. It also gave me connections where I could talk to older girls for help.

It really helped me meet a lot of people from different group in the university. Although, I only joined one house, I feel as if I made friends in many of them, bringing the university closer together as a whole, and making such a large university feel a little bit smaller and more like home. It solidifies a solid group of friends right from the beginning. Makes a huge university considerably smaller right away.

It taught me more about the school as a whole and I felt more comfortable going into the first week of school. It was a fabulous way to meet girls from all over campus at the beginning of the year and I have remained friends with girls from rush regardless of the sorority we ended up in. It was a good opportunity to meet people at the start of school. It was a good way to feel comfortable on campus and make friends right away It was a great opportunity to meet new people and get involved. It was a great opportunity to meet other Freshmen women on campus during my first week and made me feel comfortable on campus. If I didn't go through the recruitment process, I would have likely transferred to another school. It has made such a big impact on my college experience and I couldn't imagine not joining a sorority during my first semester as a Freshman.

It was a great process. It was a great way to make friends early on It was a great way to make friends early on in the school year. It was a GREAT way to meet a TON of new people when I first arrived Freshman year. I didn't end up joining the first time I went through recruitment, but I still made a ton of friends that I still keep in touch with today. It was a great way to meet new people and make friends in the beginning of the year, as I was new to campus. If I hadn't done recruitment in the fall, I think it would have been much harder to make friends. It was a huge comfort coming onto campus and participating in recruitment because it allowed you to meet so many people. I still keep in touch with the girls that ended up in other house or not joining a house in general. It is a really excellent way to get to know some friendly faces right away--not everyone is lucky enough to have a good floor in the residence halls.

It was a phenomenal way to meet people in a new environment without being pressured to go to strange houses and drink. It allowed me to actually get to know guys (their ambitions, likes, dislikes, values) on a meaningful level, rather than on a superficial one that is brought about at house parties, campus events, etc. That is the purpose of the recruitment.

It was a very easy way to make friends immeditely, not only people in my pledge class but also friends I made through rush groups/the whole rush process. It was a way to bond early with the girls on my floor as well as my roommate, and a way to see what Greek life is all about.

It was an ability to go into recruitment completely fair and unbiased. It evens out the playing fields for each sorority because girls are very open minded to all of their options. Its nearly impossible to go into rush with preconceived ideas of what certain houses are like. It was an excellent way to begin meeting people as a freshman on campus It was an introduction into a group of people who are working together as a community to better themselves and this campus. If I didn't go through the process the first semester I was here, I would have found something else where I would not have been able to have had such a large impact. I would not be the man I am today if I did not have the opportunity to go through the recruitment process in the fall of my freshman year. It was before class started and helped me meet new people. It was before classes were giving out a lot of work so during rush I was not stressed about home work but fully concentrated on trying to pick the right house for me It was before school started, so it didn't interfere with homework and other clubs starting. It was beneficial that tabling occurred at different locations throughout campus as well as the different houses having events at different times in order to have the opportunity to see what each house had to offer. It was beneficial to be able to see each house available. It was easier to adjust to such a big school by being part of this organization and having people that could help the adjustment.

It was easy to meet people immediately, rather than a semester later. it was easy to rush with no commitments yet with school or other activities it was EXTREMELY beneficial going threw the recruitment process in the fall, i think i would have been extremely unhappy waiting until spring to join this sisterhood. Given that I did not fit in with the girls on my floor, fall recruitment was an imperative part of my first semester at madison. It made the campus feel a lot smaller as well as providing me with events to attend every weekend. it was fine going through it as a rushing freshman it was fun It was good to go through recruitment in the fall because I got to meet a lot of great people who have become my lifelong friends.

It was good to have recruitment right when we moved in because then we did not have exams and classes to stress about while going through the process. It was great timing for balancing my engineering academics and curriculum with my extra curricular interests It was great to be able to go through recruitment early on when I got to college because I met a lot of women with similar interests within my first week in Madison. It was great to do it immediately once I got here because as someone who came all the way from New Jersey by myself it immediately gave me a friend group who made me feel so welcome. This made the college transition so much easier.

It was great to have at the beginning of the year because it helped me meet a lot of people that didn't just live on my floor. I met some of my best friends from other sororities as well as my own. It was great to meet other women right away in my college experience. It was great, I'm extremely happy I did it in the fall and was able to meet a great group of guys so quickly It was held before the school year had begun, when I had fewer commitments It was important for me to go through rush in my fall semester as a freshman because it enabled me to become affiliated with the Greek Community at a time where it was nice to feel a direct sense of community that first week of college.

It was in the fall, so it was much easier to go to events because it wasn't during freezing temperatures like spring recruitment was this year. It was memorable. It was my first semester and I wanted to find my place. The first couple weeks of freshman year, you don't have too much going on so it is a perfect to rush a fraternity. It was nice to get acclimated before school started. Additionally, it was nice to make friends right from the start and having girls look after you and give you tips on the transition from high school to college. it was nice to get to school and immediately gain a group of people to bond with, seeing as the group had similar interests

It was nice to have something to do right away. It was a great way to meet people within the first few weeks of school and made me feel that I was part of something. It was over before the first football game and the start of classes It was really nice being able to rush in the fall since the weather is perfect for outdoor activities. It was really nice to have it during the fall because I wasn't over stressed with classes yet, so it didn't interfere with my school work.

It was really well organized as well as a positive way to get to know other girls with similar interests that I wouldn't have otherwise met. It was so nice to go through recruitment before classes started so it didn't have to be a distraction from my studies! It was very helpful going to different fraternities and talking with current brothers to see if I fit in socially, academically, etc.

It was very nice to get it over with before classes got intense and having a group of friends made coming into college easier.

It was very very VERY nice to be able to go through recruitment at the beginning of the year before I was very overwhelmed in classes. It was a great way to make new friends right when coming to college and made me feel more at home on our campus. In addition, I was able to go through recruitment before being able to hear the rumored sorority stereotypes, which made my decision more genuine and without motive. It was very well organized It wasn't held during class It's great to get it over with early. It reduces dirty rush and school only picks up more after the first few weeks. Joining a fraternity is a life altering decision, that impacts an individual for the rest of his life. Fall rush provides the perfect opportunity for men to be fully educated regarding, acclimated to, and comfortable with the group that they will be joining as a brother for life. Joining in the fall of my freshman year was the best decision I made freshman year. I met all of my friends and really grew as a person through the recruitment process. Joining organizations and making friends goes along with the first few weeks of school, which is when rush takes place.

Just to clarify, the recruitment process did not interfere with my classes, maybe some double negatives but read it like that.

Knowing someone who has gone through the process already. Leadership skills, interpersonal communication, alumni relations, networking, education on campus history and member experience.

Learned a lot about myself. Learned a lot and become a better student. Learned about various greek organizations Learned many valuable lessons. Became responsible. Learning social and interpersonal communication skills and bonding with other chapter members. Also, question 15 above is horribly worded and I had a lot of trouble telling if I was answering correctly. I did not feel that the weather, academic reasons, or other commitments interfered with my ability to attend rush events. Learning time management Liked going through in the fall freshman year because then I had an insta-family right off the bat. I was a lakeshore kid that felt super out of place in that environment and my sorority made me feel at home. Liked it in the fall before major other commitments came up and classes started to get busy. Loved the timing! Gave me a chance to make friends since I was new on campus. Also gave me something to do in the first few days when I would otherwise might get bored and then feel less comfortable on campus. Made a lot of new friends and found a community that with people of all different types of cultures, likes, and ideas.

Made a ton of new great friends! Made all my closest friends and met tons of people right off the bat- I was lonely and hated uw Madison until I went Greek. All of the welcome week events and dorm activities made me feel like there was nobody on the campus I connected with and that everything was about drinking. Then I went Greek and met amazing people in a sober environment which really helped turn my opinion of UW around. Made friends made friends early on made friends right away Made friends right away! Made great friends Made the best friends of my college experience. Helped me grow and mature into the individual I am today. Make a lot of friends, in September it is warm so we don't have to worry about jackets making friends Making friends and having a support system immediately coming to campus. Making friends! Making friendships making new friends Meet a friend group quickly...Good for out of state students like myself. Meet a lot of people Meet friends early on going into freshman year Meet more girls going through the same process, good start to making new friends in a large unfamiliar campus, learn more about campus while talking to girls from the various chapters meet people right away Meet people, learn about life on campus. Meeting a variety of women similar to and different from myself, learning social skills and improving my ability to carry conversations in new situations. Meeting all the guys Meeting dozens of outstanding young gentlemen Meeting girls in the recruitment groups helped a lot in classes- became very close to them. -meeting lots of girls Meeting my friends in the chapter Meeting new friends right "off the bat" when coming to UW Madison that are interested in the same activities as you, share the same majors, and are from all over the country. The Greek system is a way to meet people from all over the country and bond. I met study buddies and best friends that have lasted me 3 years and will continue to be there for me and with me.

Meeting new friends, new experience. Meeting new people Meeting new people and having something fun to do. Meeting new people on campus right away at the beginning of the school year freshman year. Meeting new people right away when I got to campus, other than just the people you live around. Meeting new people who were interested in the same things I was on campus as a freshmen Meeting new people, expanding circle of friends Meeting new people, getting to know your best friends right away meeting new people, got oriented with campus more, met the chapters Meeting new people, making campus smaller Meeting new people. Meeting other members that ended up in different houses. Before everyone had labels. Meeting others new to campus Meeting people in my recruitment group, learning conversation skills, having something productive to do on campus.

Meeting people of all different ages and years in school which is really helpful especially in the fall as a freshman when you are trying to get acclimated to college. Meeting people one campus right away, this was especially helpful coming into college knowing no one. Learning more about campus recourses from people who have studied here before. It was a fun process and a natural way to meet people with similar interests. Meeting people so quickly into college both in rush groups and in a chapter Meeting people that aren't even in my chapter. Feeling more comfortable with the campus and seeing familiar faces. Meeting People, Fun, Broadened Horizons, Helped in new situations Meeting people. This, let me be clear, is by far the most important benefit. It's a main benefit of joining a fraternity and meeting people during the first week of college is incredibly beneficial. Meeting so many new people in the first couple of days at a new school. Meeting women from every sorority chapter before I could make judgments or find out stereotypes that would have changed my perspective on recruitment and chapters. Met a diverse group of men that I am proud to call my friends Met a few Brothers not through recruitment and was encouraged to visit the house I ended up joining. Had 0 idea how rush worked. met a great group of friends, made a big campus seem smaller, and got me more involved Met a lot of fun girls during that time! Met a lot of older guys with similar goals who helped me get through my first semester. Met a lot of people Met a lot of people, all of my closest friends today during the fall recruitment process. Learned a lot about the school very quickly. Got to know older people on campus right away which I wouldn't have been able to do if I went through recruitment later - they provided me a lot of knowledge and advice that was very beneficial to me in my first semester away from home at college.

Met amazing friends, got acclimated to Madison faster and sooner. Learned easy conversation topics that helped in meeting people throughout the school year. Met freshmen friends during rush Met girls who eventually ended up in other sororities, some of which I'm still friends with. met my best friend Met new friends, got out of comfort zone Met new people and made new friends. Met new people, even if they didn't end up being in the same greek organization. Met other students, got advice from older members about academics, began building a network. met similar people to myself right when I got to school, had a support system to help me acclimate to my new environment, linked me with people to support my success throughout college Moped Most of recruitment is done before school starts, though it would be nice if it was completely finished before classes. Early move- in??? Most stereotypes about Greek Life had not reached me at this time. I was not deterred from recruitment by having the University reinforce negative stereotypes. I was able to form my own opinions about the Greek Community, for the most part. Going through the recruitment process at this time actually kept me from going out and binge drinking with other students from my resident hall. I would stay in with other girls going through recruitment to insure we would be well rested and prepared for the following days.

Mostly before school classes started so I didn't have to do it on top of school. Mostly Before school had begun Mother's influence My gpa increased. Met great friends who I could study with and help me with my classes. My grades were fantastic and I got to make friends early in my college experience! My recruitment process was so easy because it was before school had fully started. I didn't need to plan around my academic calendar. I think this is critical for a successful recruitment. School is so important to many of the scholastic and intellectual women who want to come through recruitment that having it later in the semester will scare these women (the women that we WANT) away. n/a N/a N/A na Nice to start off the year right away as apart of the Greek community and before the academic school year starts. Nice weather is something that doesn't seem that important, but really is one of the most significant factors for successful rush events No academic conflicts, quick way to make friends right after moving in none None Not during midterms or tests- by the time those came around, we had support networks. Not having to juggle school work and recruitment helped me make my decision to join greek life. Not only did it start during welcome week, meaning I had no classes to worry about, I was able to go through rush during a nice time of the year so the weather was not an issue. opportunity to meet a ton of girls your age learn how to make small talk/be social opportunity to meet new people Opportunity to meet new people Overall the only benefit of going through Spring Recruitment was the smaller amount of women participating in Spring Recruitment, caused only by the majority of women choosing to participate in Fall Recruitment. The smaller number of women allowed for a more relaxed and casual environment to speak to members of sororities. Overall, the process was very easy, and I felt comfortable and informed throughout. However, going through the process in the spring did take some time away from studying, and it was extremely cold. Had I been able to concentrate on the process before school had started in the fall, I would have likely enjoyed it a little more. Participating in recruitment in the first weekend on campus was hugely beneficial in that it gave me something to do when I knew next to no one on campus. While I have always wanted to go greek, many of the women I went through recruitment with did so because they didn't have anything else to do that weekend, and that freedom helped them decide to give greek life a try. Because most students coming to madison do not come in already convinced on joining greek life it is important to expose them to greek life through the recruitment process immediately when they step on campus so they at least consider it as an option for an extracurricular opportunity. People were not predisposed to certain sororities or fraternities, along with the stereotypes of them in order to provide a bias free selection process. Perfect time of year because no one is stressed about school or other activities like I would've been in the spring preferred being in the greek community my first semester Prior to any assignments or exams which made the experience less stressful Prior to coming to college I knew I wanted to participate in Greek life because attending such a large University can feel intimidating and overwhelming. Greek life helped make a large place feel more comfortable. Also, it was something to immediately bond over with classmates in the first week of school. I met so many other girls going through recruitment and regardless of which houses we ended up in, we are all still really close friends. Also, talking to older girls during recruitment provided me with unimaginable amounts of amazing advice. Most of the clubs and activities they suggested for me I am still currently involved in. provides a challenge for students to learn time management and prioritization skills Question 15 is unclear how to answer with the way questions are worded. Otherwise, meeting people was a benefit of recruitment process Questions 12-15 are extremely hard to understand. For the first question, I am saying that it did not conflict with my schedule, not that it did not at all benefit for conflicting with my schedule. I am saying that it was fine and same with the others.

Questions 12-15 are very poorly worded and the graph does little to explain the questions. I strongly consider revising before reviewing data on this. I benefitted going through recruitment process by finding a house that fit me best.

Quick way to get in a sorority. Quick way to make friends immediately Quickly adapted to campus Quickly had a social network to interact with. Really increases your ability to reach out to those you don't know, it's a learning activity Recruitment completely helped me transition into a new chapter in my life. While I now would admit that I would participate in recruitment at a later date, that decision is based on the fact that I would not want to have missed the experience a being in a sorority has given me. Furthermore, because I held a leadership position within my chapter, I understand that recruitment time is highly influential in the budget and chapter goals including philanthropy and chapter expansion

Recruitment gave me an opportunity to meet people and make connections right off the bat upon arriving to campus; especially since UW Madison lacks more formal welcoming and networking events for freshmen new to campus, the recruitment process was a great substitute to facilitate building new friendships. It also gave me an opportunity to walk the campus and get my bearings straight. Recruitment helped me integrate into the UW-Madison community. I live in a dorm that is less social and so recruitment is where I met a lot of people who in turn introduced me to more people outside the Greek community as well. I felt that recruitment assisted me in getting to know all different types of people within the Madison community as a whole. The recruitment process also helped me get familiar with campus. Having my meetings at places such as Bascom Hill, Memorial Union, Social Sciences, and walking down Langdon, I got a really good feel for where everything was. When classes started, it was a lot easier to find them because I had walked by some of them during the recruitment process.

Recruitment helps you meet people, regardless of what chapter you end up in. It helps you get acclimated to class and also distracts you from being home sick during the beginning of school and gives you something to look forward too.

Recruitment in the fall is a huge, if not the biggest aspect of Greek life, it gets new UW students involved on campus and joining houses and making connections with other students from different places and backgrounds. Fall Rush is huge for your sense of belonging and you feel comfortable walking around campus and seeing all the kids who are in your house or who you rushed with or are in other houses. Going through the recruitment process when it is snowing would deter kids from even joining Greek Life in general. Recruitment In the fall was great because it allowed me to join earlier and begin learning about how to be more professional in the work force earlier. I joined a fraternity to gain experience as a professional, how to dress up professionally, how to shake hands properly, and how to attack interviews and career fairs. By doing this in the fall I was able to do it before the fall career fairs, which are the most important ones. Being in a fraternity in the fall allowed me to go to the career fair with confidence.

Recruitment is a big time commitment for all students going through the process, including girls already part of a greek organization. I think it was very beneficial to go through the process at the beginning of the school year because, like mentioned above, it did not interfere at all with academics and other commitments. It was actually very helpful going through the process and asking members of greek organizations about campus and classes and getting their input on UW-Madison. I specifically remember speaking with a girl about where my classes were located (since I had no idea where any the buildings were that I had my classes in) and she described where on campus it was and began helping me get acclimated with the school before classes even started. This for me was great.

Recruitment provided me the opportunity to meet people I otherwise would not have. The people I have met through recruitment have become some of my closest friends on campus. Going through recruitment also provided me the opportunity to become more involved in the university and charity. Recruitment took place at the beginning of the school year before I was overloaded with school work or other commitments. It also allowed me to make new connections with people on campus, which was great as I did not know many people on campus.

Recruitment was an amazing experience where I got to meet a plethora of girls from all different chapters and found my place of where I felt like I could belong. Removing Fall recruiting would be a devastating blow to Greek Life. This is not acceptable! Rho Gammas Rho Gammas were awesome and very helpful Rho Gammas were really awesome and helpful Rho Gammas were very helpful. The process was very organized and fun. Rush is best servered in the fall because it gets students involved right away. Rush is where I met the members of the fraternity. I came to this campus not knowing many people and Rush was very beneficial to socializing in general. If i never rushed I probably would've never met most of my current friends on campus.

Rushing dramatically changed my view of fraternities in general, it helped me to realize that not all fraternities fit the "frat" stereotype and that many of the fraternity men I met were sincere and genuinely interested in getting to know me as a person and help me succeed. Rushing in the beginning of fall semester avoided conflicts with my class schedule and academics because the semester hadn't started, its avoided cold weather and snow making it easy and enjoyable to move to and from recruitment events, I didn’t yet have other commitments that interfered with my ability to take part in the recruitment process, and I felt I was fully educated and informed about the recruitment process. As a student from far out of state, going through the recruitment process in the first semester of my freshman year gave me an immediate support system and a quick way to meet lots of people. I immediately has a group of girls that were there to support me in any way that I needed including finding other ways to get involved on campus, helping me with school work when needed, providing me opportunities to give back to the community through a variety of community service opportunities, etc.

Rushing in the fall and before classes started was extremely beneficial. It did not interfere with my academics which is extrememly important to me and the Greek Community. This can be seen by the fact that the Greek Women's GPA is higher than the overall Madison Women's GPA. Also the weather during fall rush is much more tolerable than spring rush, it is warm and allows you to really soak in the beauty of our campus and Langdon Street. Rushing in the fall also gave me the opportunity to make countless new freindships that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Not to mention, rushing in the fall allowed me to hear about other exciting opportunities on campus that my sisters were involved with that are non Greek Life activites, that I would not have heard about otherwise. Rushing as early as we do allowed me to join these other clubs and activities as well. Also, rushing in the fall allowed me to get aquainted with the Madison community better because I had my older sisters who could help me out with directions, jobs, activities, classes, etc. I honestly think the way that the Madison Greek Community does their recruitment porcess is far superior to other school's Greek Life's after talking with my friends in Greek Life at other schools.

Rushing in the fall, you get a chance to meet other likeminded individuals who are going to be your brothers. Expands your friend base. Rushing is very important during that time of the school year. I came to college knowing nobody-- at such a large university it is pivotal to experience something with girls that are like you. With so many freshman going through recruitment, I felt more inclined to talk to girls and get to know them because I knew that they were feeling the same way I was-- nervous and overwhelmed. If I had rushed in the spring, I would of been much more close minded and stuck in just hanging out with kids on my floor in my dorm. Although I loved them, I felt as though it was an excellent decision because I opened myself up to having more than one niche that I was comfortable interacting with and depending on for support and guidance.

Rushing right from the beginning of the year helped me make friends quickly. I interacted with many girls and found people who had similar interests to me. Becoming a member of a sorority made me feel like I had an organization and group of people who I could rely on, and gave me a sense of belonging which was what I needed when I was feeling homesick as a freshman from out of state, attempting to make friends. Also from rushing at the beginning of the year, I made friends with people who joined different sororities than myself. I really enjoy having friends in different sororities, and not all being in the same one.

Since I am from the East Coast, it was a great opportunity to meet lots of great people Since I originally lived in a quiet dorm, I did not have the opportunity to meet people as effectively as students who lived on southeast campus. Recruitment allowed me to meet new people and become involved on campus right away which greatly helped my college transition period. Since school and student organizations had not yet started, I felt I could fully focus on the rush process. And once rush finished, I felt I could give school and other student organizations my full attention. Furthermore, the weather was comfortable - it was beautiful outside! I got to enjoy warm, sunny days by the lake while walking from house to house. I wouldn’t have wanted to go through recruitment at any other time in the year. Smaller amount of people rushing Socializing with brothers during football game days was very important for me, and helped me get to know them a lot.

Spring rush was much tougher all around than fall rush Taught me a lot in general and made a lot of good friends out of the process. taught time management directly after school started, which is the most valuable skill in college. provided an immediate attempt to create social connections. That The main recruitment process took place in fall The ability to join a sorority in the beginning of the year allowed me to make friends immediately at a school where I did not know any one who was already attending. The above question is poorly worded and confusing. The fact that recruitment is in the fall (specifically before any classes start) is really beneficial. The delayed recruitment model would place rounds at the the end of September and beginning of October, right when midterms begin. I would hope the university understands the potential detriment to freshman in the delayed recruitment model. Having to rush and go through your first set of college midterms is heinous. The weather/climate is beneficial in the fall, not in the spring. Madison has harsh winters and if the deferred recruitment model were passed, walking up and down Langdon in heels and a dress would be miserable.

The current fall recruitment process works perfectly and should not be changed for any reason. The experience of a process that allowed me to meet a large amount of new people. Felt welcomed to be at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The fact that it was right during the beginning allowed me to meet other people as well who were rushing and expand my social circle for the get go. At the beginning every freshman is scared to meet people, so the recruitment is a great way to meet other people regardless of what house they join because it still talk to people who I met during recruitment that are in Greek life and not necessarily my chapter. Also the fact that it is right at the beginning allows the girls to not have to worry about homework or tests and it exposes you to girls who are older that actually help a lot when talking about classes/majors/Wisconsin in general.

The fall recruitment process was long enough so that there would be ample time to meet brothers and have events outdoor with the gorgeous weather. The fall rush is a great time of year to go through the recruitment process and it gives you an opportunity to get involved on campus right away. The fall was a great time for it because it was nice out and I could check it out with my friends The house gave me a spot on campus where I knew people after just coming on to campus that I could talk to and ask advice of.

The informal spring recruitment process convinced me to join my sorority. It was much more relaxed and the informality of it allowed me to get a better gauge and reading of the girls who rushed me. The only reason I felt I was not fully educated was due to the fact that I did not attend the Go Greek info sessions. The opportunity to meet an abundance of other students and make new friends. Also, the opportunity to learn more about educational and extra-curricular activities on campus from older students! I recieved a lot of great advice and felt less scared about navigating class and campus. The people I met, the feel I got while visiting chapters The recruitment process actually helped me start my education off correctly. I was able to connect with older girls who gave me advice and guidance my first few semesters at UW-Madison. If I had not joined first semester freshman year I believe my work load would have scared me away from joining at all. If I did not join I would struggle with time management and knowing what to expect each semester of college. The recruitment process aided in figuring out which group of guys I felt the most comfortable with. Through various events at the fraternity houses and other places, I was able to meet several guys in a less formal (or "natural") environment than, say, at a table at Memorial Union. This helped in really getting to know what each house, specifically the members within it, were about.

The recruitment process allows you to get a feeling for each chapter and find one in which you feel the most comfortable. Without the recruitment process, it would be difficult to know which chapter best fits your needs and wants. It would be extremely difficult to go through this process at any other time of the year. It requires a large time commitment from both those going through the recruitment process and those who are hosting, so it is important that it occurs before the academic year begins. It is also crucial to hold recruitment during a time of the year where students can be comfortable and safe spending time outdoors as this is a necessary aspect of conducting the process.

The recruitment process began before classes started. This made the transition into school quite easy, as I didn't have to worry about balancing rush and difficult classes. I made a lot of friends through the entire recruitment process. This made my transition to school easier as an early rush forced me to socialize with new people immediately.

The recruitment process helped me adapt to my new college life and meet many new people. I did not know many people in Madison when starting out school, and beginning the year with recruitment introduced me to so many different girls who were going through the same things as I was. I made many friends during the process, and I have maintained those relationships even after ending up in different sororities as several of them. Recruitment also helped me learn to manage my time in college starting out from the very beginning. The recruitment process in the early fall was the best timing because it did not interfere with any other commitments, including classes. It was perfect because the weather was great for walking around and exploring the greek community without having to be cold or rushed. Although it was early in the semester, I felt very informed and prepared at the beginning of recruitment because of all the information that was given about greek life prior to actual recruitment.

The recruitment process in the fall was a great experience because coming to a new school can be difficult to find friends, and immediately I was introduced to a group of girls rushing with me. Even if those girls are not in my sorority, or even if they didn't join Greek life at all, I still see these girls all over campus and say hi. Also, the weather in the fall was perfect, especially since we dress up to meet the girls in the sororities. Having this in the winter would be much too cold as we wait outside in a line and walk house to house all day. The recruitment process is very straight forward and let's you know valuable information and what the expectations of you being a potential member would be. The recruitment process lead to meeting a lot of people that weren't in, or didn't end up joining my chapter. The recruitment process really helped with connections and networking. I was able to make small connections and find great study buddies. The recruitment process really made my transition into college so much easier. Without the guidance of the older members, I wouldn't have been able to find the right major, find the right classes, or truly find my place on such a big campus.

The recruitment process was a great time to meet many friends. The Greek community is not exclusive and I think that stems from the time recruitment is in the school year. When going through recruitment, most people are freshmen in their first semester. This is the best time to meet people and the recruitment process allows you to become close to girls (or boys) regardless of what house they end up in. I am still very close to girls who are in other sororities! Also, joining a sorority significantly helped my transition into college. The amount of support, both psychological and academic, was substantial and it continues to help me succeed. Going back, as I said, we are not exclusive. I think it is important for me to note that some of my absolute best friends who I still regularly hang out with, I met in the residence halls. Going through recruitment made me closer to the other people in the residence halls participating but expanded my friend group beyond just my floor. I did not feel that I was missing out on any floor opportunities going through recruitment. If anything, it gave me something to talk about at night when my floor would all lay on the couches in the den and talk about what we did that day.

The recruitment process was an integral part of my freshman experience at the UW. I made countless friends, and formulating that kind of social stability early on in my college experience was essential in a time of so many drastic changes.

The recruitment process was extremely beneficial because it helped me to better become situated at school since I felt welcome by the sorority and Greek life in general. The recruitment process was very beneficial to my first semester of college. Through the recruitment process I was able to meet a lot more people on campus rather than just the many people from my residence hall. I was also able to make close connections with many girls in my residence hall because we were going through the recruitment process together. The recruitment process helped me to break out of my shell and made me feel more comfortable about my first semester of college.

The recruitment process was very informational and helpful in guiding my way through understanding Greek life. I found it to be a very effective way to find my place in the Greek system at our school. The rush process helped me meet some of my best friends that I still have to this day. I currently live in my fraternity house now and absolutely love it. The timing for rush, before school started, was much more beneficial because there was no stress of rush interfering with classes.

The transition to college was quite difficult being far from home. The recruitment process gave me a community and something to keep me busy during a time of transition, helping to steer away from being homesick. The weather was nice! The wording in questions 12 - 15 confused me but I felt that the recruitment process was well planned and I did not have any conflicts that interfeared with my participation at the time of year it was held. The recruitment process has benefitted me in more ways than than I can described in this small space. It has overall given me a better undergraduate experience by not only providing me with social capital, but also academic, professional, emotional and organizational skills.

The wording of the question is inconsistent with the options provided, so I want to clarify myself. Recruitment did NOT conflict with my class schedule/academic commitments because it was scheduled before classes started in order to avoid academic conflict. The weather/climate did not interfere with me getting to and from recruitment events because it was late August, and we did not have to deal with the snow in January. I did not have other commitments interfering with my ability to take part in the recruitment process. I was completely and thoroughly educated and informed about the recruitment process.

There are many benefits of going through the recruitment process fall semester. Coming to a Big 10 college 40k+ students it is hard to find your place - however, recruitment made this large campus much more manageable and by being able to rush immediately I never once felt homesick or doubted being here. There was the added benefit of making friends with the girls in your rush group, even if we didn't end up being in the same houses. That created the large benefit of being able to meet girls like myself right at the beginning of the year. The recruitment process made UW-Madison a smaller more approachable campus immediately, because I belonged to something.

These answer choices make no sense with the wording of the questions These questions are worded very confusing. What I mean to say by my responses is that the recruitment process did not conflict with my class schedule or any other academic commitments, the weather/climate did not interfere with me getting to and from recruitment events, I didn't have other commitments interfering with my ability to take part in the recruitment process, and I felt I was fully educated and informed about the recruitment process. These questions should be on a scale from disagree to agree This question is confusing to me, but I had no hard feelings about recruitment, besides the time. It is necessary however for recruitment to be as long as it is. This survey is confusing because it is worded in a way that is difficult to understand. However, additional benefits from going through Fall recruitment is that the weather was much nicer and it made securing housing a lot easier and accommodating.

This survey is extremely hard to understand and VERY poorly worded. please do not try to trick me into answering the way you want. I am a sociology major and I have learned about the ways one tries to trick the subject while taking a survey. I think that fall recruitment is necessary at a school such as Wisconsin, where the average temperature during January is -5 degrees.

Through spring rush/COB, I got to talk to a lot more girls from the chapter than I would've through fall rush. Side note: I don't know if the way this question is worded allowed my complete understanding. The chart above should read that all the things above are a benefit but as I said, the way this is worded didn't allow me to be sure of my answers. I would change this to Agree/Disagree in the future. Through the rush process, I was able to meet SO many people outside of my hometown circle of friends, including many girls older than me. The Rho Gamma's were some of the first "leaders" on campus that I interacted with, and I remember being incredibly impressed with their enthusiasm and friendliness. They ended up being points of familiarity during my first couple months at Madison, and I still stay in contact with one of them! Timing was great, school year was just getting started and everyone was excited to meet new people, also it was the start of a new year so teachers didn't get straight too work right away so it was a minimal stress school enviroment

Understood how sororities function on the day to day basis. Unlike many schools, UW-Madison's rush season lasts several weeks. Throughout this time, it is typically a freshman's first few weeks of college, in which he or she does not have many assignments due, and does not have many external commitments. This allows for free time in which the potential new greek member can dedicate themselves to rush so that they make the best choice when it comes to choosing the house they would like to be in. Shortening the program would not be advantageous as it would simply rush a process that needs time and is incredibly important to one's college experience.

UW is a huge school, and going through recruitment early on helped make the school seem smaller and helped me find my niche early on. UW-Madison is a huge campus, so it was really great to have a close group of people who I could go to for help and guidance as I was starting my time in college. My fraternity helped me adjust to college life and gave me addition easier to use resources for academic planning than the rest of the university. was a great way to meet people when I first got here freshman year. It is vital to rush Freshman year because it forces people to come out of their comfort zone and also connects many freshman that are going through the same transition. was able to get to know members better was able to participate in humo, philanthropies, etc. was able to meet older college students who could assist with classes and offer advice Was able to make a group of friends early on in my first semester at UW-Madison. I would not have as close of a group of friends as I do if I did not meet these people in the fall of my freshman year. Having a group of friends right away made for an easy transition from high school to college. Was able to meet people, especially upper classmen that helped make me feel welcome on a new campus. Was able to meet with different fraternities and see which one was a good fit. Also got to get a glimpse of what joining a fraternity will involve and what I would be doing if I joined a fraternity. Was introduced to many people and the campus, regardless of which Greek house they were a part of. When I rushed as a freshmen, it was before any classes began. This was perfect as I did become stressed and overwhelmed my first semester by classes, as is typical with any incoming student. I found the recruitment process to be quick and a great way to meet people easily, both in my sorority and outside of it. While at first I was worried that recruitment was too soon in the year, I ultimately think recruitment first semester is beneficial as women and men go into rush without any previous knowledge about the sororities and fraternities. This allowed me to join a sorority based on the women I spoke to, and not any stereotypes that might surround houses. With it being when I first got to school it gave me a chance to meet a lot of people. not just the people in my sorority now, but people that were in my rush group and that I am still friends with now. Being from out of state i didn't know anyone here so it helped me learn how to introduce myself and make friends with people. Also it was very nice that there wasn't class during rush be cause it is a long process and is pretty tiring. If it was later in the year, say mid semester, that would be way too stressful. Also it gave me structure when I got to school because I had meeting times and places that I had to go to. Also it help me get acclimated with campus because we were walking all around and the older girls, Rho Gammas, were extremely helpful in guiding us and answering general questions about school and college life.

You find friends in your chapter early on in the year. You get to become great friends with the kids that you're rushing with. It makes a big campus seem less imposing. You get to know both your brothers and new members better. You get to meet a lot of people very quickly. You get used to putting yourself out there. You get to meet a lot of people with similar social interests to you that you would not necessarily find in a dorm floor. You get to meet older students (who are not your RA) and get there perspective on what college is all about. You go to school and enter a really exciting process right away and it REALLY helps you make the transition into college easier.

You make friends right at the beginning of the year during Fall rush, which is a huge benefit of it. It wouldn't be the same if Fall rush wasn't allowed. You meet air if new people. Fall recruitment was great for me because I made many new friends that I otherwise wouldn't have met that early in my college career You really get to meet people from the chapter and get to understand what they are about. It is an extremely vital part of becoming greek. You're also able to make the decision where you want to go. 700 Respondents

Q17. To what extent were the following a disadvantage from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - Did not have the opportunity to meet and build friendships with others on my residence hall floor Count Percent 878 76.48% Not at all 133 11.59% A little 76 6.62% Somewhat 34 2.96% Quite a bit 27 2.35% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q18. To what extent were the following a disadvantage from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - Exposed to drinking culture/behaviors Count Percent 892 77.70% Not at all 160 13.94% A little 66 5.75% Somewhat 18 1.57% Quite a bit 12 1.05% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q19. To what extent were the following a disadvantage from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - Felt rushed to make a decision about joining the Greek Community/my chapter

Count Percent 818 71.25% Not at all 177 15.42% A little 87 7.58% Somewhat 34 2.96% Quite a bit 32 2.79% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q20. To what extent were the following a disadvantage from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - Felt like there wasn't very many chapters available/accepting members

Count Percent 995 86.67% Not at all 78 6.79% A little 48 4.18% Somewhat 17 1.48% Quite a bit 10 0.87% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q21. To what extent were the following a disadvantage from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - Felt like I did not have enough time to acclimate to UW-Madison

Count Percent 923 80.40% Not at all 118 10.28% A little 60 5.23% Somewhat 29 2.53% Quite a bit 18 1.57% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q22. To what extent were the following a disadvantage from going through the recruitment process (also known as rush or informationals) in that year and semester? - Interfered with academic commitments Count Percent 941 81.97% Not at all 130 11.32% A little 58 5.05% Somewhat 9 0.78% Quite a bit 10 0.87% A lot 1148 Respondents

Q23. Please specify any other disadvantages from going through the recruitment process: Count Percent 453 100.00% A big disadvantage to Fall rush (in my opinion) is that it happens so early in the semester. I understand the need to get involved right away, but I also feel like it is really hard for freshman to deal with moving into the dorms, starting classes, making friends with their room/floor mates and then rush on top of it all. Especially since rush is such a time commitment. I would feel extremely overwhelmed if I had all of that thrown at me at once. A huge time commitment when I was trying to figure out classes and get acclimated with the school. A lot of time commitment Absolutely none whatsoever Absolutely none. Absolutely none...it's better than staying in your dorm room and hanging out with three people with nothing to do and not meeting as many new people on campus as possible other than your floor. Again, questions 17-22 are very poorly written and the chart does not help explaining the wording. I did not feel there were any disadvantages in going through fraternity recruitment process. I like the way that it is set up currently, where the rushee can pick and choose which houses they go to. Again, this question is poorly worded and confusing. The friends I made on my floor ended up joining Greek life as well, so that wasn't an issue. Its college - there is an inherent drinking culture that regardless of where you live, hang out, etc. you will be exposed to. I was eager to join the Greek community...coming here knowing 2 other people was scary. I needed sisterhood and friendship to help me acclimate to UW, and I found that through my sorority.

Age difference. Although it was an overwhelming process, I am extremely happy that I decided to go through the recruitment process in the fall of my freshman year. Although it was an overwhelming process, I am very happy that I chose to go through recruitment in the fall. Although we had welcome week, I still feel like I jumped into rush at the very beginning of the year and didn't know my way around Madison very well. Another tabling day would have been beneficial As a freshman, I realized that the word needs to get out a lot better. I only heard by ear where i was to go and what I was to do.

As a sophomore, many chapters didn't want me so it did feel like maybe I did not belong in the Greek community. The process was right when I was trying to make friends with the people in my dorm so there were days that I felt like I wasn't getting to know the people as well as I wanted. However, after recruitment was over I started to get to know them better and it wasn't a problem.

As a transfer student, the recruitment process made me feel much more welcome to campus than I otherwise would have. I was able to eaisly build relationships with people in my similar situation within the greek community, allowing me to acclimate to campus immediately. The only disadvantage of going through recruitment is that not more of the student body participates.

Because I joined as a sophomore, I didn't really feel rushed into making a decision. I also wasn't living in the dorms, so that was not an issue. It is a whirlwind, but a very fun time as well. Because recruitment took place at the beginning of school, before classes ever really started, it didn't conflict whatsoever with my academics. If I would have rushed spring semester or like many other universities, even later in the year, my academics probably would have suffered. Being on campus and living in residence halls I was never informed of these opportunities (except directly by Greek members) and would have like more information available about these organizations from the University and tour guides.

By having recruitment so early, I was able to meet many girls during rush that I would have not met otherwise, regardless of whether or not they ended up in my same chapter. By joining a sorority, I was able to learn more about UW, other student organizations to join and immediately had help with any class work. Conflicted some with UW Housing Job Training Didn't have time to think about it when I first came to campus and whether I actually wanted to do it or not, just did because I knew I wouldn't have another chance. didn't know a lot about Greek expectations before rush Disadvantages were small compared to advantages end dry rush Events were less than ideal due to the weather Everyone is exposed to drinking culture/behavior, this is UW-Madison, I feel if anything by having dry rush events taught us to be more responsible and not rely on drinking for social activities Everyone is exposed to drinking/bad behavior culture. In Greek life I learned that drinking is not the only way to have fun, I am sure I would not have learned that if I hadn't have rushed. Fall rush exposed me to no such behaviors, but rather, again, allowed me to quickly get assimilated within this large campus

Felt a little disjointed from the Fall pledge class. Felt like I had to make a decision based off of only a few conversations. Also the restrictions on what we could or could not talk about kind of masked some of the sororities' true personalities, as I learned after recruitment. For me, I saw nothing as a disadvantage. Freshman were favored a greater amount because they will be a part of the chapter longer and pay more in the long run. This made me wish I rushed as a freshman to have equal opportunity, but I loved the chapter I got. Going through recruitment in the fall did actually exactly opposite of all of these questions above. I felt immediately welcomed to campus, was able to make new friends while still being able to bond with members on my floor, and was not stressed with academic commitments because the school year had just started and I did not have to worry about tests/midterms/finals.

Going through recruitment is undoubtedly a time commitment, but I feel it was a very worthwhile time commitment to make. I felt it balanced with other welcome week activities well. The Greek community encouraged me to go to other university events in the first week, was very open about the whole process, and helped me to understand all of the options that were available to me.

Going through Rush during the fall of my freshman year was the best possible time considering the above-mentioned factors Going through rush during the Spring was difficult due to weather conditions. I also would have rather rushed during the Fall because I feel that I would have been closer with my fraternity brothers due to me not knowing anyone at the University in the Fall.

Grammar correction "Felt like there WEREN'T very many..." 3rd person plural when referring to multiple objects. But overall I felt recruitment was a positive way to begin the year. Especially as a transfer who did not know anyone.

Hard to make an impact in many fraternities and find info about rush Hard to organize which to go to Having done rush first thing, I would have liked to have gotten to know the chapters more. I wish there would have been an additional day to recruitment because I did feel a bit rushed into making the decision without enough information. having to commute from my apt over by camp randall to southeast for a lot of events Honestly, becoming apart of the greek community so early is what made my transition into college life easier. I was always part of a club or group in high school and make my friends and connections through those groups. Honestly, there were NO disadvantages to the process. If anything, it helped improve my experience with adjusting to the campus. I was forced to make friends and I did not feel isolated in my public dorm, overwhelmed and lonely (which MANY girls on my floor who did not go through recruitment felt a couple of weeks into the semester). Huge advantage to join in the fall. Quickly became connected with older members on campus who helped me develop good study habits and conduct. Also used older members a resource for many aspects of college life. I believe there are no disadvantages to joining Greek life when I did. I can not think of any other disadvantages! I can't specify any disadvantages from going through the recruitment process in that year and semester. It was perfectly timed so that it did not interfere with anything academically, and actually helped me socially. I did not experience any disadvantages from going through the recruitment process. I did not experience any disadvantages from undergoing the recruitment process in the fall semester of my freshman year.

I did not experience any disadvantages going through the recruitment process at this time. I did not experience any disadvantages going through the recruitment process in the fall. In fact, I think my decision to rush a sorority when I first arrived on the UW-Madison campus was one of my biggest advantages to making a smooth transition to the large university. I was able to have multiple groups of friends including my sorority and floor to rely on and support me with this big transition. I did not experience any disadvantages while going through the recruitment process I did not experience any disadvantages. The recruitment process made my transition to college a lot easier and helped me adjust smoothly. I did not feel any disadvantages from going through the recruitment process. I did not feel disadvantaged in any way. I did not feel disadvantaged in anyway. I understood what my commitment to my sorority was going to be and going greek has been nothing but a positive experience here on campus. I did not feel like the recruitment process brought forth any significant disadvantages to my college experience. Of course the process is long and can feel a little overwhelming at some points but that is the same for any other new endeavor in college as a freshman. I did not feel like there were any disadvantages. One is able to leave the process at any time if she feels the need do.

I did not feel that there was disadvantages of going through the recruiting process I did not feel that there were any disadvantages from going through the recruitment process. I did not find any disadvantages to recruitment. I did not find any disadvantages. I actually believe recruitment later in the year would cause even more disadvantageous problems.

I did not find anything negative with the recruitment process. I did not see any disadvantages from going through the recruitment process during the fall of 2013. I did spring rush, and only two chapters were accepting members at that time. I didn't experience any disadvantages with the rush period. It really just like another 3 credit course that's added to your schedule

I didn't experience any disadvantages. I didn't feel like I had any disadvantages to rushing at that time. I didn't feel the effects of any disadvantages through the recruitment process I didn't hang out with my old friends from high school much, which in itself is really an advantage. I didn't see any disadvantages. I didn't see many disadvantages of the recruitment processes because it allows students, ADULTS, to make there own decisions which is an important part of going to college. Also you are never forced to join a fraternity/sorority at any particular time so it allows you to wait if you want to but still enables people to take full advantage of what Greek life offers,(service philanthropy, scholarship, friendship), to those that chose to use it as soon as they get on campus.

I didn't think any of these were disadvantages, I still am great friends with everyone on my floor, I was comfortable with wisconsin and the campus, I had enough time to decide about recruitment and the drinking culture was already introduced to me before I went through recruitment. I didn't think that any of these things were disadvantageous; I never felt any pressure or requirement to participate in drinking (based on my own experiences), I was able to meet people from my dorm without having to succumb to THEIR OWN drinking habits, and I thought I had more than enough time to make a decision. Plus, I know for a fact that joining the Greek community was the best way for me to acclimate to UW Madison; I had a peer base of nearly 800 women who were going through the same experiences as I was! It was actually super helpful! I didn't think the timing of recruitment provided any disadvantages for me. If anything, it allowed me to get more involved. I heard of most of the academic clubs that I am in through the recruitment process. I do not believe there are any I do not believe there are any disadvantages from the recruitment process. I am fully satisfied. I do not feel disadvantaged in any way as a result of going through the recruitment process. I do not feel like there were any major disadvantages from going through the recruitment process. It did not interfere with any of my academic commitments because it started so early. In fact, joining a sorority encouraged academia such as study groups or trips to the library together. I felt like the amount of time spent on the recruitment process was deliberately thought-out and spaced and gave the potential new members almost a week and multiple trips to the sororities to get a feel of where they would fit in best.

I do not see any disadvantages pertaining to the timing of the recruitment process. I do not think there are many disadvantages from going through the process, besides having not a lot of time to walk from house to house in between the rounds I don't believe there were any disadvantages to the recruitment process. I don't feel as though I experienced disadvantages directly related to the recruitment process. Since joining, my GPA has increased, I have had more leadership opportunities, found an incredibly strong support system, and have had easier access to information regarding safety and health from services such as SafeWalk, PAVE, and the Madison Police Department.

I don't feel that there were any disadvantages to the recruitment process I don't see any disadvantages to going through recruitment in the Fall. Many girls know that they want to go through recruitment when they get to Madison and those who want to try it have that opportunity to right away. If Greek Life ends up not being for them they still have so much time to do get involved in other things and to make friends with their floor mates. Recruitment seems to be solely beneficial. I don't think I had any disadvantages I faced few if any disadvantages from participating in fall recruitment. I feel like there were no disadvantages to our current process because it is so well organized that they account for any possible problems. I felt like many members were very fake going through recruitment and having the process last so long just seemed like a waste of my summer. I felt no disadvantages going through the recruitment process. I felt no disadvantages when going through the recruitment process that first semester as a freshman. As I said earlier, participating in this recruitment process enabled me to become a part of a community early on and for this reason, it helped me better adjust to the college lifestyle. I felt no disadvantages. I felt recruitment was just to short that I didn't get to see every chapter and what it had to offer. I felt that fall rush allowed me to acclimate to UW madison more effectively. I felt the wording/structure of question 22 is confusing and there are double negatives. However, as a freshman who went through recruitment this past fall, I can honestly say that I have not encountered any disadvantage of the recruitment process. I

I find that the recruitment process is good for people with high self-esteem, otherwise it can be painful and awkward.

I found few disadvantages. Everything is manageable and I was always able to focus on school above everything else.

I found no disadvantages from going through the recruitment process. I found no disadvantages going through the recruitment process. I found no disadvantages to the process being in the fall. I found that there was no difference in the drinking culture from the people in my dorms and in my fraternity. I had a fantastic experience during recruitment and it really added to the beginning of my year. I had no disadvantages. I had no problems with the recruitment process. I was a very well organized student in High School, so as an incoming freshman, balancing the recruitment process with academics and student organizations wasn't a challenge.

I Had no problems with the recruitment process. One's recruitment is very much in their own hands. I had plenty of time to meet and build friendships with others on my residence hall floor. My first exposure to drinking/culture behavior was during "welcome week" before recruitment had even started, so I cannot attribute that to the greek community. I had plenty of time to make my decision, and many chapters made me feel welcome. Greek like helped me acclimate to college by providing older mentors that would not otherwise have been there if I did not go through recruitment. It did not interfere with any academic conflicts because classes had not begun at that point.

I have loved my greek experience. I wish recruitment took place in august before the beginning if school like it does in southern schools, or perhaps took place over more days, like it did in the '80s, but overall, I would not trade my experience for any other option. Additionally, it helped me form connections with my floor mates. Those going through recruitment had a shared experience with myself, and it was an ice breaker with those who were not involved in greek life.

I honestly did not feel any disadvantages. I was never overwhelmed and felt comfortable to ask my rho gammas any questions that I had. I also felt like the process was made clear to me and I was able to make a clear schedule to help make my transition to Madison easier. I just didn't create a lot of relationships with people on my dorm floor right away, but after rush that all changed. I think rush was a great way to make close friends early on in the semester, so i definitely have a broader range of friends now. I lived in an apartment during the time a went through recruitment so I don't think that I can give an accurate answer to whether I did / didn't have the opportunity to build friendships with others on my residence hall floor. I love the way our recruitment is set up now. I have no complaints. I only felt rushed because of how short the recruitment process was. I originally had the intention to rush as a freshman. However, when I realized how quickly I would have to rush and make a decision (rush started less than 24 hours after I moved in), I decided to delay rushing until my sophomore year. I don't regret that decision, but I wish that incoming freshmen weren't forced to rush immediately upon their arrival on the UW-Madison campus.

I personally did not find any disadvantages with the recruitment process, it may have been time consuming and frustrating process but that was what was necessary to place people where they belong. I personally do not see any disadvantages with having recruitment during the first weeks of school. I really enjoyed recruitment this past fall I really enjoyed the whole process, and I benefited from meeting so many girls right from the beginning of the semester!

I rushed in the Fall and Spring. It was much more of a hassle to rush in the winter, and i thought rushing in the fall was much more exciting way to meet people because of all of the new Freshman. I saw no disadvantages from going through the recruitment process. If I hadn't rushed I would have never had the confidence to be so active on campus. I saw no disadvantages with my recruitment. I learned quickly about a lot of fraternities and was ready to make my decision once the time and come. I seriously despise everything in this survey. You've constructed this survey in a way that I cannot answer these correctly. Pitiful

I think before school is the best time I think doing it at the beginning of the year has a ton of benefits that outweigh any potential disadvantages. In order to get rid of some of these concerns I think starting recruitment a week earlier would be the best alternative. I think it is great as it is now! I think that the recruitment process made me feel like more of a student at UW-Madison. It made the campus much smaller and allowed me to make friends quickly who shared similar interests. All the chapters I visited were welcoming and friendly, and I immediately felt like greek life was a really good community to be a part of. We had a lot of time to decide what chapter was for us, but also had time off to interact with other students in the residence halls. Although I was exposed to drinking, it was in no different manner than the exposure I experienced at non greek life parties. I was also offered alternative activities within the Greek community that were sober. I think the Greek exposure to drinking culture is often better, because at least in my chapter there are rules and codes of conduct related to alcohol, whereas people not in Greek organizations have no standards they are required to follow.

I think the recruitment process should only be for Sophomore students. Although that may sound ridiculous, I think it allows girls to develop who they are in college before they join a chapter, potentially avoiding the chance of joining a chapter that does not fit her personality. Another disadvantage of the recruitment process is that it brings out the cattiest, most stereotypical aspects of greek life. Quite often, many women, who are normally respectful civilized human beings, turn to desperate measures such as "dirty rushing" and bashing on online greek forums. There is disrespectful behaviors modeled from both greek women and potential new members. I've heard of many rush stories where girls were reprimanded for eating too much during recruitment or who were outright ignored by girls in certain houses. In a similar fashion, there are some potential new members who exhibit equally catty behavior, yet there is no system to check and balance this behavior. I really think this is not an accurate reflection of the benefits of greek life, but what can you really do to prevent this?

I think there would be more disadvantages with these selections if recruitment came at a different time of year. I think we needed a few more days to do rush after move-in to get more settled into Madison. I was a little confused by the wording of these questions so I'll try to explain my answers here. I strongly believe that there was no disadvantage to going through the recruitment process when I did other than the fact that I wish I would have gone through as a freshamn instead of a sophomore. Rushing in the fall was a fantastic way to feel comrfotable meeting people. I was able to make a lot of freinds in the Greek Community and elsewhere, it definitely did not affect my opportunity to meet others around campus. I believe I was more exposed to drinking when I wasn't in Greek Life. I think Greek Life gets a bad reputation in that sense and what a lot of people don't realize is just how many sober events we have. We have chapter every monday, humorology, study slams, philantropies, sisterhoods, and sober socials. All of these events benefit not only us but the community as well. In fact, just last year my chapter made the most money for our philantropy than did any of our national chapters. Also the recruitment process did not feel rushed by any means, I think in the future we probably will have to add another day in the week becuase hopefully our Greek life will be exapnding. I also felt like the chapters were very accepting, the recruitment process really works it self out, I could not agree more with what the rho gamma's explained to me: You will end up where you're supposed to be becuase the selection is a reciprocal selection. And like I said before, I believe there is plenty of time to acclimate to UW-Madison. In fact, I wish I would have rushed my Freshman year because I felt more acclimated to UW-Madison after rushing in the fall my sophmore year than I did all of my freshman year. I belive this had to do with the fact that you have a bunch of older girls to help you with any questions you may have about campus, greek life, acitivites, job opportunities, and pretty much anything you would want to know. Finally, I believe having fall rush very early in the semster GREATLY helps with academics becasue it does not interdere with academic commitments at all. It normally starts before classes start and ends int he first week of class which I belive is the most beneficial time. Becasue like I said before, academics is an extremely important aspect to my chapter and th Greek Community as a whole. I was as close with my floor friends as I was anyone else freshman year. I did not feel like I was missing out on anything by going through recruitment. I don't believe recruitment increased my exposure to drinking culture because my freshman floor was beyond crazy and women aren't allowed to talk about or drink with each other during formal recruitment. I was hesitant about drinking my freshman year and I felt more accepted by the Greek Community than the other freshman around me because of that.

I was not exposed as much to the drinking because I was occupied with recruitment during the day and did not want to binge drink at night in fear of not being 110% for recruitment the next day. I was very close with the people on my floor and build strong relationships with them, regardless of if they were in the Greek community or not. I think that I was exposed to a drinking culture and drinking behaviors from being a part of this campus, not from being a member of the Greek community. I think that is an unfair assertion that is placed on us. I did not feel rushed in any way to make a decision about joining the Greek community or my chapter specifically. I felt like there were a multitude of chapters available to me and accepting members very openly. Being a part of a sorority or the Greek community has not interfered with my academic commitments in any way, in fact it has helped me. I have access to people in my chapter who are always willing to help me with anything or study with me. I felt like being a part of the Greek community has not interfered with getting acclimated to UW- Madison either. I am a member of many student organizations and am very involved in campus on goings and I also have a job on campus.

I was very warm those first couple of weeks in Madison, but that did not have an overall impact on my impression of the campus and its Greek Life. I wasn't sure I wanted to be greek at the beginning of the recruitment period, I wasn't sure when I got my bid, and I wasn't sure after my first new member meeting. I was sure when I stayed and made real connections to the house. I was lead to believe that during recruitment I would make real connections in 3 days but of course it take time. I went through recruitment both as a freshman and a sophomore. Freshman year I dropped out because it was too overwhelming.

I went through spring recruitment of my first year at UW and there were only a few chapters doing spring recruitment. Many of the chapters planned their events for the same times on the same nights so it was impossible to go to all the chapters holding events and therefore I could only get to know a fraction of the chapters on campus. I am very happy with the chapter I ended up in, but it would have still been nice to visit all of the different chapters.

I wish I could have gone through sooner. I wish the greek community was bigger, with more houses to choose from. I also would love more support for the greek community by the university, given that as an organization we raise the most philanthropic money on campus...It doesn't seem right that there are so many negative reputations associated with the greek community. I would not achieved the Wisconsin experience fall of my freshman year without joining such an incredible sisterhood.

I wished I knew the reputations of certain sororities better/ got to know each house better in general I would have liked to receive more information about the Christian sorority than what was available. The rush process was hectic and very stressful, more than once I was on the verge of dropping during the process. I don't think that the rush process gives an accurate image of what Greek life is actually like. I'm not sure if I would have gone through the recruitment process if it was later in the semester. I made a lot of the friendships I have now while I was going through recruitment. If anything, my experience with recruitment enhanced the beginning of my career as a college student exponentially. I really felt welcomed into the community and it was a great way to meet people, whether we all ended up in the same chapters or not. It made me feel less overwhelmed by the huge campus and so many people at the beginning of my freshman year. I see no disadvantages whatsoever in the timing of recruitment. If you rush as a freshman it's extremely early in the school year. Spring rush gives students more time to adjust to college life and make a better decision. In my opinion, there were no disadvantages It completely conflicted because it is always Labor Day Weekend and that was conflicting for me and many other people that I knew. I had to miss first rounds because of a wedding which left me very uninformed about the process.

It is a fantastic and exciting way to begin college! The rush process is fine the way it is!!! It is a little overwhelming since it is so soon after move-in and takes up all day each day before classes start so it might be hard to get ready for classes (i.e. finding classrooms, getting books). However, my dorm allowed move-in earlier than others so this wasn't a problem particular to me. It is a time commitment but that is what you take into consideration when deciding to join the greek system. It is too early in the school year. There should be 2 full rush processes, one in the spring and one in the fall. It was a bit more challenging to make friends because I was gone so frequently for recruitment. It was a little rushed, but it happened at the best time it could. It was a lot of very long days. It was a time consuming process. It was at the very beginning of the school year, which was both good and bad. It was good because I was able to have even more time to meet and bond with my new sisters. However being so early was not as good because as a freshman, I wish I would've had a little more time to adjust to the Madison community first. It was exhausting during first and second rounds but it went quickly and was a super exciting time for me and the other girls in my rush group. It was extremely early so hard to get acclimate to UW It was hard for me to be thrown right into recruitment and not being able to really even unpack my stuff. I think it would really help to promote Greek life more during soar and then to let those that are rushing move in a little earlier. it was hot in the houses because most of them don't have AC It was overall a process that went very well. It was overwhelming to speak to so many girls, but I didn't mind become I wanted to find the right house for me. it was really really hot outside and uncomfortable in the houses It was so exhausting It was so quick. It was somewhat overwhelming. It was split up into two weekends. It was the first thing I experienced at UW-Madison and was wary if it was right for me but there were many girls to talk to and a long period where there was still the opportunity to drop It was too hot outside and I felt like I needed more water It was tough to schedule out time to spend time at every chapter and explore every option. Had to rely on word of mouth at times. Wish recruitment started a bit earlier. It's very judgmental and can make someone feel badly about themselves if they find they don't fit in -Junior live-in requirement -Loss of fall new member dues -Delayed recruitment could be in the middle of midterms -Rho gammas and PHA exec would have to be disaffiliated for a whole semester with deferred recruitment -Standing rules would have to be rewritten Like wise, i feel as though these questions were worded tricky much like the first few. I had many opportunities to make friendships on my floor, i never felt rushed to make a decision about joining the Greek community, etc. Overall i had a very positive experience during recruitment and i had plenty of opportunities to do whatever else i wanted to do here at UW as well.

Limited me from joining other groups. Long and tiring LONG DAYS but also it was good timing for me. we'd been at school for like 4 or 5 days with no classes and nothing really else to do.

Long hours, exhausting, during time that would have been well suited to meeting people on floor, roommate. Long, and tiring days Made me self-conscious More commitments and obligations spring semester, wish I had rushed fall. n/a N/a N/A N/A I thought rush was at the perfect time of year and didn't interfere in anything. N/A, I truly enjoyed going through recruitment soon after I got to UW-Madison. n/a. na NA No No any really because it happens at the start of the year, before classes really get going (no exams during that time) No disadvantages No disadvantages at all. no disadvantages for me No disadvantages for me No disadvantages I can think of. No disadvantages what-so-ever. Becoming greek has been one of the best choices I have made. It was an awesome personal decision, and I believe becoming a member of a sorority has helped me to become the best student and person I can be. Had I not rushed, I would not have the motivation to do the amount of studying that I do, and I would not be as committed to my school work. No disadvantages, thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. No disadvantages. No disadvantages. If anything it improved my experience adjusting to campus. No disadvantages. Joining a sorority has made my college experience what it is. No disadvantages. College is a transition within itself and an introduction to a culture which includes many new people and alcohol. The Greek community alone is not responsible for that culture or reputation. No disadvantages. It is a wonderful process and happens during a time when potential members are the least stressed, any other time would be stressful. No disadvantages. To say that the Greek System is a way to be over exposed to drinking culture/behaviors and interferes with meeting new people in residence halls is very inaccurate. If anything, becoming a part of the Greek Community as early as I did in my college career allowed me to network with more people on my resident hall's floor as well as other residence halls and other floors within my own residence hall. It is a great way to network with other students. I think believe freshman who don't rush freshman year don't develop the confidence and networking skills that members of the Greek Community develop, which leads to them "hiding" on their residence floors and not meeting new people! none None NONE NONE - if anything, it was only positive to rush in the fall. I would have been completely lost my freshmen year if I didn't end up in a Greek chapter right away in the fall. The advantages far outweighed any thing else I did that year. None and your questions are worded extremely poorly. None at all. I had the best time and wouldn't trade it for anything. This is such a great organization and everyone gives back so much through volunteering and our philanthropies all around the state of Madison. Everyone is willing to help you with school, life-advice, or anything else in general. There is always someone there for you and you're never alone.

None at all. I loved having recruitment first semester. None- best decision I've ever made. Recruitment is SOBER so the drinking culture was actually avoided. None- I loved recruitment 2010. None one of the best choices I have made. None really - mainly advantages. It was my choice None really. Was hard to meet every fraternity, but i did my best to feel out the school's entire social climate. None none!!! NONE!!! None, best experience of my college career. None, everyone should try it. None, fall is GREAT! none, fall was great. None, I love everything about the recruitment process. None, I thought formal recruitment was a great process and I found the perfect sorority to help me be the best student I can be in this institution. none, it happens during welcome week for a reason None, the fall year of my freshman year was the best opportunity for me to rush greek life. None, was great, loved it! none. None. NONE. None. It was a very positive experience for me. None. It was all done orderly and effective. If anything the school should allow the recruitment process to start earlier than classes start Not all chapters were open for spring recruitment, so my options were limited to those chapters who were open for COB.

Not any disadvantages. I found a way to make time for recruitment events without it affecting other aspects of my life.

Not enough time for houses to actually get to know girls not enough time to get to know different chapters or get involved in other organizations Not only did I make friends through my sorority, but I also had the people on my floor along with them. Being in a sorority did not hinder me from forming friendships with those on my floor. I felt that the Panhellenic rules led to me to be more responsible about my drinking whereas those on my floor did not have social media restrictions. We have to be very careful about drinking because we are always representing something bigger than ourselves. I did not feel rushed at all; I was excited to rush and happy we did it right away. Classes were just beginning so there were no academic stressors on top of rushing.

Nothing Nothing really Nothing. Don't change current recruitment processes at UW. We are all adults and can make decisions ourselves with rushing and having success in academics and meeting other people. Of course it interferes a bit with academics, but so would joining any other orgainization on campus. However I immediately found a social group I could rely on for support, which gave me more energy and motivation to succeed acedemically. I found other successful students that I could compare my progress with. I didn't have to waste any extra time trying to find such a group.

Once again, the question has double negatives and I am a little confused. But, to clarify, I did have the opportunity to meet people on my floor freshman year and some of them continue to still be my best friends. I was not exposed to any different drinking cultures than I had already seen at UW as a whole school. I was not rushed in any way to join the Greek community, I was in fact grateful that I could rush so soon because it allowed me to get advice from older girls, meet other girls my age, and feel a apart of something that was bigger than me. There were many chapters to choose from and I didn't feel excluded from any. Nothing about Greek life has hindered me from acclimating to UW Madison, if anything it has made it easier and smoother. My academics have gone up since I have joined a sorority due to the study tables we do, study binders we all put together, and rewards for highest GPA and highest test scores.

Overwhelming, too many houses in one day. Personally, I did not have any disadvantages from going through the recruitment process during the beginning of first semester. It did not deter me from making new friends but allowed me to make so many more new friends from all different sororities. Rushing first semester allowed me to build strong relationships with not only girls from my pledge classes but also girls in different sororities and non greek members as well. really depends on individual situations but my dorm floor was close and felt a little left out later in the semester when they would hang out together and I had sorority events. I was also one of 3 Greek members on my floor. Other floors were the opposite in that all the Greeks (majority of the floor) would hang out together. Recruitment didn't interfere with making friends on my floor or my getting acclimated to UW. If anything, it had the opposite effect. I was able to meet people both going through recruitment on my floor, and other girls who didn't choose to do so. Recruitment is a time consuming process, but it is not a 24 hour commitment that doesn't allow you to socialize beyond it. Plus keeping busy the first few days was a great way for me to explore campus. In addition talking to so many girls who are genuinely excited for you to be there is something that makes a big campus feel a little more like home even after a few days.

Recruitment process is too short and requires potential candidates to make a quick decision without allowing for them to make an informed decision. Recruitment takes a lot of time but that's going to be true regardless Recruitment, and everything following, definitely takes up a lot of ones time at the beginning. I do feel as if being in Greek life has prevented some friendships from being as strong as they could be with those who are not in Greek life.

Rumors and gossip had a large impact on my rush process, it was the most negative aspect of rush. Rush itself is too long, could be shortened! Rushing in the beginning of fall semester did NOT cause any problems with the opportunity to meet and build friendships with others on my residence hall floor. I was NOT exposed to drinking culture or behaviors any differently than I would have not going Greek. In fact, Greek life gave me events and opportunities to have fun and establish relationships without alcohol involved, with events like philanthropies, sisterhoods, chapter meetings and more. I did NOT feel rushed to make a decision about which chapters I preferred. I felt I did have enough time to acclimate to UW-Madison and going Greek helped me acclimate faster, especially being from so far out of state. It did NOT interfere with my academic commitments but rather gave me more academic resources like study binders, a minimum GPA requirement, study groups, etc. sig ep are classless guys Since I went through spring recruitment, not all of the chapters were participating so I was not exposed to all of the different houses. Since it did happen so quickly once I moved into my dorm freshman year, I did not feel like I knew enough about it. I probably would not have gone through recruitment if I had more time to really figure out what it was all about. Sometimes felt a little bias Spring rush is way harder to go places because of the damn cold Spring Rush starts in January, seriously limiting the outdoor/Lake Mendota type recruiting events Stressful The 1-5 system is very misguiding. This is the only disadvantage I see. No disadvantages in the recruitment process at all.

The 3 days of recruitment were long but I was happy that it was before school started and did not conflict with classes.

The days were a little long, but that's to be expected the days were long and it was hard to remember all of the great chapters. The days were pretty long but that was about it. The first week of school was busy. The heat was the only disadvantage but that is better than going through when it is cold out. The majority of girls in our chapter have a number of great friends they made on their residence hall floor, even though they went through recruitment. I really do not think that going through recruitment hinders your ability to build relationships with those on your residence hall floor whatsoever. I also do not think I was exposed to the drinking culture any more by joining the Greek community than if I would not have. There is a drinking culture around the entire university and even the entire state of Wisconsin that is not directly associated with the Greek community at all, in my opinion.

The one and only issue with spring informal recruitment is that not as many houses participate, so I only rushed one house and was not able to compare and contrast different sororities. The only complaint I had was that it was hot. The only disadvantage of the recruitment process is the fact that the school does not back the greek system at Wisconsin.

The only disadvantage was awkward conversations. Which is only natural in a meeting new people. The only disadvantage was that I was sweating throughout the process. But everything else was perfect having recruitment leading into the fall semester. The only disadvantage would be the number of days we had recruitment. The days were long and I still feel like we should have one maybe two additional days of recruitment. The only slight disadvantage would be that one would not be fully acclimated with Madison yet, but that also comes with time regardless of what one is involved with. The only thing I would say is that it was a little hard to make friends on my dorm floor since I was always gone, but I made them eventually, The only thing I'd say was a disadvantage was feeling rushed to make my decision. However, I think of a semester of attending UW before going through recruitment would have given me biased opinions about the chapters, so I'm glad I got to go into it with an open mind. The process of rushing did not interfere with my ability to make friends with others on my floor, to this day three of my best friends at school are from my floor, both in greek like and not. It was a great way to acclimate with Madison, because the majority of us were freshman all in the same place and could help each other. The real disadvantage comes from Spring Rush, not Fall rush. Fall rush is better than spring in nearly every way. The recruitment process for my chapter is very different from regular PHA sororities as we are only associate members of PHA. I did not feel as there were any disadvantages to going through recruitment as I did, but since our recruitment is so different, I did not answer any of those questions above. I do think that all of the disadvantages above are things that ladies participating in formal recruitment in the fall do face. I have heard on numerous occasions from many of the ladies in my chapter who went to formal recruitment and quit part way through about how horrible an experience it was. That is one of the things they loved initially about our chapter, how different our recruiting style was.

The recruitment process had absolutely no effects on my academics or ability to make friends. In fact I had one of my best semesters while I was in the recruitment process as I found my fraternity a good place to seek help in classes. I also made tons of friends and had plenty of time to join the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Alphi Phi Omega Service Fraternity, and intramurals. Recruitment in the fall had no disadvantages, and only provided me with more opportunities to excel earlier in the school year.

The recruitment process is absolutely imperative for greek life. As mentioned in my benefits section, it helps to discover what each house is about and whether or not you would fit in with their members. If someone was not very into the drinking culture/behaviors (for example), then being exposed to it in the recruitment process would deter them from joining that specific house.

The recruitment process occurred early enough that it avoids interference with academic commitments. The shorter schedule of spring rush gave me less of an opportunity to get a feel for the chapter that I rushed. The Spring process was very uninformative. There was no bid day celebration and I felt I lacked proper introduction to the Greek community compared to those who joined in the Fall semester. The three full days of recruitment were long but I'm glad that it happened before classes started and that the weather was nice enough to walk around all day in. The timing can be a little bit rushed, which can make decisions difficult for some PNMs. The voting process was a bit disorganized. There are no disadvantages from going through the recruitment process at the time I did. There are no disadvantages from going through the recruitment process. There are no disadvantages to going through the recruitment process. There are no disadvantages to this process and if anything it helped improve my experience adjusting to campus There are no disadvantages with the current fall recruitment process. There are none. There are very few because recruitment is a process that doesn't limit your uw experience but expands it and it helps acclimate you to the university much more than if you weren't apart of the greek community. There can be a negative stigma about going Greek, that passes along untrue stereotypes. This effected my pride in joining an organization in the beginning There is no disadvantage going through this process and it only improved my experience. Even girls that went through the process but chose not to be in a sorority told me that they were still pleased they tried it because it was another good experience to have.

There is still plenty of time to bond with floormates. As well, a drinking culture is found everyone on campus. During the week of recruitment everyone went out drinking with their floor- not with the Greek community. The Greek System did a great job of advertising recruitment and making everyone feel welcome. There was none. There were absolutely no disadvantages from going through the recruitment process then. If anything, it improved my experience adjusting to campus. there were no disadvantages There were no disadvantages about rushing before classes started. I was able to focus on rushing and it didn't take away from my classes or homework like it would have if I was forced to rush later after classes started There were no disadvantages AT ALL to having fall rush. There were no disadvantages for me while going through the recruitment process. I enjoyed it greatly and it provided me with many benefits. I felt that the Greek community was welcoming and not overwhelming or pressure filled in any way.

There were no disadvantages from going through the recruitment process during the first few weeks of Freshman year. It was the best time to go through a process like this because it allowed you to get situated with an organization right away and become part of a smaller community on campus. There were no disadvantages in going through a fall recruitment process. There were no disadvantages to going through the recruitment process because there was no homework at the beginning of the year and the majority of my floor mates were also rushing so we were able to bond at night over the rush process.

There were no disadvantages to going through the recruitment process in the fall. I LOVED EVERYTHING!! :) There were no disadvantages to me by going through fall recruitment There were no disadvantages to the recruitment process. The Greek community is a very welcoming and warm place that I felt comfortable in as soon as I was introduced to it. It gave me a sense of family when I walked in to each house, and every single girl was welcoming. There was never a pressure to drink, in fact we were not supposed to do those activities during the rush period especially. There were no disadvantages to this process at the time in the year in which it took place. If anything it really helped improve my experience adjusting to a new campus. There were no disadvantages, I only received benefits. There were no disadvantages, it actually helped a lot to have it right away to make friends and feel connected on campus right away. There were no disadvantages. There were no disadvantages. I loved it all. there were none There were none when I was going through Fall semester! There were none. The recruitment process I went through wasn't negative in the slightest. There were not any disadvantages I experienced. There were not disadvantages to the recruitment process. I would do it all over again if I could and I am so excited to get a new pledge class next fall because I hope they will have the same amazing, beneficial experience I had. Again, the phrasing of these questions were slightly confusing because of the double negatives. All in all I feel that I made great friends on my floor even though I went though the recruitment process, if anything I was exposed to the most drinking if I were to stay in the dorms as rush events are all dry. I did not feel rushed to make a decision about joining the Greek community and I felt accepted and acclimated to UW Madison when rushing. Rushing helped me feel acclimated even faster because I made friends with older kids who helped me when I had questions. This did not interfere with academic commitments. There are no midterms in the first week of school and because it is the first week of school I think that freshman feel the most inclined to try hard and focus because it is all so new.

There weren't any disadvantages going through the process because everyone was in the same situation. It was a great way to become involved in the Greek system that is so large and diverse. there will be a lot of "dirty rushing" if it switches to spring. These answer choices make no sense with the wording of the questions These are all biased responses which almost gives and the wording is confusing on some I can imagine. They were long days and it was very hot outside. Also the voting and ranking process took a long time and kept me from getting home before it was dark. This survey is very confusing. This was my experience with fall rush. I just didn't feel like I was ready or knew enough about campus. This was the best time in my opinion to go through recruitment. So no disadvantages. Time commitment time consuming Time consuming To be honest, I loved everything about rush. It was the absolute best way to get me out and meeting new people. If it was not for rush, I'm not sure I would have like UW as I do now, because I would have been at this campus for a semester without anyone to call a close friend. Being a transfer student I can truthfully say, rush is the reason I love my school, and with UW having a new batch of approximately 2,000 new transfer students every year, I believe my experience is not a unique one. to long of days Too hot during rush. Formal rush should be in the spring. Too late, winter and cold, wish I had rushed in the fall Too rushed with moving in! Again, it would be nice if people planning on rushing could move in earlier like maybe a few days or a week to so the rush process earlier so it wouldn't conflict with academics or other things involved in moving in and being new to campus! Many other schools do this and everyone seems to benefit! took a very long time. Trudging through snow and dealing with midterms in addition to balancing a newly accepted internship while attending Spring Recruitment made for a stressful Spring Semester of my freshman year. Given that Fall Recruitment concludes prior to the start of the second week of classes that would have been much better timing for my school and personal well-being in regards to making friends with both individuals on my student housing floor and women from my sorority.

Very few except for the time commitment, but well worth it. Was not able to see every chapter, but I was able to see the chapters that I wanted to rush. While it may not be the expected answer, rushing during the fall was actually a benefit to me in all these categories. A few examples are: I recognized and met some of my best friends now because we went to the same rush touch football event; I found a safe and quiet place that had less alcohol than my freshmen dorms; I enjoyed rushing in the fall when I could walk from house to house and meet more people, that I wouldn't have been able to do in the fall; and lastly I was able to learn the right study habits right off the bat through our academic mentor ship program, without having to make common first semester mistakes before learning the right study habits. I recommend this for all other Greek organizations because it helped me to start my freshmen year well and also offered me guidance within my intended major from day one.

While recruitment is a time commitment, at any other point in the year it would greatly conflict with school and alternate schedules. There weren't any disadvantages to having it at the beginning of the year. Wisconsin winters discouraged many people I knew from leaving the dormitories for voluntary activities. Wish first rounds were split into 2 days. I wasn't able to keep all 11 sororities straight in my mind. Wish there was more communication between the organization and the university in regards to academic calendar events...like midterms and such...but there really isn't much you can do. With the number of chapters we have recruitment should be 4 days, not three. Would have been easier to do in the fall You couldn't communicate with friends in houses outside of rish zero disadvantages, loved everything about it! it has greatly impacted my college experience far more then any other organization on campus 453 Respondents

Q24. In what year did you first go through new member education (also called pledging or intake)? Count Percent 976 85.02% Freshman year 153 13.33% Sophomore year 17 1.48% Junior year 1 0.09% Senior year 1 0.09% As a 5th year Senior 1148 Respondents

Q25. Did you do that in the fall or spring semester? Count Percent 1003 87.37% Fall semester 145 12.63% Spring semester 1148 Respondents

Q26. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through new member education (also called pledging or intake) in that year and semester? - Eased transition to UW-Madison Count Percent 46 4.33% Not at all 72 6.78% A little 121 11.39% Somewhat 215 20.24% Quite a bit 608 57.25% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q27. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through new member education (also called pledging or intake) in that year and semester? - Opportunity to build friendships Count Percent 11 1.04% Not at all 15 1.41% A little 42 3.95% Somewhat 125 11.77% Quite a bit 869 81.83% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q28. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through new member education (also called pledging or intake) in that year and semester? - Academic success Count Percent 59 5.56% Not at all 82 7.72% A little 226 21.28% Somewhat 234 22.03% Quite a bit 461 43.41% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q29. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through new member education (also called pledging or intake) in that year and semester? - Opportunity to feel a part of the campus Count Percent 13 1.22% Not at all 31 2.92% A little 82 7.72% Somewhat 176 16.57% Quite a bit 760 71.56% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q30. To what extent were the following a benefit from going through new member education (also called pledging or intake) in that year and semester? - Received mentorship/advice from older members Count Percent 16 1.51% Not at all 26 2.45% A little 76 7.16% Somewhat 153 14.41% Quite a bit 791 74.48% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q31. Please specify any other benefits from going through new member education: Count Percent 459 100.00% A benefit for going through new member education was that, as a freshman, I needed an older girl to give me advice on classes and academics because college is much different from high school. I do not feel like I would have had the courage to ask another older person for advice if I was not a part of the Greek system and had that built-in sisterhood already.

A great way to meet a lot of new friends my age, as well as things such as required study hours or required service hours helped me immediately start forming positive habits on campus. Older members of the chapter also helped all of us find organizations on campus that we were interested in, and helped us to get involved in those organizations.

A huge network of people outside of my individual chapter, and so many leadership opportunities to add to my resume before applying to the Business School A new network of fraternity brothers gave me new study opportunities and more channels to seek help in classes. A place to live sophomore year A sense of belonging to something bigger than oneself. I matured quite a bit relative to my peers early on in college from this experience. ability to get advice about academics from older members who have the same major as I do. During my rushing semester I had to juggle more time commitments(vs. my Freshman year), but that led me to be overall more organized and productive.

Academic resources, personal help After feeling lost on this huge campus, new member education made me feel like I was finally part of something. Our New Member Educator gave me lots of guidance and supported me through the process. I built friendships very quickly; the new member education process totally changed my experience at UW-Madison for the better. There were lots of optional events that served the purpose of integrating the new members into the chapter and it was amazing to feel so many people welcome me into their home and genuinely want to get to know me. I never felt that my academics suffered because these activities and events were completely optional. again, an excellent way to meet people as a freshman on campus all around great experience that does not need any fixing All of the above All spot on. I would not be where I am today without going through all my Greek membership education in the fall. It would have set me one semester back and I would have not gotten my internship that would eventually lead to other internships and a full time offer. Allowed me to appreciate the tradition and expand my network Allowed me to be immersed into the Greek community as well as helped me get involved in many school events. It also opened up many opportunities for guidance and learning. Allowed me to get to know people and the campus much better than I would have otherwise Allowed me to meet new people, make friendships, seek mentorships, was exposed to new ideas and personal and career goals

Allowed me to not be stuck in only dorm life, which I wasn't a huge fan of. Without my fraternity experience that started right away, I most likely would've transferred schools. Allowed me to see the tricks of the trade of Madison from a realistic student perspective. Almost immediately, I had other women around campus saying hi to me on my way to class and sitting with me in class which instantly made me feel like an important part of the UW community. An Appreciation for friendships within the fraternity As I have mentioned before, I believe that the new member education I received from my sophmore year did a better job of transitioning me into UW-Madison than anything did my freshman year. I very much wish I would have rushed as a freshman. The new memebr education allowed to make an abudance of new freindships that will last me a life time. Also, as a senior it had created so many job oppotunities that I would have never imagined possible becuase of these freindships and connections. It also allowed for a vast amount of academic success. We were introduced to study binders where girls put their old notes and powerpoints and things on a shelf for us to look at if we needed help with a certain class. Also we have a mentor program where you are matched up with people who have the same major as you so then the older girls could give advice and answer any questions that anyone has. The new memebr education also gave me so many oppotunities to feel a part of the campus, it introduced me to so many wonderful oppotunities that I had never heard about before. We also have a section in chapter where we have non-Gamma Phi announcments and this is a great way for everyone to hear about all the amazing opportunities we have on this campus other than Greek-life, because I know our chapter personally prides itself on not just our chapter but also our involvement on campus (greek and non greek things). Ultimately, I wish I would have rushed earlier becasue all the things that I benefited from during recuritment and new member education have helped me in ways I would have never imagined.

As i touched on earlier, sorority sisters really are there to help you assimilate to a new campus. We have groups so we know which classes our sisters are in and are able to contact anyone openly if we need help with social or academic questions.

As I transitioned into college, I had the knowledge of experience shared with by older members of the fraternity. As previously stated, going through the recruitment process the fall semester of my freshman year, I was able to succeed academically, ease my transition into UW-Madison, build friendships, and more. Became a better man. Became closer with friends who ended up being in my classes so we could study together. Being a new member in greek life helped me immensely both socially and academically to adapt to the college life. It made my transition much smoother and less overwhelming, and I started out the year with some great friendships. I have had so much access to academic opportunity in my first semester than I could have without being part of the greek community. Being a part of a sorority from the beginning of the school year opened my eyes to other opportunities on UW's campus. I heard about other student organizations and internship opportunities through my older members. Being able to create bonds with students in your class as well as older students is something that was very important to me when I came to school. Having the ability to ask for advice from so many people is something that I will never take for granted.

Being able to meet and build friendships with upperclassmen Being assigned an academic mentor to help me with my classes was extremely helpful and just finding a core group of people I can study with was helpful because I am a better learner in groups. Being out of state I didn't know a single person here and after rushing i felt so much more comfortable and met such amazing people and it really helped me doing better in school and over all in life and made me want to stay at this school and not transfer. bond with pledge class Bonded with girls in my pledge class. Bonding with my pledge class built bonds Built great friendships and had the help of older members to tutor me for school. built many frienships, participate in volunteer work and raise money for our philanthropy Built strong relationships in a short period of time. By building friendships so early on in the year, I was immediately introduced to an entire new level of social capital. These new relationships introduced me to various clubs, activities, and organizations through out campus and helped out with classes and applications. By going through New Member Education directly after joining, I was able to get to know better the girls I had met during recruitment who were already in the sorority and who had just joined like I had. Having New Member Education really solidified my decision that my sorority was the one for me. It allowed me an opportunity to fit in instead of just becoming another new girl.

By going through new member education that first semester, I was able to better be introduced to the history of that sorority. As a result, I have been able to build friendships with other members of my sorority. This has been especially helpful when transitioning into the college atmosphere. By having a set group of mentors from each specific sorority really helped learn helpful tips and ways to maneuver the campus in the most beneficial way possible. This campus is extremely intimidating to come to straight out of highschool, but having a group of about 160 girls really helps make the campus smaller and more personal, with a very helpful home base.

By participating in game day events at my fraternity and getting the opportunity to meet alumni of my fraternity I was able to feel more apart of the University of Wisconsin than I would other places. I was able to see all the student school spirit on Langdon street. The part of the new member process that made the biggest impact was being able to meet the alumni of my fraternity and see how passionate they were in their old fraternity along with the school which they attended. Alumni provided me with a great deal of insight while I was still trying to decided what path I wish to take for a career by sharing with me many of their past experiences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in the real world.

By pledging my sorority, I FINALLY felt like I became a real part of this massive campus. I became more than just a name on a roster, or face in the crowd, because I had people by my side who genuinely cared about me. Connected to other girls of similar personalities and interests. Gave me a network of connections right away. Contrary to what it may seem, going through the pledging process helped my academics. I meet girls in my pledge class and older girls who had taken the same classes as me and could help me with anything I didn't understand Countless benefits. Biggest thing for me was finding my place on campus where I could be with like minded, yet diverse individuals. I developed greatly through new member education. Did not interfere with the first round of midterms. It helped me to become well adjusted and comfortable with members in my sorority which made me more comfortable to ask them questions about midterms, enrollment, or any other issues that came up at the beginning of freshman year. During our new member education period we went on a retreat with only are pledge class which gave us time to really get to know each other and spend quality time together. It was an amazing opportunity to learn about other members and how we can work together as a chapter. Each fraternity has their own set of morals, values and principles on which they are founded (most are relatively similar). Learning these values at a very early time period through the pledge education process greatly helped me succeed in the college environment. These values gave me a "guideline" that I used and continue to use to better myself on a daily basis.

Early inclusion of organization Educated me not only on my sorority and Greek Life in general, but also on the entire university as well EVERYTHING WAS BENEFICIAL ABOUT IT Facilitates bonding among a smaller group of peers...the scale (size) and atomized nature of a large state school makes this much more difficult, relationships are more shallow Fall pledges learn more from older members and received more help, for things like getting into the business school. felt empowered the whole time Felt I had a support system the first semester of school. Also, met girls in my classes and formed study groups which improved my academics. Felt more at home Forced time management skills as I had commitments to events/chapter unlike other students in my residence hall. I was introduced to older members within my chapter who introduced me to other student orgs on campus that I never would have heard of before going through recruitment and joining a sorority. Form a connection with new friends. Learn about both the University and my Chapters involvement (ie community service, raising money for philanthropy) Forming quality friends that are like-minded in values, behaviors and academics. Freshman year can be extremely confusing and overwhelming, especially for out of state students at such a large school. New member education connected me with older girls who could help me through this time. New member education made me feel like I had a place at this university and gave me the confidence to become more involved. Fun Gained a sense of responsibility and accountability which have been useful to my educational and career goals. Gave me a good starting point on how to become a successful student Gave me exposure to and more opportunities to participate in philanthropic and volunteer events. Gave me mentors during one of the scariest transition period of my life. Gave me things to do and kept me busy! getting close to member class Getting to be a part of something bigger. Getting to jump right in and get involved with my sorority as a new member was a great experience. I got to bond with other members who became important role models for me, I got the opportunity to gain leadership experience as a new member, and felt welcomed and involved right away. Getting to know older members was extremely comforting and helpful in the college transition process because they have had all the same experiences you are going through as a freshman and can help you know what to expect. Additionally, my chapter has a number of academic support resources that made adjusting to the change from high school much easier and less stressful.

Getting to know the older girls in my chapter made me really feel connected and wanted on campus. I always had someone to go to the library with, or talk about class advice or tutoring. Greek life really made me feel like Madison was my home away from home. I feel so fortunate that I met such wonderful people so early on in college. I came from a rough home life, and these girls got me through it freshman year. Going through formal recruitment made a very large school smaller. This helped make my transition from high school to college much easier, and I felt more at home. Going through new member ed early really helped me feel a part of Madison. I had friends early on to study with, grab lunch with, go to football games with. I would have been really stressed about fitting in without the help of my sorority and it's members early on in the school year Going through new member education and joining my fraternity in the fall saved me. I had no friends as a sophomore and, without rush at the beginning of the school year, would have made me miserable for a very long time. Being able to join a fraternity and begin new member education immediately made me friends that I know I can count on for my entire life. My grades went up, made new friends, and for the first time in a very long time, was truly happy!!

Going through new member education during the fall of freshman year was the reason I stayed at UW-Madison. If I hadn't had my sorority I would have felt very alone and overwhelmed but because I had older members to help me acclimate and 50 other women to build friendships with. Also the sorority held me accountable for my academics and gave me friends to sit with in class and study with outside of it. going through new member education helped me get along and become a lot closer with my member class and helped me find my close friends in my sorority. Going through new member education helped me to better build new friendships and to feel a part of the campus. Going through new member education helped me to build friendships with the girls in my sorority. It helped us to create a special bond through our sorority, and it helped me to feel like an involved UW-Madison student and increased my love and appreciation for this school. Through new member education I came to feel like a relevant individual on this campus, and I built great friendships on the way. Going through new member education helped me to learn the rich history and tradition behind my sorority and gave me an instant group of close friends. That was one of the main reasons I decided to go Greek in the first place, to find a "home away from home" here at Madison. This in no way hindered the friends I was able to make in my residence hall, in fact I opted to live with my freshman year roommate (who was not in a sorority) the following year rather than the chapter house.

Going through new member education helped my pledge class to really bond together. There is no way we would be as close as we are if we didn't have that initial time together. Going through new member education in the fall of my freshman year definitely helped my transition into UW Madison. It gave me the opportunity to build friendships quickly, it contributed to increased academic success, it gave me the opportunity to feel a part of the campus and it gave me immediate resources from older members that have been on campus for many years before me.

Going through new member education in the spring was fantastic because it gave me an opportunity to learn a lot about the Greek community before I joined a chapter. Going through new member education made my first semester of college made it be the best of my five semesters at UW-Madison (abroad currently) academically as well as personally. Instead of having the fear of not making friends I was instantly welcomed by a large group of guys all different ages from all different walks of life. I was also introduced to 24 other freshman that were going through the same adjustment to college that I was. I had a 3.75 GPA that semester which is the highest I have ever gotten (high school and college) Going through new member education was a great advantage to me during my fall semester. The new member educators offered a ton of great advice and was a huge reason why 10 kids in my pledge class were accepted into the Wisconsin School of Business. They make you feel comfortable and keep you calm when things get tough during your first semester away from home. Going through new member education was a great way to be introduced to the chapter. Especially having it during the Fall semester was beneficial. We were all introduced to the same things and strengthen relationships that have continued into the Spring semester. It would've been difficult to keep in such close contact and remain such good friends if immediately after we were initiated we all would've left school for summer break. Going through new member education was amazing. I was introduced to so many new girls from different areas of the country. We had weekly meetings and pledge class retreats, another opportunity that was presented in order to make our TRANSITION TO COLLEGE a much smoother one. Going through the new member process was the best thing that happened to me. Not only did it help me build friendships and bonds with new people, but it set me up for future success at this University. The new member process did take a little time away from academics (HUMO was a big reason for this), but overall the new member process was a successful and fulfilling one.

Going through the recruitment process during 1st semester of freshman year was extremely beneficial for me. Coming from a small high school it was a very big adjustment to come to a big school like Madison and the greek community gave me the opportunity to make my closest friends and made me feel like I was actually apart of a community. Having my big and other older girls in the house guide me with my academics was an amazing recourse to have as a freshman who had no idea what major I was interested in. I honestly don't think I would have been as successful or as happy my freshman year if I did not have the greek community supporting me and making me feel at home.

Going to meetings helped introduce me to everyone and positively benefited the beginning of my school year. Good information on all aspects of the chapter (heard from all officers) Got to know my pledge class and feel like I was part of something on campus. got to know the history and practices of my fraternity Got to know your chapter as a whole better, connections to alumni, etc. Got to meet a lot of people and make connections early in college. Got to meet new members and extend my friendships. Got to understand the organization's values Great networking opportunities that helped me secure internships later on in my college experience great way to build sisterhood Great way to feel connected! Great way to get to know your member class as well as older girls in the chapter since it forces you to spend time at the house at least once a week Great way to learn the history of my sorority and get to know my pledge class well Grew a very strong bond with the other members of my pledge class. Growing a personal network and getting to know the best friends I have ever had. Growing up Had a sense of responsibility Having a friendly upper classman to go to is much easier than an advisor. Having an older member of my sorority as a mentor really helped me adjust to my first year at Madison. Durning my new member education I was provided great advice on how to adjust to my first year, as well as given opportunities for study groups and help from the older members which positively effected my academics. Having meetings helped smooth my introduction to the chapter and made my experience more uncomfortable. Having meetings was a great opportunity for me to meet the girls in my pledge class, as well as bond with the older girls. The new member education was a great and positive experience, and they always made the meetings fun and engaging.

Having new member education at the beginning of the year was very helpful. It was very informative and explained to all the new members what is expected of them as a member of a greek organization on campus. Having new member education in the fall was definitely an advantage because it helped you to meet the members of your pledge class early in your academic career, allowing you to built those relationships right away. Additionally, our new member educators were very helpful in aiding us in identifying academic resources, finding activities and organizations to get involved in, and meeting both Greek and non-Greek individuals. Having new member education meetings helped me build connections with the other new members right away. Walking with them to and from the house was a bonding experience and the information we learned taught us a lot about what our chapter represents and what we are apart of. Having sorority meeting and being introduced to the chapter made me feel welcomed and a part of a family at school. It was nice to have things in my schedule right off the bat in the fall. Having weekly new member meetings and being introduced to the chapter helped me get a greater understanding of Alpha Chi Omega as a sorority. I enjoyed hearing about the background of our sorority and chapter, and also enjoyed seeing people from my pledge class every week. I made some of my closest friends from going to every new member education meeting, and learned a lot from the older girls teaching it as well. Having weekly new member meetings was nice because we were all able to get together as a member class and get to know each other better. I also liked that they started right after we got out bids because it gave us a chance to get to know everyone sooner rather than later. help from older girls when signing up for spring semester classes Help me transition from high school to college atmosphere. I got to see how all ages were experiencing college and have good role models to loom up to Helped bring me closer to similar girls on a campus where I knew nobody. Helped create relationships with many girls, with whom I have classes with and are able to help each other out academically.

Helped me acclimate to the big, public campus much quicker. If greek life hadn't been there from the get-go, I would've drowned academically and socially. -helped me balance responsibilities Helped me become the man I am today. helped me create friendships in my sorority right away Helped me figure out about schooling and picking classes for second semester because there were many older guys with my same major so I was able to go to them with advice for just about any question I had about my field or classes.

Helped me find my place in the madison community Helped me learn things and confide in older members about campus which made it feel less foreign to me. Probably the biggest benefit I had to feeling a part of campus at uw was the new member ed process Helped me make friends when I was put on a very antisocial dorm floor. I was feeling extremely stressed out the first couple days at school because I felt alone in my dorm. I was having second thoughts about going to school so far away from my friends and family of 18 years until a guy I met told me about rush. I was eating alone in the dining hall when a group of really friendly guys approached me and started to talk to me. After we talked for a bit they told me about rush. Through this I found a lot of outgoing, like-minded guys and felt a lot less lost. Helped me to find new clubs on campus besides just the chapter and really helped my academic career at madison. Helped me to manage my time well and I was given great advice by active members. Helped me transition into the college experience. I had found a group of girls that I had a lot in common with and instantly bonded. I also had older members to look up to and ask questions about college life in general Helped to get to know older girls in addition to my pledge class. Getting to know them helped a lot in my academics.

Helped with transferring a ton I actually got my best gpa my pledging semester, because it provided more external structure and deterred procrastination.

I am from NY and have joined a sorority with people from all over the country. Due to this I have become well versed and have become friends with people that are totally different from me. Being in a sorority has helped me with my academics due to forced study tables and library times. Ultimately, it helped me get involved and become a part of a great community,

I became best friends with the people in my new member class I became more acclimated to the UW Madison Greek community and bonded with my chapter members. I became very close with one of my new member education leaders. She was able to give me some advice on things to do in Madison, how to balance my different friend groups that I was making (successfully) and just getting acclimated to classes in general. I wouldn't have felt so prepared if it wasn't for new member education. I believe it was all beneficial, it wasn't much of a time commitment and it was fun to get to know everyone. I came to madison not knowing anyone and I didn't really get along well with the people on my floor, it gave me a way to meet a ton of people early on in the year, which helped me feel at home and happy here I can't imagine my career here any other way. There need to be outlets of this kind on such a large campus. I could write fifteen pages on the benefits of this process. Nothing compares, and nothing can take its place. It is the most important part of the process. I don't know that the goals of new member processes aligns with many of the above "benefits". I don't think going through new member education in my Spring semester was a disadvantage nor an advantage. I felt as though I found a place where I had a voice on campus, and that the members of my organization were extremely supportive.

I felt extremely welcomed and excited about my new sorority! I felt I had a group of people I could go to with my needs. I felt like I had a lot of support transitioning into college and the older girls helped us a lot with academics. I felt like I was becoming a part of an organization larger than myself, I had the opportunity to work with a lot of guys I normally wouldn't have associated with, and I've remained friends with all of my new member class also. I felt like I was welcomed into the university and my older sisters helped me acclimate to this huge change of college life.

I felt part of something on campus right away. I felt that I always had a group of people to ask questions and help me with my problems. I felt that I had something to look forward to and the process taught me to hold myself accountable for my actions right away so I didn't make a lot of mistakes that I could have without the chapter and new member educator's advice.

I formed life long bonds with fellow freshman that transcend any sort of friendship I could of made with students in my Residence Hall. I found new member education to be an extremely beneficial process. The older girls in my sorority did everything they could to make me feel so comfortable and welcomed on campus. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to get to know so many girls, both in my pledge class and older, and to form friendships with them at such an early point in the year. I also really appreciated being able to ask the older girls in my sorority for advice whenever I had questions about adapting to college life.

I found out about many student orgs and academic resources, activities and classes from older members with whom I share interests. I also made close friends to help me through the transition from high school to college more quickly than did my peers who did not go through recruitment. I gained many new friends that I am still very close with today. Also, I befriended many older members that helped me choose courses to take and answered questions I had about UW-Madison, etc. I gained some of my best friends. I gained the importance of communication and teamwork, especially with those who are also strong-minded like me.

I got to know a lot of people who I would have never met and I consider them my bestest of friends now. I got to know my own chapter was well as them getting to know me and found a place for myself in a large school. I got to meet a lot of new people in a place where I didn't really know anyone other than my floor. I had a support system like no one else I know during a big time of transition. It was invaluable. I had access to older girls who were able to give me advice on how to adapt to college and help with academics I had older girl to look to to help me choose classes, give me advice on my major, help me find things around campus, and always feel like i had a support system. I immediately felt like I had friends and had something to do (since clubs hadn't really started yet). I knew 3 people on campus when I came to Madison. When I joined my chapter, I immediately had 150 girls wanting to be my friend and accept me. I've met my best friends through Greek life, and they're girls that I wouldn't have necessarily met otherwise. Had I not decided to join, I would have only made the small group of friends from my floor; I wouldn't have truly branched out. Joining my chapter got me out of my shell and encouraged me to make friends.

I learned a lot about campus through the new member education program and it was an easy way to be connected with upperclassmen who could give me advice. Also, new member education was on Sundays so it did not interfere with class or studying which was nice. I learned a lot about the sorority during this time. I learned about alcohol abuse in a very honest and real way. I learned about the history of my sorority, we set up a study group, we were able to become comfortable with each other.

I learned and met so many people very fast I learned how to manage my time much more efficiently. I learned how to study for college and made lasting bonds with friends I will have for the rest of my life. I learned more about my chapter and Greek Life as a whole. I definitely felt I was more part of the campus after going through new member education. I learned so much about so many other people during this process. I really felt that joining a sorority helped me make the transition into Wisconsin. I loved that there will be a house in which I can live in and come visit all throughout my four years at college. Instead of moving around in apartments, joining a sorority gave me the house which I will refer to during all four years.

I learned so much about the chapter, my sisters and myself through new member education. A strong, supportive family was established. I learned so much from older girls - study tips, was exposed to studying at the SAC and college library, built friendships walking to and from meetings, learned to manage time. I was exposed to areas of the campus that I wouldn't have found on my own.

I LOVED EVERYTHING. THE ASPECTS OF GETTING TO KNOW MY SISTERS AND SORORITY AND TO FEEL A PART OF A BIGGER ORGANIZATION WITH PHILANTHROPY OPPORTUNITIES TRULY HELPED ME TO GROW AS A HUMAN BEING. I COULD NEVER GET THIS EXPERIENCE ANYWHERE ELSE. I loved how welcomed I felt throughout the new member education process and I found a lot of resources for adapting to UW Madison from some of the more senior members of my chapter. I made a lot of really close friends. I met all of the girls in my pledge class which was great because I met even more people I would not have met in my dorm. I quickly learned the importance and skill of time management between school and my other obligations. I met an incredible number of friendly and intelligent older members of the Greek system and I really enjoyed jumping into my chapter and learning about the history of it as well as our philanthropic efforts. It was great to go through new member education because it made me feel like a part of the sorority right away and allowed me to get to know all the other girls in my pledge class and some of the older girls too. I met more people in one semester than I EVER would have if I hadn't joined Greek life. I also have an incredibly tight-knit support network within my fraternity. I met so many wonderful women! I not only was able to receive a better understanding of the roots of my Sorority, but see how helpful being in a sorority could be to my overall College experience. Academics were a large aspect of being in a sorority that attracted me. My sorority's cumulative GPA is a lot higher than the all campus GPA which was very reassuring to see. Also, they hold study groups to help each other and recommend classes. I quickly felt that I had found a place to belong by going through new member education. I think I would have been quite lost if I had to wait an entire semester before going through new member education because I knew I wanted to be a part of greek life. New member education was a great bonding experience, and our relationships only grow stronger the longer we spend together.

I really enjoyed feeling like an important part of a large group on campus and it helped me feel comfortable at such an enormous school where I easily could have been lost in the shuffle. I really enjoyed going through New Member Education my first semester of college. The older girls helped me transition from high school to college and I was able to make friends with my Pledge Class. Not only did I make friends, but going through New Member helped me academically in that I had people to study with, etc. I think learning about the core chapter values of my sorority and what sisterhood truly means was a great way to set the foundation for my experience as a member. I think that going through new member education I got to meet a lot of older girls in my classes who could help me in school my first semester. They could also show me around Madison and help me feel more comfortable. I took really big lectures during my freshman year and I found people to study with through my sorority. I also was able to learn from older members about how to prepare to apply to the journalism school. I was able to ask as many questions about campus from those that were much older, that many of my non-greek friends did not have. I really enjoyed my pledging process I was able to bond with my pledge class and get to know the older girls through new member retreats. I was able to find mentors in older women in my chapter and received plenty of advice that helped me in my academic career. I was able to join a group of 160 members who became a group of friends immediately. Transitioning to college can be tough, but having a new group instantly helped with that transition. As well, I was immediately set up with mentors and groups in all grade levels- even a mentor with the same major as me to serve as academic resources and resources to help feel welcome.

I was able to learn a lot about chapter from the very beginning of my Greek life experience, which was very beneficial for me as I continued to grow as a member of the chapter. I was able to learn a lot about Madison and had huge support from older members in my transition into college classes and life.

I was able to learn about the traditions of my sorority and bond with my pledge class to continue making strong friendships. New member education helped me find my place in this University by bonding with other girls in my same situation.

I was able to learn and understand the values of my chapter in an organized and structured manner. I was able to meet new people. I also gained a lot of advice about adjusting to college and how to do well with school.

I was able to meet nice, caring girls within my chapter. I was also able to get advice and help on how to succeed in school through study binders and the older members of the chapter. I was able to meet people from all parts of the country with very different upbringings. I was able to meet people inside the business school who helped me with choosing classes, what teachers to take, and how to perfectly execute my admissions application. I instantly was brought together in a group of 26 other guys who are now my closest friends here in Madison.

I was able to really feel like I was a part of something. I had a social calendar, I was able to have positive role models with the older members, study buddies, and overall a good sisterhood that helped me get through my freshman year.

I was able to understand what my chapter's values and beliefs were and that I should treat myself with the 'highest form of womanhood' through respect and confidence for myself. I see many young girls who do not respect themselves, and these girls usually are not affiliated with a chapter and feel that they need to fit in with everyone, resulting in binge drinking and inappropriate behavior. I was exposed to the high level of campus involvement of the older brothers in my Fraternity, inspired to pursue similar campus leadership positions, and enabled to do so by using them as a resource. I was extended brotherhood and friendship from 100 new people from all across the country that I would not have been able to have coming from a large high school. I would have stayed with my clique's and never broken away. This was the main reason I joined. I was introduced to many things on the UW - Madison campus by the older girls, including other organizations, tutoring services and great places to study. I was involved right away and didn't have to waste any time feeling awkward or out of place. I went through new member education with the other girls in my pledge class, so naturally, it was a great way to get to know everyone at a time when everyone is in the same boat and just starting their college experience. I learned about the academic resources available to the chapter and could utilize those right away. It was great to have girls that I could look up to and go to with questions or concerns. I went through spring rush so I wasn't transitioning into Madison any longer. That question only truly applies to those who went through fall rush. Also, my academic success has nothing to do with when I was pledging or going through new member education. They just aren't related in my case. Immediate friends and connections to people of all ages on campus. immediate sense of belonging in the campus community, and a jumping off point for further leadership activities. seeing firsthand and personally knowing juniors and seniors hold leadership positions in the greek and campus community provides a role model that inspires freshmen and sophomores Immediately felt a home away from home on campus. Could not imagine how badly my first semester would have gone if I did not have my fraternity. It allowed for me to become a part of something bigger than myself, bigger than any individual member. It taught me that working as a group and forming a brotherhood is something that has value and can last a lifetime. It allowed me to become closer with the women in my member class and I was able to build friendships It allowed me to become much more acquainted with the campus. I felt like I had a much quicker connection with UW-Madison compared to other transfers that I knew, who didn't decide to go through the recruitment process. It allowed me to get closer with my pledge class and be at ease with the transition to the greek community It allowed me to have more friends sooner in the semester, making me love Madison even more. Nothing about Greek life has hindered me in academics, if anything it has helped me keep my grades so high due to the severe consequences we face with the chapter if our grades are too low. I feel accepted and connected on campus, I have built my greatest friendships, and I could not imagine my life if I hadn't of gone through fall recruitment here at Madison.

It allowed me to open up to people more easily and without pressure because everyone was in the same situation. It bonds you to 60 other girls on a big campus, where you might otherwise find yourself lost. It gave me a responsibility besides schoolwork. It introduced me to volunteer service hours, connected me to a philanthropy, gave me morals to live by and friends for a lifetime. On top of that, it gave me things to put on my calendar. I think it is extremely important to master time management skills while in college. Without joining a sorority, no one is encouraging me to achieve academic success, join clubs, throw philanthropic events or participate in major Madison events like Humorology.

It created a community and helped me acclimate to college life and UW Madison as a whole. Also, it helped me manage my time and commitments. It forced me to improve my time management, personable, and work ethic skills to both exceed in the classroom and as a new member going through education. it forced my priorities in line and helped me balance my workload earlier rather than later It forced my to balance my time, which was very beneficial early. I also had a group of people to hang out with and socialize with at any given moment to get my mind off of school if it got particularly overwhelming. It gave me an opportunity to meet new people and made the transition from high school to college easy and quick. It helped a lot It helped foster a sense of belonging in my chapter and at the university as a whole. It also acquainted me with my brothers and helped me to form connections with them that I have been able to use to my advantage throughout my time at this university.

It helped me feel a greater sense of community with the other new members as well as the older members and gave me clarification as to the purpose of Greek life and the advantages of my sisterhood. It helped me feel a part of something when I came to this big school that I previously only knew a few people in and only knew a little bit about. It helped me grasp a better understanding for what exactly my house stood for and made my pledge class as a whole a lot closer.

It helped me make connections with older girls in the house who were majoring or focusing on the same academic path I was. I was able to then ask for advice about classes or help with homework. It helped me make such a big campus a little smaller. I was able to immediately make friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. The Greek community is constantly involving itself in volunteer opportunities and charity organizations.

It helped me to get to know and build friendships with people I am still friends with. Helped create a "brotherhood" feeling between me and the other guys. It helped me to make a lot of new friends and gave me access to older members who could help me out with class work and anything else I needed help with. It is a great way to meet people and get more involved on campus. I also enjoy taking part in the philanthropy events of my chapter and others. It is the best way to build relationships and become a part of the UW community. It kept me organized because we had to go to weekly meeting and do activities, this helped me in my classes, it also helped me with time management. It made it feel like this massive campus was smaller. It made me feel confident in myself, and it gave me many intangible skills It proved to be a very effective homework break. It provided structure to the beginning of my college career. I didn't really fit in on my floor so having an opportunity to meet other college students was really great for me! It really connected you to older kids that could give you advice because they have already gone through what we had to do.

It really eased my transition into UW Madison and gave me the opportunity to build life long friendships. It also allowed me to learn about courses and have mentors for my academic success and I received a lot of older advice from older members that I never would have received if I had not joined a sorority. It really eased the transition from high school to college. It really helped make the transition to college a lot easier. I felt that I made real genuine friendships much faster than my friends at other schools where they didn't rush and pledge until second semester. It really helped me mature and grow with a group of guys on campus. It challenged my views and challenged me to best I could be at UW-Madison. It really made me feel important to the chapter and unified as a class. It shaped how my college life has been thus far. It steepens the learning curve for mature behavior. It was so profoundly beneficial to be asked to behave maturely and responsibly early on. I think that it made me into a better student and a better person. It taught me about an organization that has been making positive strides in the community for decades, and helped me get to know a group of gentlemen who were genuinely friends with one another. It taught me skills and lessons such as bettering my time management, the value and purpose of hard work, what a true friend is, why scholarship is so important, and too many more to list. It was a good way to feel connected and meet a lot if people going through the same thing as me! It was also nice to know older people and get advice It was a great time to bond with my pledge class and feel part of the sorority and then once we came back after winter break it felt really good to know everyone! It was a great way to get acclimated to sorority life and to bond with the rest of your pledge class. It gave you a feel for the house right away, especially through interaction with older members. It was a quick way to meet a lot of people on campus who had similar interests as I did. It was a really great way to find a niche of friends right off the bat for me. It was great to have an organization to be apart of so quickly in the school year. It was nice to meet people I wouldn't have had otherwise. It was right after chapter so most of the girls were already at the house and it never went on too long to get in the way

It was the perfect opportunity to get to know my pledge class and make friendships. I got to know my best friend on campus through the new member education process. It is a helpful period for the members to get to know what their chapter stands for and the history. It's a necessity to be able to decide if going greek is what you want to do. Its a good process. Got to learn about the house, the brothers and traditions. Stuff I won't ever forget. Joining a house in the fall was crucial to my success academically at UW. The support and advice from older members as well as girls my own age was a key part of my happiness here on campus. Joining a sorority in the fall allowed me to become immediately involved on campus. I was immediately accepted into the Greek community. Being a new member also helped my academics. Everyone in my chapter encourages each other to study and do well in school. Joining in the fall of my freshman year was the best decision I could have made. I received my highest college GPA during this semester and made Dean's List Just the fact that you had older members helping you make that transition to college and be a support system for you.

Learn about your chapter Learn how to acclimate yourself to this new college setting with other like-minded students. Mentoring from older members also paid serious dividends in countless situations. Learned a lot about my fellow brothers and about this national organization i became a part of. Learned a lot more about the history of the university Learned about chapters history, rituals, and expectations Learned about Madison and the University and how to succeed. Was able to build stronger friendships with other members of the my chapter and pledge class. Learned good study habits and time management. I was paired up with an older member who has the same major as me and who helped me pick the best second semester classes to ensure success. Learned the rules of the campus right away. Opened up resources to help me with school. Learning about resources on campus. Learning about the sorority Learning how to act and hold one's self in a social setting including those that involve people of importance Lifelong friendships and a family at school Lots of opportunities to ask for help, learn about study tips, etc. Loved being able to discuss experiences her with older people early in my college career Loved getting advice from older brothers early on in my college life. it helped me out a lot. Loved getting to know more people on campus, especially older girls who I was able to gain valuable advice from. Loved new member education. Made friendships that no other organization on earth can rival except maybe the military. Made great friends, made professional connections, matured a great deal as an individual. made me a better person Made me aware of my responsibilities as a chapter member. Made me feel closer to students in my year in a supportive environment. Made me happier, faster made the campus smaller, more comfortable Many of the girls helped me with my classes, gave me suggestions on what student orgs I should join, told me great places on campus I could study, encouraged leadership roles, and helped me get involved with community service, Meeting all the new girls and having that friendship base so early in college was a great advantage in transitioning to college. Coming from a smaller school having a community of people there that supported me was a great feeling and made the whole experience a lot better. Meeting my big sister was one of the best parts of my new member experience. She has been there for me to answer any and all questions. Furthermore, my new member experience allowed me to build friendships with women who did not live in my dorm building or take the same classes with me. My sorority went above and beyond in making us feel welcome and a part of a wonderful organization. Meeting my fellow new members and the older women in the chapter. Being a sophomore, I was able to both give advice to the freshman and receive guidance from older women in my chapter. Meeting new people Meeting older members Meeting with my new member class each week allowed me to meet people in a culture that did not involve drinking. A lot of the relationships in the residence halls are focused around drinking. Member education gave my schedule structure and purpose as a new freshman on campus. Mentor ship advice from older members first semester freshmen year was quite possibly the single most important benefit I've received from joining the Greek community Met amazing women and mentors Met great people who are still friends with me today. more involved with my chapter More time spent with these girls who were in my new pledge class Much like recruitment, having my pledge semester in the fall helped me extensively in becoming assimilated into the UW Madison culture. Many of my fellow pledge class members had their best grades in their pledge semesters because of all the help available through the older members and all of my best friends come from my pledge class. My brothers helped me and gave me an unbelievable amount of opportunities upon joining my fraternity. I was giving the opportunity to ask older people who took the classes I took for help, I was given leadership opportunities, and even got an internship my freshman year through my fraternity. n/a N/a N/A na Networking Never felt forced to do anything I didn't want to do. Never had better friends in my life New member ed is not a strenuous process, it is mostly about getting comfortable in the house and meeting all of your new sisters. Most of the time you end up forming study groups after meetings and learn how to navigate the college world with people who are in the same position as you are. They are all experiencing the same doubts and exciting times as you are and it makes it incredibly easy to connect with them. Everything is so new in the first few weeks and to have not only girls in your pledge class, but also older girls willing to help you in a drop of a hat, is beyond helpful and welcoming.

New Member Ed taught me a lot about my own chapter that I never knew about. It was interesting to learn the history I was now a part of. It also taught me how to be the best student possible on the UW Madison campus and how to represent myself in a positive way as a member of the chapter I am in. New member ed was most beneficial for my transition into the sorority. Any pending questions that I had could be answered during new member ed. I also formed a good relationship with the new member ed leaders, which was comforting. Overall, new member ed helped me to really understand the importance and how special greek life is. I learned about all the different ways that my sorority helps the community and about it's rich history. It helped to confirm my choice on joining greek life.

New member education allowed for an easy transition because I got a lot closer to my pledge class. The friendships I built over the course of new member ed will last forever. The new member educators reminded us that we are a social organization that would not function without good grades. The all-campus women's GPA is lower than the Greek women's GPA. I felt a strong connection to the campus through my sisters and new member education. New member education allowed me to create friendships with amazing girls and to learn more about my chapter at the University of Wisconsin. New member education allowed me to discover the history of other chapters on campus. It connected me to members in other grades and allowed me to gain resources outside my freshman class. New member education allowed me to feel like I belonged to something on campus very early. New member education allowed me to meet lots of great people, and made me more comfortable going to UW Madison.

New member education allows you to learn more about the chapter and it's operations within the Madison community through a broader scope than if you were immediately initiated into the chapter. It provides opportunities to connect with older members that are involved in the new member education process as well as your fellow pledge class. New member education eases individuals into their chapter and offers a welcoming environment where they can have their questions addressed.

New member education also exposed me to join other organizations on campus, as all the new people I was meeting could refer me or had suggestions. New member education benefited myself in so many ways. It allowed me to gain friendships that will last a lifetime, enabled me to participate in raising thousands of dollars in philanthropic events, work with others to serve the community, get advice about classes/ majors / academics I would otherwise never get. New Member education gave me an opportunity to socialize with members of my pledge class in a sober and safe environment. We played plenty of get to know you games and got to know a select set of mentors who helped us transition into the collegiate atmosphere. As a new member, I also had the benefit of attending specified classes teaching me important lessons about sexual assault/drug use/drinking. Workshops like PAVE and ASTP and REPRESENT helped prepare me numerous situations.

New member education helped me get involved within the UW-Madison community at a very early point in my college career. As new members, we were required to complete service hours, learn about our specific chapter, and encouraged to go out and build friendships with other members in our chapter as well as with other members of other chapters. We were also encouraged to join other organizations on campus, which I decided to do. If I was not part of my organization, I do not think I would have gotten as I did first semester of my college career. New member education helped me make so many close friends during my first semester. The older girls who led our new member education New member education is an incredible way to insure success at UW-Madison. New member education is primarily where I met a lot of the other freshman girls in my sorority. It was a great opportunity to share stories and get to know a lot of girls on a less artificial level. New member education is what introduced me to Madison and the opportunities this school has to offer. It was through new member ed that I learned about the tutoring services on campus, as well as UHS information. This was a great help in transitioning me to what it is like to be a student at UW-Madison. New member education led me to meeting some of my best friends on campus. It also gave me older friends that I could look up and get help from for school work and time management. New member education made me aware of all the resources and academic help I had at my hands. I was able to meet girls that were also in the same classes, and it was easy to form study groups. Through volunteering, and various philanthropies, I felt that I was a part of the entire campus. The older members of my sorority were excited for me to join and were always there for me. I made the deans list the same semester that I rushed and "pledged". Thankfully recruitment did not overlap with any of my midterms.

New member education not only introduced me to the operations of my chapter, but gave me a crash course in the great benefits I would be a part of as a member of Greek life in general. New member education provided an opportunity to gain leadership roles within the chapter, participate in MAJOR philanthropic events, and develop lasting friendships within my chapter. I gained valuable live skills and personal values based on those on which my sorority was founded like charity, unity, and intellectual pursuit. New member education really emphasized how important it was to do well in school and offered a bunch of academic help/resources if needed. Also a huge benefit was being able to ask what classes are suggested to take for certain majors the upcoming semester because that's always overwhelming. New member education really provided an opportunity to get to know people my own age, but also the new member educators were older and were the first preview to the older girls in the chapter so I got to ask them so much about their freshman year and advice about college and if they couldn't answer my questions, they would direct me to another member of the chapter. This helped not only for me to gain more information, but also meet more people who were older and to give me confidence being friends with people of all ages. New member education solidified my decision to join an organization and gave me a reason to stay in my organization. It allowed me to interact not only with members who were my own age but also members who were older and had more experiences to share with me New member education taught be a lot one needs to know when starting at a new school as a freshman. It helped ease the transition from high school to college and gave great opportunities to make friends and find resources for school and extra curricular activities New member education was a fantastic transition into school life, both academically and socially. I had girls to go to the library with right away and I always felt comfortable sitting with other new members in my classes. New member education was a great opportunity to become extremely close with a small group of people, new member classes in my organization are usually between 15-25 people, when you see each other every week (sometimes as much as 3 or so times) you build a close bond. New member education was a great way to get to know the members in my pledge class. I made new friends and learned so much about not only my sorority but the University of Wisconsin as a whole. Creating those friendships early on helped me get to know the campus and become more comfortable with my transition to college. New member education was a great way to meet the new and returning members of my sorority. Our new member educator did an amazing job of teaching us about greek life and helping us become acclimated to the sorority. As well as this, it was an open time and opportunity to talk with other people on campus and create new bonds and friendships. I think that going through new member education is an important part of greek life and I am extremely pleased with my experiences.

New member education was a very positive experience for myself. I immediately began to feel a part of the UW-Madison community and was welcomed with open arms. After being paired with a sophomore member in the sorority as my "big", I was given very useful and sisterly help such as the best ways to be successful in my first semester at school.

New member education was at the right time and helped us adjust to the organization during our college adjustment period. The benefit is that now in second semester I am completely adjusted to the routine, and I am able to branch out into the community in different ways! New member education was soon enough in the year so it didn't interfere with school work and midterms. New member educations allowed me to get to know the older girls in my sorority and was the beginning of many friendships.

New Membership was an opportunity for me to get to know members of my chapter (both those who were new as well as those who had been members for years). I was able to form friendships with people that I would not have been able to meet otherwise, and having mentors, "dates" with older members, etc was really helpful in getting me out of my shell and allowing me to become friends with the entire house (not just my new member class). Further, in my chapter, we took (and still do take) hazing very seriously; my New Member Educator made sure that we were comfortable at all times and let us know that in order to be a member of our house, it was essential that we were always happy and comfortable being with the rest of the house. none None Not only meet the girls in our pledge class, but meet the girls in the sorority on a personal basis. As well as learning what a sorority truly does for the community and its peers. Older girls were incredibly helpful towards getting me acclimated academically. They gave me great advice on how to best prepare to apply for the business school and encouraged good studying habits right away. They eased the transition by preparing me for the change in rigor of college courses versus high school courses. Older members available to help you through your first semester in college academically Older members helped me study for my classes and gave me advice on how to study to be successful. Older members were able to help me prepare for classes with study tips and advice on how to be a successful student. Additionally, knowing a few people in my large lectures made college classes less intimidating. Older members were able to help through hardships throughout my freshman year. They had been there, and knew the best way to deal with the situation. Once I joined a sorority, my new member period was even more of an opportunity to make Madison my home. One of the main benefits from going through new member education at the beginnig of the semester was that it allowed my whole pledge class to relate to one another about the transition to college. Also the guidance provided by older members helped enormously when asking questions about how to study for certain midterms or some interesting classes that I could take second semester. opportunity to really see what the organization was about without too much commitment Our new member education focuses on adaptability to Madison and the older brothers became mentors to me. I was able to find quiet study spots and cool restaurants earlier than other people because of the new member period. I also received a better gpa while I was pledging than when I did not. Our new member educator sucked that year and our nationals has since changed the new member education process so my information won't be as accurate. Our sorority got a lot closer from new member education. Our sorority has a new member chair that is available to new members at all times. We have a number of events that help new students adapt to classes. We even have a time for new students to come ask older people in our house for major and class advice. Overall, I feel as if our new member education meetings weren't that informative. We learned about the sorority values, and other facts, but if I were to be asked about those now I would not know the answer. I think the information should be presented in a different way. Also, make more of an emphasis on creating opportunities for everyone within the new member class to get to know each other, by creating different groups each week or something like that.

Part of my new member education included advice form older actives which has exposed me to some of really fun parts of Madison I probably never would have found if it wasn't for their advice. Pledging in the fall was a ton of fun, lots of events going on that utilize the weather, the lack of members graduating, and the general university events as well (football, homecoming, etc) Pledging kept me quite busy during my first semester, but in a productive way that truly benefited me. Unlike so many of my friends that spent the semester sitting in their dorm rooms, I was meeting hundreds of new people and already growing as a person. It taught me very early on the value of time management which is essential here at Madison.

Pledging was the one thing that kept me from transferring after this semester. Thankfully a friend who pledged in the fall convinced me to share the experience. Provided a reason to get to know my pledge class, and make the transition process seem a lot smoother. Quickly allowed me to make friends which led to academic and overall success. Really helped build friendships and learn about both UW and Madison from the older girls. Really helped solidify my place at Madison and acclimate to college life (classes, other student orgs, maturity) Really learned a lot from the older guys, made life much easier. Receiving advice from the older girls was a huge benefit. If I had not joined my chapter, it would have been intimidating to try and ask older students for advice. Receiving mentorship from older members and our house scholar was an INVALUABLE part of my fall rushing experience. I had insight that the average freshman did not, allowing me to better prepare for a successful academic future.

Recruitment In the fall was great because it allowed me to join earlier and begin learning about how to be more professional in the work force earlier. I joined a fraternity to gain experience as a professional, how to dress up professionally, how to shake hands properly, and how to attack interviews and career fairs. By doing this in the fall I was able to do it before the fall career fairs, which are the most important ones. Being in a fraternity in the fall allowed me to go to the career fair with confidence.

Relationship building was huge, got a chance to develop strong bonds with fellow new members, and interact and build relationships with older members. Required study hours, making new friends immediately, meeting older students on campus, feeling like a part of something bigger than yourself Rushing first semester was so beneficial for my transition onto campus because right away, a had a whole group of girls who would mentor me and give me advice. Also, college is a time to meet new people and expand so I thought it was great to be introduced to a whole new set of people right away. Sense of belonging and reassurance that everyone is experiencing the same stress that is associated with coming to college.

Sense of community Sense of community in the Greek system in general. so many So many resources were opened up to me. I didn't know any upperclassmen coming into the university and the ones I met through pledging really helped show me the ropes per say. Solidifies new friendships and allows you to meet older students. Something to do to keep me busy and focused. Spending as much time as I did with the girls in my sorority helped me develop strong friendships with the girls and get to know my pledge class right away. I also was able to meet older girls within my sorority who had taken classes I was in and whenever I needed help I was able to ask them anything I needed to ask. It was so nice getting to know older girls on campus and made me feel at home when I would walk to class and I would recognize so many more people than my friends who had not gone through recruitment. study with a brother program Taught us about how to live as a community in harmony with other men. To build a support structure when away from that of your family's support structure. Teaches leadership qualities and peer to peer teamwork. Text Book exchanges That was the time I got to meet my pledge class and a lot of the older members as well. I loved it! The aforementioned aspects were all major benefits. Greek life holds women to a higher standard, we are required to maintain a certain GPA, we have a standards committee if we do anything against the law or rules. My first semester would have been horrible without the friendships I made right away, I am certain of this. Also Greek life exposes students to all parts of campus due to the events put forth but each chapter. The best experience of my college career was during my fall rush process. It was great! The new member education meetings was where I became very close with the women in my member class and learned a lot about how my chapter and Greek Life in general in NOT all about the social aspects that one typically associates with Greek Life.

The new member education process allowed me to build tight bonds with girls from all over the country and world; it opened me up to the diversity in this university while creating a valuable support system throughout this campus.

The new member education process allowed me to form close relationships with the women in my chapter. This helped me feel more comfortable and transition better coming from out of state. The new member education process helped me to build lifelong friendships with many of the girls in my member class. Many of the girls come from different experiences and backgrounds and learning about these different cultures helped me to become a more well rounded individual. Through the new member education process I was able to feel more comfortable during my first semester at this university. I was given the support I needed during my first round of college exams and I would have not done as well without the help and advice from the older members.

The new member education process was great. It allowed me to get to know my brothers better and I had my big brother to guide me through the whole thing. The new member education process was the most beneficial thing to come out of recruitment. As a former New Member Educator, I know for certain that the new members benefited whole heartedly and completely from the recruitment process and the new member education. The new member education program in my chapter was organized in a way that made me feel immediately part of a sisterhood that I will hold with me forever. The program formed my relationships with the other women in my plegde clase and with the other women in the chapter. I learned how the women in my chapter respect themselves and the organization to become strong leaders, friends, and sisters. I enjoyed the new member education program so much that I decided to run for the posisition of New Member Educator in my chapter. This position has allowed me to provide the new members of my chapter with the same experience that I had. It is a joy for me to watch the new members learn about our organization, form relationships, protect and promote each other, get involved in other organizations that they wouldn't normally, feel part of the organization and part of the campus, and overall enhance their college experience.

The new member education really helped the transition to the school because I was with a group of girls who were going through the same transition as I was so we could all relate to each other. We all helped each other get use to the school. During the rush process, I talked a lot to the girls that rushed me about my classes and they gave me great advice. They told me the do's and dont's for being a successful student. Since I've only been to campus once before moving in, the girls who rushed me also gave me advice where to study, where to eat, etc. Also, the girls told me about the other clubs they are involved with and that got me interested in other clubs. The new member educators helped us learn about the whole campus and good places to study and hang out. The new member eduction program exponentially eased my transition into the chapter and life at this university. I was surrounded by other first-year students and older chapter members who were available to provide guidance and a sense of comfort.

The new member process helped me meet a lot of girls I realized I had classes with so we instantly were able to go to class together and sit by each other which made it a lot less intimidating to go to those big lectures. I was able to make friends with some older girls that were in the business school and they really took me under their wing and gave me recommendations for good clubs to join and other academic resources on campus. I definitely can say that for me personally my transition to UW-Madison would not have been as smooth if I hadn't joined the Greek system. The older girls in my sorority helped me a great deal in transiting into college. I made friendships with everyone in my pledge class and instantly felt I was apart of campus. Academically, the older girls also helped to tutor me who had previously been in the class.

The older members had great insight as to how to go about my freshman year and I believe that is a great benefit compared to a freshman who did not join a Greek organization and was only able to form friendships with other freshmen.

The older sibling mentality that stems from new member education extends to all parts of campus life, and was extremely helpful during my education period. The process gave me a chance to get to know my brothers at a deeper level. The scholarship aspect of my sorority is a large part of our chapter, we have study binders for girls of previous taken classes to help them out with notes, or tests. Also the ability to make friends with the older girls of my sorority is extremely easy, the big-little organization we have allows us to connect with different pledge classes. there were a lot of people similar to me (just getting to school, etc) and there were older people trying to help with the adjustments of college life They helped me choose which classes to choose without the help of a SOAR peer advisor. This allowed me to build a relationship with different girls in my pledge class, helping me to branch out. This big campus didn't seem as big anymore since I had met and got to know a lot more people This education helps you "grow up" as an individual. Going to college is the first time one is actually on his or her own, and being able to make this decision completely for yourself and see it to the end truthfully helps mature an individual. This gives a taste of how one can pilot the rest of his or her lives. This gave us the opportunity to become comfortable coming to the chapter house, which also affected my decision to live in the chapter house the following year. This got my pledge class together and the friendships grew from there. This program helped me make friends and develop mentoring relationships with older girls. I loved learning about my sorority and the Greek community as a whole. The new member program really helped me get acclimated to campus and to the Greek community. This REALLy helped make the campus smaller and more manageable for myself Freshman year. I felt like I had older guidance to turn to and a group of people behind me and supporting me. This was the best most influential part of my life thus far and was the most positive experience I have had at UW despite being involved in many clubs and student organizations. Through being integrated in the sorority the older girls really reached out and helped me navigate my first few months at school. It made my time a lot easier because i had people I could rely on. I am also very excited for next year when I can be that person for incoming freshmen and help them navigate this large university. Through new member education, I was able to further develop myself as a gentleman by having older members share their tips on what helped them through their transition from high school to college. Through new member education, I was able to meet the girls in my pledge class which made me feel more a part of the chapter. I was also able to meet many of the older girls in the sorority which made me feel like part of the chapter from day 1.

Timing didn't affect this too much except that member class was smaller so I didn't meet that many guys compared to fall member class To many to name To me, the most important part of the new member education was really getting to know everyone in the fraternity. You come into college with little to no friends, which is quickly changes once you are invited to be a new member in a fraternity. I felt it was my responsibility to both myself and the fraternity to truly get to know as many people as I could so I could get the most out of the experience. Understanding the values and culture of being in a sorority and that you are held to a higher standard since you are now part of a larger group. Very helpful to meet people in a smaller setting and I was able to get advice from older girls. Was able to learn a lot about the sorority, had a lot of activities to do in my spare time, but also was able to get my schoolwork done. Was given an environment to develop as a person. When I arrived on the UW campus, I was unsure about my major but decided to take Economics 101. I struggled with some of the course content and my sorority's new member education program set me up with a junior economics major. She took time every week to review the concepts in my economics class and make sure I really understood them.

When I entered my sorority I not only formed a bound with my big sister - who taught me so much about balancing my academics and fitting in in the UW community - but also with most members already in the sorority and with all of the girls in my pledge class ('12). When in Greek Life you still have the opportunity to join other clubs and student orgs. As well as, still allowing enough time for academics. While going through new member education I was able to gain important valuable friendships. Also by being introduced to the chapter I felt like I immediately was a part of a community at such a large campus. While other girls on my floor felt confined to the dorm and strictly "freshmen" spaces, I felt a part of something bigger. I had events and meetings to attend a couple times each week and keeping busy that first semester helped ease the transition into college. It taught me to prioritize my time and be a self starter. x You become connected with a great group of people all wanted to help you succeed You get more acclimated and confident and mature on campus much quicker than others. You get to meet a lot of the current members in the house. You get to meet other people in your pledge class and form life-long friendships. You got to know the culture of the chapter and the girls in the chapter better. You meet older kids who have the same career path as you that can help to advise you on what classes to take and what else to get involved in. 459 Respondents

Q32. To what extent were the following a disadvantage? - Missed out on building friendships in my Residence Hall Count Percent 790 74.39% Not at all 168 15.82% A little 65 6.12% Somewhat 21 1.98% Quite a bit 18 1.69% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q33. To what extent were the following a disadvantage? - Exposed to drinking culture/behaviors Count Percent 838 78.91% Not at all 153 14.41% A little 54 5.08% Somewhat 11 1.04% Quite a bit 6 0.56% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q34. To what extent were the following a disadvantage? - Exposed to hazing culture/behaviors Count Percent 1009 95.01% Not at all 29 2.73% A little 14 1.32% Somewhat 4 0.38% Quite a bit 6 0.56% A lot 1062 Respondents Q35. To what extent were the following a disadvantage? - Felt overwhelmed juggling chapter, academic and other commitments

Count Percent 637 59.98% Not at all 249 23.45% A little 111 10.45% Somewhat 49 4.61% Quite a bit 16 1.51% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q36. To what extent were the following a disadvantage? - Didn't allow me to get involved with other things I was interested in on campus Count Percent 817 76.93% Not at all 142 13.37% A little 66 6.21% Somewhat 23 2.17% Quite a bit 14 1.32% A lot 1062 Respondents

Q37. Please specify any other disadvantages: Count Percent 310 100.00% *Drinking culture is not any greater than in the southeast dorms. A bit time consuming A lot of time Absolutely none. Again, I answered Not at All for all of the disadvantages because I felt that I experienced none of these while going through new member education. Again, I was able to be involved in other programs and clubs on campus while still participating as best I could in sorority events. again, the only disadvantage is the fact that the University does not back the greek system. Again, the wording was a bit confusing with these questions. However, I believe that the fall recruitment only benefited me. I did not miss out on building other freindships in my residence hall, I was not exposed to the drinking culture/behaviors. In fact, almost every event we held was a sober event (which means aboslutely no alcohol involved). We have a strict no hazing policy, so there was absolutely no exposure to hazing culture/behaviors in any way. I never have felt overwhelemed with chapter, academic and other commitments. Plus, my sisters are my biggest support system, they are the ones who help me in times of stress and anxiety and I can't explain how grateful I am for that. Also, chapter is not mandatory, if you have other things going on and are busy there is not problem if you have to skip. Academics always comes first in our house. FInally, as I have said before I was actually able to get more involved with other things on campus once I joined Gamma Phi.

Again, there were no disadvantages to pledging in the fall. Again, there's no question that joining a Greek organization is a time commitment. However, because of the time commitment I chose to make, I was exposed to a wide variety of opportunities--academic, social, and philanthropic--that I never would have known about otherwise. Again, this is an extracurricular activity that you have to make time for. I didn't have any less time to do things while I was pledging than I do now as an active of the chapter. Again.... This is a loaded survey pointing all answers towards poorly framing Greek life. Get off your high horse. All of these are completely false to me. My floor and I are best friends and are still best friends after last year. It's all a matter of finding the balance between Greek life and your floor. Plus I am still involved in a dance club and medical club here on campus and never does it conflict with my sorority. Although this is not a disadvantage, I need to specify that although I am a full participant in Greek life, some of my best and most loyal friends lived on my dormitory floor last year. There is a group of 10 to 15 of us who still regularly get together at least once a week if not more frequently. So, no, missing out on building friendships in my Residence Hall was 100% not a disadvantage of joining Greek life. On the contrary, joining contrary simply expanded the circle of people that I can call not only my peers, but my friends.

At the beginning of the school year, I was at the sorority every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. It definitely prevented me from being able to explore the different clubs that I was interested in as the meetings conflicted with times that I was required to be at the house. At times it was a lot to handle at once, especially being a freshman and being new to college courses. Being in Greek Life still allows for other commitments. I was able to hold a job, be a student leader in my residence hall and be active in Greek Life. Being in a sorority just helped with being more involved. As mentioned, the drinking culture exists everywhere and Greek Life offers many more programming and activities that are alcohol free. Not to mention they provide education workshops. support systems and counseling if a member is having issues with substance abuse. If recruitment was delayed then these resources would not be available who normally struggle the most with alcohol abuse.

Can't think of any at the moment. Chapter is held once a week for half an hour and therefore is not too much to juggle. Also time management is important to learn and being in a sorority helped me plan my days out according to what I wanted to be involved in. Chapter is long. Chapter is one hour a week. If you don't have that kind of time, you are managing it improperly. Also I made friends with my entire freshman floor and am still friends with them as I conclude my senior year. If anyone in the dorms staff is reading this, while we're on the topic, my RA was the rudest person I've ever met, and tried to take advantage of a girl on my floor. Work on your screening process. Chapter itsn't understanding about my commitemnet to work. Chapter meetings were at the same time as other club meetings Chapters encourage you to form relationships with your floor, improve and focus heavily on your academics, and allow you to join multiple other clubs. Without my chapter I would not know of many other opportunities or had the confidence to join these different clubs. didn't have much time to just walk around campus. But i was able to do that during the first week. So i did not miss out on much.

Drinking happens everywhere in UW-Madison whether or not you join greek life and just because you join greek life does not mean you are exposed to drinking more so than others. As for hazing there is none where I am. As for these they are possible disadvantages for spring mores than fall. Exposed to alcohol but would have been with or without being a part of the Greek community Getting acclimated to college is a process in itself and balancing one's schedule proves to be quite the challenge, but having the older girls there to mentor helps a lot and makes the whole transition process to college a lot easier. Going through new member education in the fall of my freshman year did NOT cause me to miss out on building relationships in my residence hall. It did not expose me to different drinking culture/behaviors than I would otherwise experience on campus. Rather, it gave me events and opportunities to have fun without alcohol in events like philanthropies, sisterhoods, chapter meetings, etc. I was NEVER exposed to hazing in any form and if I had been I would have dropped immediately. I did NOT feel overwhelmed juggling chapter and other commitments. Being in Greek life introduced me to many resources to help me balance all the things in my life. It did NOT hinder my ability to get involved on campus. Rather, being in a sorority introduced me to more opportunities to get involved elsewhere on campus.

Going through recruitment did not in any way take away from my friendships on my floor but rather allowed me to expand my friendships. Having friends both in and outside of Greek life makes my friendships more diverse and interesting.

Greek life has no disadvantages in my opinion Hard to arrive on time from lakeshore due to bad buses on Sundays. Having sorority commitments forced me to figure out how to budget my time going directly into college and was more of an advantage than disadvantage Honestly there were just as many or MORE opportunities to get involved on campus through the greek organization.

I am involved in three other clubs that I am an active member in, I am best friends with two people from my residence hall floor from freshman year and I feel overwhelming accepted by all my peers from joining Greek life. Joining Greek life has been the absolute best decision I have made here at UW Madison. I believe this didn't bring any disadvantages. People choose to be apart of the Greek community for a reason, if they don't want to go through the whole process they won't. I also think freshman know what they are doing, just because it's their first year, they are adults and can make their own decisions. Like I said I have great friends not in the greek community, I would have been exposed to the party culture anyways, and I'm happy I was able to be apart of the Greek community as soon as I got to school. I think I would feel left out on a great opportunity if recruitment was any later.

I can't specify any disadvantages. I couldn't connect to the kids on my floor like I could with members of the Greek community. I did not experience any disadvantages I did not experience disadvantages while being a new member.I was still able to get involved with various activities.

I did not experience disadvantages. The consequences of alcohol were explained very well to us in the new member period.

I did not feel abnormally overwhelmed or uncomfortable in any way because of new member education. I did not feel any disadvantages to fall rush. I did not feel there were any disadvantages. I did not feel there were disadvantages of new member education. I was able to balance academics, chapter, club meetings and maintain friendships with people outside of the greek community very easily. I did not find any disadvantages with new member education I did not find any of these things to be a disadvantage, I still made plenty of friends on my floor as well as had many girls from my sorority to find a place where I really fit. If anything, it definitely helped me become more involved on campus

I did not think there were any disadvantages I didn't think there were any disadvantages at all in my new member period. Everyone was super accommodating, helpful, and kind.

I do not see any disadvantages of new member education, seeing as I benefitted so much from going through the process.

I do not think there were any disadvantages because I learned a lot, met a lot of great friends, and had time to spare.

I don't believe there were any disadvantages from going through the recruitment process. I don't believe there were any disadvantages. I myself do not drink alcohol but no one in my sorority ever made me feel pressured to do so. I was always able to walk into a room or event feeling comfortable and welcome. I bonded strongly with the people in my dorm freshman year and never had issues balancing greek life with other activities and my academic career.

I don't really see any big disadvantages. I don't see any disadvantages of the pledging process. I don't think there was any pressure to drink. I also believe the various activities provided by the chapter got me more involved on campus, and I wasn't introduced to the pressure of drinking in the dorms. I experienced no disadvantages and it helped me get more involved on campus. I experienced no disadvantages from the new member education process. I faced no disadvantages as a result of the new member education process. I felt as though there were no disadvantages about going through recruitment and new member education during the fall. I still made plenty of friends in my dorm and got involved with various school organizations. The rush process actually allowed me to meet kids that were not on my floor or in my dorm and helped me branch out and it allowed me to meet kids looking to join similar organizations as me so I had friends to attend the student org fair and other various information sessions

I felt like the only true relationships I had were with other members of my house. I felt isolated because I felt like my dorm had really bonded while I was busy committing a good portion of my life to my house. I found no disadvantages to new member education in the fall. I got involved in two other clubs while pledging. If anything, the process was an advantage. I learned how to manage my time effectively with all of the commitments I had. I had no disadvantages to my time as a new member. It was an incredibly fulfilling experience. I have not experienced disadvantages. In fact, my chapter promotes and requires participation in other student organizations, allowing members to become more well-rounded while bettering the community. Members are also extremely understanding where academics are concerned - they come first. I have yet to find any. I joined a house because I didn't really enjoy the kids on my floor in Sellery and the ones I did like were all joining fraternities too. It had nothing to do with desire to drink or party either, I just identified more with those guys. I learned how to manage multiple commitments at once. It is a shame that some people think that one downside to fall rush is that students are tasked with juggling commitments. THAT IS A NECESSARY LIFE SKILL. At what point in a successful individual's life do they have only one commitment at a time. Prioritizing and time management is an important thing for a freshman to learn right away. Older brothers, academically and socially succeeding, set an example for me.

I made friends with the kids on my floor and we rushed fraternities together. I made of the situation what I wanted. I wasn't forced into any negative culture, and didn't feel pressured to do so. I never felt as though I missed out on building friendships in my residence halls. This year I am living with only people from my freshman year dorm floor. You become involved as in your floor (and greek life for that matter) as you want to. I also felt like greek life opened my eyes to MORE opportunities on campus. Girls are constantly trying to promote their student orgs in chapter, trying to get other people involved. In regards to hazing, I never experienced it. We were welcomed as part of the house the instant we received our bids and that is only how it has been for the pledge classes following my own. New members go through recruitment and choose us just like we choose them, that is proof enough of the love you have for the house.

I see no disadvantages with the timing of new member education. I sometimes was nervous about academics and all of my chapter meetings, however, I found my balance and ended my first semester freshman year with a 4.0 GPA. I still made a ton of friends on my floor! And the members of my organization encouraged me to continue to hang out with them and also to invite them to events. Of course when first beginning college I felt a little overwhelmed with time commitments but after a month of acclimation I felt totally at ease I still made strong friendships with those in the residence halls despite most of them are not involved in Greek life. I was not overwhelmed by my sorority, the only duties we had as pledges were bonding with each other which helped me adjust into Greek life. I got involved in more clubs in campus through fellow sorority members' recommendations.

I think that regardless of being in the Greek community or not, you are exposed to drinking. I did not feel that I missed out on building friendships outside of the Greek community. I have never felt overwhelmed juggling chapter or any other academic commitments, the greek community is extremely accommodating and hope for everyone to strive academically. I am very involved in many organizations both in the Greek community and outside of it.

I was a bit busy at times, but now that I'm looking back I'd rather be too busy than not have anything going on. I was able to join the Student Retail Association fall semester my freshman year and was able to balance that and my class without any trouble. I formed lastif relationships with my floor mates and Housefellow. I still consider many people I lived with just as important as my friends in my sorority. Other students drank just as much or me than me, yet did not have the education workshops like I did in my new member program. I was not hazed at all. I was able to learn about other campus organizations from my sisters, and they all encouraged me to participate in a willing way. I experienced no hazing and there was ZERO pressure to drink. There is more pressure to drink/party in residence halls than in the greek community I was encouraged to join other groups that many of the girls were apart of outside of the sorority I was in a bunch of student orgs, I had time for homework, and I still hung out with my floor friends all the time. It took me a while to nail my time management, but that is a skill everyone learns in college whether you are Greek or not. I was not able to go to one group meetings (Engineers without boarders) but was still active with a different engineering group. But I think balancing all three would have been pointless and I would not have been able to properly dedicate my time to any specific one had I tried to join all three. I was still able to make friends from my residence hall and was able to join a number of student organizations associated with the Wisconsin School of Business, the school that my major is in. As stated previously I do not believe that I would have been any more or less exposed to the drinking culture on campus if I had not joined the Greek community and I do not think that they are really related. I was not exposed to hazing in any way, shape, or form.

I was still able to make friends on campus, but rather allowed me to join a supportive organization. I was very involved beyond Greek life freshman year- it was not a challenge to juggle I wasn't able to meet chapter members that were studying abroad that semester. Instead, I met them the semester after new member education. I would like to clarify that the timing of Spring Recruitment was a disadvantage to juggling academic and personal interests, not that the new member education process caused these issues. In no way did joining a sorority expose me to excessive drinking or hazing. If anything, the people I knew in the dorms that were not in Greek Life drank more than the men and women I met in Greek Life. I am not trying to say that I know this is the same perspective everyone has, just my own.

I would never join an organization that hazes. Sororities on campus have a strong stance against hazing. The university holds views against the Greek system that are archaic and stereotypical. Being in a sorority has helped me with time management skills that another organization would not be able to. I'm a member of three other student organizations on campus as well as Greek Life. Greek life has enabled me to learn how to schedule my events and commitments, making me a better leader. I'm spending the money I would have wasted on club lacrosse (a complete novelty) on an organization that will actually help me in the long run. If I rushed in the Fall, I would have had many more connections with older brothers to help guide me along my first semester on campus and would have had them to help me in my classes, like they do for me now. Again, I would have rather done Fall because I would have spent more time with my brothers, than with the friends I already had from first semester.

If you're an outcast in your own sorority, you are truly an outcast and if you don't make friends with the right people, it can really lead to some bad self-esteem issues.. In addition to joining a sorority, I have also been an active member of the UW Dance Team as well as a marketing organization on campus, Mu Kappa Tau In regards to the chapter "exposing me to drinking culture/behavior" I feel that my friends outside of Greek life were exposed to this culture just as much if not more through their own student orgs. It can be a lot at first, but the benefits far outweigh the minor consequences. It was a little hard to juggle other clubs or extra curriculars and school and Greek lifw It was an overall beneficial experience. it was hard getting to both chapter and new member education meetings each week, along with other sorority commitments, when the house was a 30 min walk to and from my dorm It's a semester-long commitment to a life-long organization. Its time commitment should be respected. Members have 7+ other semesters to become involved or form friendships, should they need to outside of their chapter. Joining my sorority did not limit me from building other friendships or joining other organizations. If anything, I got to learn about organizations that my sisters are a part of that I wouldn't have otherwise known about and I got to meet their other friends as well.

Joining the Greek community did not expose me to drinking culture/behaviors any more then living in student housing did.

Juggling multiple organizations is a struggle regardless of one of them being a sorority or another club in my opinion.

Lots of pressure to succeed grade wise. Lots of pressure to meet a certain GPA to continue as a member in good standing. Looking back, it was for the better... Maybe I did miss out on a few residence hall activities, but honestly I never really felt that was a problem. I had my residence hall friends that I did certain things with and then my greek friends. There were many times the two groups meshed and we would all hangout together. I was able to grow my community even more with being in greek life so early.

Meetings at times were during time that I could have studied. However, I think that it allowed and forced me to build important time management skills right away that now allow me to be more involved Meetings were on Sundays for an hour sometimes two. That is how they still are today and I don't think that is where all the disadvantages listed come from. Missed out on a whole semester of fraternity involvement My fraternity encouraged me to experience other clubs/ organizations n/a N/a N/A N/A. Built great friendships in my chapter and outside of the Greek Community. na Na NA New Member Ed. was not disadvantageous at all to me. I still had more than enough time to bond with my floor (floor dinners, study together, etc.) while making new friends in my sorority. There was no pressure to drink and I was absolutely not hazed. Having my sorority as a commitment actually helped me to manage my time better, because I planned to set apart time to study when I was not in my other clubs/my sorority. I think this is a large reason why I did so well last year.

New member education requirements felt like a big commitment in the first weeks of my time on campus-a lot of required meetings and events New member education was an recommended time period where kids in my pledge class got together to talk about the history of the fraternity and about things that were going on in our lives during the first months of college. It provided nothing BUT advantages. no disadvantages No disadvantages NO DISADVANTAGES No disadvantages from recruitment No disadvantages whatsoever No disadvantages. No negatives come to mind. No other disadvantages were found or experienced. No. I was still able to participate in Residence Hall activities and became good friends with a lot of people on my floor. none None NONE None at all. Everyone was so welcoming right away and felt like i was part of such an amazing community and I couldn't be more excited. None of the ones listed above were present. There was actually more bad behavior in my resident hall and I believe that all of those are strong stereotypes that i do not find to be true. I have so many friends in my resident hall that I hang out with, I am extremely involved with volunteering for the admissions office, working at the department of medicine in the center for tobacco research and intervention, and I have joined multiple clubs here on campus. One of the main reasons I got all these opportunities was because older girls in my sorority were involved in them and encouraged me do join them and try new things.

None were disadvantages as it allowed me to meet new people and get involved with committees None!! None, I am still great friends with my floor and the Greek community is a great a supportive structure. None, I felt encouraged to get involved on campus and it really helped me create a balance between academics, extra-curriculars, and a social life which was something I really struggled with in high school none. None. NONE. none. It was a great first year first semester experience. None. I still have plenty of friends in the residence halls. Nothing Nothing else. Our new member education was pretty casual and rushed, to the point where I didn't gain much from it besides how to handle paying for dues. Our pledge educator that year was pretty horrible. She did not care and made little effort to keep us interested/ feel welcome. We lost almost half our pledge class due to her actions. Overall, i was able to join many clubs and commit myself to my academics as much as i chose to while participating in greek life.

Pertaining to being exposed to drinking culture/behavior - on this campus this will happen anywhere and not just in Greek life. pledgeship is important Pledging and initiation was a painless process Pledging provided a structure to my schedule which was a vital point of me learning time management and study skills in the first semester of my college career. Prevented me from joining other organizations and I had to completely rearrange my work schedule. PS, YOU CAN HAVE FRIENDS IN YOUR RESIDENCE HALL AND YOUR SORORITY. THIS IS SUCH A SKEWED SURVEY. THERE ARE NO DISADVANTAGES TO BEING IN A SORORITY. Quite often, I think that many girls are frustrated by the fact that new member ed is filled with activities that don't really matter. Sure, sisterly bonding activities are great. But do we really need to know every minute detail about the symbolism of our chapter. I truly think that new member ed should be for sister bonding and basic rules. anything outside of that is a waste and time is precious when youre beginning your first couple of years at uw madison says it all above Since I joined a sorority right away, I wasn't as good of friends with people on my floor, but I still made great friends within my sorority. Smaller group of guys, people were already settled in the Greek community, felt I had missed out on a lot and missed a lot of opportunites So many of our members are involved in other student organizations and at chapter we relay information about what we are involved to get others the chance to connect with our orgs or other extracurriculars. I believe I have been able to become more involved through my sorority. I have NEVER been exposed to hazing in my sorority, we have many work shops explaining hazing is not allowed and unacceptable and not tolerated. Sometimes it would interfere with review sessions but not where I would have to compromise the new member activity or the review session The biggest disadvantage of going through spring recruitment versus fall recruitment is that my pledge class was much smaller and we were not given the same type of pomp and circumstance as a fall pledge class. It was also harder to bond with my new sisters because they had already formed friendships from the fall. Spring recruitment felt like we were 'late to the party' so to speak.

The experience of being a new member did not have any disadvantages at all. I think it enhanced everything I thought about my belonging somewhere and did not inhibit my friendships elsewhere on campus. I was able to get involved in a number of things on campus, both inside and outside the greek community. A lot of the opportunities I have had have been due to my part in my chapter. I did not experience any negative experiences with drinking or hazing whatsoever, which made my experience even better. When i was feeling overwhelmed with school, my chapter was supportive and understanding of my commitment to school and other activities and was never a problem.

The greek community has just been another positive added to my UW-Madison experience. Some of my fondest memories thus far have been shared with my sorority sisters and male members of fraternities. The Greek community is blatantly judged by the preconceived notions that a fraternity involves excessive drinking and hazing. This is not at all true. Fraternities here are greatly involved in philanthropy and service events, far more than any other organizations on campus and are still held to a higher standard than everyone else and are put under a close microscope. With the balance of social activities and community involvement, Fraternities and sororities are extremely well-rounded and don't deserve the harsh judgements and treatment that are clearly present. The last two I couldn't disagree with more. My chapter helped me get more involved with other student organizations and outside internships. For juggling academics and other commitments it helped me balance them more, because when I had more to do I didn't have time to mess around. I had to get it all done. The main disadvantage is just that it is such a big time commitment. I don't really see this as a disadvantage actually, but it can be overwhelming to figure out how to rework your schedule to fit in all sorority related events. The new member education process taught me how to manage time better to accommodate different activities that new members we supposed to attend throughout the weeks and the weekend. This skill taught me how to become a better student and allowed for another outlet of entertainment besides sitting in the resident halls and watching television. With weekly study rooms scheduled I was introduced early into the benefits of studying at libraries rather than in my dorm room.

The one disadvantage (though not a large one) would be feeling overwhelmed by juggling all my various commitments. However, being a first-semester freshman as I was, that is a very natural feeling, as college is a different environment academically than high school. Having a lot of school work and studying for all my classes was overwhelming in and of itself. While, yes, going through the new member process added to that (slightly), I was able to receive plenty of wisdom and mentorship from the current members that have truly helped me in the long run.

The only disadvantage, and a slight one at that, is the fact that the new member process does take away some time from academics. I believe the reason for that is HUMO and being apart of the cast. I dropped HUMO this second semester and am experiencing academic success and am finding more time for school work. The reason I put a little for having trouble gathering is because that is a hard task in general for all incoming freshman. If you're planning on joining an organization you have to know it's going to he overwhelming at first. The recruitment process had absolutely no effects on my academics or ability to make friends. In fact I had one of my best semesters while I was in the recruitment process as I found my fraternity a good place to seek help in classes. I also made tons of friends and had plenty of time to join the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Alphi Phi Omega Service Fraternity, and intramurals. Recruitment in the fall had no disadvantages, and only provided me with more opportunities to excel earlier in the school year.

The recruitment process helped my build relationships with others in my residence, protected me from some of the dangers involved with drinking and hazing, and helped me get involved with many other organizations and volunteer opportunities as well as a job at a local non-profit. My sisters help me be a better student and I help them to be better students as well.

The rush process was an advantage to meeting people on my floor, it was something for all of us to do together. The sorority house is a far walk which took up time in my day. There are no disadvantages in regards to the timing of the new member education that I experienced. There are no disadvantages with new member education. there are no disadvantages. There are no disadvantages. There are no other disadvantages. There are none! There are none. Fall rush and pledging are great ways to acclimate to campus right off the bat. There aren't any disadvantages to experience new member education in the fall of your freshman year. There honestly have not been any disadvantages. I have incredible friends in my dorm that I hang out with just as much as the members of my chapter and members of other chapters. I received about a 3.6 GPA this past semester while being involved in the Greek system as a new member, being involved in student organizations, and attending sporting events, and other activities of UW Madison that I have been exposed to. If anything, going through recruitment and joining my chapter has only enhanced my experience of UW Madison thus far. There really are none. I did better academically, and became more involved on campus because I was pledging during my first semester on campus. There was no hazing and dry rush was followed. there were no disadvantages THERE WERE NO DISADVANTAGES There were no disadvantages at all. If anything, there were several advantages-- I built more friends from my residence hall, was exposed to drinking and other cultural activities, and viewed chapter and socials and other sorority activities as fun extracurriculars that helped me meet new people! There were no disadvantages in this. In fact, there were advantages to having rush when we had it. We weren't in the middle of finals or exams. It was nice to be able to meet people in your classes before they got into the semester.

There were no disadvantages to having new member ed in the fall. There were no disadvantages to the new member program. It was not time consuming at all and it helped me develop relationships and wealth of knowledge. I did not miss out on anything else on campus as I was able to distribute my time as I pleased appropriately. There were no disadvantages! There were no disadvantages. There were no disadvantages. Through recruitment there are strict rules about the consumption of alcohol and I was never exposed to it in a negative way. There were no disadvantages. New member education was a minimal commitment, and I was so overjoyed to be a part of a sorority that I was more than happy to spend 30 minutes a week learning more about the history of something that I was so excited about and looked forward to being involved with. There were no disadvantages. Of course it is difficult to juggle commitments, as it is with joining any club or organization. It is part of life to learn time management and how to be involved without being too overwhelmed. I was confused by the wording of the last question because of the double negative. To clarify, greek life did not hinder my ability to get involved with other things I was interested in on campus. I currently hold a position on one club, and I am a member of two other clubs. If anything my older sorority sisters encouraged me to be involved. There were no disadvantages. People would be put at a disadvantage if rush was moved back. There were no disadvantages. This survey is beginning to seem oddly worded at best, and outright biased at worst. There were no real disadvantages. There were no specific disadvantages. Not once did I feel like I was missing out on building friendships in my Residence Hall because the majority of my floor was going Greek as well so it turned into a way to bond with the other members of my floor. Our sorority has a strict no-hazing policy, and continues to uphold that requirement. I always felt like I could easily balance my sorority life with academics and other student organisations. There were none, the chapter was very supportive that school comes first. There were none. I still hold many relationships with other students outside of Greek life, and new member ed never stopped me from making those friends. Sororities never haze, they welcome with open arms. There weren't any disadvantages. I learned about extracurriculars through other girls in my sorority. I like to stay busy and my chapter helped me learn to manage my schedule more efficiently. There weren't many. I was very involved in the fall and having membership education rarely conflicted with anything else I was doing. There weren't really any other than being busy. But being busy didn't make it so I couldn't participate in any of the other things I wanted to do. These is not a specific disadvantages, but rather elaboration on why these were not disadvantages for me. New member education was only an hour long for my chapter every Sunday, so it did not take time out of my studies, residence hall life, or deter me from being part of other activities on campus. Instead, I saw how involved older members were in my chapter which encouraged me to get involved in many other student organizations past my sorority. My chapter does not engage in hazing or drinking culture/behaviors during new member education, so I never saw that as an issue or made me feel uncomfortable in any way.

Though it was overwhelming at first, after I was initiated I was able to acclimate very well Three of my best friends freshman year were actually from my floor, not in my sorority, yet I still made plenty of friends with girls in my sorority. I didn't miss out on making friendships, I made more. Being in a sorority taught me time management, making sure to plan in advance to make sure you have time for all the things that you would like to do.

Took a lot of time out of my schedule, but not exactly a disadvantage per se Was right after regular chapter=Makes for a long night when I had other things I wanted to do We weren't hazed at all. Really the only disadvantage was not being able to fully call yourself a member yet. While being in greek life is a big time commitment, I never felt as though I could not get involved in other activities. The leaders all understand that girls want to get involved in other organizations on campus. I have plenty of time to bond with people on my floor. I have never felt obligated to go out or drink. There was absolutely no hazing. Being in a sorority has helped build friendships outside of my residence halls with girls who all have similar values.

While it was a little overwhelming joining a huge community, everything freshman year is overwhelming. I'd imagine it'd be even more overwhelming without having this community. While it was an additional work load, I would compare to about one or two credit hours, completely manageable and less stressful than academic coursework 310 Respondents

Q38. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Fall Recruitment? - Aids in transition to campus

Count Percent 16 1.46% Not at all 37 3.37% A little 91 8.30% Somewhat 182 16.59% Quite a bit 771 70.28% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q39. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Fall Recruitment? - Provides structure to open/free time

Count Percent 17 1.55% Not at all 63 5.74% A little 126 11.49% Somewhat 246 22.42% Quite a bit 645 58.80% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q40. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Fall Recruitment? - Limited outside commitments (work, family, other involvement) Count Percent 140 12.76% Not at all 116 10.57% A little 196 17.87% Somewhat 142 12.94% Quite a bit 503 45.85% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q41. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Fall Recruitment? - Limited academic/class schedule conflicts

Count Percent 144 13.13% Not at all 102 9.30% A little 131 11.94% Somewhat 150 13.67% Quite a bit 570 51.96% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q42. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Fall Recruitment? - Weather/logistics Count Percent 108 9.85% Not at all 61 5.56% A little 126 11.49% Somewhat 133 12.12% Quite a bit 669 60.98% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q43. Please indicate any other benefits of Fall Recruitment: Count Percent 440 100.00% Easy Friendships A great way to meet people right off the bat while being new on campus. A great way to start off the college experience and meet people right away! I did it and thought it was a perfect way to meet people... A longer amount of time at the very beginning of the year. I found that many fraternities had many conflicts with events so if there was more time, and thus more events, I could have explored many more fraternities than I already had a lot better than spring A lot more people do it so it provides an environment where you can meet even more people that might not join the same organization that you do. It is also part of the adrenaline of coming back from the summer and returning to school. I was a lot more motivated to go to class when it was very nice out when I knew I would see people I had met during rush. ability to fill the chapter house with renters Ability to take members and fill the housing facilities in the fall which coordinates with the rest of leases happening in the Madison area. It would be very difficult for current housing requirements to be met with members holding a semester lease outside of PHA facilities. Able to feel like you are involved right away. able to find a group of friends that you get along with well early in the year. Activity and distraction over before academic responsibilities begin, especially important for freshmen. Again, a week earlier is what I think would be best. I think the only disadvantage is its a little too close to the first days of school. Making it a week earlier would be a lot less chaotic and then girls could still get the benefits of having a community from the start and having a nice experince. Greek life in my opinion does not limit the freshman experience but opens more doors. Having older girls telling girls (that probably share some similar interests) about clubs and opportunities. Greek life often has negative views about taking away, but I joined some of my favorite clubs from hearing about them from older girls in my house that I wish I could have even heard about sooner.

All members of the panhellenic community come to UW-Madison early to prepare for recruitment. Fall recruitment enables us to come back early during the summertime when we have no commitments and time conflicts. Recruitment takes a lot of preparation and doing so during a heavy week of classes would be difficult. Allowed for easy and quick transition into new member education and the Fraternity. allows campus involvement early without forcing an idea-specific club Allows for a easy way to get to know a large group of people early on in your college career. Allows for stronger relationships

Allows freshman a way to meet people and make friends. I met somebody my best friends in rush and they're not even in my chapter. Allows Freshman, especially ones from out of state, who do not know anyone on campus to feel at home right away, and enables them to handle the overwhelming stress that usually accompanies the unexpected rigor of the first semester of college academics.

Allows new members to integrate immediately with the chapter. Prevents massive complications caused by avoiding recruitment infractions - silence between initiated members and PNMs would be impossible to maintain once school starts.

Allows students to feel a sense of home and comfort on campus right away. Allows students to make friends during welcome week while rushing and meeting people on their floor Allows you to meet a lot of new people right away….you feel like you have new friends after the first day. Although it is hot, humid, and sometimes rains, having Fall Recruitment is a MUCH better weather option than the snowy spring.

Another benefit of Fall Recruitment for those who are already members, is that their time spent practicing for recruitment events is limited to the end of the summer and beginning of Fall semester. If the campus held Spring Recruitment, I can see the women that I work with becoming obsessed with recruitment practice during the first semester, which would distract them from philanthropic and other chapter events. The weather honestly plays a large role in my favor for Fall Recruitment. If the campus were in Southern Illinois, Spring Recruitment would be more acceptable of an idea.

Another benefit that I realize through my position is that we get member dues from the new members for the Fall semester. Without this, our dues would go up significantly. Also, I personally didn't have an issue making friends on my floor

As a freshman who went through recruitment this past year, I think that it kept me busy and made me less homesick. Not only did I get the chance to meet people who ended up in the Greek community, but I made friends who did not even end up participating in Greek life but went through the rush process. As a small to mid-sized fraternity which is a farther away than the larger fraternities, Fall rush allows for reasonable weather for students to travel to our house. As I mentioned before, I know no one at this university and had no prior affiliations with it before attending. Going through fall recruitment my freshman year is what immersed me into a group of people also looking to make friends and get the most out of their college experience. I might have transferred to a school closer to home second semester had I not had the experiences I did in my chapter during the first semester. The large campus of UW-Madison was made significantly smaller and less intimidating once I joined the Greek community. As I previously said, going through Fall Recrutiment allowed me the opportunity to get to know a lot of girls in a short period of time, which was exactly what I needed. All of my best friends I have right now all went through fall recruitment and some aren't even in the same sorority. It provided a lot of girls in my residence hall with a bonding experience and I am forever grateful for it. The weather was perfect, it didn't interfere with school whatsoever. I had plenty of time to explore campus and get excellent advice from older girls about tutoring information sessions, like the BLC, and what classes to take.

As I said before, I wish I would have taken advantage of Fall Rush. The weather is beautiful, the opportunity to hold outside events and not be confined to inside events is extremely fun and opens an endless opportunity of activities. We had an EXTREME cold spell during this past Spring Rush and had to last minute change many events and some potential new members didn't have the opportunity to come to an event because of the extreme cold. When new members can't show up, it makes it harder for individuals to get to know them and see if they would be a right fit for our organization.

As I stated before, not knowing anything about the houses and was free to make the decision based on which house I felt I fit in the best. at least there's no snow; downpours were a really big problem when i rushed though Before midterms/finals/classes start being an issue. Makes it so that no one has preformed ideas about the houses. Being able to make friends right away when coming to school, meeting people right away who can help you acclimate to the campus and UW Beneficial to meet people that you otherwise would not be able to meet. Often times you will meet others who may share similar interests or values and it also will open you up to meeting others with other interests that you may not have had a chance to meet.

Benefits of fall recruitment include: Not having an excessive amount of school work. Providing opportunities for incoming freshmen to meet new people. Having work week during the summer, when there are no other conflicts. Most supportive of the point system in regard to living in the house. Best transition possible into college that I missed out on Built friendships in my chapter as well as others, eased my transition into college life, and more. By having formal recruitment in the fall, sororities are better able to prepare for formal recruitment in order to make it the best event possible. By having recruitment in the fall, I was able to become closer with my pledge class and become more acclimated to my sorority. I was also able to identify girls from my sorority in my classes, which made it so i had more people to study with.

Classes have not started to get strenuous and most people are still getting acclimated to campus and fall recruitment filled up some of my time without interfering with academics classes haven't started yet so it doesn't get in the way, gives the new members a sense of belonging and closer to the campus which makes the transition easier. comes at a time where doing things as a group come naturally to new students, and that's what recruitment is. It's a great way to get out there and meet people from all over campus, not just your dorm floor. Coming from a first hand experience it was very easy to walk around Langdon this fall due to the warm weather. Also many of our members go abroad during the spring semester, the fall is when we have the most members present. This helps tremendously during the rushing process. Another reason why fall recruitment is ideal is because no classes have started, therefore it cannot diminish anyones academic commitments. Competition with other student organizations for members is intense. Recruiting in the fall is key to success. Contact between freshmen and upperclassmen is limited before/during recruitment. While younger women benefit from their friendships with older women, more practical interactions (like classes or other extracurriculars) are hindered by the limited contact. Furthermore, holding recruitment earlier in the school year prevents new students from picking up harmful stereotypes about different organizations. Created a smaller community of friendship and support inside a larger community. Does not interfere with classes nor does it cut into winter break as I know it does at many other schools. Sorority women (as opposed to PNMs) are not stressed about other outside factors which allows for a more successful recruitment and work week for us Doesn't create a rush period that will turn into an entire fall semester. During the first few weeks of fall, you are not tied down by mid terms or jobs. Your free time is exactly that. The weather is also under ratably important. Walking around on Langdon from house to house in the summer/fall is a non issue. The temperatures in January are typically sub zero, and at times even dangerous. The logistics of where 800+ coats and boots in the houses during rounds is something that will only take away from precious time of talking to new members and in turn, new members getting a feel for their potential new homes. Ease transition, for chapter members a lot of work prior is required and it would cut into time that members don't have academic commitments so it is much easier on the chapter Ease transition, provide a feeling of community, ease the academic change, help with schedule planning Eased transition right away. Met people before school even started, immediately had a network of connections. Also, can live in sophomore year because I had not yet signed a lease like I would have had recruitment been in the spring. easiest to not informally recruit members, convince girls to join a house before even going through the recruitment process, issues with bid promising, etc. Easy quick transition to college life. Good for those who feel homesick right away. Gives sororities the few weeks at the end of summer to prepare. This could never be done in the spring especially with bad weather Easy way to get to know people right away and its super fun Easy way to meet people quickly, not yet overwhelmed with school, get to learn about campus and classes, weather is better and an immediate sense of community. Especially living in such a cold climate having fall recruitment is essential. Secondly, we go to a very academically challenging school where fall recruitment our freshman year is the only time where we have no major academic commitments that have started, anything passed this first week of the semester would add too much stress academically. It also helped aid the transition to campus. Madison draws a decent amount of its students from other states. These students need some sort of community, network, and ability to make friends passed just their resident hall when they literally know no one coming into school. It also allows freshman to get advice and moral support from older people in their organization. For example, once I got into my sorority I asked around about what clubs to join since I was interested in business. I also was able to have the older girls help me with my business application and resume.

Even if you decide not to join a sorority, recruitment is a great way to meet people quickly when you arrive on campus.

Everyone is new and able to rush with old friends, members of their floor, and more. Everything else is just starting up, so I wasn't as overwhelmed yet. Everything is new, it just works exposes students to something unique on campus Exposure to all chapters Fall has a longer "start up" period than the spring does. By start up I am referencing the fact that professors take a longer time to dive deep into the material and students join campus life at least a week in advance to classes starting. In the spring most students have been exposed to at least one semester of college so professors begin teaching important information within the first few days and students typically do not come back to campus till a day a two prior to classes starting.

Fall is the best time to go through rush. It is a great time to adapt to the Greek lifestyle and build a strong community Fall is the best time to have recruitment activities. When new students come to the school they are looking for something to associate themselves with. If fall recruitment is stopped you are cheating the students from the opportunity to join something great that will positively affect their students careers and shape the rest of their life. If you wait till spring the students will do something else with their time and never get involved with the great organizations available to them.

Fall is truly the best time to have recruitment, moving it to spring would shrivel the Greek system since people would opt to potentially not go through recruitment due to making friends on their floor, however this is a huge limiting factor and restricts the ages of friends you make Fall of freshman year is the only time I didn't have other competing obligations. Fall recruited helped me learn my way around campus, it allowed me to engage with older members in the greek community (rho gammas) who gave me a lot of advice on college and the classes I was going to take, and was very easy to dedicate so much time to since classes were not in session during the recruitment process. Fall recruitment allowed me to connect with people right away. It really eased my transition from leaving home because it was almost as if I joined a little family. Fall recruitment allows everyone to start with as clean of a slate as possible. There is less of a chance to falsely judge someone when you haven't had a semester seeing them around campus. Also many girls will be less likely to rush if it's in the spring because they have already signed up for many other commitments. If girls rush in the fall you can show them how easy it is to be in Greek life and also other orgs or school etc Fall Recruitment allows for you to get involved right away on campus as well as get to know other people Fall recruitment allows freshmen to participate in the membership selection process with an open mind. They will be less likely to want to join a sorority based upon rumored reputation, and more likely to join for less superficial reasons. Ultimately, member retention should be greater, resulting in a stronger, more positive Greek System overall.

Fall recruitment allows girls to bond during rush and get to know sorority houses prior to hearing any rumors about them.

Fall Recruitment allows incoming students to meet new people and get to understand the ins and outs of a wonderful organization before classes begin. Starting fall recruitment before school gives students more time to really focus on which chapters fit their needs so that once school starts, classes become a priority. Fall Recruitment allows kids to really see what the University is all about, not just Greek Life. Madison is ranked the #1 college football town in the country by ESPN and experiencing that during fall recruitment is huge in getting the kids to fall in love with the school. Weather is ideal for walking up and down Langdon Street. Fall Recruitment is huge because a large percentage of Greek Life goes abroad for the second semester so they do not miss Fall Recruitment and Badger football season. Those students are crucial in obtaining quality new members who share the same values.

Fall Recruitment allows new students to ease into campus life more easily. These organizations promote campus involvement, leadership, and academic excellence. They also help to make new students aware of the many opportunities available to them as a student at UW-Madison. Fall recruitment allows potential new members and active member to fully focus on recruitment. It avoids the added stress of classes, homework, other student organizations, and other extracurricular activities. This way, it does not interfere with other committments and allows both potential new members and active members to be as accurate and focused as possible during recruitment. Recruitment is a long process (active members practice for many hours beforehand as well), and I believe the added stress of classes and other activities would cause potential new members and active members to be distracted and potentially make decisions pertaining to recruitment without being fully focused. Fall Recruitment is the best model for our school.

Fall Recruitment allows recruitment to occur prior to the start of academic classes, making the conflict of managing attending recruitment events and the stress of beginning your first week of collegiate-level courses. Another benefit of fall recruitment is the elimination of bias for the potential new members regarding different chapters. Formal fall recruitment gives each potential new member the opportunity to interact with each chapter without external biases that may come from seeing members in academic, social and recreational situations. I was a recruitment counselor (Rho Gamma) my final year as an active member, and part of our training was how to respond to rumors surrounding different chapters that circulated through the potential new members. Our anonymity allowed us to establish an unbiased, trusting relationship with those we were counseling. Delaying recruitment until the spring may put that relationship in jeopardy, altering the formal recruitment experience for those going through it.

Fall recruitment allows students to find a community where they feel comfortable. Fall recruitment allows women to be acclimated into college life more easily. I don't like having a lot of free time. Recruitment helped me fill some of that free time. Fall Recruitment as it stands is by far and unquestioningly the most advantageous time of year for Rush because of factors such as weather and the lack of academic stress during that period. Fall recruitment before classes staring is the best time to have t because of many reasons. Not only can you commit fully to rushing, it didn't take away from classes. I couldn't imagine spending a whole Saturday during the school year to rush. It would definitely hurt future students interested in rushing. Fall recruitment can have greater benefits based on the previous criteria if initiation was pushed to spring semester vs. fall and/or if recruitment started prior to the start of classes Fall recruitment definitely aids in the transition to campus. It gives freshman an immediate way to meet lots of people and acquire an important support system. In the beginning of fall semester, students are not bombarded with academic pressures and other activities making it easier to focus and balance the recruitment process. The weather in the beginning of the semester is also very beneficial to the recruitment process. Warm weather makes going from house to house much more enjoyable than cold, snowy weather that we see later in the semester and in second semester. Fall membership also means fall member dues and helps support and maintain the chapter and the house. Fall Recruitment did not interfere with my academics, if anything I benefitted from the structure of time and commitments.

Fall recruitment did not limit outside commitments or academic time. It helps develop great study habits and time management, just like joining any other club. Fall recruitment eased my transition into madison. It helped create such a larg university into a smaller community. It did not limit outside commitments as I still had time to do other things on campus and get involved and met people outside the greek community. I am on the waterski club team, a member of the sports business club, and intern for ESPN madison.

Fall Recruitment enables students to have a solid group of friends and build on this community by encouraging members to join other activities and take new courses. One of the best parts about Greek Life was having upperclassmen who were willing to recommend courses and provide study tips for certain classes. Upperclassmen were also great at encouraging members to attend organization meetings, student org fairs, and career fairs. Greek life understands how important thinking about one's future is during college. Fall recruitment gives an opportunity for girls to make immediate friends upon coming to school. It is a really scary time for freshman especially who are new to college and need a support system behind them. When I joined my sorority, they welcomed me with open arms and gave me a family that I needed to feel comfortable with my transition from high school to college. We are also required to keep a certain GPA in order to stay in the sorority, which gave me the motivation to work extra hard in school. The weather was also an important factor to fall recruitment. We were able to walk from house to house all day in our outfits without being too cold. Fall Recruitment greatly enhanced my transition into college. Coming from out of state, I did not know anybody at school. Joining a sorority made me feel involved and included in such a new environment. Without fall recruitment, I'm not sure I would have made such amazing friends so early, and I would have probably transferred to the University of Illinois.

Fall Recruitment has been around for years and has proven to be the most efficient way of reaching out to incoming freshman who are interested in Greek life. Fall recruitment helped ease the stress of coming to a new school and did not interfere with classes because they had just started.

Fall Recruitment helped me find interesting places to volunteer, find social activities around campus(going to the Terrace with girls in my sorority, sisterhood activities) and my place in this university. I wouldn't have had the same amazing college experience my freshman year without fall recruitment. Fall Recruitment helped me know familiar faces in all my classes and allowed me to get help from older girls who had all taken the same classes as me. Fall recruitment helped me meet friends to aid in my transition of school right away and did not conflict with other commitments I had, yet gave me something to fill my free time with. Because fall recruitment took place mainly before school began, I did not have to worry about rushing in the middle of midterms (as delayed recruitment would have it) and allowed me to meet a very diverse group of UW students outside of other Welcome Week and Residence Hall activities. Fall recruitment also benefits each chapter because Rho Gammas and Panhellenic members only have to disassociate for the short term, as opposed to a longer term such as until the spring. Fall recruitment is a critical part of the college experience and being a part of the Greek System. This allows members to acclimate to their environment with the support of their respective sorority/fraternity. As a former IFC president, Chapter President and Rush Chair, I cannot understand what advantages or benefits there would be to limiting the recruitment period.

Fall Recruitment is a great thing. Fall recruitment is a great way for freshman to meet the rest of campus, and develop friendships with people living in other areas of campus. Fall Recruitment is a great way to take an overwhelmingly large 40,000 student campus and make it seem smaller and more intimate. I would have been lost without my Greek organization behind me. Because Fall recruitment happened before classes began, I did not have any conflicts with academics or exams Fall Recruitment is a perfect opportunity for students to transition easily into campus, and meet a great group of girls with similar interests such as themselves from the first week of school. Fall Recruitment is also very beneficial because there is generally much less of an academic commitment since it is during the first week of school as opposed to if we had Spring Recruitment many kids might feel hesitant to try and juggle homework with recruitment and other prior commitments.

Fall recruitment is a truly natural time to meet prospective new members. It provides a great pool of young men for the fraternity and an opportune time for the recruits to make friends. Fall recruitment is also advantageous to current Greek members who want to be able to devote themselves to preparations for the new member class. Fall recruitment is beneficial for many reasons, whether that be because of the weather to having an organization to help you get acclimated to college. The weather is warm at the beginning of the school year. If recruitment were any later it would start to become cold (with threats of snow) that could interfere with the process. Fall recruitment, and joining a sorority was the reason my transition into college was so smooth and I wouldn't of had it any other way. Fall recruitment is essential to the future of the sororities on campus. It is a huge event and requires a lot of work, and deferring it later in the year would negatively impact my academic success and it would severely limit my work schedule. It is best held in the fall because it happens right before school starts and the weekend after syllabus week when there is little to no schoolwork to stress over. It is so much easier to have girls come to campus in the last week of summer to practice for recruitment because there are no work/school/outside conflicts. Holding recruitment later in the year would be extremely detrimental to the GPAs of every chapter as girls would have to sacrifice valuable study time for their midterms and put it into required recruitment practice. Academics always come first, and I think deferring recruitment would send off the wrong message because girls would undoubtedly suffer major academic consequences if they are unable to spend those extra hours in the library. It is also vital to the future of the chapter, as not many houses on campus can financially support themselves that long without new members.

Fall recruitment is extremely beneficial in helping new students transition to college. Not only does it create a schedule as they adjust to a new atmosphere, but they will learn about other organizations, majors and clubs on campus. Logistically, fall recruitment makes the most sense due to the long and dreadful Wisconsin winters. Fall recruitment is extremely beneficial so because the first few rounds of rushing the student has no commitments or involvement of any time. Plus it happens at times that don't conflict with the club fairs/meetings since it's right away.

Fall recruitment is good weather and nothing else if going on that would be a conflict. It helps Freshmen transition right away and feel comfortable seeking help for anything they need. Fall recruitment is great because I didn't have anything to focus on at that time. Fall recruitment didn't distract me from work/academics etc. Fall Recruitment is great because the weather is great, you get to meet a lot of new people right away, and the house fills up and has the most people in the Fall. Fall recruitment is hands down better because it is a fresh start for everyone where people have not developed their own clique friend groups Fall recruitment is ideal. I completely understand the school wanting everyone to have a chance to become involved in other things. But as a greek member, I realized this opened me up to being aware of other student organizations that other members of greek life were involved in that I would not have heard about otherwise Being in the spring would make chapter dues increase substantially without a new member class, and greek life is already very expensive.

Fall recruitment is more beneficial due to everyone jut coming to campus and trying to make friends and find a group of people that they get along with. Fall Recruitment is necessary to provide every potential new member a fair chance at each house. By having spring recruitment freshman are already exposed to the Greek system and go through recruitment with a biased opinion. It also helps ease the transition from being away from family and close home friends. Not every student feels close to their dorm floor and being able to join the Greek life opens opportunities of new friendships and mentors. Fall Recruitment is placed at the perfect time because it occurs when there would be the least amount of conflicts with school, work, and other campus activities. It makes the transition to campus smoother while opening the door to other campus organizations that may have previously been unknown. Fall Recruitment is really beneficial because it is at a time when school isn't too stressful yet. It helps build friendships with many different people. For the involved members it is a good time period because all the preparation put into recruitment is still during the summer, so it doesn't conflict with academics or clubs. Fall recruitment is the most beneficial because the girls do not have to walk around in the cold weather, there are minimal academic conflicts, and its a great way to meet people right off the bat. Fall recruitment is the only way to go, to go to any different system would be a terrible idea. Fall recruitment is the perfect time to recruit new incoming students. They are new to a big campus and feel the need to be included in something that can help them throughout all of their years at Wisconsin. Fall recruitment is very beneficial for incoming freshmen. It is extremely helpful in transitioning to campus and it helps people develop friendships immediately. It sets up sororities perfectly for living in the house the following year as well as participating in Humorology, which is a huge philanthropic aspect of the Greek system. Additionally, the weather at this time of year is more than ideal and it does not conflict with class as it starts before classes begin.

Fall Recruitment is very helpful for Freshman who are looking to find a spot on campus right away. Fall recruitment is very important because many freshman enter college with little to no idea of how to manage their study and recreation time. By allowing the pledging process to begin during the fall, I was able to learn from older members about how to go through the difficult freshman year smoothly. Fall recruitment makes things so much easier for girls on campus. It gives them a place they feel comfortable and with that one's experience is positive. Joining a sorority right away gave me structure and people to look up to and paths I could follow.

Fall Recruitment offers an open recruitment process for freshman entering their first year or college or sophomores, juniors and seniors. Most people know what they can handle and recruitment allows for conflicts and they work around the fact someone may or may not have a conflict. Fall Recruitment allows for a way to join the university and spend time with new and exciting inidivudals that develop into a strong group surrounding you. Fall recruitment prevents dirty rushing and reinforcing stereotypes of different sororities. Being able to meet potential new members for the first time in a recruitment setting is much better than only seeing potential new members out at parties and judging them on those actions. There are also no exams during this period. Fall recruitment teaches freshman the value of time management, which is an important skill to master when entering college. Fall recruitment was a fantastic way to start off my college career. I met so many girls and made new friends all within the first weeks of school. The timing was perfect because recruitment happened before school got really serious. Also, joining a sorority at the beginning of my freshman year helped me get used to college. The older girls were really helpful and had so many tips and pieces of advice to give me and the rest of the new members. Fall Recruitment was a great way to meet many new people when transitioning into school at a university level. Fall Recruitment was easier with my schedule because it took place partially before school began. This meant there were no school related conflicts with the recruitment process. Fall recruitment was essential for my smooth transition to college and I feel like I would not be as involved in my sorority had it not occurred in the fall. Fall recruitment was far easier to join than spring based off of opportunities and the beginning of the school year made going to

Fall recruitment was the best time to rush. Everyone is so excited to start a new school year and we are so open to new possibilities and new friendships. The weather was perfect for the attire necessary when rushing a sorority, I didn't have any homework yet, and had already taken time off of work to move into my new apartment and get settled, as did a lot of other girls. It worked out perfectly to add sorority recruitment into the mix. The beginning of the year is already a very social time, and recruitment only allowed me to make more connections with girls and feel as though my year was starting off on the right track.

Fall Recruitment was the easiest time in college to acclimate to the culture of Madison and begin meeting friends. Fall recruitment was very beneficial to my first semester of college because I did not have any other commitments during that time and classes were just beginning so the recruitment process did not interfere with my academics. Fall recuritment, as opposed to spring recruitment, was a factor in my decision to attend the University of Wisconsin Madison. As a transfer student I was eger to complete my transition process immediately. Doing recruitment expedited that transition and allowed me to have a much more fufilling first year at UW-Madison. Because of fall recruitment, I will be able to live in the house, study abroad, and live in an apartment during my time at UW-Madison.

Financially speaking we rely on dues from approximately 60 new members each fall and without fall recruitment our finances will be greatly compromised. Also, our chapter has many members go abroad and during fall we have the most members present. Also the weather allows for easy traveling. As a potential new member it was extremely easy to go through recruitment in the warm weather. If it was in the spring semester it would still be snowing and would be extremely hard getting around and visiting each house. Financially, Fall Recruitment is crucial for our sorority as we have house dues that are expected for each semester. Without Fall Recruitment, we would be unable to pay these dues and our chapter would be in jeopardy. In addition, the weather plays a large role during the recruitment process. By having it in the fall it enables potential new members to be able to dress appropriately and not have to worry about their coats/boots that they would typically be wearing in the winter. If recruitment were to take place in the spring, the logistics of figuring out where everyone's coats and boots would go would not be beneficial to the recruitment process. Finding a niche immediately on campus. For financial reasons, my chapter relies on dues from approx. 60 new members each fall. Without fall recruitment, our finances would be greatly compromised. Many girls would not be willing to pay that much money to join, and would sadly be forced to drop against their will. My chapter does not have that much money to put into scholarships, and therefore, it would be impossible to try and help each girl out. Also, our chapter has many members go abroad, and during the fall semester we have the most members present. Each Spring, we WOULD be missing 15-20 girls from recruitment-- many who are involved in different niches around campus/diverse activities. Also, the weather allows for easy traveling. It would be close to impossible to dress up and account for snow jackets, boots, rain, hail, sleet, etc!!!!

For fraternities it builds character, integrity, a place of being and development of great scholars and men. For students interested in Greek life, Fall Recruitment is very important in setting accurate expectations of the large time commitment that results from joining a sorority or fraternity. All other student organizations on campus recruit members during the fall for the same reason: to help prospective members understand the membership requirements. I think it is crucial that recruitment occurs during the fall because it is the most effective and fair way of informing students of the time commitment.

For the active members it is much more convenient to have our work week to get ready for recruitment at the end of summer. That way there are limited time commitments and girls do not have to cut their winter break short to come back early for work week which is already much shorter than summer break. For the sororities, weeks of planning take place prior to the formal process! Having fall recruitment allows us to be able to properly prepare without interfering with our academics! We usually move in early and do our preparations during the last week of summer!

Fraternity/sorority life is a wonderful way to build leadership skills in young men and women and give them a community with which to be involved. The students are only on campus for 4-5 years. They should be given the maximum opportunity to benefit from everything the Greek system has to offer. Freshmen benefit significantly from being exposed to older more exprerienced students through Greek Life. Those older students can help the younger ones learn and grow. Limiting Greek Life to only older students would severly curtail that dynamic thus eliminating one of its core benefits. If you limit this activity and no others you are simply stating that the University thinks Greek Life is bad for the students and you would be eliminating freedom of choice. Let our young adults make their own choices! That is the point of college. They can make choices - even bad ones in a relatively safe environment - and then learn from them.

Freshman have a support system and people to learn from. It takes away from having to make multiple transitions. You will not have illegal rushing throughout the school year. freshmen are new to campus and making new friends anyway, so it is good timing. From a financial aspect, we rely on dues from approximately 60 new members each fall and without fall recruitment our finances will be greatly compromised. Also, our chapter has many members go abroad and during fall we have the most members present. Also, the weather allows for easy traveling during Fall Recruitment. As a PNM it was so much easier to wear sandals and a dress rather than if we had recruitment during January, where I would be in several layers and snow boots, and have to deal with wet clothing and plan cute outfits according to the cold weather.

From personal experience I know coming in from out of state not knowing anyone, the freshman class of this University can be extremely overwhelming. There is a lot of free time and the University offers few opportunities to meet upperclassman or other freshman on a one on one level. Rush allows you to do that. It structures your first month and gives you confidence to participate in other organizations. Rushing in the fall also allows you to focus on school once it begins rather than worrying about rush while classes are in session. If I had not rushed in the fall I think my first few months at this University would have been a lot lonelier and more overwhelming. Gain friends right away on campus and people your age in your recruitment class provide people to study with and socialize with.

Get to meet a bunch of people right away. Don't have to spend the first semester only knowing people on your residence hall floor. I am still friends with a ton of kids on my floor but also have friends in every building across the campus.

Get to meet a lot of new people that most likely share similar interests Getting assimilated to college and meeting older students who can help you in your transition and give you advice about all aspects of college. Getting involved on campus right away. Getting it out of the way in the beginning of the school year before the stress of class really kicks in is a good way to set up fall recruitment. Getting to join my sorority right away in the fall helped me to get acclimated to UW, meet a wide variety of new friends, and feel more comfortable on campus before classes even started. Getting to know a large group of guys right at the start of college. Getting to know more than just the freshmen class of this university right away during the fall was a huge advantage to me.

Getting to know people right away, forming groups of people to study and get advice from because you know people right away. This all happens before the student org fair so people do not have many commitments and also it is the first week of school… all we have are surveys and reading the syllabus as homework. Weather is not predictable, as we live in Wisconsin we know that it could snow in almost any month and this does not effect recruitment whatsoever.

Getting to make friends right away Getting to meet everyone earlier and being involved from the very beginning. Girls get a chance to go through houses without much bias or presumptions. They get to see what Greek life is through their own eyes first. Girls in sororities are able to prep over the summer without it interfering with academics Gives freshmen a there home on campus. Your floor is not always your best friends. Fall has better weather, gives people who need a home on campus to seek one. If people feel too rushed, they can then rush second semester, which is more low key anyways.

Gives guidance to potential new members who are feeling lost and looking for involvement. Gives new members more time to get to know the chapter and have more philanthropic opportunities Gives students a security and base away from home and when entering a new large university. Gives new students people to help them navigate from experience how to live in college and in a cold weather climate. It gives students a secure resource right into college instead of having to float around aimlessly to find a group or people to trust. Spring recruitment is hard because after you got adjusted you have to readjust with new people and new schedules. And, in Spring recruitment people tend to silently rush and be setup for the following semester taking away focus from school.

Gives students opportunities and time to find good housing for their sophomore year. Going through fall recruitment allowed to jump right in to life in Madison.Meeting new people so early on definitely comforted me. I liked getting to know people right away and feeling involved. Fall recruitment didn't at all interfere with my academic schedule which I think is a huge benefit. If recruitment happened during the school year, students would have a lot of conflicts due to class, exams, and extracurricular activities. With recruitment being so early, students are free to go through recruitment without hesitation or hindrances. Going through recruitment helped me build my social skills and feel more confident about starting a conversation with a stranger. As a freshman, this is a huge thing to learn and made the rest of my year a lot more exciting. Going through rush right away is nice because then you're not anticipating it once classes start and are able to become better situated. Good way for freshman to make friends Good way to make friends fast that are like you. Good weather for rushing. Warm out. Helped me adjust to campus and college life. Able to make friends outside of the residence hall. Gives me structure right away so I don't have too much free time. Was able to find other clubs that I was interested in and fit them into my schedule. Meeting older girls to help guide us around campus and help with academics.

Got me into the greek scene before school got too difficult/ while the weather was nice. Great way to make friends. GREAT way to meet new friends and get involved right away. Great way to meet people. Making good connections is often considered the number one reason a student stays at a particular university, versus transferring or dropping out of school. Great way to start of the academic year on the right foot with good structure and involvement. Sends a message of mature behavior early. Great weather and meeting people right off the bat when we get here similar to us. Half of these questions didn't make sense! Quote- "To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Fall Recruitment?" Possible Answer- "Limited academic/class schedule conflicts." How do I indicate that Fall Recruitment does NOT interfere with academics or class schedules? And why is "Weather/Logistics" and answer? What does THAT have to do with anything?! Have a full summer to plan for Fall recruitment. More people are open to joining student orgs. in the fall semester. Having a fall pledge class raises our chapter dues so we're able to have events all year long. Last year, having an instant group of 50 girls to make the adjustment to campus easier was invaluable to me. Nice weather is a huge advantage as well.

Having a fall recruitment is essential to the success of the entire system. I myself would have been so limited in my capacity to fully participate in recruitment had I needed to also juggle family, class and other clubs and activities. Recruitment occurs before many other clubs and activities and so if I needed to miss chapter things, I could because the really important stuff had already happened. I most likely wouldn't have participated in rush had it been any other time because I would have been overwhelmed and distracted. Also, during the winter recruitment wouldn't work due to cold and unsafe weather. I think I got more out of fall recruitment because I could fully commit to understanding and deciding if it was the right type of organization for myself.

Having gone through deferred recruitment at another school, I know that immediate Fall recruitment, like is done at UW, is the BEST option. This allows women the option to get involved in a whole host of activities--not just their sorority--because recruitment is done before school even starts. Also, because it is done before school starts, there is much less impact on academics. Fall recruitment also allows women to know where they will live the next year, and for the sorority to fill their houses; if women don't do it until January, then all women in the Greek system will be in limbo regarding housing, due to housing requirements. Fall recruitment works best. Having recruitment at any other time during the academic year, other than when it is currently held would be near impossible, not only for chapter members, but for any incoming potential new members. Having recruitment right before and during the first week of classes ensures that there are no academic conflicts, the weather is endurable for the logistics of recruitment, and it gives chapter members more free time (during the summer) to prepare for this large-scale event.

Having recruitment early in the year helps students find friends in their house, other houses, as well as people who do not join. Finding the backbone of friends to start the year out with is very important. Having recruitment in the fall forced me to branch out from the very beginning of my college experience and make an effort to meet people. It also forced me to start creating a schedule for myself and learn time management skills right off the bat.

Helps adjust to campus life quickly Helps individuals transition to campus and build friendships, which is often the hardest thing to do for individuals transitioning into college life. Also, for freshman, first semester is typically laid back compared to subsequent semesters they will experience, so it will be easiest to make time for the recruitment process in the fall. helps meet people/transition Helps new members get better acclimated to their new surroundings. helps students get acquainted to college! Helps to meet people right away, which aids in the transition from high school to college. Helps you feel more a part of Madison right away. Huge help as a transition to campus. I am confused as to whether this survey is implying that "limiting outside commitments" and "limited academic schedule conflicts" are benefits of Fall Recruitment. I would just like to clarify while those are not benefits, they are also not issues with Fall Recruitment, in my opinion. To summarize, Fall Recruitment does not limit outside involvement not does it limit academic obligations any more than joining a sports team or other club, in my opinion.

I believe fall recruitment is the best option not only because of the smooth transition and weather conditions of Wisconsin but also because it is before classes begin and the workload starts piling up. I believe that doing fall recruitment is something that is integral to the Greek community because then it is more available to everyone because there aren't midterms or school work already. If formal recruitment was later it has the possibility to do some harm to the girls grades and scholarship is something that we as Sorority women take very seriously and wouldn't want to see that happen to the pnms. I believe that fall recruitment was extremely convenient because it was so easy to avoid a messy schedule. I do not understand question three and four the way it phrased. I felt like it was perfect that it was at the very beginning of the year because throughout the whole year, the beginning is when I had the least conflicts, especially regarding schoolwork. Also, early recruitment allows members more time to slowly involve themselves into Greek life. Because I was aware of the large amount of time I had with my sorority for the rest of the year, I felt more comfortable choosing to hang out with people not involved in Greek life much more often. Also, I did not find trouble at all attending other Welcome Week events that I wanted to attend.

I got to meet a lot of girls who were in some of my classes, which aided in creating study groups and getting help. I had the ability to live in!!!!!! I just want to say, in case there is no opportunity later, that this survey is extremely ambiguous and worded confusingly. (not a good survey) I like fall recruitment because it begins right before classes start so it does not interfere with academics. I liked the fact that many of my first friends were the guys that I ended up rushing with in the fall and eventually pledging with. This is opposed to Spring rush where everyone already has their friend groups to a certain extent and it complicates the depth of the relationships that are allowed through the greek process. I love fall recruitment I loved it all. Everything was perfect. I loved the transition and friendships that I made early on. It kept me involved with things on campus, and I felt like I was already meeting a good group of girls that I could be friends with throughout my college career. The weather was so nice as far as walking to the different houses. We were able to wear nicer dresses without freezing. I personally believe fall recruitment is the best way to go. Having it in the beginning of the school year helped to limit academic conflicts. The weather was hot, but I would rather be in shorts than in a winter coat. I also did not have too many other commitments yet, so I was able to focus on the recruitment process. I think that it takes awhile to form true friendships with people. Some of my best friends I was not close with at the beginnning of the year. I cannot imagine going through the recruitmen process at a later time and not having as much time to build on relationships. Some of my favorite memories also involve greek life from first semester. I really enjoyed fall recruitment because it gave me something to do almost right after moving in on campus. While I spent time with my floor mates early on in the year, it was clear that we were never going to be best friends. Recruitment allowed me to meet women from all over campus and from all different classes that I could relate to. This made the transition to college much easier.

I really liked how it was before classes started so I could meet people who were in my classes. I strongly believe rush should be in the fall because it provides me with friends to make, older girls to look up to for advice, and makes me feel involved as part of something bigger than myself. Being a part of my sorority has been one of the best parts of college and i have met amazing girls. I have had the time to get close to them thus making me a happier person here at UW.

I think Fall Recruitment works really well. The freshman don't have any preconceived notion of which sorority has which reputation, and therefore are able to find a house that fits them best, not the one that they've heard is the coolest or the most popular.

I think it is good to get girls into houses right away so that they can start making friends right away, but it does take away from getting to know other people, such as those living on your dorm floor. Also, it can be overwhelming to juggle starting classes, moving to a new city and recruitment all at once. I think it is important to first point out the bias of this question and survey overall. For example, these questions that deal with if fall recruitment limit outside commitments is bias. I personally don't think that it limited any of my outside commitments and actually gave me structure to my transition. As well, there was not class during recruitment so it did not limit it. If recruitment were to be pushed back then it would be right during midterms, which would be horrible for all parties involved. New members would not be able to focus on their first round of tests in college because they would be focused on recruitment. As well, if recruitment were to be in January, you would be asking girls to walk in blizzard weather.

I think that a large benefit of fall recruitment is that it creates friendships between people that live in different parts of campus and provides new students with resources to navigate the campus and college experience. I think the main thing is having it before school starts. Especially for the active members. I can't imagine having to do work week and then recruitment while in school during either my fall or spring semester. I want to emphasize the benefit Fall Recruitment had by providing structure to free time during a transition where it is easy to just stay in your room and feel homesick. I was a bit confused with the wording of these questions as well. I truly belive that fall recruitment is the best option. It more than aids in transition on campus and it provies structure to open/free tim so then you aren't out drinking every night of welcome week. It also is at a great time because most people haven't started work yet or any other clubs becuase they have yet to meet and it also does not interfere with academics since it is mostly before the frist week of school. Lastly, the weather is perfect. We all know that Wisconsin doesn't have the most consistent weather, however fall recruitment has always been the most perfect weather. Summer is just ending so it is still warm and it is bright out longer so altogether the weather is the best during fall recruitment.

I was able to better manage my time by having a firm schedule, so I was more responsible/ did not slack off in either my schoolwork or any other commitments. Joining a sorority made me accountable for my own work and schedule. I was able to take part in Greek events that helped me to bond with and meet some of my best friends; I would miss these if we didn't have recruitment in the fall. It was better as far as weather goes to have recruitment in the Fall before the snow/freezing weather sets in. I felt more comfortable, wanted, and knowledgeable on campus as a result of Fall recruitment.

I was able to focus on fall recruitment without having to worry about school work as well. I would like to stress how significant fall recruitment is to aiding the transition from high school to college. It really helped me find a new home away from home. I wouldn't have gone to uw if there wasn't fall rush If we did recruitment in the spring, that would be awful because of the weather. January is not an ideal time for PNMs to be walking around in Wisconsin. If you guys get rid of Fall Recruitment, guess what...no more dry rush, which will just increase UW's "Party School" reputation. And I know that's why te administration hates the Greek system and always trying to discourage growth within the community.

Immediate friendships. Immediate immersion into the UW environment and immediate opportunity to build friendships. There were many students on my dorm floor last semester who consistently spent their free time partying or watching TV. My sorority kept me busy with philanthropic events and structured, enjoyable social outings. I did not waste a minute of fall semester sitting around with few friends and nothing to do. imperative to my happiness and transition first semester of my freshman year. Increased retention of freshmen students Introduced to people right when you get to college. Still easy to make friends in the dorms, you have so much free time in the dorms you can still have time to make friendships and bonds. It allows ambitious members to pursue membership early in the year, and therefore develop their friendships more fully throughout their college career. It allows freshman to meet each other and join something that is really unique right away. As they will learn their first semester here, you decide your own commitment level in every organization you participate in--you can be as involved or uninvolved as you choose. It allows students to get involved in campus earlier and allows them to meet a lot of new people. It also allows new students to participate in Humerology and to meet older members who can help aid them with their transition and anything else they need.

It allows the Greek organizations to introduce themselves to new students before stereotypes come about. It allows you to meet a lot of new people and really decide what you want to do here. My residence hall provided very few events so it was much more fun for me to go to recruitment events. It begins the semester. The transition was crucial for me It doesn't interfere with academics. It also helps girls transition to a new campus easier, and often gets them even more excited to be at UW-Madison. It eased my transition into college. I was worried about making friends but my joining the greek community i was able to find people who had similar interests as me. The weather in the fall is also a great time to be outdoors and be able to walk from house to house. Also at the beginning of the year there isn't as much school work or tests so being able to go through rush doesn't conflict with academics. It enables students to engage in the academic and social community at UW. It helps assimilate women into navigating the social scene, gives them guidance, and support network. It helps set a precedent that academics and service are a priority in your four years at the university. It is extremely beneficial in retention. It is the only way most houses will be able to continue filling their facilities since leases are signed so early in Madison.

It helps open doors to getting involved elsewhere on campus and helps you to figure out what you might want to end up getting into/majoring in in the future. It helps out of state students meet new people. It afforded me a sense of belonging and closeness to the university right from the start. It also allowed me to have friends both in and out of the greek community since I spent a lot of time with the individuals on my floor and the men and women in the greek community. It helps people looking for somewhere to fit in get that sense of community much earlier, with a lot less stress. It also helps eliminate bias, which I know happens at some schools with Spring Recruitment, since older girls get to know some of the potential new members outside of just recruitment. It helps people to make new friends right off the bat, and it makes the transition that much easier. If there were no Fall Recruitment, fraternities wouldn't be the same. It helps you meet like minded individuals as soon as you reach campus. It helps you meet new people right away. People in your classes in other sororities and in your sorority. Someone these questions were phrased in a confusing manor so I hopefully answers them all positively. If not change my answer to a positive one

It immediately provides you with a support system and a feeling of belonging that often poses a huge challenge to freshmen students It is a great way to start off college because you instantly have a group of friends and structured activities! It is also a major benefit, maybe even a necessity, when it comes to the Humorology show. There is no way the cast could be put together and practice in just one semester if there was spring recruitment. It is a time when all of the new students are looking for a new friend group and I believe the new recruits get closer with the fraternity because of this. It is before everything gets hectic. It is clearly the best way to recruit new members. Students are just getting to campus and are looking for a way to make it "home" - and going Greek is an extraordinary way of doing so. It is crucial to really dive into the greek life here on Madison. Every fall class in my fraternity is 10 times closer than the spring classes. It is freezing during the winter and would be impossible to allow girls to go from house to house in an organized manner which is the entire point of the process. It is great to have recruitment before classes start and the hectic schedules of academics and other activities becomes overwhelming. Recruitment helped me find my voice on a big campus and I felt the transition had an ease to it that would have been bumpy without this event happening right away. It is nice out, and when you are wearing a dress and heels you do not want to be cold standing in the snow. I met so many people right away so fast and the campus felt that much smaller and I was so excited to start school because i had friends and it helped ease into the school so much easier than if i hadn't been in greek life. It is nice weather - girls don't have boots or winter coats when walking from house to house. We don't have anywhere to hold all of those coats or return them in an orderly fashion. School work is very minimal - if at all. That is beneficial for both the girls going through recruitment and the sorority members themselves. The freshman are able to choose a sorority that's best for them without outside pressure that may turn up if recruitment were to be delayed.

It is really nice out and you can get acclimated to campus so much more easily rather than waiting another semester. I haven't heard anything good from other schools who rush second semester. It is the beginning of the year and people are open to looking for new opportunities on campus and fraternities and sororities are established organizations on this campus and great to join as early as possible. It is the best possible time for rush. No questions asked. Do not change it or you will severely hurt the greek community.

It is the perfect opportunity before classes begin so you do not feel overwhelmed but excited for the future. It is warm outside. Do not have to walk from house to house in cold temperatures. it makes greek life a part of your UW experience from the start and the lack of structure for the way IFC does it makes it an organic process where you can find friends on your own rather than being relegated into set groups and told where to go.

It really allows new students to thrive in a new environment if they seek organizations that also have similar ideals and goals.

It really helped with adjusting to such a big campus. Made it less intimidating IT ROCKS. PERFECT. It takes place before school begins, therefore eliminating academic conflicts and contributing to a more positive recruitment environment. There would be fewer absences with fewer conflicts as well, ensuring that each chapter is well prepared for recruitment so that this university's Greek system can continue to get stronger. It takes the pressure off of feeling like you need to join a sorority that the friends you meet when you first get on campus join since your ties aren't that strong yet. If recruitment was later, I feel like I would be pressured to join a chapter that my best friends loved that I did not necessarily see myself in. It was a great way to meet people, it was fun, and it was good to go through it before classes began. It was also easy to make friends both in your chapter after recruitment but also with other girls during recruitment. I didn't feel like I missed out on any welcome week events that I really wanted or needed to attend. It was enjoyable walking to the houses in the warm weather It was just really great timing. Also it was nice so that by Spring Semester I had actually gotten to know and become friends with almost all of the girls in my pledge class. That way I wouldn't have to meet an entirely new group of girls in Spring semester and try to get to know them quickly before I would leave for summer. Also I could participate in more events. it was nice and warm at that time and were able to enjoy being outside It was nice to meet a community of people ready to show me around campus. It was very easy to just focus on recruitment without having many other distractions. It welcomes students to campus It will help freshman acclimate to the university life and culture. It works the best! It would be the least stressful time because of the limited class/activity/work commitments. It's a good way to get involved quickly in the year, especially for incoming freshman who are new to campus. It's good to figure things out before class takes over It's nice having such great weather in the fall. It's nice to have it be able to get two rounds in (with the Labor Day holiday) before classes actually start. You get an additional semester of membership. Greek participation is big during fall sporting and homecoming events, and you'd only have Sophomore- Senior Greeks participating if you had deferred recruitment. Freshmen couldn't really participate in Humo of recruitment were deferred. With respect to housing, many Freshmen have already signed Sophomore year leases by January, so Junior year would be their first opportunity to live in the chapter house, were recruitment to be deferred. And keep in mind, many are only here for one semester Junior year (and go abroad the other).

It's the perfect opportunity for freshman to step outside of their comfort zones the moment they step on campus. I had never been through a process like rushing before, and deciding to do so at Madison was the first step I took to take control of my life and not let my life pass by. It's warm, and there is a lot more to do in and around campus. Joining an organization early on gives incoming freshman the opportunity to immediately become assimilated and welcomed onto campus. Its a great way to meet new people and make friends right away. It really helped my transition from high school to college.

Its beautiful out, you meet tons of new people who are interested in getting to know you. MOST IMPORTANTLY - you meet older students who fill you in on the ins and outs of campus. The freshman dorms are a far bigger bubble than the greek system.

Keeps you busy and your mind off homesickness Keeps you busy the first few days of being at school, so prevents girls from being homesick Keeps your mind off of being homesick Knowing that you have an opportunity to potentially join any of the chapters, rather than being limited by the ones that are going through COB. Knowing there is stuff to get involved it right when one gets here. There is so much to do that not a lot of people take advantage of.

Learn more from seniors and have mentors helping you from the beginning make friends right away makes you involved from the start with philanthropy, social, brotherhood, etc instead of just doing nothing (not joining something or joining something not really established) Making friends and forming bonds making friends, becoming part of something on campus right away Making friends, meeting fraternity members Many of the recruitment events that we do happen outside, like a trip to a driving range. If recruitment was confined to indoors in the month of february, everyone would be less enthusiastic about rush. Meet new friends quickly on campus Meet new people right away other than your floor Meet new people Find a tight knit community on campus right away I know a lot of people make friends in their rush groups and having that at the beginning of the year would be extremely beneficial. Meeting women of similar interests right off the bat. meetings friends right away. helps keep you busy and adjust to college life More available time to commit to preparation for recruitment and a properly focused time for women to find a match on campus for themselves. More time to get to know people and become more involved More time to prepare for recruitment during the summer months MUCH less dirty recruiting. Delayed or deferred recruitment really hurts the smaller houses in particular. My chapter has a lot of our member go abroad during the spring so if recruitment was in the spring a good portion of the member would be missing. Also it was really nice to rush in the fall because the weather was so nice. It would be very dangerous to rush in the winter. My sorority helped me academically my first semester, having older girls who had taken the same classes previously helping me. It also gave me people to turn to for any questions about the campus. My transition to campus was tremendously aided by fall recruitment especially because I had no other conflicts during this time to try and balance. Also the recruitment process does not take place during any class time, and I never felt that I had to pick between one or the other. Also, as an older member in the chapter recruiting new members does not interfere with anything during this current process. We are able to come to campus in August and spend our days preparing for the women to come through recruitment without spending our days binge drinking. n/a N/a N/A na NA Nice weather, least amount of time for rho gammas to be disaffiliated No better time to join. It's easy to come together and form friendships when you are all in the same situation. I cannot stress enough how important it was for me to find a place for myself on Greek life upon arriving to the university. none None Nothing to add Older members can provide experience with respect to majors, classes and internships to help undecided students start off on the right foot One has many activities to be a part of. One of the major benefits of Fall Recruitment was that it allowed me to stay busy and to always have something going on so that I could become acclimated with the campus and allowed me to stay on top of my school work. Another benefit is that I did not have school work or very little school work during the rush process which took a lot of stress off of the process.

Only downside is it's a little hot but not a big deal. Our chapter has many members go abroad and during fall we have the most members present. Also the weather allows for easy traveling. Also the weather made dressing up easier as we weren't battling in the cold. Our chapter has many members go abroad during the spring semester so in the fall, we have the most members present. Also, the weather allows for relatively easy traveling in the fall semester. Our chapter has most of our members present in the fall semester which is crucial for recruitment. Also, the warm weather allows for easier transporation to the different chapter houses. People are more open to making new friends in the Fall, and more willing to undertake voluntary commitments. In addition, my chapter relies heavily on sports such as volleyball to aid in our recruitment. Perfect time of year with the weather and lack of serious academic stress. Provides opportunity to meet other girls with similar interests Provides structure and accountability to young students by realizing that they have to become good at time management and that there are people that want to support you and see you succeed. Recruitment at the beginning of the fall gets it out of the way so that new recruits can get into a routine of schoolwork and handling the commitment of a new student organization. Recruitment is a lot of planning and time commitment for those already in a sorority and fall recruitment allows us to use the last weeks of summer to do this while we still have free time before school begins. Returning to campus in the fall is traditionally an exciting time for most folks - this excitement helps the rush process. Returning for second semester is not as fun for most (and the weather can hinder rush activities) School hadn't started yet so we were able to fully focus on choosing the right chapter for us. School has barely started so you are not bogged down by academic responsibilities at this point in time. It is much easier to go through this process with a clear mind in order to make the best, educated decision on where you would fit best without the worries of school. Overall, would not trade fall recruitment for spring for anything. School has not really come into full force yet and because it is a new school year for so many new opportunities, everyone possesses enthusiasm and excitement for what the future holds. See previous responses for the benefits to those who are going through recruitment. In regards to the girls already in sororities who are doing the rushing process, it is a great advantage that "work week" is before school work and other commitments take place. This allows us to focus on rush as a whole and to give it our most desired attention instead of being overwhelmed and juggling too much at one time. See what I said earlier. socializing/networking with people other than people on your floor Spring semester is always busy with events so the Fall is best for actual recruitment. Starting a new year normally happens in the fall and having recruitment there eased the transition process tremendously. Not to mention this happening before classes start made it easier to focus on it without worrying about homework or other school activities. Structure students generally take their easiest course load in fall freshman year, and many students take the same courses - econ 101, calc 211, etc.. Rush provides instant study groups The ability for chapters to prepare for fall recruitment is easier than trying to fit it in during spring break. The above question is written in a way that can be very confusing; I don't think you are going to get the true data you are seeking. With that said, a fall (before school starts) recruitment process is necessary for many reasons other than those just listed above. This takes pressure off of both current chapter members but potential new members as well. Not only in the academic sense but making new friends, finding a connection at the UW, acclimating to campus dynamics, the list goes on.

The above questions are poorly worded... How would work commitments class schedule or weather be a benefit of recruitment? Do not score my "a lot" answers as I tried to skip the questions but couldn't! The beginning of the fall semester is a great time for recruitment because, as detailed above, students do not have to worry about academics, clubs or other school related things getting in the way because it is the end of summer/beginning of school. The weather is also a great advantage because it made getting to the greek life area of campus extremely easy and comfortable. I also think it allows students to meet new people on campus, even if they do not choose to go into greek life. Meeting and engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds before school even starts is a great way to start off the year at Wisconsin.

The beginning of the school year is when students are making their first friends. Students are scared to be on campus and they feel very alone. Fall recruitment gives students a way to meet people, students make friends, and it gives students soemthing to feel connected to. Being a part of an organization right away, no matter if it is greek life or not, it gives you a sense of meaning and belonging on campus. A lot of my friends who did not participate in Greek recruitment had to wait weeks in to the school year to join a club or organization while I was already making friends and a part of something on campus since the beginning. Also, having the pledging process in the fall weeds out the students who are not as committed to being a part of the Greek system. There are not enough spots for every person who goes through recruitment and it makes it easy on the chapters and the students rushing if there are only people who are serious about joining a chapter. Having rush in the beginning means students are probably only going to go through recruitment if they have thought about joining a chapter and know it is something they want to do and are committed to.

The beginning of the year is much less stressful and allows an easier transition for both the members and recruits. The benefits to fall recruitment are endless, whether it be the immense amount of school help the older girls in the sorority can offer the new, incoming memebers, or the culture transitional help that the girls can help with. The best time of year to enjoy the campus and to get to know people The biggest benefit of Fall Recruitment was having the opportunity to meet new people and to more easily transition to campus facilitated by a smaller community. The current fall period lands on a time when academic stress is at an all time low and campus exploring is at an all time high for freshman. The weather and logistics obviously are ideal. The current fall recruitment works perfectly. The earlier one joins, the more he or she can gain from the experience. Horizons are expanded with new friends with varying backgrounds and ages, meet people one might not otherwise have met, instill values early on so one can use them through the entirety of his or her college career, become more involved and better acclimated within the fraternity/sorority and therefore better able to serve it for the years to come. The excitement of the Fall semester is tenfold greater than that in the spring. The weather is fantastic. The greek community can showcase their ability to welcome students to campus. The fact that recruitment doesn't take place during classes (minus the very first week) is amazing. I don't know if I would have gone through recruitment if it was scheduled in the midst of all of my classes. The weather was nice and I felt comfortable walking around as opposed to recruitment being in the dead of a Wisconsin winter. The fall is an extremely convenient time for recruitment. It is easier because it falls right at the beginning of the year, so school work has not become overwhelming yet. If recruitment was at any other time, the weather would be very unaccommodating.

The first few days before school starts is the best way to meet new students and acclimate to school, going through a structured process of rush allows new students or returning to meet others before classes begin. The girls who are already in sororities can have polish week (recruitment practice week which is a huge time commitment) before classes start, right after they have moved in, and after they've had a lot of break time over the summer to work/see their families.

The lake is still a lake and the weather is nice which accommodates walking down Langdon. The most important benefit of fall recruitment is that it does not conflict with any academics (class or midterms). That in my mind is the most important motivator to keep recruitment as is at UW-Madison. I also really enjoyed having structure at the beginning of the year. The overall timing of Fall Recruitment is the best scenario because once the semester gets rolling, it would be very implausible to expect current members who are older to drop everything in their schedule (work, school) just to recruit.

The question above is very confusing to answer. I think fall recruitment does aid transition into campus, does provide structure to free time. It somewhat limits outside commitments. I do not understand the weather/logistics option.

The recruitment process is a lot of time and hard work for active members. Doing this over this summer right before fall semester begins gives us time to prepare adequately without it interfering with our academic commitments and other activities.

The university preaches making the campus smaller for yourself as much as you can. Well, Fraternity life allows freshman to do that right away and thus feel more welcome rather than spend a semester wandering about. The weather in fall recruitment is perfect. The weather in the fall allows for the girls to be able to walk freely from house to house, the recruitment process happening before school starts makes it so NOTHING about recruitment gets in the way of academics (part of the reason why I went through it in the first place). The weather is a huge benefit because there was a lot of standing outside waiting to enter houses, and if it was second semester I do not know if I would have been able to withstand the cold. Also, second semester a lot of girls go abroad, so we got to meet all of those girls and many of them had a large impact on which house we joined. The weather is conducive to a great atmosphere for meeting members of the UW community, and that time of year is when freshmen are most willing and able to go out and do something like this. Postponing rush to the Spring would negatively affect the rush process in many ways. The weather is great and everyone is eager to meet new people. The weather is great during the Fall compared to the bitterly cold weather in the Spring. The weather is much nicer and it is much more convenient to get out to rush events. The weather is nice, school hasn't gotten into its grind, everything about fall recruitment is perfect. The weather is perfect for fall recruitment because girls can just walk from dorms/living areas. Also during free times during recruitment, you could walk around state street or go to the terrace because it is so nice out. This is also a perfect time for recruitment because there isn't a hard work load since its the beginning of the year. I didn't feel stressed out with school work.

The weather is so much nicer to participate in fall recruitment. It is also a great opportunity for freshman to meet older mentors on campus and participate in leadership opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. I was on the executive board of my fraternity as a freshman and that would not be possible if recruitment was pushed back. I also could secure a lease in our house for my sophomore year which also would not have been possible. THE WEATHER IS THE ONLY BENEFIT The wording of the timing questions are confusing for the two limited questions. There are MANY reasons why Fall Recruitment is more beneficial to students going through the Rush process. First of all, rushing in the fall definitely aids in the transition to campus for freshman. Not only was I first able to make friends in my residence hall before I rushed, but I was able to make more friends in all grades through rushing! In no way did rushing in the fall prevent me from making other friends outside of Greek life or prevent me from attending welcome week activities. Rushing in the fall also allowed me to get to know the girls in my sorority earlier on and made more concrete friendships. If I was to have rushed in the spring, not only would i only be in a sorority for 3.5 years instead of 4, but I wouldn't be able to know the older girls for very long. Thirdly, rushing in the fall allowed for the older girls to be a strong support system for academics starting in my first semester when i was really getting used to the transition by giving advice and helping with school work. If not, I would have felt more on my own and not as comfortable transitioning into college. Fourthly, the weather played a huge beneficial role in fall rush. If we were to rush in the Spring, it would be snowy and icy which would make travel from house to house very difficult as opposed to the nice warm weather we rushed in in the Fall.

There are too many to describe. My entire journey through this university would be completely altered if I did not rush in the fall. It allowed me to start my experience on the right foot in this new environment where I did not know a single person (I am from the east coast). There is no better time than the Fall to have recruitment. This is the only time where we do not have to worry about our academics. We want to be successful and having recruitment at any other time than that first week we arrive in Madison would be detrimental to our grades. There isn't a semester of awkward transition time. There questions are misleading and poorly written There's nothing else going on academically wise, so I didn't feel like I was missing out on school. Now as a junior, work week is in the summer which is great because if recruitment were later then work week would be later and would interfere with school.

There's time for the Greek organizations to prepare for Fall Recruitment as well as for the Potential New Member to complete Recruitment. These are all benefits. These questions are confusing to answer because they seem unclear. Fall recruitment helped for a better transition into college and helped create better time management. I had no problem attending classes, physical therapy, work and events with my residence hall. Additionally, the warm weather made commuting across campus much easier.

These questions were worded extremely poorly so just know that by answering a lot for everything I am stating my full support for fall recruitment a This has, at least in the 32 years I have been involved in Greek systems on both the UW and U of M campuses, been the key semester for recruitment. It allows an alternative to dorm life and the Greek system often recruits individuals who don't live in the dorms in the Fall. It also allows early entry into leadership positions beginning in the Spring. This helps the houses to have more members for Humo, an event that is mostly Freshman-Junior students, an event that will be hit hard, an event that raises a LOT of money for HIV/AIDS charities. It will also hit fall homecoming hard, making participation for greek houses harder and having fewer people to take part.Greeks do a lot of the homecoming events. As a small example, the Greeks' participation in the homecoming parade will be a lot weaker because Freshman and the newest members are the ones most passionate about that. The same can be said for all philanthropy events during the fall and early spring. Spring Recruitment will be the end of a lot of fall and 1/2 of the spring semester philanthropy events. Humorology will be a bust without fall recruitment because the committee that chooses which houses get to be in the final show must make that choice BEFORE winter break - so new members will not have a quality experience with humo if they have to wait until spring, after the show is more than half prepared, to take part. This would have a huge impact in humo overall, especially because the 1st and 2nd year sorority/fraternity members are the one that are the most interested ad active in humo events. humo raises a lot of money for camp hartland - the greeks and UW may look bad if this event takes a dive that causes Camp Hartland and the other chariies that receive humo proceeds to receive less money from humo Fall recruitment provides people 1st experiencing the houses the chance to see that house in an unbiased way and to choose a house without pressure from friends or the influence or house stereotypes or rumors. If recruitment is moved to spring, a lot of people will not join unless they get into the *top* houses, this will cause a lot of houses to close and will have the influence of pushing the greek houses to be just like the *top* house so that any diversity in the greek houses will be harder to maintain. Fall recruitment also provides sororities who lose members right after recruitment to recoup those losses in the spring. Any losses of membership in the fall cannot be recouped until spring then, this is not only a social loss to the houses, all will effectively have far less members because the majority if the school year will only be 3 pledge classes, it will affect house funding. With fewer members to cover the up front costs such as those to maintain the chapter house, a cost that all members have to pay through their dues [though the majority is paid by live-ins], membership in sororities and fraternities will increase per person - the system will be less accessible and accommodating of financial diversity. With fall recruitment, students still have the opportunity wait until spring to join, or to join a house in the fall after fall's recruitment. my concern is that Spring recruitment will put so much pressure on the houses to recruit well because they only have 1 semester to do it and no back-up organized informal recruitment [the sororities that need members currently do this] but will have to drop everything the entire semester to get their #s up because they would only have 1 semester of a chance. A devil's advocate for formal spring recruitment, the only one I have, is to have organized informal fall recruitment for sororities that is only open to transfer students and students that have completed at least 1 semester at UW [not advanced-standing students that are advanced-standing simply by AP credits]. In fact, this could be a great idea Thisfor helping is a great the way sororities to find to a familyfill in open of friends slots andto support give transfers you as youand learnnon-freshman about campus a fairer life chance and getting at recrtuiment around - then maybe have This is by far the most practical option This is most important time of year for recruitment to take place. This is right when everyone new to campus has no idea what is going on, some older direction would be very beneficial I think.

This survey is so poorly worded, wow. This time in the year is the ONLY time potential new members have close to nothing on their plate. Any later in the year that you get, there are outside stressors like classes, academic clubs, sports, etc. Those stated above are the most prominent. Tight-knit network of individuals that help in transitioning to a difficult new stage of life. Introduction to a very large campus with study groups, help with registering for classes, and social gatherings. All around positive experience.

UW-Madison needs to participate in Fall Recruitment... the weather during the Spring is miserable and unpredictable.

Was able to live in the house as a sophomore because I could sign a lease in the fall which would have not been possible in the spring. We are able to get right into the swing of things, like finding our favorite place to volunteer, working with the study groups, reviewing the notes of past classes that the older girls pass down, and finding a sense of pride in that we are not just Badgers, we are part of the greatest network of women in America. We didn't have to worry about coats/jackets/snowboots/snw, or being cold. We have many girls who are abroad, and these girls would not be there to help rush the younger girls if recruitment was in the spring. It would be difficult for girls to get from house to house in the freezing weather, especially with dresses or high heels on. There wouldn't be room in the house for everyone person's snow boots and coats, and this would take up a lot of extra time as well as become a mess for all the PNMs We have not started classes yet, many people do not know anyone on campus. It is a great way to feel welcome and avoid homesickness. We heavily rely on dues from new members each fall and without fall recruitment our finances would be greatly compromised. Also, our chapter has many members go abroad therefore, during fall we have the most members present which would allow maximum members. Also the weather allows for easy traveling for those having to walk from residence halls from all over campus.

Weather is a huge difference in the quality of recruitment, numbers and success for both the group and the individual.

Weather is perfect to walk from house to house. Weather was perfect for recruitment because we could attend events that were outdoors, such as a barbecue and playing sports. It was early on in the year so I didn't have any academic commitments yet. It made my transition to campus much easier an quicker. It didn't limit any of my other commitments because my parents wanted me to make friends so they weren't too concerned about staying in touch at the beginning of the year. what does "limited outside commitments mean"? If recruitment was at any other time of the year, it would interfere with school obligations. The University of Wisconsin is a very vigorous school academically and students need to focus during the months of September to December. If rush was during this time it would be rude to the incoming freshman

What does "weather/logistics" even mean? How does one "not at all" benefit "weather/logistics"? That isn't even a question. It's a forward slash between two words and then non-sensical general answers. When recruitment is happening in the fall academic work is at a low because it is the beginning of the semester and you don't feel too tied down to other organizations. -whole semester of dirty rush will make people join fraternities or sororitys more for the party With all the walking outside that is involved in recruitment, fall is a more ideal time than winter. Also, beginning recruitment before the start of the semester allows students to partake in it without taking time away from their classwork. If recruitment were to be pushed back a few weeks, it may interfere with exams which would poorly effect grades. Therefore, I believe it is best the way it is currently scheduled. With fall recruitment, everyone is exposed to the campus and new people. People are able to adjust to campus life right away, meet friends in their sorority/fraternity and have no pressure of worrying about impressing the fraternities or sororities throughout first semester as other freshman feel at schools who do Spring formal recruitment. Also, with Fall Recruitment, this campus of 40,000 shrinks and feels like home right away instead of how overwhelming it can be. Fall Recruitment benefits the students more than spring recruitment. Without fall recruitment, I would have been lost. I found friends immediately that it would've taken me a whole semester to otherwise find. Coming to school is exciting, but joining something and not having to wait until the org fair to do so is a HUGE benefit. Doing school work and simultaneously going through recruitment would not be easy as a first year student. Fall recruitment allows for this to not happen. Without the two weeks before fall recruitment in the summer to prepare, the chapters would not be able to have as successful of a recruitment process. Women do not have to worry about school assignments or exams and it makes the process less stressful when it is prior to classes beginning Would discourage inaccurate labeling and stereotyping of houses that could happen if delayed. You are not thrust into relationships halfway through the academic year; you can build them starting from the beginning of your college experience. You experience it at a time when things are new! Gives you opportunity to hear advice and meet others early in the process

You find a close group of friends right away and you can get involved in something more meaningful than just the floor you live on.

You get to join a chapter and immediately become part of a family. You grow so much your first semester, and thats where you make the most memories and the most friends. I have had other people recruit in the spring, and they always say they wished they rushed in the fall. There is just no other experience like it navigating your first semester of college with 30 other like minded individuals as part of your new member class. You get to know your pledge class so it makes second semester that much better because you're already settled in and an initiated member You have time at the beginning of the semester when classes are not as hectic to get to know your new sisters You meet a lot of people with similar interests to yourself. 440 Respondents

Q44. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Fall Recruitment? - Conflicts with Residence Hall activities and opportunities to build relationships Count Percent 701 63.90% Not at all 221 20.15% A little 103 9.39% Somewhat 41 3.74% Quite a bit 31 2.83% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q45. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Fall Recruitment? - Doesn't allow new students to attend Welcome Week Events Count Percent 783 71.38% Not at all 168 15.31% A little 77 7.02% Somewhat 40 3.65% Quite a bit 29 2.64% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q46. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Fall Recruitment? - Decreases likelihood that students will join a fraternity/sorority due to other commitments Count Percent 805 73.38% Not at all 156 14.22% A little 90 8.20% Somewhat 31 2.83% Quite a bit 15 1.37% A lot 1097 Respondents Q47. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Fall Recruitment? - Doesn't allow potential new members to become acclimated to campus before making a large decision Count Percent 686 62.53% Not at all 187 17.05% A little 127 11.58% Somewhat 53 4.83% Quite a bit 44 4.01% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q48. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Fall Recruitment? - Doesn't allow chapters to fully prepare and market their events Count Percent 794 72.38% Not at all 140 12.76% A little 108 9.85% Somewhat 35 3.19% Quite a bit 20 1.82% A lot 1097 Respondents

Q49. Please indicate any other disadvantages of Fall Recruitment: Count Percent 286 100.00% A freshman may feel stressed to get to know people quickly and thus not act like themselves where they would have more time to do so if rushing in the spring. However, those men can just rush in the spring if they are so inclined.

A lot of time Absolutely no disadvantages to fall recruitment. Absolutely none. Again I was confused on the wording but Fall Recruitment has no disadvantages. It does not conflict with Residence Hall activities and opportunitie to build relationships becuase it does not take up too much time. It more than allows the new students to attend Welcome Week Events since we do not have any days of rushing on Welcome Week Events. I also believe the timing is perfect where it doesn't interfer with other commitments so they have the opportunity to join a fraternity/ sorority and all other events on campus. Further, I believe it tremendously helps potentional new members to beomce acclimated to campus because recruitment gives them the time to ask any questions and things they should check out and see before school starts. Finally, since the cahpters have the summer it is the perfect time to have it because then it's before classes and other commitments and allows them to put 100% effort without affecting academics and other commitments.

Any activity a student chooses to get involved in will limit their availability to other activities to a certain degree. However, when it comes to the Greek system you'll find that the list of all the other University activities these students are involved in in addition to their Greek chapter is overwhelming! As a freshman I was able to go to all welcome week events and was able to find other people who were going through recruitment to also attend events. As a senior some of my best friends are from my floor freshman year and not in sororities so I was still able to interact with them and build friendships in that first week As I said before, incoming freshman have a lot to handle all at once. I think the heavy schedule of recruitment might deter some students from rushing. Because recruitment is such a large time commitment, students are not able to participate in as many other "new student" events. Athletes and band members have conflicts with residence hall activities and often can't attend Welcome Week Events, but there is no talk of canceling them--why is this different? This is another club, just like anything else. There are NO disadvantages to Fall Recruitment. Attending recruitment events while simlutaneously becoming acclimated with UW-Madison campus is a great way for students to build relationships with other students who may or may not also be interested in Greek life. Arriving on campus and attending these events helped me to feel part of a community and more comfortable in my new environment, especially since I was not already faced with the stress of new academic challenges and other committments. It would have been difficult for me to feel welcome on campus immediately, if I had not participated in recruitment. When potential new members make the decision to join Greek life, they are seeking to better their undergraduate experience. Since recruitment is entirely voluntary, if after participating in fall recruitment, the new member decides that Greek life does not better their experience, they may choose to acclimate themselves to campus in other ways.

Cannot think of any others. chapters begin preparing for fall recruitment in the spring before it occurs - if recruitment were changed it would not make chapters more organized, they'd simply adapt to the new structure Chapters prepare for these events all summer in order to gain new members in their chapters. All events for fraternities are also optional so the rushes can come and go as they please. Chapters spend all summer preparing for recruitment. I don't recall any conflicts with my commitments and recruitment. dry rush makes game days worse Each day was long and it was difficult to remember what all of the sororities were about. Excruciatingly long Fall recruitment allows girls to see an opportunity that they might want to pursue. In no way does it get in the way of Madison welcome week events, as I attended all of those as well as recruitment. It helps people get acclimated to campus and allows for girls to make friends quicker and feel more at home. Fall Recruitment does not allow students to understand each chapter fully and make a decision based on all factors that could affect the decision Fall Recruitment enhances coming to school and being a freshman. Greek life would not be the same if rush were deferred or delayed. By moving recruitment to a later date, you are inhibiting potential friendships, and mentorships. Coming to school and being able to get in touch with older girls right away was amazing - they guided me with classes, hung out with me when no one else would, invited me over, etc. I would not attend Welcome Week events even if rush were delayed for deferred for my age group.

Fall recruitment helped me meet new people at the beginning of the year and make new friends very quickly Fall recruitment helps new students acclimate to their new environment and gives them a place to find new friends other than their floor. Fall recruitment is not a large time commitment. In addition, big decisions are part of adulthood, which freshmen are entering when they come to college. Fall recruitment is the best model of recruitment on our campus. Fall recruitment is the most beneficial and positive time to hold recruitment for the numerous reasons mentioned previously.

Fall recruitment is when chapters have prepared the most for events because they have been preparing all summer for them. Fall recruitment does not hinder the building of relationships with fellow resident hall members. The maximum amount of time that a person typically spends in fall recruitment in a week is 8 hours (4 two hour events) and that is if they are rushing more than one greek event. There are 160 other hours in a week for a student to meet the people in their resident halls

Fall Recruitment makes kids make a huge choice very quickly. They should have more time to figure out what college is all about before they choose that. That's why I didn't rush in the fall. It should be delayed a few weeks. Fall Recruitment still granted individuals enough time to participate in welcome week and understand the Greek system before making a decision. Fall rush is a tradition, and the advantages and disadvantages that may be associated with it are all part of that tradition, for better or for worse. The tradition should not change, fall rush is the best part of fall semester and is something that is cherished and looked forward to. First-semester freshmen needs to explore who they are before making such a commitment. This way, two or three years into their college career, they are not burnt out from Greek life/commitments. for #13, I am confused because the question seems to ask - "To what extent do [I] think 'decreas[ing] the likelihood that students will join a fraternity/sorority due to other commitments' is a disadvantage of Fall Recruitment?" You may want to carefully consider the responses to this question whenscoring this survey because I do not believe that most students will answer it while understanding whether or not they are telling you if fall recruitment keeps students from doing other activities or if other activities keep student from doing fall recruitment. I think fall recruitment that occurs as soon as school starts prevents greek life from interfering or discouraging other activities and vice versa. It seems like I am being asked how much of a disadvantage fall recruitment is to "Decreases likelihood that students will join a fraternity/sorority due to other commitments" I would prefer for upperclassmen and transfers to a have a quick "first dibs" kind of peek into the sororities so that they can be committed and accepted into a house just before the freshmen so that they feel more part of their pledge class but, that being said, I still think recruitment needs to be in the fall. it is so much easier for everyone for scheduling, having enough free time, preventing dirty rushing, preventing houses from feeling pressured to be chasing after certain students all to get them into their house in the spring rather than to just get it all done right away so that there are no conflicts with other school events. - as an alum I went through ruch when it was in the middle of the fall and then I was helping recruitment members the following fall and the numbers were WAY up for all houses because recruitment was BEFORE classes started. It is really inconvenient and distracting to have recruitment in the middle of the semester or spring - for everyone. Also, the "Decreases likelihood that students will join a fraternity/sorority due to other commitments" question stem above is confusing, my answer to that is that I felt that getting recruitment done right away made it easier for me to do other things, that the sorority did not force commitments in me that made me avoid doing other activities.

For our group, we have a much longer rush period than most other IFC fraternities, 5 full weeks and weekends where most others have 3 at most. I think with 3 weeks, it can be hard to make a the right, though out decision for the group and the individual. for PHA recruitment there are very few locations large enough to host the size of the event, competing with weddings and other events for those spaces Freshman are thrust upon campus and then school starts right away - just like Spring Semester. Could possibly have Rush a few days before normal move-in, like new student employees have the benefit of. Freshmen become more involved on campus from joining their fraternity. Gets cold for initiation Greek fall recruitment takes time. There is no question about that. Time management is an important skill for students to learn right off the bat, and joining Greek life early can help with that I think. Yes, it will take time away from other activities that are more 'aligned' with the Univeristy, but this is a student's personal choice and they should be free to do what they please when beginning their college paths. As far as the 'large decision' goes, students can always choose another path if they find that the Greek fall recruitment is simply too much. When I was an undergraduate, we had several new members drop because of time commitments in school, and we always respected their decisions. They often came back the next semester in the spring to join after they had increased their time management skills. Greek houses have the opportunity to prepare for recruitment before the start of school. Additionally, greek houses encourage students to be more involved in other organizations and in residence hall activities. Since most southern schools have formal recruitment during the fall, I prepared for recruitment with my peers and was ready to join greek life at the start of the year.

Greek life will look less attractive to individuals who have already gotten adjusted to campus because they won't feel a need to join the Greek community if they're already adjusted into another, less organized and philanthropic social circle.

Having recruitment start with the start of classes can be overwhelming; having surgery initiation periods can also be a disadvantage because forces a big decision in a few weeks vs a full semester Having two recruitment periods hinders the fomentation of unified, sacred bonds within chapters. High pressure to get a large recruitment class due to historically lower numbers in spring semester. houses are typically very accommodating if you have any conflicts with the recruitment times and they arrange other times to meet

I am for fall recruitment. I attended all campus sponsored activities that I was aware of my freshman year and the recruitment process only lasts three days and therefore I had every other day to build relationships in the Residence Hall. I believe none of these are disadvantages. I believe recruitment during any other time would steer students away from Greek life due to the intensifying class schedule and midterms. I believe that all chapters are able to fully get their information out there and are able to successfully recruit respectable women based on recruitment being in the fall. I believe that Fall Recruitment is too early for students to truly make educated decisions concerning their social lives and what will guarantee their overall happiness on campus. i can honestly see no disadvantages. I can't really think of any. I cannot think of a single disadvantage of Fall Recruitment. I cannot think of any disadvantages. I did not experience any disadvantages regarding Fall Recruitment. I did not experience any disadvantages while going through fall recruitment in the fall. I did not go through fall of my first year because it was too much too soon and I didn't want to make such a big decision right after coming to campus. I also felt uninformed and unprepared unless I was seeking out the information.

I did not personally think there were any disadvantages to the fall recruitment process. I did not see any disadvantage to fall recruitment. I did not see any disadvantages to Fall Recruitment. I didn't rush Freshman year because I wasn't familiar with Greek life. After a week, I totally regretted not rushing. I think having rush in the Spring would be better because it gives new students a chance to settle on campus and really figure out what they want. I having an entire semester would also help new members decide what chapter best fits them.

I disagree with all of the statements above because I truly feel that none of this happened to me. I was fully capable to attend all the activities I wanted and commitments were very low in the beginning of the year so I find any conflicts unlikely.

I do not feel that fall recruitment faces many disadvantages. Fraternities and sororities come back from summer vacation a week early to prepare for recruitment. If recruitment was in the spring, we would have to juggle academics while also preparing for recruitment, which would be very stressful. Students do not lack the opportunity to adjust to campus before recruitment; rather, recruitment helps students adjust immediately by keeping them busy so that they don't feel homesick and allowing them to build life long friendships from the moment they step on campus.

I do not feel that their are any disadvantages. I do not see any disadvantages. It is the best, most effective and efficient way to do the recruitment process. I do not think there are any disadvantages to fall recruitment because it was a perfect opportunity to make connections and meet friends, the weather is perfect, and the class work load was not a problem. I don't believe Fall Recruitment conflicts with Residence Hall opportunities in any way - my Fall semester of Freshman year I was just as close to women on my floor that were Greek as I was to those that were not. I don't believe there are any disadvantages. There are SO MANY welcome week activities to choose from that do not conflict with recruitment. There is time to go through recruitment and meet new people there, as well as meet new people in classes and in the dorms. I don't really understand sorority recruitment. I enjoy fraternity recruitment because every chapter can hold their own events, its much more welcoming, and you can get to know the chapter and members much more intimately. I don't see any disadvantages of Fall Recruitment. I don't see any of the above as problems. I don't understand why there is concern about Residence Hall opportunities? This is a place that they only live for a year and move on from. I fail to see any. I feel as though with fall recruitment being as soon as freshmen move into the dorms, the freshman don't know anybody. A few people from a floor say they are going to formal recruitment, so everyone goes, just because they don't want to miss out on something and it seems like its what everyone is doing, weather they have thought about joining a sorority or fraternity or not. Formal recruitment is 3 days long and there are always hundreds of girls that are rejected. Within the first week of school, that is hard, when the first thing you have tried to be apart of on a campus where you know absolutely nobody rejects you. Also, its hard to really get to know someone after meeting them for a few minutes one day. You probably can barely even remember their name. So, how is it fair to reject them based on only a few minutes of meeting them? They way our chapter does it is we have about 3-4 events per week and we recruit for 2 weeks, making it mandatory for sisters to attend at least 2 events. This way you can really have a conversation with a few potential new ladies and when it comes time to vote, can make an educated decision about why they would or would not be good for the organization. The decision is never based on if we knew her previously, what she was wearing, or where she was from.

I feel like any time commitments are on the shoulders of the student who is pledging. I waited until my second year but wish I did it my first. I feel that there are no disadvantages of fall recruitment. I find no disadvantages with fall recruitment. I found no disadvantages to Fall Recruitment. I honestly can't think of any. At a smaller school perhaps a later rush would be beneficial, but at such a big school it is very helpful to join a smaller community right away. I knew about recruitment well before coming to campus, and most girls make up their minds pretty early on as well. I see no huge disadvantages to fall recruitment, only positive activities that helped me acclimate to campus more easily.

I made friends with the girls in my recruitment group and these are girls (that joined other chapters) that I am still friends with. Part of rushing is acclimating to campus through the friends that you make. I made it to almost all of the welcome week events. Rush just added more events to go to instead of having time with nothing to do.

I made long lasting friendships with the people on my floor because although I was busy for the first week of school, I still lived with them for the rest of the year and there were a lot of other people participating in rush events as well. Fall recruitment is the time when chapters increase their number of members the most: my sorority does not participate in spring rush because we already have more than enough girls from the fall. Additionally, our chapters have the longest opportunity to prepare and market our events because we have the entire summer to do so. If we had to prepare our chapters for the spring, we would have to do that in the midst of classes and exams and would therefore be quite unprepared.

I never saw negatives to fall recruitment and still do not see any. Building friendships form the start of school is the most vital aspect of having an easy transition. I know people from other schools who do not have fall recruitment and they say that it honestly made their first semester much less enjoyable. Being a part of the greek community is an honor and an amazing experience and I do not see any reason to delay that process. I see how some people may have felt rushed through the recruitment process, but I didn't really feel rushed. I thought it was marketed well, but some people on my dorm floor didn't really understand what I was going through.

I see no disadvantages of Fall Recruitment I see no disadvantages. I see none. I think Fall Recruitment is great. Its much better than Spring Recruitment. I think less people would rush in the spring, than in the fall. i think not a lot of freshman know about it; i had to search it out I think that there are no disadvantages of fall recruitment. I specifically chose this school due to this fact, and would probably not have looked into Wisconsin as much if I were to wait until the spring because greek life was an important factor for me in choosing schools. I think that there should be more advertising during SOAR for greek involvement on campus. I think there's a big academic conflict between Greek life and the college itself. I find myself struggling quite a bit and feel extremely obligated and pressured to prioritize meetings, events, etc. before my academics.. I also didn't meet anyone outside my sorority freshman year which has made me very depressed this following year when I moved out of the dorm. I feel very isolated as a result and don't get along with a lot of the girls in my sorority I was able to attend fall recruitment activities while simultaneously attending all of my floor's events and welcome week events. Fall recruitment was not a burden on my schedule or my transition to campus life. I was confused by the phrasing of these questions because of the double negatives. So, to clarify I do not think there are any disadvantages to fall recruitment because if it were at another time it would certainly conflict with classes and midterms. I was able to fully participate in Residence Hall activities and build relationships with my floor. In fact I just went on spring break with three girls from my floor, not in Greek life. This decision is not binding by any means. If someone does not like Greek life he or she has the option to drop. The fall rush allows girls to come in with no bias toward one sorority or fraternity so she can make the decision on her own. If it were later girls could be influenced by friends and part of the fall rush is that a girl chooses where she PERSONALLY fits in the best. Not where her friends fit in the best.

I was not aware of all of the sororities before going through recruitment. I was not disadvantaged. I wouldn't have gone to uw if there wasn't fall rush If anything, early rush helped me make more friends than if I hadn't. I connected with girls through the rushing process who I then went with to other freshman welcome week events and it helped me make more friends and connections. In addition to the disadvantages listed above, the financial commitment may be overwhelming to potential new members when taken into consideration in conjunction with the financial burden of attending the UW Madison It can also be really hot, especially for houses with no air conditioning! It can move too fast for some people, but with the ability to also rush in the spring, those who feel they aren't ready to make a decision have the chance to join a semester later. It could be overwhelming to someone that doesn't know what they're going to go through, but then maybe spring recruitment is a better idea for them anyway. It is too soon in the school year. It just seemed really rushed from the moment you moved in, you only got a few days until you had to fully commit the rest of the summer to rushing, and that is really a HUGE waste of time to those who ended up dropping during recruitment.

It seems that the criticism is targeted at sororities, which have a much different recruiting structure than fraternities. Fall rush is no different than all of the other opportunities facing incoming freshman. The Greek System should not be singled out for Spring recruitment. I am sure the university is not asking any other organizations to forego recruitment in the Fall. Residence halls are not for everyone. It was a bit overwhelming in the first two weeks. It's good the way it is It's hot outside It's the best time to rush, you can start making friendship and mature right when you get to school. Many of the comments I've heard from girls that rush as sophomores is that they went into recruitment with such a biased view of all of the houses. They ruled houses out from the very beginning based on stereotypes and rumors. To push back recruitment would mean that every single girl would have this mindset. Houses that may have had issues, or smaller houses that don't get as much recognition on campus could be wrongly "punished" due to the biases girls go into recruitment with. It will greatly affect house numbers every year. Multicultural Sororities and Frats often do not accept 1st term freshman. n/a N/a N/A N/A, I personally see very few disadvantages to Fall Recruitment, when considering the alternatives. na NA needs to be 4 days New members are already overwhelmed coming to a new school and recruitment is an added stress. I think sometimes it makes them feel as if everything will be too much to handle right off the bat instead of being able to settle in.

No disadvantages No disadvantages! no disadvantages. No Disadvantages. No other disadvantages. no welcome week none None NONE None I love fall recruitment NONE-- recruitment does not take up THAT much time. Many residence hall activities happen at night, and so the Freshman would be able to get back and participate in movie nights, etc. None whatsoever. It is the perfect time in which to hold this sort of a process. None! none. None. NONE. None. Do not change it or our community will suffer. None. Fall Recruitment is a great way to create yourself and find a niche on campus that is all your own. None. I was still able to participate in events with my floor and welcome week events. none. Its the best decision ever. none. zilch. zeta. None-everything about Fall Recruitment is beneficial to acclimating new members to campus not many kids go to residence hall activities or welcome week events to begin with. Nothing to add Nothing. Nothing. Spring would be worse Overall, there are no disadvantages to Fall Recruitment. From my personal experience, I was able to participate in fall recruitment alongside going to the Welcome Week Events easily. Joining a sorority or fraternity can easily be managed alongside other commitments and is a great experience to meet similar people and build strong relationships. perhaps the incoming freshmen are too new to college life to fully know that they want/need. PNMs (particularly first-year students) seem to not really have enough time to decide what they want from their Greek life experience before being forced into making an incredibly large commitment (time-wise, financially, etc.). Potential new members often do not have the time to really think about whether or not they want to be in a chapter and if they can afford it. This leads to many new members making hasty decisions only to drop out of a chapter very early on. It also limit the students who participate. If you miss the few emails that are sent out at the beginning of the semester or have no concept of Greek life you might miss out on an opportunity to join a chapter and have to go through recruitment the following spring or fall.

Pressure to go through recruitment immediately and accept a bid (even if the potential new member is not 100% convinced of their decision to be a part of greek life), as they may not have another opportunity to go through recruitment that year

Really fall recruitment only added to my Wisconsin experience by allowing me to have more people to attend other events like Wisconsin Welcome with, encouraging me to attend these events more than I would without fall recruitment.

Recruitment can come quickly for freshman but the Greek System does a great job of advertising recruitment to freshman.

Recruitment does not take up all your time in the fall, and if anything I became closer to my floor and was more motivated to join student orgs after having gone through recruitment. Recruitment in itself is a sort of "marketing" - allowing a time period for new students to have these organizations potentially marketed to them wouldnlikely be more negative than positive. Aside from that, these organizations promote being well-rounded. I cannot think of a single person whose only commitment is their organization. Jobs, clubs, and friends outside of them are completely doable, and are normal. Recruitment practice is very hot in August. Recruitment starts before most campus clubs. It is easy to participate in both campus activities, as well at Greek activities. It is encouraged to be active on campus Simply not knowing much about Greek life before having to make a very important decision. So the section of this survey asking us about the benefits of Fall Recruitment are worded strangely, but THESE questions suggesting that Fall Recruitment causes negative effects in student life are perfectly clear?! Some chapters may not be able to market events in a shorter period of time and some students might not have time to explore every fraternity/sorority they want to. This increases the likelihood people could "rush" certain organizations only based on its reputation/stereotypes. Some events were on the same day for different chapters. Some girls don't come out because they don't feel like they want to because they made friends on their floor but regret that decision within the first month or so. Sophomore girls should be allowed to talk to freshman girls when they see them on the streets its not a welcoming environment when they aren't allowed to talk to them the first few weeks of school Stressful The beginning of the fall semester is absolutely the best time to rush, I see no disadvantages! The chapter was fully prepared because they had planned for the events for the majority of the summer. None of the residence hall activities sounded appealing to me. For example, one day I could choose between going to a pig roast at a fraternity and eating really good food, or playing tug-o-war in the mud. I preferred to go eat the delicious food and meet some of the guys of the fraternity. The chapters prepare during the summer which is very convenient. I did everything I wanted to do, I never felt I didn't have time or opportunities to be active in other ways on campus. The chapters work very hard throughout the summer and early far to market our events and it would in fact take away preparation time if it was later because then class begins to conflict. The humidity and length of days The one disadvantage would be that it is a lot to take in as an incoming freshmen. There are so many opportunities available and it is impossible to take advantage of every single one. The time commitment of joining a sorority definitely takes away even more of those opportunities. The only thing that is a disadvantage of fall recruitment is that it does take new students a few weeks to get comfortable on campus and it can be a lot to take in at once. But I think the recruitment and guidance that comes from this process can aid in the transition.

The process of recruitment happens during the day and early evening thus there are times for students to attend other events involving UW Madison, as well as meet and build relationships with others on residence hall floors. The process seems rushed and artificial at times because it is so rushed and hard to really sit down and talk. Also you are exposed to such a small fraction of the chapter. The recruitment process really helped me become acclimated to campus, instead of prevented it. I was able to go to Welcome Week events with my hall while still getting a feel for campus through recruitment. I fell in love with Madison during recruitment because I became so excited for the year and the people that I would meet. The girls I met are all so passionate about their chapter and about this school that I was instantly happy and excited with my decision to come to this school.

The scheduling difficulties of fall formal recruitment include scheduling around football games and religious holidays, and trying to prepare as much as possible before school starts so that women can get schoolwork done those first few weeks of school, and not just spend time in recruitment practice. Ideally, all of recruitment would occur *before* school starts.

The third question in this... Doesn't make sense. The way we have it set up now, there are some academic conflicts because the process overlaps with the first week of school.

The weather is always awful, and it's overwhelming for some women who are going through as freshmen. The weather is horrible, it's hot and sticky usually. My year it rained and we were all soaking wet. The wording of the previous question was also confusing. But I did/have not experienced any disadvantages from going through recruitment in the fall. There are a few weeks before a man has to decide if he wants to join the fraternity or not and this gives plenty of time to acclimate to campus and attend other events. There are absolutely NO disadvantages of Fall Recruitment. there are no disadvantages There are no disadvantages of Fall recruitment, moving Fall Recruitment to a different time would result in a loss in the benefits seen during the fall. There are no disadvantages of fall recruitment. There are no disadvantages of Fall Recruitment. There are no disadvantages to fall recruitment. There are no disadvantages to Fall recruitment. There are no disadvantages to Fall Recruitment. There are no disadvantages to fall recruitment. Going through it myself, I can say that it was the prime time to rush a sorority. Excitement for the new year is high, and making so many new friends was awesome. There are no disadvantages. There are no disadvantages. NONE. There are none There are none in my opinion, and I've been doing this for awhile and at other college campuses. Fall, if not having recruitment a week prior to Welcome Week, would be most desired. A student is going to make relationships in many settings, why assume that if they have recruitment they won't make friends in their dorms. We actively encourage our new members to stay involved in their dorms. We want them to be as involved on campus as they possibly can. If the Greek system is doing things like this, why shouldn't campus/dorms do the same and support our young adults to live up to their full potential.

There are none! There are none. There are none. The best part about it was that it started three days before school started, which meant there were no conflicts. If we started this in the spring, it would conflict with midterms and other school work. There are not any disadvantages in my opinion. there are virtually none, the same type of things occur no matter what There are zero disadvantages with fall recruitment. There aren't any disadvantages of Fall Recruitment. There is no opportunity to really establish solid friendships outside of the Greek community before joining which weakens the Greek community as a whole as a part of this campus. It puts a lot of pressure on women and men to make a very quick decision about something that will be a huge part of the next four years of their lives. It also makes it so a lot of students miss out on joining other student organizations and really learning about everything campus has to offer. Additionally, the first semester of college is by far the most difficult, and while we like to think going Greek's acclamation benefits outweigh the struggles of balancing all of the New Member activities, that is not necessarily true. There are a lot of commitments right away when you join a chapter, and that can cause a lot of people to either drop out of the Greek system, be turned off by the system, or to do badly in classes or not fully commit to other organizations because they are overwhelmed and have not learned how to balance activities while at a rigorous university yet.

There is plenty of time to attend recruitment as well as Welcome week events. There are numerous opportunities for Residence Hall activities and time to build relationships. I was very close with my residence hall floor even with me going through fall recruitment. It is easier for chapters to prepare for their events in the fall. If it was in the spring, preparations would interfere with classes and exams, and many sorority members would not be able to participate in recruitment due to academic conflicts.

These are all erroneous. Welcome week events occur weeks before fall recruitment, joining a fraternity.sorority helps acclimate students (how is joining a fraternity or sorority any more likely or unlikely to acclimate a student to campus than any other club on this campus?), and chapters have all summer to prepare and their events and have plenty of time to market their events which usually occur the second week of school. These "disadvantages" listed do not even apply, and are just as "applicable" to any other club on campus. They aren't any major disadvantages. Fall recruitment is a major component to greek life and individual chapters, and is a stable of the Greek system. Though fall recruitment is at a time when new students have the opportunity to go to activities and build relationships with their floor and the non-greek community, there are many more benefits (weather, lack of conflict, etc.) to fall recruitment than there are disadvantages. We practice for a whole week before fall recruitment so we are more than prepared. Weather: It is often very warm and uncomfortable in the chapter houses without air conditioning. Welcome Week events were all before Formal Recruitment when I went through. Fall recruitment allows chapters to fully prepare, and while it may not technically allow chapters much time to "market their events," I'm pretty sure that PanHellenic prevents chapters from marketing their chapter anyway (ie, they can only promote "Going Greek" in general)

Well the weather was miserably hot this year, but I'd rather be walking around for hours in a dress in hot weather than in the cold and snow of the winter. While I missed Welcome Week events a little bit, overall I felt that my time spent during recruitment was more productive than the events I was missing. Why are residence hall relationships so important? I rushed and pledged in the spring, and even in the fall I didn't have great relationships with my floormates, while friends who had joined Greek organizations in the fall had great relations with their respective floors. It's not an issue with Fall Rush, it just depends on the individual. With all due respect, residence hall and welcome week events are relatively trivial in the first year student's experience. They are viewed as superficial, required, or uninteresting. For many, the "disadvantage" of missing these things is in fact welcomed. Without fall recruitment many students would not find a group of people that they are alike and have similar morals and goals with. Going through rush with all these girls really helps a person find the right group of people and also meet so many new people.

286 Respondents

Q50. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Delayed Recruitment? - Aids in transition to campus

Count Percent 517 50.44% Not at all 215 20.98% A little 165 16.10% Somewhat 74 7.22% Quite a bit 54 5.27% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q51. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Delayed Recruitment? - Provides structure to open/free time

Count Percent 602 58.73% Not at all 190 18.54% A little 142 13.85% Somewhat 57 5.56% Quite a bit 34 3.32% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q52. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Delayed Recruitment? - Limited outside commitments (work, family, other involvement) Count Percent 674 65.76% Not at all 159 15.51% A little 123 12.00% Somewhat 37 3.61% Quite a bit 32 3.12% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q53. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Delayed Recruitment? - Limited academic/class schedule conflicts Count Percent 708 69.07% Not at all 130 12.68% A little 108 10.54% Somewhat 40 3.90% Quite a bit 39 3.80% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q54. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Delayed Recruitment? - Weather/logistics Count Percent 653 63.71% Not at all 124 12.10% A little 150 14.63% Somewhat 41 4.00% Quite a bit 57 5.56% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q55. Please indicate any other benefits of Delayed Recruitment: Count Percent 274 100.00% A bit more acclimated, less rushed. A delayed recruitment would ruin the entire rush process. A lot of time Ability to get involved in other areas of campus before joining a greek org. Again these questions are horrible All of those listed are the benefits to having fall recruitment, nothing listed would be a benefit to delayed recruitment. Allow students more time to fully think through decision, rather than making it in a day or two after arriving on campus. Allows freshman especially to get settled into school. Allows more time to see all options and get more information to make a decision Allows students to get more acclimated to the Greek community and campus. Allows students to learn more about each Greek organization before committing their time to one. Allows you to meet new people, minimal academic schedule and the weather is better. Although I am unaware of the suggested dates for delayed recruitment, the weather in late Septemeber may likely be more suitable to the recruitment process. Also, delayed recruitment, still gives students who are fairly new to the campus an opportunity to get involved with Greek life, so it would still be beneficial for those who wish to do so.

As a senior and previous recruitment chair, trying to get all the members in your house to do something during the school year is IMPOSSIBLE. The only way a delayed recruitment system would work is to do it the way IU does and bring everyone back from winter break a week early before school starts. School is too important to PNM's and actives to have this kind of system work

Bad idea. Better weather? :) can't see any, it's going to complicate things for everyone. colder weather. people have heard stereotypes and rumors. already formed judgements. Delayed recruitment has many disadvantages as will be discussed below Delayed recruitment is a better option than deferred recruitment, as it gives freshman still have the opportunity to join the Greek Community first semester. Delayed Recruitment is a terrible idea. Delayed recruitment is more beneficial than deferred, but not as beneficial as the current recruitment schedule since potential new members will be stressed with classes and figuring out how to study for college courses. Delayed recruitment will benefit students in adapting to campus life and determining if going through the recruitment process is right for them. It also affords students the time to attend university events Delayed Recruitment would allow you to know where to meet for recruitment process, but considering our campus is not so much of a hard place to get around that shouldn't be much of an issue if one can figure out how to budget enough time to figure out where to go. Delayed recruitment would be a huge burden and might have discouraged me from participating in recruitment. Weather during delayed recruitment can be extremely unpredictable and if the weather is poor I might not have attended recruitment events.

Delayed Recruitment would be good for those who transferred and missed out on the opportunity to rush. Typically after recruitment is over, girls tend to wish they had joined a sorority after seeing all the great things that they do. It would allow those girls to be able to participate. Delayed Recruitment would be in the midst of midterms and regular obligations. It would defer girls from going through recruitment due to other obligations they may have at that exact time. It also might poorly affect the girls in the house because they have to prepare for recruitment when they also have exams. We take our grades seriously and no one is going to want to let their grades slip because of recruitment Delayed recruitment would cause a ton of problems, not only for new members but current ones. Current members would have to give up precious school time that could be spent on studying for rushing. Jobs would be affected and attendance of current members at rush would probably be lower overall because delayed rush would interfere with school commitments.

Delayed recruitment would cause so many more problems with these subjects. Everyone is so much more busy and already acclimated that it would be overwhelming to readjust completely, once again. Delayed recruitment would fall right during the time of midterms which could not be a worse time. It would not benefit people.

Delayed recruitment would have hurt my transition to campus in many ways. Delayed recruitment would have troubles with weather, having students wait outside in the cold of winter with snow would not be safe or healthy. Also many students may have false or bias views of chapters when we think it is best for the to make a decision about a chapter on their own terms thus early recruitment gives them that change to make opinions for themselves that are not affected by others. Delayed recruitment would make it so you have all of your other outside commitments already in full swing, making it harder to make time for recruitment. As we live in Wisconsin, the weather would be horrendous and would keep people from even coming because no one wants to be outside in -20 degree weather. We would be in the middle of midterm season making it an incredibly stressful time with high tensions. Very awkwardly placed for transitioning into campus, as you would hope you would already feel comfortable at school. Delayed recruitment would not be beneficial to the recruitment system because it would greatly effect my other commitments that I have during the school year. Delayed recruitment would not be helpful at all! Delayed recruitment would occur near midterms and would be difficult to manage with academic commitments. Additionally, it may be harder to rearrange a structured schedule of classes and organization involvement to accommodate the demands of the brief formal recruitment process. delayed recruitment would only prove to conflict with other academic commitments, not only for the members of the chapter but for the potential new members as well. Delayed recruitment, although in the beginning of the year still would be during class time, which makes it tough to balance. However, it would still help girls get acclimated to campus and grow their community early on. Delaying recruitment will cause students to be busy with classes and academics will suffer accordingly. Delaying recruitment would increase the chances for the weather to be worse, and chances are people would be way busier in the middle of the semester versus right away. Depending on how delayed it is, you might not have to worry about planning around football games. The weather should be cooler. Freshmen can feel a bit more "moved in" instead of jumping into recruitment right away. Depending on how late this begins, students have the chance to settle into a routine and then add in recruitment events as they get a better grasp on their time management Dislike the idea During the fall was when I started to really solidify relationships and had I needed to give significant time to recruitment I would have missed out on this essential time period. Contrary to some thoughts, I made the quality friendships not during the first week but after I had been exposed to people for awhile. During welcome week classes have no requirements which allows for recruitment to not get in the way of school Engaging in the recruitment process while the weather is still relatively mild is an important aspect to consider. formal sorority rush would be much more difficult in the spring, and most students take harder course loads their second semester (relative to the first) Freshmen have some time to settle in. Get to know where you stay on campus first before starting getting involved with Greek life. Greek life takes over pretty much your whole college career. Girls can get settled into their dorms better. Give people time to think Gives students a chance to explore more student organizations options before making large commitments to certain organizations.

Having more time to acclimate to the campus and knowing more about Greek life I am against delayed recruitment entirely. I am an alumn who did this and it was so inconvenient, You have to juggle school with recruitment, so that when women want to look and feel their best, they are sprinting across campus if they are taking any later classes or math/science classes. Also, they arrive frazzled, tired, hungry, and nervous. Plus you see the initiated members of other houses around campus and out on the weekends and this gives more possibility of becoming biased by the partying/drinking of a few members in a house, although you may meet one in a class this can also make rush awkward if you get cut from the house that your new friend already belongs to.

I believe delayed recruitment is not the best decision becuase it does not aid in transition to campus since they have already been on campus for a while. It also does not provide structure of open/free time because most people already have stuff set at that point. In addition, most people have already started other jobs and commitments that would not allow them to try the wonderful opportunity that Greek Life is. Most importantly, I believe it would affect academic and classes the most. Later in the fall would mean that it would be right around midterm time. Especially for freshman, this is a very difficult time since they don't know exactly what college exams are like and adding recruitment might cause a poor performance on midterms or a lack of our growing attendence due to the time conflicting with midterms. This would hurt an very important aspect of greek community: academics. Finally, the weather in late fall can be freezing if not already snow. This would definitely be a disadvantage to delayed recruitment because the participants would most likely be very uncomfortale with the cold weather and shorter nights.

I believe this would be a terrible idea. I can't see any benefits of delayed recruitment. In my eyes, the cons seriously out-weigh the pros. I could get to know my floor quicker than I did maybe. I mean, I still became friends with everyone on my floor, but maybe it would happen faster if I had those 3 extra days of rush back? Or maybe not because I was sick that week anyways and didn't leave my room. I do not believe there would be benefits to Delayed Recruitment. I do not really understand how this would have any additional benefits compared to the normal fall recruitment dates.

I do not see an advantage in Delayed Recruitment. I do not see any advantages of delayed recruitment. I do not see any benefits from delayed recruitment I do not think delayed recruitment has any benefits I do not think the greek community would benefit from delayed recruitment at all. I do not think there are any benefits of Delayed Recruitment.. I do understand the benefits of being able to "get settled" for a longer period of time and chapters having more time to market themselves before jumping into the recruitment process. I don't believe I delayed recruitment would be practical as far as academics. It is much less stressful to undergo recruitment when you don't have classes in full swing. There are no conflicts with midterms or big projects so early on in the school year, however that might not be the case if recruitment was delayed. I don't know why you would ever use delayed recruitment as opposed to the current system. I don't like the idea of delaying it because of the course load students take when they attend Madison. i don't see any benefit over the current fall recruitment set up I don't think that there is a need/any benefit from delaying recruitment. I don't think there would be any benefits to a delayed recruitment. It would take away from creating many friendships early on in the school year. I don’t see any other benefits of Delayed Recruitment. I feel that this survey is not a fair measurement of the benefits at all. The benefits would be acclamation to the university before recruitment, making connections outside of the Greek community, becoming stable in course load and other organizations before taking on the commitment that is Greek life, making an informed decision to join Greek life, allowing transfer students more opportunity, not having the limited selection of COB in the Spring for people who start at Madison in the Spring or missed Fall Recruitment, and more time for chapters to plan activities and prepare women for the recruitment process.

I have friends at other schools who do spring recruitment and all they talk about is how they wish they did both fall and spring. I know the university despises Greek life and blames us for the "bad things" that happen. If you wanted to cut down the number of members in Greek life, then delaying recruitment any longer is a mistake. Delaying recruitment would allow for more girls to decide to rush, more boys to decide to rush, and more time for people to convince their friends to rush. I see absolutely no benefits in delayed recruitment. I like recruitment the way it is, but I'd much rather see a 'delayed recruitment' process than I would a spring recruitment.

I like the way it is I personally believe there are few, if any, benefits of delayed recruitment because it would really interfere with the academics of people going through rush, especially when the majority of them are freshmen, and will be encountering their first college midterm exams at the same time recruitment would take place. I rushed as a transfer sophomore and it would've been really hard to meet new people my age without the recruitment process in the fall. I probably wouldn't have come to UW Madison if they had had recruitment in the spring.

I see none. I see nothing beneficial of having only delayed recruitment. I strongly think Delayed Recruitment would be VERY BAD for our campus and Greek Community. I think delayed recruitment would be similar to how my chapter does recruitment. We start recruiting the week after the Student Org. Fair and recruit for 2 weeks. This way, by then, everyone has settled in to the new school year and are actively looking to get involved on campus. I think delayed recruitment would only be good for weather because it may be a bit cooler. I think that having it during the year would be harder because freshmen would be facing their first round of midterms. I could not imagine facing recruitment and having a midterm. It was nice having it during syllabus week because the workload was still minimal. I also think that girls will be more involved in campus as the year goes on and it will conflict with recruitment.

I think Fall Recruitment is more effective than Delayed Recruitment. I think having it later in the fall would be beneficial for numerous reasons. I think that this could be a compromise if people were split between fall recruitment and spring recruitment. However, I think that fall recruitment is the most beneficial. The phrasing of these questions were confusing to me. I think the only benefit of delayed recruitment is that the new members will still be mostly freshman. I think the only thing would be that it would allow girls to think about rushing more thoroughly before going into it. I'm not sure if this would help or ultimately hurt recruitment. i think there are no benefits to a delayed recruitment I would have felt alone if I didn't meet girls through rush immediately I would much more prefer to keep fall recruitment as it is along with spring recruitment I would never have been able to go to winter recruitment events if I had to walk through -60 degree polar vortexes to get there. And the idea of recruitment relying on Wisconsin winter weather is a very concerning one. This would encourage me to try to join a Greek organization underground in the fall If it is delayed, your school schedule has already started to "pick up", increasing difficulty. That is a pivotal time to have older mentors and academic resources in close reach. Delayed recruitment would interfere with commitments that students may have made in the first few weeks of school, inhibiting their ability to participate in recruitment at all.

If it's later in the fall, the weather will be colder and not as nice If recruitment were to be delayed, it would be harder to transition into campus life and some students many feel disconnected to the community both academic and opportunity wise. The majority of recruitment took place outside and it would not be practical walking from house to house would be freezing in dresses and heals. These organizations expand our opportunities on campus and delaying recruitment would limit these chances for success by an entire semester. This limits character development throughout the four years of college. If there was delayed recruitment then academics would be greatly affected. It would be directly during midterms. As well, during that time other clubs would be starting meetings and members would have to miss those for recruitment.

If there was delayed recruitment, students are going to join other clubs anyway and have the same amount of freetime, Then when spring comes along they will join a fraternity or sorority anyway and then become overwhelmed.

In the winter the last thing I want to do is walk 15 minutes to Langdon for an hour long meet and greet event. The second semester class work load started much quicker and I felt that I didn't have as much free time as I did in the fall.

It is a bad idea period. It is possible that freshmen would have slightly more time to become acclimated to their most basic surroundings. It might be beneficial for freshman to get used to the school to truly decide whether they want to participate in greek life.

It might be good to have been in college emptionally before recruitment.more friends and more support before going through recruitment It might not be as hot. It will enable people to get settled in more to school, however the school year will be in full swing It would allow for people to prepare more. It would allow people, especially freshman, to adjust to campus life so they can start relationships with their dorm and other people, and plus it allows them to know ahead of time whether or not they have enough time to dedicate to their chapter.

It would allow students to get a better sense of each chapter before making their decision it would allow the chapter to be better organized and for Fall semester grades to be completed by the time the members would be eligible to be fully initiated into the chapter. also allows the freshmen a little time to get fully up to speed with college life.

It would be better than no Fall Recruitment but not as a good of an option as the Current Recruitment timeframe. It would be nice to allow students a chance to get acclimated to college life, living in Madison and their classes before throwing them into formal recruitment. Also, they will have already started their classes and will likely be less nervous/anxious/stressed about them. It would be so cold and also it would be during a time during finals and freshman are not sure what to expect so also having that would just be too much, and even for us that would be too much to handle. Having it in the fall is the best because nothing is going on at the time. it would give new members a chance to settle on campus, meet more people, and familiarize themselves with the greek community before choosing a chapter. It would give new students an opportunity to learn about greek life and become acclimated to campus before deciding to join a fraternity or sorority. Later in the semester is a better option than second semester recruitment. It allows freshman to settle in to campus, but doesn't make them wait too long to find their niche on campus. The weather should still be decent. Might allow more time to meet different organizatios More difficult to add this in, after starting class More knowledge of the chapters. More time to decide if going through recruitment is the right decision for that individual, less pressure and more time to adjust to college life. most likely none n/a N/a N/A N/A. na NA No benefit. No benefits NO BENEFITS no benefits from this No benefits. No real advantage to delayed recruitment, in my opinion. none None NONE none at all None at all None at all. None that are not already present with Fall recruitment None, I do not really see the benefit of putting off the inevitable of recruitment and losing time in regards to humo involvement, for example. None, terrible idea none. None. NONE. None. It would be worse than fall recruitment. none. this would be terrible. Nothing it would be stupid Nothing to add once classes have started, I would have been less likely to participate. People are way too busy during the semester to find time to go through recruitment. That would put stress on the women going through the process as well as the chapter members. People will be more transitioned to the school. People would have time to think. Personally, I would not like to take part in delayed recruitment. This is because it would conflict with midterm exams for both members and potential new members. Recruitment later in the semester would be very difficult to balance with academic commitments. The weather could be rainy and cold. There would also be a huge problem with housing contracts with delayed recruitment. Rushes can find out more about each fraternity before they rush, so they have a better idea of where they want to rush

Spring is too hectic to attempt full recruitment. Stressless rushing. It's a lot more relaxed and more people pay attention to you and want to get to know you as a opposed to being exposed to tons of girls and just taking them all in. Students can learn about the Greek system and that it exists before they decide to join. They can also learn about the financial responsibility of being in a chapter and how that will effect their experience. Students get to see each chapters reputation before joining... Students will feel more comfortable on campus. Students, regardless of year in school, are already allowed to participate in recruitment. That is a terrible idea. Recruitment in the winter would be awful. The current recruitment plan is not any degree less beneficial than this option The longer we wait to do recruitment, the colder it will be outside, the busier the academic schedule will be per student and the more commitments everyone will have (on both sides of recruitment). This would cause so much unnecessary stress if recruitment was delayed. Also, some chapters rely on fall recruitment to financially support their chapters because of the new member dues and fees. If a chapter cannot financially support itself, the consequences would be detrimental to those already in the chapter.

The only benefit I can see is that more new students might become aware of recruitment if it is delayed, although the councils tend to do a very good job making sure that students are aware. The only benefit to delayed recruitment is that it would allow for students that are looking for a job on campus to possibly find one and then rush but the rush process does not require a lot of time so a student would not be effected a great deal in looking for a job.

The only benefit would be that it would not be as hot but it is not nearly as hot as the schools in the south. The only perk would be nicer weather The time that this would take place would be right in the middle of midterms and therefore be extremely detrimental to anyone interested in being Greek's academics. the weather only gets worse after the first month of fall The weather would be better The weather would provide a lot of problems. there are no benefits There are no benefits of delayed recruitment. There are no benefits of Delayed Recruitment. There are no benefits of delayed recruitment. This is the way it has been always done and there is no justifying the sudden change. Making girls stand outside houses for 15 minutes and walk down Langdon in the dead of winter is torture.

There are no benefits to delayed recruitment there are no benefits to delayed recruitment whatsoever There are no benefits to Delayed Recruitment. There are no benefits. There are no benefits. Delayed Recruitment gives students time to hear the rumors/ bias about each of the houses, as opposed to having recruitment right away in the fall which allows each of the freshman to rush fairly and make the decision for themselves.

There are no forseeablw benefits to delayed recruitment There are no other benefits of delayed recruitment. there are none THERE ARE NONE! There are none. There are NONE. There is none There is not benefit of delayed recruitment. There might be cooler weather, but otherwise there are no benefits to delayed recruitment. Academics suffer and students do not necessarily structure their time better. There would be less turnout if recruitment were delayed along with freshman understanding the stereotypes of each chapter. This would be highly detrimental to the Greek community, as potential new members would judge chapters before they have the chance to meet the girls. There would be no benefits of Delayed Recruitment There would be no benefits. There would be no point there would be none There's isn't any advantage to delayed recruitment over fall recruitment. Students will have more commitments later in the year with school work, jobs, other clubs they have joined, and other various commitments for other things they have gotten involved with. This alternative would be better to differed recruitment because of the Wisconsin weather. Additionally, many girls miss out on recruitment because of how early it starts during the year. Perhaps an extra month would allow more girls to get involved!

This is a basic concern, but it is extraordinarily hot in the sorority houses during fall rush, increasing the nervousness and concerns of everyone involved. If rush was delayed by a couple of weeks, I believe that rush would be a more pleasant experience for everyone. this would be a terrible thing for campus. This would be an inconvenience, because it would interfere with classes and it prevents the older girls and potential new members from meeting until a later date. This would be ok. Though recruitment sometimes interferes with dorm/ welcome week events, delayed recruitment would really be hard with classes/homework I believe Time to acclimate to campus before rushing Weather would be a HUGE factor - boots, coats, walking everywhere, transportation, etc Why would you wait and delay recruitment. Shortens the pledging process where you learn all about becoming a gentlemen.

Will have formed opinions on the greek community and might be hesitant to join. Keep things the same. This will only hurt

Wording of header question for points 17 to 21 is awkward and could be misunderstood by some. Would be comfortable with campus. Would be nice to properly market rush events. You get a little bit more of an understanding of how things work around campus and such. You would get to know people on your floor better as well as acquire knowledge about the variety of Greek life offered on campus. zero 274 Respondents

Q56. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Delayed Recruitment? - Conflicts with Residence Hall activities and opportunities to build relationships Count Percent 393 38.34% Not at all 170 16.59% A little 179 17.46% Somewhat 73 7.12% Quite a bit 210 20.49% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q57. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Delayed Recruitment? - Doesn't allow new students to attend Welcome Week Events Count Percent 609 59.41% Not at all 94 9.17% A little 124 12.10% Somewhat 34 3.32% Quite a bit 164 16.00% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q58. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Delayed Recruitment? - Decreases likelihood that students will join a fraternity/sorority due to other commitments Count Percent 172 16.78% Not at all 94 9.17% A little 154 15.02% Somewhat 181 17.66% Quite a bit 424 41.37% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q59. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Delayed Recruitment? - Doesn't allow potential new members to become acclimated to campus before making a large decision Count Percent 503 49.07% Not at all 161 15.71% A little 140 13.66% Somewhat 39 3.80% Quite a bit 182 17.76% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q60. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Delayed Recruitment? - Doesn't allow chapters to fully prepare and market their events Count Percent 498 48.59% Not at all 122 11.90% A little 118 11.51% Somewhat 56 5.46% Quite a bit 231 22.54% A lot 1025 Respondents

Q61. Please specify any other disadvantages of Delayed Recruitment: Count Percent 416 100.00% Count Percent MIDTERMS are often during this time. (if by delayed recruitment you mean having it in late september to mid october)

"Dirty" rush would increase dramatically and would be impossible to monitor resulting in many safety concerns. It also hurts many individuals that have the drive and aspirations to join during normal recruitment. 1 1) students will have midterms or finals coming up. I am a biology major and have tests almost every week or every that week. If this were to be me and wanting to rush I would never have had the time to do it because I am already so involved with my school work. 2) opinions about certain chapter on campus would already be formed unlike at the beginning of the semester everyone goes in with an open mind. A delayed recruitment would result in recruitment events interfering with school. Many people begin exams approximately 3-4 weeks into the semester. Having recruitment during this time would lead to high stress and could result in poor grades.

A disadvantage of Delayed Recruitment is that further in the semester students have more school work to focus on. The Recruitment process is very time consuming and could not possibly accommodate all potential new members schedules. It is more efficient to complete the process before the school load becomes too heavy. A drop in new members overall. A large disadvantage to delayed recruitment would be that it conflicts directly with midterms. a lot A lot of time Again these questions are extremely hard to understand. It seems as though this survey is based upon double negatives, and instead should have been an "I strongly agree or strongly disagree" scale Again, depending on how late this recruitment period would start, students may join other organizations outside of the greek community at the beginning of the year and then decide that they cannot take on any more involvement, creating fewer participants in delayed recruitment Again, I feel that most students do not understand the time commitment required of joining a sorority/fraternity before going through recruitment. This is an essential piece of information in making the decision to join Greek life. I feel that Delayed Recruitment would result in many students feeling disappointed or unable to join because they did not understand the level of commitment required and have taken on other commitments, under the impression that they could balance them all.

Again, it's harder to add this in with class work loads becoming harder add the semester moves on again, THIS WOULD BE TERRIBLE. Again, welcome week/residence hall events aren't viewed as crucial to anyone. But as students get involved in other clubs (which many don't stick through with), recruitment becomes less and less a priority. All delayed recruitment accomplishes is ensuring that students are 10 times busier and invested in their studies when they rush. It would increase stress and inability to balance time tenfold. All students, regardless of year in school, are already "allowed" to attend Fall Recruitment events. In my experience, there is no precedent for disallowing or discouraging people older than freshmen to attend Fall Recruitment events.

Allows for dirty rushing throughout the fall semester. Also girls have to be nervous and worried about rush for their first few weeks of college instead of getting it over with!

Although Delayed Recruitment does not interfere with any of the actions listed above, it would potentially take place during midterms time, adding stress to those participating in recruitment. Although delayed recruitment would not necessarily conflict with Welcome Week and Residence Hall activities, I do think that it would pose several problems. One of the biggest benefits of having fall recruitment is that it takes place before school activities and classes become a time issue. Delayed recruitment would take place right when classes are starting to get more challenging and busy and during midterms. I think that there would be a huge decrease in the amount of students who went through the recruitment process if it took place later in the fall. Particularly as freshman, midterms during fall semester can be extremely overwhelming as it is the first time we truly experience college work loads. If the recruitment process had taken place later in the fall, I think that I would have greatly considered not rushing because I would have been too overwhelmed. although there is more time to market events, conflicts with school and other orgs would make it unlikely for someone to rush in the middle of a semester or even a month in because thats when exams begin roughly.. this would literally be the worst option

An extreme disadvantage would come in the way houses get filled. It is typical that sophomores are seeking next year rental opportunities in early fall, if there was a delayed recruitment, that could jeopardize how the sorority house is able to meet live in requirements. It would be a huge problem if, due to prior leases being signed, the house was not at capacity, a lot of money would be lost and the houses would have trouble staying open. aren't able to meet people as quickly when first getting to madison As a past Rush Chairman, it was great to do it right after summer so you could prepare properly leading into the beginning of the year... if you had to do all of that during spring semester or during the holiday break leading up to spring semester I don't think you would get the enthusiasm out of the chapter. Also, the weather would be a huge issue in the spring for us in Wisconsin... it was so nice to be able to sing outside and enjoy the nice summer/fall weather.

As a prominent member involved in the planning and execution of recruitment, it would be difficult to prepare during classes and upcoming midterms. The potential new members may be just as willing to participate, however it will create another new routine in the middle of the semester, rather than one continuous structure since the start of fall. As an alum, I participated in delayed recruitment and it was TERRIBLE. The best recruitment is as early as possible in the fall for several reasons 1. commitments: by mid-fall, students want to have a routine of activities. If they do delayed recruitment and are on a sport or involved in another activitiy, they have to drop everything to attend recruitment - this is not possible for athletes. Most athletes have to do "1/2 parties" and it is really hard for them to now a sororotiy and the sororoity to know them before making the decision. [2] class-scheduling: if you do delayed rush in the fall and have ANY classes later in the afternoon onwards, or are taking math/science classes later in the day, or both, you risk missing recruitment rounds or rushing to make it - arriving frazzled, stressed, distracted, and uncomfortable. As a sorority member, I wanted to look and feel my best during recruitment, as a PNM and initiated new member, and I did not feel my best when I had to drop everything to do recruitment or rush to get there and feel like a slob when I arrived. No one wants to feel like a slob when they try to make a strong 1st impression. Also, All of my friends that were in the hustle situation [fortunately I was not] felt that it really impacted their ability to take part in recruitment or have a quality recruitment experience. The same goes for women who have to help recruit that are already in the sororities. [3] you solidly know of all house stereotypes and they are more set into your brain so that it is harder to give each house a fair try and to join a house that you love even though someone else you know does not like that house. [4] prevents current sorority members from having the opportunity to decide on new members based on rumors and other gossip [we were very discouraged from doing this but a few did it :-( ] [5] recruitment becomes a big hobby for you so that there is more pressure put on your decision - [6] all of these reasons make it more likely for people to drop after a few rounds because then they go into recruitment thinking (1) I would have to do this again next year if I am in a sorority and I do not want to waste mid-semester time doing this and (2) they get discouraged because they are missing out on doing things with their new friends. very early fall recruitment helps so that you have finished the biggest time-commitment aspects of sorority recruitment/membership before any school, social, or other extracurricular activities will likely get in the way. WHen most of it is done before welcome week, you are more free to meet your dorm-mates. If recruitment is delayed, it should be completed ASAP so that it does not conflict with school or making friends outside of the greek system that you did not meet in class

As I understand it, Delayed Recruitment would take place around or near the time of midterms. This would be incredibly stressful for not only current greek community members but anyone wishing to go through recruitment at all. At the University of Wisconsin, we all take our grades very seriously. Academics are an absolute top priority. Therefore, Delayed Recruitment would greatly conflict with academics and other ways students are trying to get involved. By having recruitment at the beginning of the year, students have little outside commitments at that time, and they are not stressed about school yet. Delayed Recruitment would be a disadvantage to everyone. All students, especially those new to campus, need time to explore all the opportunities this campus has to offer. Delayed Recruitment would hinder that because students would juggle clubs, recruitment and school at the same time.

As mentioned previously, delayed recruitment increases the likelihood that the potential new members will not have a fair, unbiased experience during formal recruitment. As stated previously in the last question, there are a list of disadvantages that would come along with delayed recruitment.

At the time delayed recruitment would occur it is more than likely that midterms would be coming up. Since the greek community holds high standards for academic success this would be a conflict of interest and make it hard for freshman to successfully study for their first set of midterms. Being in a house is more important than anything that has to do with being social. It is a place to find people that you get a long with and a place to belong. Many people struggling finding friends that are honest, trustworthy, and reliable. Going through recruitment exposes someone to so many people that there is much more opportunity to meet new people and people that are alike.

BIG DISADVANTAGE TO FRESHMEN WANTING TO EASE THEIR TRANSITION INTO FIRST YEAR By delaying recruitment to second semester, the initial aid of being delved into a sorority of 160 girls would not be there. Having the group of girls was so beneificial at the very beginning of the year, but by the time you rush in the spring, the help would be less beneficial. By delaying recruitment, it may make the transition for freshman harder if they do not bond with their floor right away.

By delaying recruitment, you would be forcing students who are interested and/or curious in pursuing Greek life to attend recruitment events when their academic loads and other commitments are more time consuming, and thereby force them to direct less of their attention to academics. By having delayed recruitment, more students would not be able to participate due to other conflicts such as work, school, etc.

By the time delayed recruitment comes around, people will be in set routines and set schedules, and it will be harder to integrate a new routine and new thing into their schedule with the delayed recruitment. By the time delayed recruitment would occur, students would be busy in the middle of their semester and more conflicts would arise than at the beginning of the semester. By the time delayed recruitment would take place students would be so sick of hearing about all of the different organizations on campus that much of our recruiting would fall on deaf ears. By not allowing greek organizations to recruit at the beginning of the semester but allowing other organizations the campus would be unfairly putting the greek community at a disadvantage.

By the time the recruitment process were to take place many freshman would have already committed to another organization due to the student org fair. Regardless of what side of the process one is on, delayed recruitment would interfere with class and academics tremendously, especially considering how much time and energy the older members put in preparing for the potential new members. Chapter members and potential new members are much busier with their academics during the timeline of delayed recruitment and this timeline could have a negative impact on student's and chapter's GPAs. Chapters don't need to advertise, panel leaders need to advertise with soar/summer student programs. Pnms won't go through recruitment because they don't think they need to because they are already meeting so many friends. Their friends will have much more influence on what house they join. Planning and going through recruitment cuts into the time when students need to be paying attention to classes. Allows way more time for infractions and for older girls to pressure girls going through recruitment.

Chapters get time to plan events better but these events will be in the middle of midterms and other activities. Chapters will have other commitments with school and won't be able to prepare for recruitment in an efficient way Chapters would be under a lot of stress to prepare for recruitment in the middle of the semester. Chapters would not be able to prepare adequately for recruitment if we have delayed recruitment. We spend eight hours a day six days a week for two weeks preparing for our potential new members and if we were to try to do this during the school year when classes are in full swing it would be an absolute disaster. Class conflicts Class conflicts!! Limited by students with outside conflicts Classes will have started and it will be too stressful to balance both things. Rush is a lot of work and a lot of time. Classes would be too busy! This would really hinder everyone involved! Delayed recruitment would conflict with academics.

Coming to a huge, new campus as a freshman is a daunting experience. And I would have felt overwhelmed if I didn't have the recruitment process begin right when I got to school because it provided structure as well as a place to meet people immediately.

Competing organizations have the chance to recruit members before we do. As a professional fraternity, delayed recruitment would kill us. Completely changes the dynamic of the relationships formed. Weather doesn't allow for large attendance at recruitment events. Generally more commitments after first semester. complicate things for everyone. Conflicts with academic and previous commitments (on both parts of the girls going through recruitment and the girls already in houses) Conflicts with academics and midterms will unfairly discourage some students from joining the Greek community. Conflicts with classes! Could hobble warm-weather recruitment efforts cuts into winter break/ don't get to spend as much time with the seniors/there could be dirty rushing Delayed Recruitment allows potential new members to become acclimated to campus in a way where they are not involved in the organization they could be involved in if it were a normal recruitment period. This could dissuade people from joining at all, especially the ones that are on the edge and want to get a feel for what greek life has to offer as they settle into what college demands of them. Delayed recruitment could conflict with people's classes and labs that are usually later in the evening. Also, everyone's midterm schedule depends on their personal classes. Delayed recruitment would also make the recruitment planning process and preparation more difficult for sororities. Active members would have much difficulty juggling classes, potential internships/jobs, outside student orgs AND recruitment. Delayed recruitment could keep recruitment out of the minds of the student body vs constant and active process once all students are back on campus Delayed Recruitment could very quickly cause academic issues for a large majority of the people going through recruitment. People will be less willing to go through recruitment if they have midterms that week, or they will have to sacrifice studying, which would be bad. Delayed Recruitment does not help many people acclimate where they want to. Delayed recruitment has many disadvantages, most of which revolve around scheduling. Having formal recruitment during a full class schedule would be extremely stressful for potential members and chapter members. Delayed recruitment has terrible timing because the students trying to go through recruitment will already be extremely busy with their new student orgs (if they are even motivated to join any) and will not have time to go through recruitment. It will also come at a bad time, and will conflict with midterms and the weather will start to get really bad

Delayed Recruitment implies that work week and all recruitment preparation will have to take place during the semester. Delayed Recruitment will probably take place during the first round of midterms. This creates a stressful situation for both greek life members and potential members. It would be difficult for anybody to balance recruitment and the first week of college-level midterms. Delayed recruitment is disadvantageous in comparison to the current recruitment schedule. It's detrimental to potential new members' well being because it is in the middle of midterms and stressful course papers. Delayed recruitment is likely to conflict with first exams. Delayed recruitment later in the fall would be a HUUUUUGGGGEEEE disadvantage to students as it would greatly interfere with their academic classes and school work. This is a poorly worded survey - You cannot include welcome week and resident hall activities in this portion of the survey if you are asking about DELAYED recruitment. As in, recruitment wouldn't even take place during Welcome Week. Right now you should really be asking the question of, "How much would this interfere with school or your school work"... Delayed recruitment leaves too much time for students on campus initially. Students need to go through rush right away to feel comfortable and make friends and have a sense of community. Delayed Recruitment obviously wouldn't interfere with making friendships and welcome week, but it's clear that at schools that use this form of recruitment it becomes a lot more competitive and biased. People should be able to use recruitment as the only way they know someone, not by how they act at a party or a tailgate or even in class. Delayed Recruitment occurs during classes and while other student organizations. Delayed Recruitment would negatively affect my grades and participation in other organizations because I would be spending my time on recruitment

DELAYED RECRUITMENT WILL KILL GREEK LIFE. Delayed recruitment will lead to people "rushing" longer instead of just getting them into the sorority. It will also affect the national structure of each sorority and fraternity. The internal national structure of various programs and positions are based on full semesters. This would affect all of the sororities on the national level as they will have to make exceptions for UW where most of the other chapters are run with a full semester. It will lead to a more chaotic start for students instead starting from day 1 in the sorority. It is already a lot of adjusting so to have the students make multiple adjustments is more difficult than 1 large one in the beginning and have an entire sorority to help with all of the adjustments. The sororities and fraternities are a huge support for the students and getting acclimated. I feel that the students will have a harder time adjusting without a large group of friends doing it with them (pledge class) and a large group to ask and draw from experience (rest of sorority).

Delayed recruitment will likely fall at a very busy time for both freshman and sorority members in terms of academics. A successful recruitment process takes a huge time commitment, and it would be very unfortunate to put that during midterms.

Delayed recruitment would be a large disadvantage to everyone on campus because as I understand it, recruitment would most likely fall during midterms and many student org kick off meetings. I for one would feel very overwhelmed during that time and would have trouble juggling my academics, recruitment, and other student organizations.

Delayed recruitment would be a lot harder to work with schedules bc school is in session. And would deter people bc they already have friends, and decrease sosterhood Delayed recruitment would be during the semester during midterm time and when classes are finally getting into things. It would be very hard to juggle recruitment with the heavy loads of school work students will have in that time and greatly effect either students' grades or their recruitment experience. Recruitment is a stressful time that requires a lot of time, it should not be in the middle of a semester. Delayed recruitment would be horrible for this school. Delayed recruitment would be in the during midterms and other commitments that a new students joins after the first couple weeks of school. No one would be fully invested in the process due to stress of midterms and conflicts. Allow though students would be able to go to welcome week events more likely, that wasn't much of a conflict with normal recruitment in the first place.

Delayed recruitment would be inconvenient for all members and potential new members. Later in the fall, we have midterms and other assessments. Further, current members and potential new members cannot meet until Recruitment, which would also be an inconvenience. Delayed Recruitment would be more of a disadvantage for the current member because then they would have to put in extra work on top of all their current commitments. Delayed Recruitment would be very difficult for members and potential new members academically because it would fall right around midterms, which is a very busy time. Also, it would interfere with many philanthropies that typically occur right around or before that time and maybe would not be able to be rescheduled. Delayed Recruitment would be very disadvantageous. New members would have already signed housing contracts so they could not live in the house their sophomore years'. They could also not participate in Humorology, the largest philanthropy on campus. Furthermore, the cold weather in January and February would adversely impact recruiting.

Delayed recruitment would be very stressful to everyone involved because the dates would fall during midterms. This would greatly effect the stress put upon everyone in the greek system. Delayed recruitment would cause a significant problem for our chapter. First it would effect with midterms and studying as it would take place during a time of great academic stress. It will also be significantly colder outside which would make recruitment difficult. lastly, financially it would effect our house as we would be missing a pledge class to help pay dues, causing prices to greatly increase.

Delayed Recruitment would cause less girls to rush and would hinder a lot of activities that first semester freshman could take a part in like Humo, various first semester philanthropies, and other Greek bonding experiences. Delayed Recruitment would cause the houses to have to remain disaffiliated from their chapter for months at a time. Rho Gammas are the people who guide the potential new members through the recruitment process and disaffiliate from their house so they are fair leaders. If recruitment was delayed, it would increase the change of the new members figuring out what house they are in, and thus ruining the point of rho gammas. Delayed recruitment would causes extreme stress for every chapter on campus - having time to prepare for recruitment is absolutely vital, and is much easier to do before school starts up. Delaying recruitment also delays when students start becoming involved on campus, thus affecting their ability to demonstrate time-management and leadership skills, especially when applying for the Business or Journalism schools at the end of freshman year (for example). While the student org fairs assist with this, Greek organizations also help to make members aware of ways to get involved, whether it be with their own philanthropy, others' philanthropies, or with outside clubs and organizations. Weather can also pose a conflict, especially in Wisconsin.

Delayed Recruitment would conflict with academics of freshman students. Students would be in the swing of their classes and could possibly be going through midterms which would greatly affect their academic success. Chapter members involved in rush would also endure the stress of rush during midterms which would negatively affect each chapter.

Delayed recruitment would conflict with both current members and PNM's academic schedules. Delayed recruitment would decrease recruitment size and would be weird timing with classes and other events. Delayed Recruitment would disrupt the current models of New Member Education set up by fraternities and sororities. Delayed Recruitment will likely lower the amount of students willing to undergo the rush process because of academic, work related, and student organization conflicts. Delayed Recruitment also means that all the students that find comfort in a chapter soon after arriving to UW are forced to acclimate on their own. Delayed recruitment would fall during that first round of midterms which would be beyond stressful for first year students. Delayed Recruitment would greatly interfere with academics, therefore discouraging women from going through recruitment. It would give off the impression that sororities put other commitments ahead of academics, which is not the case in my sorority. I think it would overall send a poor message to women thinking about going through recruitment and their parents.

Delayed Recruitment would happen right in the middle of midterms. While this would affect all students participating in the recruitment process, I am most concerned with how this would affect freshmen. Midterms are very stressful on all of us students and this would be the first time the freshmen are going through midterms. The timing of delayed recruitment would place extra stress on all students, and specifically the freshmen going through recruitment. Also, I think there would be a greater likelihood that some students would not be able to participate in formal recruitment because of class and work schedules. The middle of the semester is a very busy time and delayed recruitment seems a bit unrealistic.

Delayed recruitment would have the clear disadvantage of being in the middle of the semester, where school's work load has picked up significantly and often exams or other serious class activities are near. This would deter students from attending recruitment events and would therefore take away from finding a good fit for the individual, as they would feel pressured to join a fraternity prematurely (without really getting to know them). Delayed recruitment would highly interfere with individuals' academic schedules. There would be so many time conflicts with classes, exams, and other organizations that students become involved in. Delayed recruitment would interfere greatly with many of our greek community's plans. Humorology would have less participants as well as having to rearrange their schedule completely. This would be a shame considering humo is such a large part of our greek community and a great way for us to give back. Delayed recruitment could also affect all of us academically because it would be happening during the fall semester when classes are in session. Delayed recruitment would interfere with the first round of midterms & increase stress levels for the women who decided to go through recruitment. Delayed Recruitment would largely interfere with academics. The timing of this method coincides with the timing of midterms and as a result, this creates stress and poor performance on exams for those participating in Delayed Recruitment.

Delayed recruitment would lead to students becoming very overwhelmed to campus life. It would occur during a time of high academic stress and many conflicts. Delayed recruitment would likely greatly interfere with student academics as it would take place right around midterms. The way housing works on this campus, students would have likely already signed a lease and wouldn't have the opportunity to live in the house as a sophomore. That would require juniors to live in the house to meet house dues and fill the house. This would be a problem for students going abroad. The weather is also a factor. The weather starts to get colder and going from house to house would be more uncomfortable. We would lose fall member dues which could likely negatively impact the houses chapter and house funds. The preparation for rush events would also be a much large disruption in the middle of the semester. Rho Gammas and Pan- hellenic members would have to be disaffiliated from their chapters for a much longer period of time making philanthropies and chapter-wide events much more difficult. The standing rules for the recruitment process would also have to be re-written which is an added burden.

Delayed recruitment would make it difficult for students to find the time to go to recruitment event because of classes and other time commitments. The recruitment process itself is much more time consuming than regular involvement with the chapter, and having to spend 9+ hour days when students are in the midst of assignments and midterms would discourage them from joining. In addition, the chapter members themselves would have to take time away from their studies and other commitments to prepare for recruitment. Chapters would also have to wait longer for new members to be initiated, which means they wouldn't have the same leadership opportunities as our chapter does our position slating process in November right after initiation.

Delayed Recruitment would make recruitment difficult because the students would also be going through midterms around the same time. As freshmen, this would be extremely overwhelming because no one knows how difficult midterms are until they've experienced them. This could effect how much effort the students put into recruitment, being that they would be distracted by lots of other activities. Delayed recruitment would make rush during midterms of freshman's first semester of college. Not only does that put more pressure on their time management, but it is a very stressful time in general trying to become acclimated. Delayed Recruitment would mean that Potential New Members would base their decision based on reputation and what they hear from other people, instead of focusing on the values and "comfortable fit" they feel at each house Delayed Recruitment would most likely occur during a very stressful academic time for potential new members, midterms. Especially if they are freshmen experiencing college midterms for the first time, it would be very difficult to have another large time commitment such as recruitment to take on. Delayed Recruitment would most likely occur near midterms, which would be a major disadvantage to this option. Also, it would be more likely to conflict with other activities because they would have started at this point in time. Delayed recruitment would only put more stress on students because they will be further in the academic school year. Midterms are hard and freshmen will no doubt be overwhelmed already with school. Delayed Recruitment would put us at a disadvantage because girls would not be initiated into the sorority until half way through the year. It would also take place during the winter months which may discourage the girls to RUSH because they have to spend a lot of time outside. Also, many of the recruitment events would overlap with academia and would interfere with schedules that have already been set. Delayed recruitment would run into exam schedule conflicts and may prevent some people from participating and delays the process of finding a home on campus with great friends who value academic success, friendship, and giving back.

Delayed recruitment wouldn't mean anything. First semester freshman would still go to fraternity events. Most people don't go to welcome week events because they usually suck. delayed rush would make greek life less important freshman year and would incentivize people not to rush because they already made friends and didn't need greek life to help them branch out. Delaying recruitment will just give the rushes less time to meet and make bonds with the members of the chapters that they will soon become a part of. That is definitely one of the most important things when joining any chapter. delays the new members starting to become part of the chapter. for all other students besides freshmen, there are no advantages to delayed recruitment. Delyaed recruitment would hurt chapters and the potential new members for several reasons. First, delayed recuitment would happen around midterm time. It seems near impossible to juggle recruitment and the first set of midterms for freshman. Additionally, the girls in the chapter who would be preparing the week prior would miss much study time. Also, we would have less dues, which would hurt our chapters plans for sisterhoods and other social events that we have planned also our academic banquet. Additionally, girls need to sign leases, and if recruitment is delayed, it could hurt our chances of filling our house.

Difficult to police who is actually delaying recruitment. Heck, the Fraternities should be recruiting over the summer, how would that affect this? disadvantages include challenge balancing school at the same time since the semester will have already started disadvantages were stated above. Do not do delayed recruitment, it is a terrible idea. Doesn't make you feel welcome right away on campus if there is delayed recruitment. You wanna make friends right away and if you know you want to join Greek life you should be able to right away. I did not like the kids on my floor but I knew I would like the people going through recruitment because we all already had something in common where as being thrown in a dorm with a bunch of random people isn't a solid way to make sure people will get along and form friendships. If I didn't have greek life at the beginning of the year I would have seriously considered transferring because I would have felt as if I had no friends because I did not get along well with the people on my floor

Due to the weather, it will be harder for potential young men to join fraternities. Also, the larger houses, who are notorious for getting into trouble, will have an entire semester of "dirty" rush due to their larger budget compared to smaller houses. These larger houses will not be affected by the setback in rush but the smaller houses who have had a positive impact on this campus will be largely affected. During the waiting process for delayed recruitment, there are more opportunities for dirty rushing to occur, and other mis- informations about Greek life or certain Greek organizations. Everything Everything is a disadvantage it's an awful idea, with all due respect. Everything will seem more rushed and unprepared. Exams begin right around the end of September/early October and they may defer some individuals from participating in recruitment. Fall recruitment is an important way for new students to become acclimated with the campus and become aware of the many things available to them, even if they choose not to join. Fall recruitment is important from a housing perspective as it allows freshman to pledge a house and then live in the sorority house their sophomore year. If they rushed in the spring or later this would cause problems because leases would already be signed for the following year which means they would live in as juniors. Many juniors study abroad and wouldn't be able to live in the entire year. Chapters need full year tenants to ensure financial success. So I worry what a change could do for housing.

First of all, the structure of these questions is confusing. I hope I'm answering them correctly. Also, the list of options seems biased. Many chapters have strict time requirements (set by nationals) for their new member period before Initiation. Delayed Recruitment, if starting in October for example, would push chapters with 2-month new member periods back into finals in December. Delayed Recruitment would make it very difficult for members to maintain their no social media rule as well. Also, members of chapters would be practicing for recruitment events during school weeks and unable to participate in other normal activities.

Football games, mid terms, other commitments For both parties going through recruitment (the existing and potential new members) delayed recruitment can bring more negatives than positives because it will be in the height of the first round of midterms. Given that the greek community takes academics seriously and has many resources available for academic success for the women in our chapter, this would not correlate well with our values of scholarship. Having recruitment remain in the fall would not make this a problem because we will have not delved into our courses at all like in the circumstances revolving around delayed recruitment.

For the students who know they want to go through the recruitment process this period of time between arriving at college and the beginning of recruitment would turn into an awkward time of active chapter members not being able to interact with potential new members. Fraternities will be at a competitive disadvantage to other student orgs Fraternities/Sororities will be motivated to start rushing possible members for the entire period starting right when school begins.

Freshman coming in will base their decisions off of rumors they've heard in the first weeks of school, rather than what feels right in the beginning without knowing much about the different sororities. People will make groups of friends and will then want to be in the same sorority, which inhibits them from choosing what is right for them. Also, people will simply not join because they will be too overwhelmed with their school work in the few first weeks of their college career. Last, this will only increase bid promising because you will allow more time for chapter members and PNMs to interact. This is overall a terrible idea and will hurt many incoming freshman (who are the vast majority of the women going through recruitment) in the long run.

Gets in the way of classes and makes others opinions of each house matter more than just your own Greek Life is super fun and you get to meet so many people. It's better to meet those people early on because it's such a great network to be in. The sooner the better- more events to attend, more people to meet, and more memories to create with your sisters. Greek organizations will be crippled by the amount of time wasted by delaying recruitment. Greek organizations will have to push back their calendar of planned events, which will negatively affect planning for philanthropies, socials, elections, and the new member education process. Greta idea to move it to next semester Having a delayed recruitment would interfere with midterms. The first round of midterms can be extremely stressful for freshmen and recruitment during this time would add to that stress. Having a delayed recruitment would lead to a few disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage is that this timing would interfere with midterms. This would lead to large amounts of stress with academics. It can also easily lead to students' grades suffering.

Having gone through delayed recruitment, I know that it does NOT help limit academic conflicts. that is the key point here. It has nothing to do with being able to join other groups/clubs/be active in the residence halls. And what about the kids from the Coasts who live in the dorms who all end up rushing anyway? Both while as a PNM and a chapter member, I felt very behind on school work from the start. Delayed recruitment only makes drinking parties worse, makes likelihood of "dirty rushing" worse, and is incredibly detrimental to sorority women. Having recruitment later in the fall semseter will be more stressful for member and potential new members due to midterms. Also having it at the beginning of the spring semseter won't be successful due to weather conditions and the potential to fall on the ice or be outside for long periods in the cold. I always think the less conflict with classes, the better, and delayed recruitment would conflict the most. Events would need to take place on weekends, which would likely spread the process out over at least 3 separate weekends. Delaying recruitment would make the limited contact period for PNMs and active members much longer, too, so more opportunities for "dirty rushing" to occur.

I am a little confused on the wording of questions 56-60 so I would like to state my opinion here. Having delayed recruitment would bring about many more stresses to the chapter. We would be in the midst of studying for finals which are a priority and therefore, recruitment would suffer. People would not want to participate because they have too many other things going on.

I am not sure what you mean by "delayed recruitment" but by pushing back recruitment you are hindering the chance for a student to join something that could benefit them in the long run. If recruitment is delayed till mid-semester then a student may not feel they have the free time to look at all options like they would have before classes started. By not having as much time or events to weigh the different houses and experiences a student may be forced to make a decision off very inaccurate knowledge because they had more time constrains then earlier in the semester.

I believe another huge disadvantage of delayed recruitment is the time it would take place in the semester. During that time period many students have midterms and recruitment would take a big toll on the students ability to perform well if they are consumed with recruitment at that time. I believe delayed recruitment will decrease the number of people that go through recruitment, as classes get harder further into the semester (midterms, homework, projects, etc) I believe it would deter a lot of students from experiencing Greek life because they would have other commitments during the recruitment process. I felt like I was able to build twice the connections, some through my dorm and some through my sorority, without a delayed recruitment. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the opportunity to experience the awesome Greek life at this school. I can't describe the extent it has helped me form a home for myself so quickly.

I believe that a delayed recruitment would interfere more with academics. Later in the fall becomes a more stressful time especially for freshman and the first time that they take college midterms I believe that those who go through fall recruitment go into prior to arriving here at UW and i feel as though the people that would go through recruitment in the fall would be the same people that would in the spring. I can clearly see that these questions are structured to make the delayed recruitment option seem more appealing. This is a poorly designed and biased survey. Find another way to evaluate the possibility of a delayed recruitment model.

I do not see any benefits of delayed recruitment. I do not think Delayed Recruitment should be implemented. I do not think that having a Delayed Recruitment would be the best idea for the Greek community here at UW-Madison. I think that this would actually turn people away from joining a fraternity or sorority as they will already be involved in other commitments.

I don't think delayed recruitment would work logistically for the chapters participating. For our current recruitment schedule, most chapters prepare 60+ hours practicing, which would be almost impossible with academic conflicts in the middle of the semester. Many chapters spend hours after rounds making decisions, and for many, as late as 5am. I also think this would conflict with exams, classes, as well as other clubs which would all be in full swing at this point.

I don't think giving students an extra few weeks would be of any benefit. The recruitment process is time consuming and in the middle of midterms and a student's first semester in many cases, would be overwhelming and turn a lot of potential members away from the recruitment process. Having it right away is more convenient for all parties involved.

I don't think there is any need for delayed recruitment. With delayed recruitment, it could disturb the recruitment process by people hearing the "feels" of each house. I feel delayed recruitment would encourage less students to participate. Work week for current chapter members would be during winter break, cutting back on time back home with our families. Also, students would not want to go through the full recruitment process with it being during classes. This would be very stressful. I would also be upset as a freshmen that I didn't have the chance to meet people going through recruitment in the beginning of the year. It is such a great way to meet people. There are only so many people on your floor and the chances of you becoming close with every single one of them are rare, regardless of being in greek life or not. Also, so many women go abroad second semester at UW, whereas this is not the case at other schools with delayed recruitment. So the chapters would really be at a disadvantage by not having all of their members present during the recruitment process.

I feel that delayed recruitment would be much harder to accommodate into people's schedules. Unlike our current fall recruitment that occurs at the beginning of the semester, delayed recruitment would take place when classes and activities have already started and are beginning to ramp up. This would cause many potential new members and current members to have to go through recruitment at a time when they have multiple other commitments going on. Current members would also need to have work week during the school year which would cause them to be less prepared for the new members and they would lose valuable time to focus on their school work. New members would need to go through their new member period, initiation, and overall transition into Greek life (a potentially overwhelming occurrence) as they also juggled school and other outside commitments.

I feel that delayed recruitment would interfere a great deal more with academics for those interested in participating in the process. Because of the timing, it wouldn't interfere with welcome week or the initial residence hall introductory events, but it would require those involved to spend time rushing that could be more beneficially spent getting accustomed to the additional demands that university classes place on students (in comparison to their high school careers).

I feel that students would develop relationships with the people in the residence halls and then suddenly be with fraternity/sorority members and not develop those relationships as well. I feel that the above questions are skewed to favor Delayed Recruitment. I feel the wording of questions 56-60 are pointed and unfair in terms of leaning toward delayed recruitment, and honestly I find myself frustrated in reading through it. To put it bluntly: the weather will be worse, extracurricular commitments will have increased, academic stress will be SIGNIFICANTLY higher, chapter priorities will have shifted to other activities and the freshmen's will to explore campus will have faded. Delayed recruitment would be a horrific mistake.

I felt question 60 had some questions that seem very bias and do not have the correct responses available. Delayed recruitment would take place right around the time students have papers and exams and would definitely deter students from going through recruitment. I foresee problems with students getting different impressions from each organization, instead of having similar experiences with recruitment right at the beginning. I found many disadvantages with delayed recruitment such as lack of opportunity and lack of resources for academic success.

I have friends at schools that do spring recruitment. This creates a culture of unofficial recruitment throughout first semester that is unregulated and unfair to chapters that follow the rules. I have never lived in a residence hall so I don't know when they have activities but I feel as though most of the welcome week activities are done within the first 2 weeks of the semester. I also think delayed recruitment would give everyone more time to get acclimated to campus and would actually get more people who are genuinely interested in joining a Greek organization to attend recruitment. I have to admit, the way these question are phrased is confusing. Delaying fall recruitment is a bad idea. Less people would rush. And these questions are completely skewed. Obviously, whoever is in charge of this survey wants a delayed recruitment.

I see a lot more disadvantages to delayed recruitment than advantages. Many women will have already acclimated to college life and would be less likely to go through recruitment, decreasing the amount of PNMs. It would force sororities to either have work week during classes and finals, or cut into our winter break. PNMs will also be less likely to go through delayed recruitment because it will cut in to school work, it would have to be stretched out over a longer period of time, and the cold will make it undesirable.

I see no benefit in a delayed recruitment what so ever. I think delaying recruitment will place recruitment at a point in the year where students are already extremely busy. Students need the most support at the beginning of the year and delaying recruitment will deny them of this. If recruitment had been delayed I would have never felt so at home at this University so quickly. I think it could be a really big problem due to academic commitments that students do not experience in the fall I think it would just be more stressful because rush would be occurring at the same time as classes are starting. For new students that can be a lot to handle I think that having Delayed Recruitment would be more difficult on PNMs because if it occurs in the middle of fall semester, they (and the current members) would be having to juggle academics and recruitment, whereas the current model eliminates that concern. I think that people may be deterred if recruitment were later because it would conflict more with academic commitments.

I think that starting out on campus in a sorority was great with helping me manage/budget my time and become a successful student. It allowed me to have a rigid schedule that I could rely on/not slack with. I think that joining my sorority was very beneficial to me academically. If we had Fall Recruitment, I don't think freshmen would be nearly as involved in Greek events, which would be a major negative for both freshmen and the Greek community. Housing totals and our philanthropy events would be negatively affected as a result of the delayed recruitment. I think the main disadvantages of delayed recruitment are that students are busy with clubs, academics and other things during the year that may decrease the likelihood of them joining greek life. Having recruitment in the fall aids in the transition to campus and helps students meet people, even if they choose not to go into greek life. I think this conflicts with class schedules the most to be honest. I also think that it would probably fall during midterm week which would decrease the number of potential new members and would increase the amount of bias to occur during the rushing process.

I think this would reduce the amount of people rushing I want to emphasize how detrimental Delayed Recruitment would be to my other commitments and academics. It is a huge benefit that we can get recruitment out of the way before commitments and classes begin in the fall. I would assume that given how quickly coursework can pile on, delayed recruitment would be detrimental to the academic success of both current sorority members and potential new members. Recruitment counselors would also be much more affected by having to disaffiliate for a longer period of time. The potential for "dirty rushing" would be increased given the prolonged time that members would have to avoid contact with potential new members. This would be especially hard to potential new members with family members in sororities or with high school friends they would like to see regardless of greek affiliations.

I wouldn't have gone to uw if there wasn't fall rush I'm not totally sure I understand delayed recruitment, but I think our current process works great. I'v noticed you left the "weather" option off of the disadvantages list for delayed recruitment. I feel weather would be a huge disadvantage, as it would be too cold to move around freely. If Delayed Recruitment started during the middle of fall semester, it would conflict strongly with the midterm schedule, not to mention it would be awkward timing. Most students are already settled in by this time and may not want to go through this process until the start of a new semester. Also, letting students go through the process regardless of year in school could be problematic because they wouldn't reap as many of the benefits of a Greek organization if they joined as juniors or seniors than they would if they joined as freshmen or sophomores. This is particularly true because juniors and seniors begin to looking for careers or other opportunities after college during this time, so they wouldn't be as involved in Greek life then.

If delayed recruitment was put into place on campus it would would increase the amount of stress on the current members and future members of the sorority with regard to school work. Work week is a very intensive and time consuming that when put into the same time context as school would be too much to handle. Not only that but the weather may provide some trouble for potential new members in regards to outfits or coats or even walking around.

If going through delayed recruitment after the initial fall recruitment, fewer spots in houses are likely to be open, which would limit opportunities for these girls. If it interferes with school too much, it's not only a disadvantage for the potential new members but also for the active members. We want our organizations to succeed and we want everyone to love them as much as we do, but we are students. It's likely that both the recruitment process and our academic work would suffer, with little benefit to anyone.

If people have already formed relationships within their residence halls, it could make going through recruitment seem like they don't think their residence hall friends are good enough. It would definitely decrease attendance seeing as people would have tests, homework, work, and other commitments. Since being part of greek life is a big decision, if someone comes into college intending on rushing and then cannot do so until later in the year, they may limit their involvement to things outside of the greek community leading up to recruitment. If recruitment is delayed it would conflict with academics and this would be a HUGH problem. If recruitment was delayed, it would fall into the first set of midterms and the semester would already be in full swing.

If recruitment were delayed, school would start to become a conflict. Everyone's exam schedules are different, so if recruitment were delayed, school work may interfere with someone's desire to go through with recruitment. If recruitment were to be delayed, it is quite likely that fewer people would go through recruitment because of academic conflict and other outside commitments. People would also be less likely to attend recruitment events if it's too cold.

If Recruitment were to be delayed, it would be a lot more stressful for everyone involved. Chapters would have to prepare for recruitment on top of all of their classes and the start of the other clubs/jobs/etc. they are involved in. College is a huge transition so potential new members are also juggling getting used to a new class structure and their first midterms and exams.

If recruitment were to be delayed, there would be a ton of disadvantages. If recruitment were to be delayed towards the end of September, this would conflict with classes and midterms. Recruitment is a huge time commitment. To throw recruitment into an already stressful schedule filled with classes, midterms, volunteering and other organization meetings or functions, it would add extra stress and cause the members of the greek organization and the potential new members to not do well in school. To me, school always comes first, and if I were to be a potential new member again, I would not want to go through the recruitment process if it were to be delayed because it would conflict with my class schedule and exam schedule too much.

If rush were delayed, it would be right in the middle of football season which would conflict with residence hall activities and opportunities to build relationships. If delayed recruitment were an option for me, it would decrease the likelihood I would join because if I wasn't allowed to talk to older girls for over a month I would be very turned off by the process. I would perceive the recruitment process as hostile when it is exactly the opposite. Also, Rho Gammas would have to disaffiliate from our chapters for way too long which is extremely unfair. If there was a Delayed Recruitment when I was a freshman I would have never joined a sorority. The weather isn't as reliable as the school year goes on and school gets very overwhelming that many people wouldn't have the time or motivation to go through the Recruitment process. If we changed to a Delayed Recruitment process, we would be right in the heart of the semester. This would greatly interfere with midterms, exams, papers and projects that all fall mid-semester. In my opinion these questions are slanted to make early recruitment appear to have more disadvantages and does not allow for the advantages and disadvantages to be truly assessed. A major disadvantage of delayed recruitment would be the increased interference with academics. I personally take classes that are packed with assignments, quizzes, papers, and tests. If I would have come in as a freshmen under this much academic pressure and had to try and balance it with recruitment I probably would not have rushed, a decision I would have deeply regretted. Delayed recruitment also allows for more time for biases to be formed, with early recruitment I was able to come in with a clean slate and evaluate each chapter honestly and personally.

Inability to complete new member education and initiation within guidelines set by the national organization Increasing conflicts will decrease the amount of people interested in jointing a Greek organization. interferes with academics It becomes very difficult once classes get under full swing for women to be able to complete Recruitment. It conflicts with academic obligations. It does not give new member times to study for midterms. Delayed recruitment creates more conflicts, as school is now in full swing. Students may become dismayed or stressed because they have to focus on school but also want to rush.

It doesn't allow new students to get to know as many people. They will only be interacting with people that are in their residences and won't be as active on the campus. It gets cold It incentivizes people to join the chapters that have the best parties, and it would likely kill chapters that don't have a physical house that people can go to in their first semester as they get to know chapter members prior to recruitment.

-it infringes upon well established tradition of rush. -it weakens the entire greek system to a considerable degree. -it robs freshmen of a chance to acclimate themselves as well into the greek system. -it more than likely will decrease the number of people that rush fraternities and sororities in a given academic year. -it puts more pressure on fraternities and sororities to have great rush events since they only would get one chance a year at it. this potentially opens the door for an increased amount of rule violations.

It inhibits general greek growth. It will increase competition and selectivity amongst greek organizations. Also, fall rush is a great way to quickly make friends and make the large UW campus much more open and accesible It interferes academically. It would take place during the time that many students have midterms. A big part of why I chose to be in a sorority was the academic support that it offers. My grades are extremely important to me. I feel that delayed recruitment would have a negative effect on my academic success, and the academic success of the Greek community as a whole.

It interfers with academics because it would be right around the first round of midterms. It decreases the likelihood that students will join a fraternity or sorority because it will be during the first round of midterms. It also doesn't allow chapters to fully prepare and market their events becuase they will have done most of the preperation in the summer and thus when recruitment comes around it will be during their midterms too so they won't be able to do recruitment to the best of their ability because academics are extremely important to the greek community. It is also unfare to delay that sort of experience to any single person who would want it right away! it is important for the recruitment process to go in with an open mind, without friends in the sorority that one might try to depend on for an "automatic in." It is important not to have stereotypes or ideas about the sorority going into it, and to truly remain where you feel most 'at home.' It is more difficult to prepare for and participate in recruitment at this time of the year. Preparation begins several weeks and even months before rush because there are no academic conflicts. With a delayed recruitment many potential pledges as well as sisters will have academic commitments that supersede the pledging process. It is not as if rushing prevents people from welcome week or other events, if anything it increases campus involvement as potential new rush member socialize and attend other welcome events together. It is not necessary. Those students that want to get acclimated to campus first can rush in the Spring or as Sophomores. Let them make their own choices! It is so busy at this time It will be hard to attend once classes start and people start to get assignments and feel overwhelmed. It would affect school because of midterms and exams beginning It would allow students to join other clubs and organizations that would conflict with Greek Life. It would be an awkward period before rush began It would be around the time of midterms, not allowing us to put our best effort towards our academics. It would also hurt the transition of many incoming freshman, who find their friends and activities to join through their chapter.

It would be around the times of midterms and cause a lot of stress It would be much more time consuming for a new student to have to take on recruiting activities once their semester starts and they have already established their schedule and other time commitments. It would destroy franternities and sororities pledge classes, greek communities and be the end of Greek life. It would destroy the entire foundation of fraternities and sororities. I don't understand why you would want that. These questions are loaded, and they don't provide a proper available answer for the questions at hand. It would effectively shrink the size of chapters on campus because everyone interested in joining a fraternity would be concentrated to a small constraining process where potentially great members could fall through the cracks. This would be especially disadvantageous for smaller chapters. basically the whole process would just because more confusing and disorganized leading to weaker recruitment. It would hinder a chapter's ability to function to its best ability. It would interfere with classes and beginnings of other orgs It would most likely be around midterms or a time when students are in the full swing of completing their academic responsibilities. It would most likely end up during midterms, which would prevent girls from being able to rush. Also, because it's delayed, girls might hear of stigmas about a certain sorority, which could prevent them from really thinking about all the sororities with an open mind. It would offset dues and new member education. People have a lot more obligations mid semester than they do right at the beginning of semester. People will be much more overwhelmed with the process even though it doesn't have to be that way/isn't that way for many currently. It would severely interfere with the successful model already in action. It would start right around the first round of midterms and recruitment practice week for girls in sororities would not be timed to be near recruitment or it would completely interfere with our studies. It would take place in the middle of the first period of exams, which would harm us negatively. It'd be freezing and a harder transition for girls rushing. It's freezing out, hard to walk. You become so busy with the schedule that you have set up for yourself first semester that you don't have time and a clear mind to make the right decision for you. You are influenced by what you have done and can't make an unbiased decisions. You will think stereotypically about houses and greek life because you will have been exposed to those stereotypes It's likely that delaying recruitment would result in the recruitment process taking place during a lot of students' midterms; especially for freshmen transitioning into the rigor of college this could add a lot of stress to a time when they should be able to focus solely on academics. It's more important for students to experience Recruitment in the first few weeks of school because it was the most impactful experience I had during my transition. It's much colder (or at least here in Wisconsin), so it would be much harder to get potential new members out and attending rush events. It's too late. Spring rush has never been as good as fall rush. It's too much time to be at a big campus without structure.

-Junior live-in requirement -Loss of fall new member dues -Delayed recruitment could be in the middle of midterms -Rho gammas and PHA exec would have to be disaffiliated for a whole semester with deferred recruitment -Standing rules would have to be rewritten just keep it in the fall yeesh just want to harp on the "might deter recruits if they've joined another org already" point. Less time to spend with chapter. Less time with your chapter! :( Limiting the time period to go through the recruitment process may also impact the living arrangements and decisions that are made with respect to living in a fraternity or sorority. This could have serious ramifications for those organizations that own their residences. loss in chance to participate in humo Lots of disadvantages, in fact too many to list here. Major academic conflicts would make it impossible or insanely stressful for both the sororities and the girls going through recruitment. Massive interference with classes/midterms/homework/extracurriculars. Financial burden to chapters not having new members right away. Delayed initiation due to delayed pledging. Huge headache for chapters in regulating infractions other member behavior prior to recruitment. Massive declining participation in Greek life, when we are just bringing a new chapter onto campus that we need to be successful. May already have too many commitments to have time to rush. Not being able to live in as easily. Not having a solid group of friends outside of the dorm halls. Peoples classes are starting to get more busy and require more work compared to the beginning of the semester. May also feel overwhelmed going through all this in the middle of midterms. May be too late for students to get help in classes from older members. they're grades may be set in stone by the time they meet an older member that could help them.

Mid fall would be the worst time to have recruitment because there would be a lag between work week and recruitment. Also, this is when midterms, orgs and other commitments truly start and it would be incredibly hectic for PNMs and members. This could drive women away from Greek life. Midterms More academic interferences Would be difficult for current chapter members Would most likely be during the first round of midterms Interfere with other activities and school events. More stressful because classes have already started and a lot is going on More students will miss out on the opportunity to join the Greek community, because they committed to like 5 student organizations...so it'll be THOSE students that won't be able to juggle all those commitments, not the Fall recruitment kids.

Moving rush back would interfere with school more than traditional fall rush. Since we are here for academics, it should take priority in the decision of when to have rush. My friends at other schools with delayed recruitment hate it. They say they don't like that they find a set group of friends and then that all changes when they join sororities or not. also why is this entire survey in the double negative?????? n/a N/a N/A na New members may miss out on opportunities for important chapter events such as formal and philanthropies. none None None. Not being in it as long as the others have. Nothing to add Once again this is a very bias question. Once the academic schedule is in full swing, many students may feel too overwhelmed due to classwork to participate in recruitment. Our general schedule would have to be completely redesigned. Part of the benefit of having fall recruitment so early is that everyone gets to adjust to the start of a new year on campus together. If it is delayed, speaking as someone who rushed in the fall as a freshman, Freshman will not meet any upperclassmen/women until they are settled again which would make the experience less genuine. people are already involved in other things and may not be as interested People are more likely to join other clubs instead, therefore less people will be pledging in the spring. This will make it more difficult to raise large sums of money for philanthropy, given there are less members donating their time and money.

People are so busy in the middle of the year. I wouldn't want to hold rush then. It's nice in early Fall because then it's over for the year. And nobody wants to trek around in their snow boots to go through rush. Trust me, a lot less people would rush.

People form opinions on sororities and girls that are often biased and inaccurate. People get too involved in upper level (not entry level) classes and no longer have time. The winter makes people not want to visit the house or go to any events. It's far too cold in the midwest to make this possible. People have already chosen what they will be involved in that semester. It will cut numbers. People may think they're too busy to participate people want to rush so that they have friends right away in the fall PNMs might not join after already making friends and acclimating Potential conflicts with academics. Pushing recruitment off until the winter semester would not only drastically decrease the amount of members interested in joining Greek life, but it would be much more difficult to accomplish. It would require chapter members to return to Madison early, shortening their month-long winter break and give those involved in planning Formal Recruitment much less time to do so. It would cause logistical problems due to harsh winter weather conditions, and would conflict more with academic and work commitments. There are many reasons that recruitment is traditionally done in the fall nation-wide, and those benefits need to be seriously considered. Recruitment is a stressful process, as are the first round of midterms as college freshmen. No one would be able to rush because there would be too much pressure between academics and rushing, it would be extremely unfair to all students interested in rushing to make them choose between academics and joining Greek life. it would also be extremely unfair to the members of Greek life who are running recruitment which is time consuming. Recruitment is a welcome week activity and students are putting themselves out there and getting involved. Right in the middle of first round of midterms, would be challenging and stressful for incoming freshman to have to juggle the adjustment of college exams as well as recruitment at the same time. Right now, I can not see a huge disadvantage for having a delayed recruitment, in the sense that the process is longer and you have a longer period to make a decision. Same as above School and midterms have Started! Delayed recruitment is promoting putting social events before school!! Horrible idea!!

Sneaking around the fact that "Delayed Recruitment" is "Spring Recruitment" just shows that you are trying to change a system that does not want to be changed by the student body involved. Some students may feel overwhelmed with class loads or may have already made friends so they don't feel like they need to rush to find a group of friends or their place on campus. Sororities and fraternities would have to juggle school and other commitments during recruitment which would hurt the quality of recruitment and also significantly hurt academic performance and participation in other activities or clubs.

Spring recruitment is basically a joke and should not be used as the primary basis of recruitment because you miss out on the full opportunity for forming relationships which is the most important part of the greek experience. Stereotyping, more chance for "dirty" rushing, longer impositions of limited parties/gatherings, more risk management at fall parties because you would have to admit all pnms to try and stay competitive which could cause major RM issues.

Students are going to have other commitments like class and other organizations. It is important for girls to be at all the rush events and having delayed recruitment will make it difficult for students to be able to make it to the different events.

Students are predisposed to different chapters ad decide who they want to be a part of based on the stereotypes, not the relationships that form during the recruitment process. Stereotypes do not reflect the actual chapters themselves and people should base their decision on which they want to be in after the recruitment process takes place, that way they aren't upset or disappointed if they don't get into the sorority or frat that is the 'coolest'. Students become acclimated to doing nothing. In essence you have about two weeks to attract incoming freshmen to your org before they form their social patterns which are hard to break once formed. Students have the fewest obligations at the beginning of the semester. Delayed recruitment would likely conflict with academics.

Students will have a lot of academic conflicts like class and exams. Students who want to go through recruitment may have to miss out due to their other commitments. Traditional fall recruitment eliminates conflict with other activities. Delayed recruitment also delays funds for the chapters going through, which could hurt them in the long run; with new members not paying dues for a semester, chapters could struggle to maintain their houses, events, and philanthropy. This will also affect housing contracts and filling house capacity. Students will have already made commitments with their time and might not have time for Greek life. Students will have many more academic conflicts, students will already have a new friend group - less likely to feel the need to branch out, the weather could be very cold Students will not decide to participate in recruitment if it interferes with class and work. This would significantly decrease the number of students going through recruitment, not to mention the detrimental effects if would have on freshman student's grades on their first round of midterms. Students won't want to take time out of their mid term week to study. At the end of the day, we are here for an education and losing valuable study hours to rush does't make sense. Our numbers would go down drastically every year until our greek life becomes virtually nonexistent. Students would be exposed to rumors and stereotypes about sororities and fraternities prior to going through recruitment. I really liked that I came to campus not knowing anything about any of the chapters; it allowed me to follow my heart, not my ears, to the chapter that was right for me. Also, I think it would be more stressful for students to go through recruitment while they are also loaded down with school work. The beginning of the school year normally has better weather, and many students are looking for organizations and other activities to join before school starts (welcome week) The beginning of the semester is the easiest part for everyone on this campus. School isn't in full swing and the stress and burden of homework is weighing on you. If recruitment was delayed, potential members would have multiple conflicts arise, causing them not to come to events. The biggest disadvantage that comes with delayed recruitment is that it falls right around the first set of midterms. If I were to have my first midterms and go through rush at the same time, it would be a disaster to my academic confidence and GPA.

The biggest part of becoming acclimated to campus for me was joining a sorority. I immediately met people I liked and was able to get to know older girls who helped me get to know Madison. The other disadvantage is that our chapter would not be able to pay our bills for half the semester without a new pledge class. The deeper you get into the fall the worse the weather gets and delayed recruitment will impede on Greek Life social schedules and create a lot more unnecessary problems. The disadvantages are that attrition will be through the roof because students will feel too busy and the only people to rush will be the students who don't care about school. That is not what you want a greek system to be at its foundation.

The lake will likely frozen by that time so for the many houses on the lake, it will be impossible to show off the beauty of their house. Additionally the colder degree makes it hard to encourage people to explore all of Langdon, instead they either look for the nearest house or don't even leave their dorm. Lastly, if there is delayed recruitment, freshman will loose a lot of the help acclimating to college that greek life can provide. Additionally people are likely to have already joined student organizations, and it would be unfair to recruitment if other student organizations were allowed to recruit from the start while fraternities and sororities had to wait. The list does not say any relevant disadvantages that Delayed recruitment has. It is very poorly worded and makes it seem like there are not disadvantages because there are MANY. I work for the UW Department of Medicine and my job is to create surveys for researchers so I understand how surveys should be worded. And this survey does not accurately represent the disadvantages that are possible. So since they are not listed properly I will write them out. First: delayed recruitment would interfere for midterms for both the possible new members and the girls in the sorority involved in rush. This would not be grade wise for every member involved. Second: This is when it will be cold and hard to get form house to house due to the weather. Third: Peopple have other commitments and rush does take up a lot of time and even though it is on the weekend it inhibits people from getting involved on campus because in the middle of the term is when the student org fair is and when freshmen begin to join various clubs and activities.

The Marketing on Campus will most likely stay primarily with in the greek community, not giving any advantage to marketing by moving to the fall. The strict rules the Panhellenic uses will be impossible to maintain. Women are more likely to not be placed in the RFM system due to reputation, dirty recruiting, or having a very set mind on where they want to become a member. It will not allow the chapters to fill their facility with Sophomores because they are more likely to sign leases in the fall before going through recruitment. The student would have to go an entire semester of being with possibly not the best of friends. If you do not enjoy the people on your floor you have to go very out of the way to establish strong relationships. Delayed recruitment also opens up the door for dirty rush, increasing the presence of hazing on the UW campus. The terrible Spring time weather. The timing of Delayed Recruitment would greatly interfere with midterms and academics/classes would be in full swing, making this a very stressful time. The timing of this would greatly interfere with midterms and the stress of studying The timing would interfere with midterms and I would not be able to donate that much of my studying time every week/weekend to recruitment. It would add a lot of stress and I think my grades would suffer. The timing would interfere with midterms and the stress of academics. The timing of the rounds would happen RIGHT when the first round of tests, papers, projects, etc. Also, it would be impossible for Rho Gammas to get anything done. Disaffiliating for a whole month and a half would be ridiculous and unfathomable The weather is extremely cold during Delayed Recruitment making it harder to attend many chapters. Recruitment has been based around the Fall for as long as I can remember and it has worked wonderfully. I don't see any reason to delay recruitment.

The weather is poor making event planning harder. It prevents students from gaining leadership experience as early as they can on campus. Weakens bonding of members as they have invested time elsewhere. The weather is terrible during this time, events are extremely limited, and less attendance is unavoidable. The weather is worse, and the whole excitement is going to be delayed. Also, it will force fraternities to do an informal rush for the whole first semester, which is illogical and not cost-effective. The weather second semester would be freezing and snowy to walk from house to house The weather will discourage possible new members from attending various events. The weather would be a problem. Also, if you delayed recruitment, then more academic events and other conflicts will interfere with recruitment. This could prevent girls who want to rush from rushing, thus hurting the overall turn out of rush.

The weather would be worse and students would be in the middle of midterms and rush would be the last thing on their minds. Students may not even rush because of midterm conflicts. Also, it would be hard for chapter members because they have to avoid all Potential New Members, and by delaying the date this means it would be longer (and harder) for chapter members to avoid the girls rushing. The weather. The wording of this question is similar to the wording of a previous question making it difficult to interpret. However, the disadvantages of delayed recruitment would have to do with the fact that recruitment duing the middle of a semester might inflict added stress to potential new members who are experiencing their first rounds of midterm exams and other academic and exra- curricular activities. While this added stress might be particularly difficult for new members who are faced with making a decision about which chapter is right for them, it would also be very challenging for existing members to participate in delayed recruitment. Upper-classmen working several jobs and involved with other leadership positions may be less likely to be able to participate and students with rigorous class and exam schedules may also not be available for delayed recruitment. Recruitment is one of the most important parts of being part of a chapter and to limit a member's ability to participate would be a mistake.

There are a lot of year-long philanthropies that delayed recruitment would prevent new members from participating in. In addition, I feel that the items listed above were heavily biased points, that didn't allow for real opinions to be shared.

There are many other disadvantages that the Delayed Recruitment would bring up besides those listed above. For example, the delayed recruitment would be extremely taxing on students who are trying to acclimate during midterms in the middle of a semester. This would make the recruitment process so much more unpleasant and cause many people not to go through because they needed to study. There are no welcome week or residence hall events in the winter There are several disadvantages of delayed recruitment. First of all, recruitment is a big time commitment that is better suited for before classes have started. Delayed recruitment would also fall during mid-terms, which are very intimidating to freshman, as they have never experienced college mid-terms before. This would definitely have an impact on the amount of people who are willing to commit to rushing. Also, by this time, people will have already developed their own cliques within the dorms, and students may no longer see an advantage in joining greek life. Not to mention, they would have become familiar with current members and already have preferences and pre-conceived notions about which houses are 'cool' and which they would belong in best, which is very detrimental to the entire recruitment process. In addition, the weather at this time could get very cold and would not be ideal for recruitment attire. Also, this would affect the greek-wide philanthropy Humorology. Practice times for humorology are already fast- paced and very rushed, and the timing of try-outs would have to be pushed back. This would eventually allow less time for each cast to prepare for show that is already thrown together very quickly. This is a philanthropy that raises a massive amount of money for charity, and something that is very important to all greek members, not just those who are directly involved with humo. Delayed recruitment is not ideal and would not only affect the recruitment process, but also throw a wrench in several other aspects of greek life.

There is no way that people are going to rush in the winter. It will be a total mess and the girls will freeze walking from house to house. Rushing in the fall introduced me to all of my closest friends now and made the transition so easy to college knowing I was a part of something. There would be huge conflicts with work and school. There would be no welcome week activities taking place during delayed recruitment so that is irrelevant. Delayed recruitment would make transitions into college more difficult and not provide students with the fullest opportunity for the Greek system.

There would not be any welcome week activities going on during delayed recruitment. I'm sorry but these questions are very skewed and biased to answer. These questions are therefore not even accurate. There'd be more time to prepare for events, but it would limit some of the possible events since it would be colder These are questions that were structured for fall recruitment and by answering these it's giving the wrong impression. A delayed recruitment would be detrimental to the UW greek system. One we just added a new sorority on campus and this could be fatal to their survival by switching things up right when they'll be starting a true recruitment process. We want to continue to grow our Greek community not give them constant obstacles for failure. Not to mention most of our women study abroad their junior year, leaving us with the potential for empty houses. Most women do not want to live in when they come back to fulfill a live-in requirement. Not to mention the weather could be devastating on our turn out, given this year's weather pattern we would be putting these women at risk in freezing temperatures. Logistically, I don't see hundreds of women taking off their snow boots and coats and leaving them in the living room of these houses. There are so many issues with delayed recruitment, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We should be priding ourselves in the longstanding strength of the UW Greek System, not fighting about how much we can control it. Not being an alumna from the UW, it's sad to see how much the University is trying to work against them instead of supporting them.

These questions are clearly leading. Delayed recruitment is a bad idea. These questions are still misleading. Delayed recruitment would cause more problems for the both the University (extended period of prospective members getting in trouble/ partying) for rush and the Greek community as a whole. Delayed recruitment is both pointless and potentially threatening to this campus. These questions are worded extremely poorly, in my answers I meant to express that I see many disadvantages of a delayed recruitment process This creates a major conflict for existing chapter members who put a lot of time and effort in to preparing for recruitment which would not be possible if it were later in the fall semester since this would create conflict with midterm examinations and other academic obligations that arise at that time This is a horrible idea. This system would be worse than the current fall recruitment system because it would: 1) Require the major recruitment period to occur in non-optimal weather conditions 2) Require a large time commitment from people (both those in chapters and those rushing) that would conflict with academics due to being in the middle of the semester rather than at the very beginning before midterms/papers/etc. 3) Deprive freshmen who do not know many people on campus of the opportunity to join an organization that undeniably serves as a crucial support system in times of hardship to an extent that no other form of campus organization or institution has ever or will ever be able to provide 4) Cause a proliferation of "dirty rushing" in which chapters attempt to recruit potential new members with drugs, alcohol, and parties. This is a practice that both the university and many chapters stand in solidarity against, but would undoubtably proliferate with delayed recruitment as freshman interested in rushing are going to come around to chapters regardless of the official timing, all freshmen are going to be looking for parties, and outside of the formal recruitment duration, chapters are allowed (as they should be) to host social events involving individuals external to their organization. 5) Diminish the ability of the University to enforce sanctions against Chapters, namely sanctions that ban recruitment. The most poorly kept secret on Langdon is that chapters that are banned from holding social events still do so, and chapters that are banned from participating in formal recruitment still do so, in both cases under the table, independent of IFC. If formal recruitment does not take place at the beginning of the semester, chapters banned from participating in it will still do the same under the table recruitment, and will be far more successful due to the lack of competition. This will result in all chapters violating the rules and dirty rushing from the start of the semester in order to be successful.

This timing would be a huge stress on freshman because of midterms. The first round of midterms was extremely stressful. Having rush during any set of midterms would be extremely inconvenient and stressful. This will make a HUGE conflict with new members signing leases for the chapter house. With delayed recruitment, most new members will have signed in the Fall for a house or apartment with friends. This will create tremendous housing issues for Greek chapters. If Madison moved the lease signing date to January or later of the academic year, delayed recruitment would work flawlessly. This would be a stressful time to begin recruitment because we would be in the middle of school and midterms, the timing would interfere with all of the academics This would be around the same time of midterms. Polish week (recruitment practice for girls in sororities currently) would then become during the semester and interfere with studying. This would be around the time of midterms. Everyone will be busy trying to study for their tests and not focused on recruitment. We will get less people wanting to rush plus the recruiters won't be as focused because they will be worried about their tests. The weather isn't as nice so the process won't be as enjoyable. This would be in the middle of mid terms it would also make budgeting and filling the houses so much harder. If rush was in the middle of midterms I would not have had to time to rush at all This would be stressful for a freshman who is trying to figure out the academic intensity of college. So delayed recruitment would cause more stress for students since there are more likely to be tests and harder assignments later in the year as opposed to the beginning This would greatly interfere with academics, which is the main point of going to school here. It would be extremely stressful and conflict with student organization meetings, work, and studying. This would really hurt the numbers in Greek Life participation This would really interfere with everything from classes, midterms, keeping up with homework, jobs or internships. I don't think logistically it would be possible, especially for how rigorous the academics are at Wisconsin! Even as a junior, I don't think I would be able to survive recruitment if it was so late in the semester. This would take place during midterm of both chapter members as well as potential new members. This would put a lot of academic pressure on students if they are forced to balance going through the process of joining a lifelong community here on campus and studying To maintain healthy chapter numbers, asking us to only recruit in the spring puts a lot of pressure on us to host larger events, and it makes it difficult to get to know potential new members on a deep level, which is important because we are investing a lot of time, and money, as well as staking our reputation on them. Too much school to do recruitment as well Too much stress on everyone and not as many people would rush. Unfortunately, delayed recruitment might take place during midterms, which would deter a lot of studious people on this campus. Also, sorority members put in a lot of work to run a successful recruitment and if it fell during midterms, that would be very stressful to them. Way too disorganized Weather becomes worse further along in the semester. Weather could be not as nice. No connections to campus made before classes begin. weather gets colder weather, dirty rushing, having to come back early, not getting to spend as much time with your sorority Weather, other commitments, and lack of older support would be disadvantages. I come from California and did not know any other older people here so it was very key that I create that network early to get advice and help from someone who had been through it all already. Weather,ack of preparation, recruitment takes time and pnm's may not be able to find time in the middle of a semester

Weather. Wisconsin winters are often unpredictable and very cold. Having girls walk around during this weather and wait outside doors would not be a safe method. Well if rush was pushed back until Spring, then people probably wouldn't live in the houses until junior year, which is when a lot of people go abroad, so you wouldn't really be as good of friends with those people who you didn't live with and bond with. Also the Greeks would lose an entire semester of money, which is a lot. Also a lot of philanthropy events probably wouldn't be as successful, as there is one less pledge class working on all of the philanthropy events for an entire semester. Also some people might not rush because rushing is a big time commitment and if it is delayed around midterms people would most likely put school first, as I would've, and missed this great opportunity to be put in a sorority or frat.

When recruitment is at the beginning of the semester, it doesn't interfere as much with academics because it is generally lighter in the beginning and nonexistent in the summer. Chapters also work for two weeks practicing for recruitment prior to recruitment, and they usually do this at the end of summer. If recruitment was delayed, they wouldn't have as much time to be prepared for recruitment events. While technically speaking there would be more time for sororities to prepare for a delayed fall recruitment, these preparations would have to take place while current members were balancing their academic commitments, rather than in the week before classes resume (what currently happens). There are also just as many activities and events occurring in the residence halls at the start of the semester than there are a few weeks into the semester. Additionally, the cold weather and potential for snow half way through the semester is very real living in Wisconsin, which would make recruitment much more difficult than if it occurred at the start of the semester. Why not enforce the rules that are in place now? Dry recruitment is a joke at UW. To subject the Greeks to different rules and delayed recruitment is singling out only a certain class of clubs. Why would you not want to spend as much time as possible in an organization that will support you throughout your life. Greek Organizations are the most prestigious when it becomes to influential figures in the world today. Why would someone try to delay this? Will feel overwhelmed by first round of midterms With classes in session, there is never a good time to have a whole recruitment process take place. Midterms and projects are most likely to be occurring at this time and with academics as a priority, recruitment would interfere. It would make more sense to have recruitment before classes begin in the fall. With delayed recruitment at other universities that my friends from home attend the entire first semester the sororities judge the girls who are where they are, which is not fair to the incoming freshman. The girls and boys should not be judged throughout the semester, they should be welcomed into Greek life right away in order to avoid the judgment that comes along with delayed recruitment. Also, we live in Wisconsin where it is below zero come January when delayed recruitment would begin. I personally would not be rushing any sorority in the winter because it is just dangerous to be walking from house to house in the weather that we have in the beginning of second semester. Putting the students of this university at risk of hypothermia is not something that should happen.

With delayed recruitment chapters will have less time and be much more stressed when preparing for recruitment. There will be conflicts with other work schedules and activities and I personally think recruitment would be very unorganized and not as successful compared to fall recruitment. I think less PNMs will go through recruitment because they will be busy with their other commitments or hear stereotypes about Greek life and not want to join. With fall recruitment (what we have now), it takes place before hard class work and this allows students to focus on recruitment without taking away from school (the reason we are all here). If recruitment was delayed, students (both prospective rushees and the brothers) would have exams and academic responsibilities. This could stop rushees from being really involved in the houses and it could stop brothers in the houses from being as available for questions for the rushees

With midterms and winter break, delayed recruitment would interfere academically especially. With midterms falling around the same time, delayed recruitment would interfere with them and bring great stress to PNMs as well as girls rushing them. They wouldn't be able to focus on school and rush at the same time. I would like to be solely dedicated to my academic studies and not have to worry about recruitment activities at the same time.

With starting delayed recruitment soon after winter break, most students will be home and would not have a full work week before recruitment thus they wouldn't be able to market themselves as well as in the summer. Women, especially new freshman would be way too invested in their work and would not have their full focus in the recruitment process. This may lead to a negative experience or receiving the wrong house. Too many activities go on throughout the semester and I think that Recruitment would suffer in competition with those activities, in addition to school work.

Wording of header question for points 23 to 27 is also awkward and could be misunderstood by some. Work week and recruitment would take place during midterms and would be extremely stressful. work week would be in the middle of the semester, PNM's would already have made friends and be more resistant to go through recruitment,and it would cause a greater adjustment in the middle of the semester because they will have to go through another change in their life. Would hurt the greek community Would interfere most with academic/class schedule conflicts and the stress of homework and exams that will be more prominent throughout the semester would interfere with academic schedule Would interfere with coursework, a large concern for me when I was going through Would interfere with homework, midterms, and other commitments that come later in the semester. Would mean shorter amount of time for new member education to figure out if someone is the right fit for a fraternity. You can miss out on an entire year of friendship, memories, help, advice, etc. You don't have the opportunity to build as strong of friendships at the beginning of the semester. Having to wait and having midterms at the time of delayed recruitment would bring down the amount of people rushing and accepting bids. This would be extremely hurtful for the national chapters of each house who represent excellent organizations and women. 416 Respondents

Q62. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Deferred Recruitment? - Aids in transition to campus

Count Percent 656 67.98% Not at all 126 13.06% A little 104 10.78% Somewhat 40 4.15% Quite a bit 39 4.04% A lot 965 Respondents

Q63. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Deferred Recruitment? - Provides structure to open/free time

Count Percent 701 72.64% Not at all 111 11.50% A little 91 9.43% Somewhat 32 3.32% Quite a bit 30 3.11% A lot 965 Respondents

Q64. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Deferred Recruitment? - Limited outside commitments (work, family, other involvement) Count Percent 727 75.34% Not at all 118 12.23% A little 68 7.05% Somewhat 25 2.59% Quite a bit 27 2.80% A lot 965 Respondents

Q65. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Deferred Recruitment? - Limited academic/class schedule conflicts Count Percent 727 75.34% Not at all 94 9.74% A little 83 8.60% Somewhat 31 3.21% Quite a bit 30 3.11% A lot 965 Respondents

Q66. To what extent do you think the following would be a benefit of Deferred Recruitment? - Weather/logistics Count Percent 750 77.72% Not at all 70 7.25% A little 79 8.19% Somewhat 30 3.11% Quite a bit 36 3.73% A lot 965 Respondents

Q67. Please indicate any other benefits of Deferred Recruitment: Count Percent 234 100.00% I do not think there are any benefits of Deferred Recruitment. a lot of time absolutely no benefits at all whatsoever. Absolutely none. Absolutely none. That's at least a semester of missing out on some of the greatest experiences of your college career. This would also drive up rent and dues costs for current members Again, joining as a sophomore you get to establish another identity aside from your Greek one. allows freshmen to adjust to campus life before joining a chapter Allows students to get acclimated to campus before jumping into Greek life. Also allows current member to have a full summer instead of coming back early to participate in recruitment. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? as a sorority alum, everyone loves getting it done as early as possible in the school year because then everyone is freed up to focus on other things, most of which don't really get going until the 2nd or 3rd week of school. Also, it makes it hard to transition to campus because deferred recruitment makes people drop a lot of other commitments and focus primarily on the sorority. Also, this makes it harder on the houses because then they have to put off philanthropy events until after recruitment ends.

By not allowing freshman to partake in the recruitment process, it is limiting their opportunities and resources. They will be "comfortable" with the friends they have made, and will not see a reason to participate in recruitment. Can learn rep of each Greek org Cannot think of any. College GPA (as a new student adjusting to college) could limit who could join. Deferred recruitment is a terrible idea and doesn't take into account any important aspects of Greek life and what it provides to the community, the University, and the leadership skills that it teaches students. Deferred Recruitment is an awful idea. Deferred recruitment is stupid. Over half of my pledge class were freshman. Are you trying to decrease enrollment in sororities and fraternities? Deferred recruitment is very close to midterms and will produce more stress during an already stressful and busy academic time. By not allowing freshmen the opportunity to participate, they miss out on the opportunity to have a support system and the advice and guidance of older students. Without having family near by, older students are the second best source of guidance and there is little opportunity for meaningful interactions between different age groups outside of greek life.

Deferred recruitment would make sure that students had at least one semester on campus to figure out how to do college before adding the additional commitment of a Greek chapter to their lives. Deferred recruitment would not be beneficial because the weather would be extremely cold and it would be difficult for freshmen/people planning on going through recruitment to come back early from winter break because they wouldn't have a place to live. Deferred recruitment would not be beneficial for the reasons specified below. Depends on if it was still a welcome week type of recruitment. Fall recruitment still exists, so sorority women will have time to prepare for fall recruitment in the summer. Frankly I do not believe there would be a benefit to deferred recruitment. Every woman I have spoken to that went through Recruitment as a sophomore has said that they wish they had joined sooner. Freshman could get to know the campus a little better before rushing. Freshman make up the majority of new pledges and I do not think there are any benefits of having deferred recruitment.

Freshmen have the opportunity to fully acclimate to college life and this campus before jumping into a fraternity/sorority

Freshmen will be acclimated to campus and have the opportunity to see what they can do on campus Girls will go into recruitment with a very biased opinion of all of the houses which could kill the numbers in some houses. It will also stop a lot of girls from rushing because typically people go abroad their junior year and if you are rushing as a sophomore, that is when you would be living in the house. Our numbers will drop drastically. horrible idea. cannot think of many benefits at all. separating people based on age is completely unnecessary seeing as we are all in the same boat. Horrible idea. Just...bad. There are not enough older candidates to have an entire fall rush. How can rushes get to know anyone in the greek community when there is no recruitment? I am indifferent on this question. Deferred recruitment would ruin the whole process. Greek life allows people to join the community when they want to and as soon as they feel is able and smartest for them. Fall freshman should be given the option to join in the fall, and if they don't think thats right for them they allows have the option sophomore year. There would not be

I am not as big of a fan of this idea because, although being right at the start of my freshman year, becoming a member was actually extremely beneficial for me both academically and socially. I believe that this model would provide few benefits and is generally a poor idea because many of the girls who go through formal recruitment do so to make friends and transition to the college life. Going through formal recruitment as a freshman is very similar to joining a club, you find people you click with, become friends, and they help with the transition.

I can't think of any. I can't think of anything worse than dealing with bad weather like a possibility of snow or very cold in the recruitment process. This is Wisconsin and the weather is very undeterminable. I cannot think of ANY benefits of deferred recruitment. I could not think of anything worse for UW recruitment. The weather would be horrendous, starting off second semester in a very stressful way, taking up time from commitments you now have because you didn't know what you would be doing second semester.

I do not like the idea of deferred recruitment as it allows time for stereotypes to form I do not see any benefits of deferred recruitment. I do not see any benefits of deferred recruitment. If students don't want to rush in the fall, they still have the option to go to open houses in the spring. I do not see any benefits to Deferred Recruitment I do not think Deferred Recruitment provides any benefits. I do not think there are any benefits of deferred recruitment. I do not think this is a good idea at all because Greek life really helps freshman to meet more people and become adjusted into college life and it would not be fair to not let them have this opportunity. I don't believe it would help the freshman become acquainted to campus. I think it might be seen as slightly unfair to the girls coming in. It would be nice weather for the first round of recruitment, but the freshmen would have to walk from house to house in the (likely) snow. I don't know what that is I don't know what this is I don't see any benefits to Defferred Recruitment. I don't think there are any benefits to a deferred recruitment. I don't think there are any benefits. I don't think there are any benefits. Freshman would feel excluded if this were the case and I feel like they wouldn't be able to feel a part of the Greek community or even wisconsin as a whole. I don't think there is ANY benefit whatsoever to deferred recruitment. I found no benefits with a deferred recruitment. I have trouble understanding any benfits to deferred recruitment. In fact, if delayed recruitment had been in effect when I participated in recruitment, I would have chosen another school. During spring semester, new students have would have more outside committments that would be conflicting, most likely they would have more rigorous class schedules to work around, terrible winter weather condition, and less free time open to be structured. Deferred recruitment would also limit existing members decisions to study abroad, their requirements for living in the house, the

I honestly feel no benefits to this. I like it the way it was I see absolutely no benefits to deferred recruitment. I see no benefits to Deferred Recruitment. I see none I think its a great idea to have non Freshman have rush together, makes it seems likes there's less competition and not as crazy and crowded. I wouldn't have gone to uw if there wasn't fall rush I'm from a smaller chapter on campus for which I will be the recruitment chair next semester. It's hard to say whether deferred recruitment would help our chapter or hinder it. I feel that not letting freshman rush first semester could really help them get acclimated to campus, and they'll get a semester to see what fraternities, specific chapters and generally, are about. However, I'm afraid that smaller chapters like my own may not get as equal an opportunity because of that. I'd be afraid that small chapters would be overlooked during fall semester, and by spring semester, freshman would already know where they'd want to rush. Basically, I think it's inevitable, whether or not it's on purpose, that chapters would still recruit, or at least build their image, to freshmen fall semester.

If deferred recruitment happened in the winter before the spring semester started, students wouldn't have to miss class and worry about academics to participate. If deferred recruitment is chosen I think that the freshmen will have their schedule, campus, and college figured out enough to know if they would want to join a sorority or fraternity. If Delayed Recruitment were to occur- it is unfair that the members would have to walk in blizzard weather. If Madison has deferred recruitment when I rushed, it would have been really hard to transition into life at Madison. I wouldn't have been able to make many friends nor feel comfortable here. It allows freshman to get acclimated to life at college before being overwhelmed with recruitment. It is more difficult to havve outdoor recruitment events at the beginning of spring semester do to the weather. It will still be in the fall, so I think it is important to note that people will be much more willing to rush if it is nice out.

It would allow freshman to get a feel for what each sorority house is about and make a more informed decision. It would allow students to spend enough time on campus being independent individuals before finally making the decision to join Greek life. This would expand their social circles and also encourage individuals to become more involved with other campus activities. It would be good for the sophomores, juniors and seniors, but I think the freshmen would be effected negatively. It would decrease the number of risk management violations of fraternities because they don't feel pressured to have illegal parties to attract potential new members. It would not ease the transition onto campus for freshmen or help them make new friends. Little to none. Live in requirements for sophomores. Houses would be unable to maintain this important aspect of chapter life. lol. none. Meeting and forming bonds with people who are older and in the fraternity helps, as they can teach proper study habits and can have somebody go to the library with you members are more mature and can make a more informed decision n/a N/a N/A na New students would likely be more aware of this opportunity. No benefit No benefits No benefits whatsoever No benefits! no benefits. No benefits. It will be extremely cold and snowy and hard to go through the process. Also there is limited time between winter break and classes beginning so people could get behind in their classes where as in the summer people have absolutely no commitment. No specifics. no! recruitment right At the beginning gives freshman so many extra resources and a strong support system so soon after arriving on campus. no. nobody likes spring recruitment. Everyone I know at other schools is jealous that Madison's is in fall. none None NONE None this is a bad idea None whatsoever. None! None! Deferred Recruitment only leads to "recruitment related" problems for a whole semester, rather than two weeks.

None, this would be horrible and severely conflict with classes. none. None. Not allowing freshman to participate in recruitment would be a huge mistake and a disappointment to many kids coming to campus wanting to join Greek Life Not fair to the freshman. Not really see any Nothing to add older girls already adjusted to campus. Older students are already transitioned to the campus and will be busy since they already have outside commitments such as work.

Older students generally know they want to go through recruitment and want to join an organization and will be retained better by that organization. Only that PNMs have a chance to decide what they really want our of college and to get their bearings before going through recruitment Part of recruitment is walking around from house to house and standing outside waiting to go in. It is much better to do that in the summer than in the dead of winter. Same problem as delayed. Seriously? How many ways can you ask the same question? FALL SEMESTER FRESHMAN YEAR is the best option. The whole point of joining the greek system is to build a smaller, more personal community for FOUR YEARS. I don't understand the point in making people wait to do something they want. Usually if people realize they aren't interested in the greek system they just drop.

Something this questionnaire is neglecting to realize is that deferred recruitment is offered already on this campus. Sororities that have not filled to capacity during fall recruitment participate in spring or deferred recruitment. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors wouldn't be shuffled to the bottom of the priority list if they were able to attend recruitment separately from freshmen. As an advisor, we try hard to get the women to see the benefit of welcoming non-freshmen, but it doesn't always work out. Sounds like it might have a lot of benefits for freshman acclimation, but freshman might not be able to bond with fraternity members as much Spring Recruitment has no benefits over Fall Recruitment Spring recruitment is a pain in the ass. Stated in prior questions. Still have yet to see any, unless you really want to destroy Greek life. Terrible. Would ruin the greek community. The best part of my freshman year was fall recruitment. I think it is extremely important that the freshmen are able to participate in fall recruitment. The only benefit I can see from deferred recruitment is that freshman would have to meet people on their floor and around campus before choosing to go into greek life. The only benefit I could think of would be aiding the transition into university life. However, as mentioned before, they would miss out on the necessary wisdom and mentorship a lot of students need their first semester in college. The only benefit I see from Deferred Recruitment is that transfer students could rush in the spring right when they get to school, similar to how regular students benefit from having recruitment in the fall. The weather would be absolutely awful at the beginning of spring semester so girls would have to stand outside in the freezing cold, being hard on their health. Finding places for coats and boots within the house would take time and takeaway the opportunity for women to actually interact and get to know what each house truly is like. The weather would be terrible for the potential new members and rather than basing their decisions off of first-hand experiences, the women will have had an entire semester to hear rumors, judgments and stereotypes of other houses that could increase the likelihood of them choosing a chapter that is not right for them. The weather would not allow for dresses, yet it would not be as hot as a Spring Recruitment. Also, one would be able to adjust to dorm life and meeting people within their dorm. There are legitimately no benefits of deferred recruitment. There are no benefits for Deferred Recruitment. There are no benefits I will rebel if this gets enacted There are no benefits in Deferred Recruitment. Students of all grade levels should participate in Recruitment. If Deferred Recruitment takes place, chapters would be back channeling freshman to pledge and compete for the freshman recruits in the spring. There are no benefits of a deferred recruitment. There are no benefits of deferred recruitment. There are no benefits of Deferred Recruitment. There are no benefits of not letting freshman rush. There are no benefits to deferred recruitment There are no benefits to Deferred Recruitment There are no benefits to deferred recruitment because it doesn't help freshmen acclimate to campus. There are no benefits to deferred recruitment. There are no benefits to Deferred Recruitment. There are no benefits to limiting the women who can rush. There are no benefits. There are no benefits. The freshman would have no time to adjust to greek life especially since second semester of freshman year is harder than first academically. There are no benefits. This recruitment would knock off an entire of amazing memories that can be shared. there are no other benefits There are no other benefits of Deferred Recruitment there are none There are none, it is a terrible idea with no justification other than a baseless dislike of Greek life. There are none. There are not any benefits of deferred recruitment. There is none. There is not benefits. There would be NO benefits to this. They will have time to think things thoroughly and explored their options. Think it is a bad idea... plus having two recruitment cycles would be awful... at least if you wanted to do them in the fashion that we are used to... it would be hard to get enthusiasm for that in my opinion This is not a good idea. This is not very fair to freshman because the number of the chapter would depend on how many freshman are then accepted in the fall, and sororities do not discriminate on which girls we accept based on age or grade. This is really stupid This type of recruitment would be a huge loss for incoming freshman. Fall recruitment was an essential reason that my transition to UW-Madison was successful. It provided my an instant support group that was invaluable and I would have felt lost without.

This would have no benefit at all This would pose a few large issues for how many greek organizations are run. First, most executive councils are run from January to December. If we had recruitment in the fall, there is no way Exec could come back from winter break and half recruitment their first week of being on the exec board. This would be a huge and difficult thing to change. Another issue would be regarding the house. Many people have already signed leases by the time deferred recruitment would occur, and juniors would have to fill the house. This, again, would be a very difficult change to the way many greek organizations are run on campus.

THIS WOULD SUCK! WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THIS QUESTION 1000 TIMES OVER AND OVER AGAIN Very few. Disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. Way too cold and i know that if I had to rush second semester I would of transferred by then because i met all my best friends first semester when i rushed. So you could possibly loose a lot of students. Weather is worse in the Spring recruitment time. You have first semester grades & involvement to look at for the Freshmen. you're not even going to explain the difference between delayed and deferred recruitment yet you're asking everybody to answer multiple questions about it? zero ZERO 234 Respondents

Q68. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment? - Conflicts with Residence Hall activities and opportunities to build relationships Count Percent 450 46.63% Not at all 86 8.91% A little 111 11.50% Somewhat 47 4.87% Quite a bit 271 28.08% A lot 965 Respondents

Q69. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment? - Doesn't allow new students to attend Welcome Week Events Count Percent 549 56.89% Not at all 71 7.36% A little 90 9.33% Somewhat 24 2.49% Quite a bit 231 23.94% A lot 965 Respondents

Q70. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment? - Decreases likelihood that students will join a fraternity/sorority due to other commitments Count Percent 123 12.75% Not at all 55 5.70% A little 120 12.44% Somewhat 122 12.64% Quite a bit 545 56.48% A lot 965 Respondents

Q71. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment? - Doesn't allow potential new members to become acclimated to campus before making a large decision Count Percent 460 47.67% Not at all 108 11.19% A little 113 11.71% Somewhat 36 3.73% Quite a bit 248 25.70% A lot 965 Respondents

Q72. To what extent do you think the following would be a disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment? - Doesn't allow chapters to fully prepare and market their events Count Percent 400 41.45% Not at all 99 10.26% A little 108 11.19% Somewhat 56 5.80% Quite a bit 302 31.30% A lot 965 Respondents

Q73. Please indicate any other disadvantages of Deferred Recruitment: Count Percent 406 100.00% (Much of this I put under the advantages of traditional Fall Formal Recruitment) Freshmen couldn't really participate in Humorology or Greek-related Homecoming events (which would also make the Greek participation for those a bit lower, as you'd be missing an academic class). The weather would likely be ATROCIOUS. Would anyone want to trapse around Langdon for 4-6 days in January?! You'd miss a semester of membership. It would likely push House Corporation Boards to make women live in 1-2 semesters their Junior year (when many go abroad) or even their Senior (!) year, because leases would be signed already for Sophomore year before they participated in Formal Recruitment as Freshmen. It also kind of necessitates two different Campus Totals- one for fall semester when there are no Freshmen, and another for Spring. It means that chapters could be doing COB both semesters, *in addition* to Formal Recruitment in the spring.

1) in spring it is freezing out and the weather is horrible. Imagine having to walk in the snow, that is just dangerous in so many ways. 2) opinions about chapters have already been formed unlike early first semester where everyone goes in with an open mind. 3) usually that happens over winter break where they go back early, no one wants to give up their winter break after studying so hard for finals. A month is needed to just relax, no one wants that taken away from them. We are college kids and need some relaxation before going into a studious second semester. 1) it would force students to wait an entire year before joining greek life. Me, and many other people I know were really enthusiastic about rushing right away and would become frustrated and have a bad experience freshman year were we forced to wait a year. 2) part of the greek experience is spending all four years growing close to your brothers and the house as a whole. only allowing people to rush sophomore year or later would negatively impact the houses in multiple ways. First, the brothers wouldnt be as close since they wouldnt have much time to meet eachother and as long to get close. It would damage the house as there would be a smaller number of brothers who would be present for a less amount of time, decreasing their dedication to the house 3) Sophomore year is a lot harder than freshman year (as I have figured out throughout the course of this year). Rushing and pledging didn't interfere with school work in part because the work was not super time consuming or hard. If I was forced to go through rush or pledging again this year, with this amount of school work, it would be more difficult.

A Deferred Recruitment process would be harmful to Greek Life. Starting so late would allow people to develop "stereotypes" around each sorority which can lead to a bias decision. By allowing Freshman to rush removes all the bias so they choose the house that they feel is 100% authentic and right for them. A disadvantage would be present if both deferred and fall recruitment existed. If deferred recruitment were the only option, potential disadvantages with deferred recruitment might be: (1) negative impact on chapter budgets (chapters would only be getting 7 semesters of dues from members instead of 8); (2) if deferred recruitment happened during winter break before classes started again, there could be a lot of drinking and partying; and (3) the weather!

A huge disadvantage of deferred recruitment is the weather. Wisconsin winters are brutal and I believe that it is not safe to have girls standing outside in those conditions. Also, around 20 girls study abroad in the spring semester in each sorority which would limit our numbers to conduct recruitment successfully. A huge disadvantage would be that there would essentially be an entire year of new members sororities would miss.

A large disadvantage of deferred recruitment, especially to a housed chapter, would be being able to fill up the chapter house. Many new members would already have living plans arranged with this schedule and would not receive the great opportunity of living in the house. A lot a lot of time Again I like our recruitment process right now Again the school work during recruitment Again, a very hard to understand survey Again, I feel that these are skewed to favor anything that is not Fall recruitment. Again, interferes with academic schedule of members. Encourages formation of biases Again, leading. Deferred recruitment is an even worse idea than delayed. Again, limiting the amount of time to join an organization that will stick with you for your entire life after college. Again, stated in prior questions. All of the questions in this survey are extremely poorly worded. Deferred recruitment would further delay potential friendships and the weather would be horrendous. Allowing deferred recruitment would be nearly disastrous for sororities on campus. Sororities usually prefer to choose more freshmen per pledge class because they pay dues for an entire four years. Also, most older (soph/junior/senior) girls don't get as involved with the organization as the younger ones as they have already acclimated and created their own friend groups outside of their chosen sorority. Also, by deferring recruitment for freshmen, there would be a smaller number of girls to pay dues in the fall, increasing the cost of individual dues which would in turn alarm many freshmen interested in recruitment as the issue of finances is one of the largest reasons girls decide against rushing.

Already have friends or think they are too old to go through recruitment. Already comfortable with the friends they have.

Although Deferred Recruitment would not interfere with any Welcome Week activities and Residence Hall activities in the beginning of the year, I feel that it would create several more important problems. If freshman were not allowed to rush until second semester I believe they would miss out on several important opportunites. They would not have the support from their chapter members, particularly the older ones, during the entire first semester. One aspect of this support that I personally found most important was the academic support and advice that I received. I am an interior design student, which is a very small major. During first semester I struggled with a very difficult prerequisite for this major, as well as did the rest of the students in the class. After doing poorly on my first exam I thought it would be worth it to ask if any older girls in my sorority were interior design majors or had taken the class. One senior had in fact taken the class and personally reached out to me and offered to tutor me. After helping me for several weeks I did much better on my second exam. This help and support is something I never would have had if I would have had to wait until second semester to go through recruitment. Another important disadvantage, although it does not apply to all chapter members, is the problems that Deferred Recruitment would create for Humorology. A major portion of all Humorology casts is freshman members, and without them the casts would most likely not be large enough to put on a show. Not only is Humorology something that I have extremely valued and enjoyed throughout this year, it is a huge benefit to this school as it is the largest philanthropy in the state of Wisconsin. Finally, I think a major disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment is that chapter members would not be able to live in their houses until at least junior year. By the time freshman would go through the recruitment process they would most likely have signed leases for housing the following year. This would put off living in the house until junior year, which would pose an issue for the students who wish to study abroad as a junior.

Are residence hall activities and welcome week events defining the future of these students and how they become tomorrow's leaders? It appears so based on the questions. As a member of a sorority who rushed as a sophomore, I can say that there are chapters who do not want new members older than freshman. There were limited opportunities and I believe that if deferred recruitment were established, there would be chapters that would opt out of fall recruitment and just focus on spring recruitment with the freshman. Also chapters lose out on an entire incoming class's semester of dues. The small number of members during the fall semester would take a toll on the chapters. Also, many of the positions chosen for the next year are slated at the end of fall semester and many of the members put into positions are freshmen. If freshmen weren't allowed to join until the spring it would greatly affect our executive board.

As a part of the Greek community, I can say with 100% confidence that deferred recruitment will absolutely lead to more problems between the University and the Greek community due to the extended period of "non" recruitment. It will not work.

As an advisor, my experience is that it is harder for older students to get what is expected of you in a greek organization. We require a lot of time for getting involved in their classes, campus activities, fundraising, sports and community involvement. As students progress in their college career, it would be harder for them to adjust to the rigors and expectations of being in a greek organization. I would also be concerned about them developing bad habits that would negatively affect the organization they hoped to join. As an upperclassman its obvious the biggest disadvantage to deferred recruitment would be that it would take place during the school year. During work week we spend 8+ hours everyday practicing and teaching the younger women how it works.With our current recruitment model we're able to do that before school even starts, which is great. If we had to do that during the school year it would be overwhelming and I'm sure our academics would pay the price. Or if we had to have work week over spring break or winter break, that would be cutting into the rest time we need at the end of the semester. Summer is great because we've already had 3 months at home and we're ready to get back to campus.

As I have mentioned before, a major disadvantage to this deferred method of recruitment is that it takes place in the winter. The recruitment process would suffer greatly because 1000's of girls are not able to walk around in below freezing weather. The logistics regarding the placement of boots and coats for the 60 girls entering the house during each round would also be a difficult situation. Financially, there are housing dues that need to be met for each semester and by spring semester, sophomores already have signed leases for the following year. This means that the housing payments for the following year would not be met and the financial security of the sorority is compromised. Also, many students who choose to study abroad that spring semester would not have the opportunity to participate in the recruitment process.

As said earlier about a disadvantage of the Delayed Recruitment, having a Deferred Recruitment would decrease the amount of students interested in joining a sorority or fraternity. As stated before.. WEATHER: snow, 1000s of girls can’t walk around Langdon and engage in traditional recruitment processes. Sophomore members comprise our living situation and by this time many people already have signed leases (financial disadvantage) and loss of approximately 30 members to studying abroad. Less girls available to participate in formal recruitment. Anything but fall recruitment is a terrible idea. Many schools in the south do spring recruitment because it ISNT -30 degrees outside.

As with the last page, the list of disadvantages still apply. In addition, this would rob students of a full year of involvement in the Greek system, which is completely pointless, and would lead to frustration in not being able to get involved right away.

Bad idea Bad system. Biggest rush would be in spring which has terrible weather. Very difficult to get students to come to events. By having deferred recruitment, new incoming students wouldn't have the initial help and benefits of being in a sorority of 160 girls who have been in the same situation as the new girls to help them through the transition process.

By having freshmen wait until spring semester, they may already be content with their other extra curricular activities or believe they already have a group of friends. By making freshmen wait until the spring semester to rush you are lowering the amount of free time they have to rush because the transition in the spring term classes are much shorter after break than in the fall. Like I said at the beginning of the survey rushing in the fall taught me how to structure a schedule. A skill that no class on campus provided me with. By not allowing students to join a greek organization you are preventing many of them from learning critical life skills that older members are able to portray to freshmen better. I am glad I learned how to manage time from a senior rather than a freshmen in college (who had just a little college experience as I did) By sophomore year, and even second semester freshmen, many people are already set in their ways and trying new things, joining new organizations becomes tougher. Especially the older you get, unless you are in an organization, such as a fraternity, that promotes and even requires joining other organizations as a part of their by-laws.

By sophomore/jr/sr year people already have friend groups and jobs and commitments, all of which are deterrents for rush. Unless destruction of Greek life is the goal of our university (which it seems to be at times) then this would be awful.

By the time the spring semester comes around many of the students that could benefit from greek life might feel like it is not for them. Also, it restricts the ability of sophomores to live in greek houses which was very beneficial to me. Being surrounded by friends that are the same age and older I can make my closest friendships as well as learn from the more experienced and mature members. Restricting the speech of greek organizations to freshmen is unfair. Also, it would needlessly complicate the recruitment process by having to exclude freshmen from recruitment events.

Can unfairly prevent incoming freshmen from choosing which extracurriculars they wish to be involved in, and it will disproportionately hurt the smaller chapters on campus. Cannot think of any. Conflicts for girls going through recruitment and girls in houses participating (especially because the senior, junior and sophomore girls are more likely than freshmen to have pre-existing conflicts in the fall) Conflicts with winter break. Time for there to be judgements made about PNMs along with chapters. Decrease the amount of freshmen that get accepted Decreases the amount of time that members have to become involved in the fraternity/sorority and work on long time goals.

Deferred recruitment assumes that everyone makes friends with their floor. This is not the case, and it may be hard for some people to make the transition into college. Recruitment gives students a smaller community of people right away, it gives moral support and aid in the college tradition early on in freshman year, a time when students need it. Also fall recruitment doesn't interfere with academics as deferred recruitment would. It really hinders and diminishes the community and mentor program that is established through our new member programming. Being a new member chair of my sorority it is my responsibility to make the freshman feel welcome, comfortable, and have someone to talk to. I benefitted greatly coming to college and having that support system right away. Also UW draws from a variety of states, and a lot of these students don't know a single person. Fall recruitment gives them something right away to look forward to, to do, and to keep them occupied. It gives students something to do during welcome week keeping them busy and away from the typical party scene that occurs welcome week. Deferred recruitment could potentially be the downfall to the Greek housing system. Chapter members typically live in the house sophomore year and go abroad junior year. This would mean we would not be able to fill the houses, and would thus not have the financial means to keep the house. Deferred Recruitment creates a lot more work for existing chapters on campus. Fall Recruitment allows current members to devote their own personal on their summer break to recruitment preparation. Deferred Recruitment would not allow for preparation during personal time, and would instead cut into the academic year. This would create more distraction from school work and other commitments that could be avoided by maintaining Fall Recruitment.

Deferred Recruitment does not allow for the potential new members to fully connect with their pledge class when they have already been at school for a full semester. It doesn't allow for a strong support system from the very beginning.

Deferred recruitment doesn't allow freshmen to participate in the fall which is making the greek community seem exclusive. Greek life can be for anyone, and by shutting out the freshmen, it creates a massive disadvantage for them. This also means that transfers and sophomores rushing would have extremely small pledge classes compared to the freshmen, which ruins the concept of unity and sisterhood. This also means that the dues for those fall new members would be extremely high to be able to maintain a normal social and philanthropic schedule, which would cause less of them to rush.

Deferred recruitment eliminates a large advantage to recruitment during welcome week: which is to make new friends, get a lot of advice on what to do on the Madison campus, how to balance academics and other activities etc. Honestly, even if I did not end up joining a sorority, recruitment would have been a very beneficial exercise for me to participate in.

Deferred recruitment has the same disadvantages as delayed recruitment. Having a formal recruitment process during which classes and midterms as well as other extracurricular activities are occurring provides a very stressful and unprepared environment for potential new members and chapter members. This will cause a huge decrease of participation in Greek life. In addition, the majority of PNMs going through Greek life are freshmen. Having this group wait until Spring is impractical and unfair.

Deferred recruitment is a horrible idea. Deferred recruitment is a terrible idea, freshmen deserve to rush when they choose. Deferred recruitment is a very negative change to the recruitment model for a variety of reasons. The way housing works on this campus, students would have already signed a lease and wouldn't have the opportunity to live in the house as a sophomore. That would require juniors to live in the house to meet house dues and fill the house. This would be a problem for students going abroad. Those students going abroad would also not be able to participate in the recruitment process which would make recruitment much more difficult with the amount of girls coming through increasing each year. The weather is a huge factor. The beginning of second semester is absolutely freezing and snowy and moving to and from recruitment events would be miserable. We would lose fall member dues which could likely negatively impact the houses chapter and house funds. The preparation for rush would have to be before the beginning of second semester, likely at the end of winter break and not everyone is allowed back on campus in their housing in time for that process. Rho Gammas and Pan-hellenic members would have to be disaffiliated from their chapters for a whole semester making philanthropies and chapter-wide events much more difficult. The standing rules for the recruitment process would also have to be re-written which is an added burden. Additionally, each year, more and more students from far away states are coming to campus. These students, like myself, often don’t know anyone when they get to school. Recruitment in the fall semester helps students establish an immediate support system and provided students with numerous resources both in and outside the Greek community. Students in Greek life are also held to certain academic standards in order to participate and without those standards. The all-women overall GPA on campus is lower than the all-Greek women GPA on campus. Students would not have the academic resources Greek life provides if recruitment was deferred until spring.

Deferred recruitment is an absolutely horrible idea. Not only would the weather be unpredictable and most likely make recruitment very inconvenient, but it would ruin the first year greek-life experience for freshman. The best part about rushing was coming to school and right away having a bond with people in your recruitment group in addition to getting to know people on your floor, so it was easy to branch out and not become exclusively friends with your roommate and the girls across the hall. Deferred recruitment would negatively affect each chapter's individual philanthropies by causing less people to attend them, but even worse, the all greek philanthropy of Humorology would go down the toilet. This is one of the BEST things that greek life contributes to the community, and implementing deferred recruitment would ruin the experience of humo as well as the success of the show. Furthermore, new member education would have to occur in the spring during finals, which is very unfair to the new members. Also, it would cause many houses to implement a junior live-in requirement, which is not ideal and would potentially cause girls not to join. The busiest weeks of greek life are the first few weeks after recruitment, as everyone needs to learn the rules and become acclimated. Causing this to fall just before second semester finals is very unfair to the new members as well as the initiated members. Recruitment is a lot of work for the girls who are already initiated, and putting that weight on their shoulders every year just before finals would be so detrimental to our grades. Also, rho gammas would be forced to be uninvolved with their sorority for all of second semester and possibly all year, which is an extremely negative aspect of something that is normally very fun and rewarding. All of the disadvantages of delayed recruitment would only be magnified for deferred recruitment. By this time all of the potential new members would have their own ideas about which houses they would join, and this could ruin recruitment for potential new members and well as current members. Also, freshman would have to wait an entire year to experience the fun of running our own philanthropy event, attending socials, and benefiting from the support of all of the girls. My grades got better after I was in a sorority, and I would hate to think that girls would miss out on study groups and tutors (not to mention awesome friendships) just because the university didn't allow them to rush until near the end of their first year. Deferred Recruitment isn't logical to get new members to rush. The idea of rushing this late is not appealing to many PNMs.

Deferred recruitment makes no sense. The majority of Potential New Members are Freshman so having this would drastically change the Greek System as a whole--for the negative. I have friends who attend Universities where Freshman are not in Greek Life until Freshman Year Spring Semester and they have all had very negative experiences with this. They had a hard adjustment 'fitting into the social scene' first semester because they knew they were going to be rushing and people were standoffish to make friends because they felt that those friends would change once rush happened anyway. They also felt very pressured to always make a good impression on older girls when they went out and felt judged. In other words, having deferred recruitment led them to feeling like they were actually going through rush for an entire semester long.

Deferred recruitment poses problems not only weather wise, but also academically and transition wise. A huge part of a sorority or greek chapter is to have that support group with many resources to help freshmen grow and become confident their first year away from home. If deferred recruitment were to happen, freshmen would be missing out on a whole semester of academic and transition support. For some, greek chapters help students have a home away from home who would've otherwise felt homesick or not wanted to remain at UW. If deferred recruitment takes place, freshmen could potentially end up transferring second semester because they are unhappy at school and greek participation could've been a huge factor keeping students here. For me personally, because I am from so far away if I had to wait a semester to find that group where I belong I would've been less happy and contemplated transferring.

Deferred Recruitment seems pointless. Houses are looking for the youngest new members and the numbers they get first semester affect the numbers they are willing to take for the next semester. Freshman are in the highest demand and making houses wait till Spring to get them is going to hinder the experiences of the Freshman. Deferred Recruitment will cause many potential recruits to have preconceived notions of what the chapters are like without actually getting to know its active members. Deferred recruitment will encourage dirty rush and hinder the ability of freshmen to get involved early on in their university years. Instead of evening the playing field by allowing students to get a fresh exposure to all chapters while rushing, deferred recruitment gives students a semester to make up their mind and be swayed in unfair ways.

Deferred recruitment will greatly hurt Greek presence on campus because it will deter students from the process. As the semester progresses, coursework progresses and nightly non-study related events become increasingly more difficult. From a budgetary perspective for the organizations, this is hugely detrimental and affects our fiscal year. The chapters must pay rent to their houseboards and budget for electricity, necessities, etc. To delay this could force chapter closure.

Deferred recruitment will not be beneficial to incoming freshman because of their lack of experience in a college environment. Freshman students their first semester without any guidance from anyone will be more likely to engage in detrimental behavior and not put academics first. Deferred recruitment would be a bad idea for many reasons. First, it would mean less involvement in fall philanthropies because there would be less Greek members to contribute. It also means that freshmen would not be able to sign leases for their sophomore year because they don't know if they are going to be living in a sorority house or not. It leaves more unstructured time for the freshmen to get involved with unbeneficial activities and it would leave them without a support group or older mentors.

Deferred recruitment would be taking away a semester or year of allowing students to be involved in what was such an important and beneficial part of my own college experience. I did join my sorority as a sophomore because I was a transfer students, and I wish more than anything that I could go back and join as a Freshman. Getting to join a sorority right away gives new students a wonderful group of friends and role models right from the begin of their college experience. The support I got from my sorority my first semester at UW was very helpful to my success both academically and socially.

Deferred Recruitment would cause issues with living-in and leases. I also believe I would have felt more isolated in my first semester, since I would have known a lot less people. Deferred recruitment would completely subvert the financial standing of the majority of chapters on this campus, specifically those chapters with houses to fill. Another major disadvantage is the split recruitment of freshman and all other grades, which is a highly unrealistic model because of the large amount of time and money expended on rush it would be impossible to execute the process twice per academic year. It would also disrupt the curriculum and unity among pledge classes. Deferred recruitment would also take place for freshman in early Spring, at which time the average temperature is below 10 degrees. The dress code and logistical nature of rush make this time of year highly unfavorable due to extreme weather conditions. Another major concern for Deferred recruitment would be the strain of academic work loads. Ultimately, Deferred Recruitment would cause a financial upheaval of chapters, and would significantly reduce the amount of students that undergo rush do to outside commitments and harsh weather conditions.

Deferred recruitment would conflict with member dues and live-in agreements because the dues gained from the new members during the fall semester would not be paid, and those who join sororities may have already signed contracts for apartments for the following fall semester. Deferred recruitment would effect our dues, traditions and the overall experience of rush. Girls would not be able to make the same friendships at the beginning of college as they would with Fall Recruitment. If I had experienced deferred recruitment, I wouldn't have enjoyed UW-Madison as much, because almost all of my amazing experiences in the beginning of college were through Greek Life. Deferred recruitment would entirely change the live-in policy, which would effectively change where dues come from in order to maintain sorority houses. Sorority houses have been landmarks on this campus for generations. There would be no financial support for the upkeep. Deferred Recruitment would financially disadvantage Panhellenic chapters. It would lose an entire pledge class to live in, and would be costly to try and fix the changes that would be made. Deferred Recruitment would have a negative impact on student life at UW. Would also be a reason for students to consider going to school elsewhere. Deferred recruitment would interfere academically. Deferred Recruitment would interfere with acclimation to campus. Some people may not rely on Residence Hall activities to acclimate to such a large campus. Recruitment is another way to meet different people, and deferred recruitment would significantly interfere with this. Deferred Recruitment would interfere with my classes and other student organizations. I also think less students would want to join a fraternity/sorority if this was the case. Deferred recruitment would limit the opportunities for leadership that are helpful when applying for schools within the university. One of the incredible benefits of Fall Recruitment is being able to jump right in to a position in a chapter and becoming part of a large organization. Fall Recruitment also exposes you to other clubs and student organizations outside the greek community that may never had been known otherwise. Deferred recruitment would make Greek life such a large commitment as a member. To prepare two recruitments and have two work weeks would be so tedious and overwhelming I could anticipate girls dropping over this. Deferred recruitment would mean having recruitment practices over winter break, which no one wants. Also, fall semester is the perfect time for freshmen to go through recruitment because it allows them to establish relationships with peers early on when they go through recruitment, and afterward if they join a fraternity/sorority. Deferred recruitment would also mean doubling the recruitment practices and doubling the effort in marketing chapter events because you're catering to two separate groups at two different times: 1) current students who may not be interested in recruitment by the time they are juniors or seniors; and 2) new students who have more of a choice to decide whether they want to go through the process because all four years are open to them.

Deferred recruitment would mess with chapter dues and we might not be able to upkeep our house and make it safe for us to live in. Also, the number of people rushing may decline due to the fact that sophomores, juniors, and seniors would have heard the greek stereotypes, which would defer them from wanting to rush. Overall, the amount of people rushing could decline and the greek community might decline with it, as well. deferred recruitment would not allow our fraternity to fill our house with members, and if our house isn't at full capacity then we hurt financially for all of our activities. Deferred recruitment would ruin the Greek life on campus. Aside from the lack of funding each chapter would have by this recruitment schedule, this schedule makes it a point to get rid of each chapter on campus. There will not be a point in joining a sorority this late in the game. If someone is put on a floor where they find no friends, they will not have any other way of meeting people. This will make the transition so much harder for new members, seeing as they have no one to guide them through the first year of college. If all the pressure wants to be put on UW Housing in order to make every freshman feel comfortable right when they get here, then this is the right option. Deferred Recruitment would severely inhibit the preparation process of sororities and fraternities for recruitment. Students would be overwhelmed going through recruitment in the midst of the academic year. It is also more likely that students will have heard rumors about chapters that will inhibit their recruitment experience. I greatly valued the opportunity to go through recruitment with know prior knowledge of the chapters. It allowed me to follow my heart during the selection process rather than listening to false stereotypes and rumors. Deferred recruitment would take away all the leadership opportunities freshman would be able to obtain in a sorority their first year. Women would have to return from winter break early in order to rush and polish week would most likely fall during the week of finals which would decrease test scores for students and increase levels of stress.

Deferring recruitment would allow girls to make judgements about sorority houses without having a clean mind during rush. One of my favorite parts about rush was that I knew absolutely no one during it and made my choice based off of the values of my sorority sisters. Deferring recruitment would take away a semester of opportunities to build valuable relationships, participate in philanthropies, get advice from fellow chapter members on academics, and a number of other valuable experiences new members to through in the fall. It would significantly take away a number of the benefits that Greek chapters provide to their members at a time when these opportunities are most useful. Delayed recruitment would lead to less sophomores living in the various Greek houses which would lead to those houses into financial difficulties which would lead ultimately to the sale of those houses and the dissolution of the Greek system. Again, why would the University dictate that students could take part in all other campus activities except Greek Life as Freshmen? I can only conclude that their is a larger political agenda at play here. Let the students choose for themselves!

Delayed Recruitment would mean that Potential New Members would base their decision based on reputation and what they hear from other people, instead of focusing on the values and "comfortable fit" they feel at each house Delayed Recruitment would pose a strain on current members as well as potential new members. If delayed, it is likely that academics would either prevent students from going through recruitment. Choosing to participate in recruitment could also cause strain on a students' academics or work schedules, and this is not the goal. Greek organizations promote academics and involvement, and those aspects of a students' life should not be negatively affected by deferring recruitment to a busier time of year. Delaying recruitment would greatly hurt fraternities and some new member education programs Delyaed recruitment would hurt chapters and the potential new members for several reasons. First, delayed recuitment would happen around midterm time. It seems near impossible to juggle recruitment and the first set of midterms for freshman. Additionally, the girls in the chapter who would be preparing the week prior would miss much study time. Also, we would have less dues, which would hurt our chapters plans for sisterhoods and other social events that we have planned also our academic banquet. Additionally, girls need to sign leases, and if recruitment is delayed, it could hurt our chances of filling our house. Also the weather would be horrible for girls to walk to house to house in heels, adn having to deal with coats, and snow, it just does not seem realistic difficult transition from fall recruitment Difficulty in making friends and acclimating to campus life during freshman year Discriminating against Freshman should not happen regarding rush. Do not do this. There will be too many people who miss out. Does not allow new members to get to know the chapter; causes financial issues within the chapter Does not help people get acclimated. Also these questions are word in a confusing manner Doesn't allow for the close bonds to manifest in order to aid in academics. Doesn't give incoming freshmen, who are going to a brand new school on their own, all the networking and resources to find friends and build relationships Due to housing demand at Wisconsin, this would be a disaster for chapters on campus. We would lose an entire semester of dues and juniors would be required to live in which would lead to angry members and conflicts with study abroad. Additionally, the Wiscosin weather makes this extremely unrealistic. With unpredictable temperatures, it is tough to imagine how the rush process would work. If we got some sort of transportation--ie busses, cars, etc--who would pay for it?

During deferred recruitment the weather will be really bad for rushing. It will be extremely difficult to walk in heels and dresses in the snow and such cold winters. Again, this will hit our house very hard financially as the same reason as delayed recruitment.

Eliminates a period of time members could gain benefits that being a brother/sister in a fraternity/sorority provide, only thing this would accomplish would be to decrease the amount of students who join fraternities/sororities for the right reasons (ie not just because a fraternity throws parties all fall) Everything EVERYTHING. Excludes freshmen from greek life Fall recruitment is important from a housing perspective as it allows freshman to pledge a house and then live in the sorority house their sophomore year. If they rushed in the spring or later this would cause problems because leases would already be signed for the following year which means they would live in as juniors. Many juniors study abroad and wouldn't be able to live in the entire year. Chapters need full year tenants to ensure financial success. So I worry what a change could do for housing.

Fall recruitment is much more successful than having to delay. Deferring to spring rush will only hurt fraternity and sorority recruitment process as a whole. Rushing a fraternity or sorority is a great way for new students to get to know a lot of people very quickly and there is no legitimate reason not to have a fall rush process. favoring the older students. First of all, the weather would be horrible for the girls going through rush in the snow and ice. Bid day would be very cold and not fun for everyone involved if we had to plan around the weather. Secondly, girls would have less time in their sorority which means less time getting to know each other, especially the girls in the older pledge classes. Thirdly, the girls who are organizing rush would have to come home very early from winter break to practice and plan which would be unfair.

For chapters who have live-in requirements for all members, these sophomores, juniors, and seniors would have to live-in, or pay the rent in addition to their apartment. We've never had more than a handful of non-freshmen and haven't had to deal with this question of how to pay the mortgage without the majority living-in. It would take some figuring out, but it's not impossible. Again, these questions are hard to answer - are we talking about disadvantages to freshmen with Deferred Recruitment, or to non- freshmen? Because those are different answers depending on what group you're asking about. So to clarify, Deferred Recruitment would be beneficial for freshmen getting involved on campus. For non-freshmen, it doesn't matter because they already know what they want to do on campus.

Fraternities and sororities help introduce the freshmen who rush to life on campus, both in the social and academic aspects. By restricting freshman to rushing in the Spring semester they could be missing out on connections and assistance to aid them through the early stages of their college experience. It is made clear to the freshman rushing that they are not required to join their first semester, so any of them who are unsure as to whether they want to join may choose to wait until they are more sure of themselves to make the decision. Fraternities would be at a competitive disadvantage to other student orgs Freshman enrollment in fraternities and sororities will heavily decline and overall recruitment will as well. Almost all of our members have come from fall rush while very little come during the spring. A lot of interest is peaked when everyone is new and making friends (or not making friends and looking for ways to improve on that). If we wait until the spring, there won't be as much need to join groups as there is when you are in a new environment. Freshman feeling excluded. Only older people would be involved. Not having a group of friends to help you to adjust to campus.

Freshman should be allowed the great gift from the heavens that is fall recruitment Freshman students will miss out on opportunities for mentorship for applying to both the business and j schools. Freshman would feel excluded from the recruitment process. I do not understand why this process would be postponed when the fall model provides freshman with an immediate family, along with comfort, confidence, and help when needed.

Freshman would get left out of this bonding experience would allow for Greek life to decrease in size. Freshman would not have as much of an opportunity to go through recruitment at all houses unless the process was changed.

Freshman year I was looking for a way to meet a lot of new people outside my dorm. Formal recruitment before school began was the best and least stressful way to do it. freshmen don't have the opportunity to meet people right away. If they make a solid group of friends before rushing, they may feel less inclined to rush in the spring Freshmen would personally be excluded from an event that at many schools they would be able to participate in. I think this would highly affect people's decisions to attend the university in addition to Greek house sizes, live in requirements, dues etc. freshmen year is the best time to get involved Gigantic increased financial burden on chapters by requiring them all to hold two formal recruitments. Need for entirely new regulation, process, etc. Decreased participation in Greek life. The majority of sorority women in junior year go off campus during spring semester, so they would not be able to participate in recruitment with freshman. This is a large detrimental to all the chapters. Girls going through recruitment would have to walk from the Southeast and Lakeshore neighborhoods to Langdon in the middle of winter, and then between all of the houses. I also would have struggled much more academically my first semester had I not been in a sorority yet. Girls will not be able to make a values based decision on joining a chapter. They will base their decision off stupid rumors and it will create a very hostile Greek environment Greek chapters would have their membership decimated. Less people would be involved in student organizations, less money would be raised for charity, less community service hours would be volunteered and without an added study network, grades may drop.

Greek community would be significantly smaller. Fraternities would get in more trouble with having more freshmen going to their parties. FIPG and Risk management policies would be tougher to abide to. Freshmen need more structure in their life, otherwise they will not know how to be an effective student. Greek life has done so much to shape my freshman year. I don't think I would have had such a positive experience if I didn't rush early in the year. It helped me get to know the campus in a fun and sociable way. Greek life isn't about splitting up the grades. What's great about being Greek is having the advantage of being in a pledge class with girls that might be older than you and still becoming close with them Greek Organizations provide the best avenue to get use to the UW. Other transition event will never compare to what a Greek Organization can do. These organizations provide camaraderie that is unparalleled. Freshman want to get as much out of college as possible and Greek Organizations make that happen. These organizations provide the best friendships and a group of people that will be there for you through your ups and downs. The friends you make by going Greek are not normal friends, they are your family and they will do anything to help you. harder to adjust to school when not in greek life with a solid group of friends harder to transition, conflicts with class Having classes of exclusively upperclassmen and freshman doesn't allow for proper interaction. Having older classes leads to fractions between new members Having different age groups rush at different times would create major divides within the chapter and the chapters would struggle financially without a full class of new members. Also how would we discern between a transfer student with sophomore status and a sophomore who spent their freshman year at UW-Madison? The freshman should not be punished because they know they want to be a part of greek life before they even step on this campus.

Having it in the midst of midterms would discourage people from recruitment and not allow enough time for chapters to prepare because they are busy with other things. Having two different recruitment sessions in the fall and spring would present a financial burden on many chapters. Recruitment is an extremely expensive process for panhellenic chapters. Expenses include shirts for all chapter members, food and drink for chapter members and women going through recruitment, bid day shirts for the entire chapter and new members, and many more costs. This would also be very time consuming for active members. Recruitment is an event in which chapters prepare all year for. Having two separate recruitment events has a strong possibility to interfere with members' academics, work, and other commitments. HORRENDOUS IDEA WOULD RUIN THE GREEK SYSTEM How can rushes get to know anyone in the greek community when there is no recruitment? Huge decrease in recruitment quality/success. Freshman want to feel part of a community and we should not deny them the opportunity to do so when they get on campus. Huge pledge class divide and difficult to make close bonds between chapter. Many students study abroad second semester and will not be able to help during recruitment which puts many chapters at a huge disadvantage. Humo, the biggest philanthropy on campus, would not be available to freshmen. "Dry rush" would be all first semester which would LESSEN a freshmans ability to form friendships with those of the opposite gender in Greek life.

Humorology is Wisconsin's largest philanthropic event on campus. It is fully produced by members of the Greek community. It was the best part of my freshman year. I was able to continue dancing, which was a passion of mine from high school. I was able to donate over 50+ hours of community service. I was able to be part of a performance I was proud of. Most casts are made up of freshman and sophomores in fraternities and sororities. If recruitment was deferred, this event could not be as successful as it has been since the 40's. Humorology would be almost impossible Hundreds of girls cannot walk around Langdon and engage in traditional recruitment processes if it is heavily snowing or freezing cold outside. Also, at this time, many people already have signed leases causing the amount of sophomores that would usually live in the house to decrease. This is in addition to the loss of approximately 30 members studying abroad during second semester. There would be a LOT less girls participating in this recruitment. I am confused by the wording of this question. For me recruitment helped me to build relationships with others in my residence and become acclimated to campus so I do not understand why they would be listed as disadvantages. Deferred recruitment would have hurt my experience as an undergraduate. Deferred recruitment would also limit existing members decisions to study abroad, their requirements for living in the house, the logistics for elections to executive boards, the opportunites for transfer students to be involved in greek life, and the planning and organization of the recruitment events. Deferred recruitment would discourage students from getting involved with Greek life because the timing of the process would not work well with the other opportunities and challenges offered at UW-Madison. I am indifferent on this question, although some of these may not be disadvantages of deferred recruitment, its not necessary. Welcome week events and residence hall opportunities are attend based on personal choices and are attended by those who want to. Its a very obvious decision for most people whether or not to join greek life.If they feel that not being able to attend one week of welcome week events rather than waiting a semester or more to be able to join a sisterhood than they probably don't want to join the sisterhood that much in the first place. I believe it would be a huge disadvantage. I also think spring semester is busier than fall so it would result in less people going through recruitment which is not what we want. I believe that deferred recruitment would be a disadvantage in many ways. Involvement in a Greek organization can help students to make connections on campus, take on leadership roles, become involved with other student organizations and philanthropies of other Greek houses, and so much more- and I think that anyone who is interested should have the option to be a part of that as soon as possible. It's also a benefit for students to be able to have Greek involvement, particularly in community service events or leadership positions, on their resumes for applications for admission to majors, jobs, internships, or leadership roles in other student organizations. Delaying this involvement would only serve to limit the amount of experience that younger students can get in their first semester on campus.

I don't believe there are any benefits to deferred recruitment. I don't know what this is I don't understand the logic behind this. Not allowing freshman to participate in rush would be an unfair decision. I do not believe that it is the school's discretion to decide who can participate in what. I feel like not being able to join greeklife until second semester would be a huge disadvantage. My parents got divorced and filed for bankruptcy my first semester for freshman year. If I didn't have the girls in my chapter and their support, I don't know what I would have done. I know member, who was a freshman last year, who's dad died in November. We were all there to support her emotionally. Our chapter also applied for a grant through our nationals that is given out to sisters in need. Our national's awarded her and her family the grant, to help them out financially during such a tough time. If she had waited until spring semester to rush, none of that would have made possible. I also know it would interfere with Humorology, which is a philanthropic organization that is put on by greeks every year. Traditionally, the majority of greeks who participate are Freshman. Since the philanthropy is a year- round event, that would also suffer as well.

I have a very good friend who rushed in the spring at Cornell. The weather is very similar there and she admitted to experiencing stress and sickness rushing in the intense winter weather. Also for a student like myself that started on lakeshore, rushing in the spring would negatively impact my social life and involvement on campus as I would not have had the opportunity to jump start my college experience right away. Additionally, deferred recruitment would impact the houses as leases must be signed in the fall. With would eliminate the sophomore experience of living with your sisters and bonding together for an entire year. Instead only juniors would live in and many of us go abroad. With this separation of pledge classes, membership identity and sisterhood is greatly impacted. I have friends at Cal Poly San Louis Obispo in California where they have deferred recruitment and it is supposed to be awful. Freshman feel lost the entire first semester who want to join a house, and fraternities struggle to keep their member numbers high because they only have one rush season. Further, I again see no benefit again from making freshman wait.

I have heard that there is concern from the university that greek life takes away from resident housing. I disagree. It is clear that there is not enough university housing for the number of students on campus. Additionally, it is less expensive to live off campus than on campus, in my experience. These observations occur independently of greek life. They are of the preference and choice of the student body as a whole. I have said everything above. I joined a fraternity when I was a sophomore, and got to know people in my Recruitment class and in the fraternity who were a variety of ages. (Older, younger, same age.) Deferred Recruitment would not have allowed me to meet and then befriend the younger individuals who were already in the fraternity, and our friendships may never have come into existence. I disapprove of the idea of Deferred Recruitment. I joined a Greek community on campus my first semester at UW because I wanted a close group of friends on such a large campus, if I was not able to join at the start I would not have made the connections and would have had a much harder time getting accustomed to the large campus. I would be very much against moving to this system. I also believe this survey will not yield accurate results because the way the questions are worded it makes it so that it would come across as being a good thing for having deferred or delayed recruitment I joined my sorority sophomore year and always have wished that I could have joined earlier. Giving students the opportunity to go through recruitment as a freshman lets them maximize their Greek experience and take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities and experiences it provides. I know a lot of other students from various universities recruit in the spring, however many potential new members would prefer to do fall because then they would have been able to meet many more people and received guidance from upperclassmen. Also I don't think there is any relation between GPA's and other commitments and fall recruitment. Sororities have a generally higher GPA than aver women on this campus because of our high standards.

I know that joining as a freshmen made a huge difference for me. I remember how anxious I was to become a new member right away. Waiting would halt that experience for a an 1/8th of ones college experience. I think a major disadvantage of deferred recruitment would be that recruitment will always be in the middle of winter. Definitely not as enjoyable as summer. Another disadvantage of deferred recruitment is that sororities and fraternities would have an entire semester to invite freshmen to parties and get them interested in joining that way. I know that this is against the rules and should not be happening but we all know that it does on a regular basis. I just might open up the door for more potential hazing opportunities in the semester before they are allowed to pledge/rush. Such as, having freshmen drink too much and do ridiculous things throughout the first semester with promises of getting in the following semester. I think freshman should definitely be able to join a fraternity/sorority during their first semester here on campus. That is one of my biggest regrets of college. I think freshman would be better acclimated to campus if they went through recruitment right away in the fall semester with the other students. The benefits of taking class with sisters in your greek house and making 100+ friends right away is a unique opportunity. Personally I found it so rewarding to have all these girls to turn to when I needed help in a class or I wanted someone to study with. Deferred recruitment would delay that chance to excel academically

I think it would be likely to see higher rates of students transferring with the Deferred Recruitment option, particularly freshmen women. I know many ladies like myself didn't connect with students in the Residence Halls and would have felt lost in such a large campus without the opportunity to make friends through the recruitment process.

I think it would be more beneficial to keep recruitment the way it currently exists. I think that by not allowing freshmen to participate in Fall recruitment would not be beneficial to the Greek community. I believe that freshmen would make other friends during their first year on campus and feel less inclined to join a sorority or fraternity.

I think that freshman who would like to rush should be able to because rush allows them to make friends, get involved and fill up free time they may have at the beginning of the year. It's also nice to remember that sophomores could still rush with the freshman and wait if they choose to. I think that many people will not want to rush if there is deferred recruitment. They will have other obligations and have no time for Greek life. Also, I think it is unfair to the people that want the full 4 year experience of Greek life. If people are not allowed the 4 year experience, some may not want to join. I think the weather would be a huge barrier in terms of Deferred Recruitment. If winter seasons to come are as cold and snowy as this past winter, girls may not even be able to participate in the recruitment process. Also, spacing would be a huge problem for many sororities on campus (ex- Where would the chapters put all of the snow boots and coats, etc?). In addition, there would be more conflict with class schedules and academic life, as well as outside activities, which would interfere with numbers in terms of who would want to participate in Greek life. Finally, many chapters have a high number of members experienced in recruitment that study abroad for the second semester, which would certainly make Deferred Recruitment more difficult.

I think the weather would be a major disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment. It would be very hard for freshmen to go through recruitment in the snow and freezing temperatures. Also our chapters would lose a very large portion of dues during the fall semester. This would create very big problems for every chapter on campus with a loss of such a large chunk of funding. I know a concern with our House Corporation Board is also concerned about leases for our chapter facility. If we were to have deferred recruitment, freshmen would most likely already have signed leases for their sophomore year and the House Corp. Board would have a very hard time filling our chapter house. I think this would be a hug disavtage to the Greek Community in general. I understand it seems that they would need time to understand the campus before rush, but they miss out on an entire semester of friendship building. Some of my best experiences freshman year were first semester meeting new people and then second semester I had established those relaitonships and could be more comfortable coming back. It is easier to handle a rush process when you are dealing with a bunch of new things at once, because you just tack it on to a list of new experience. In the spring semester, relationships have become more established, girls are less likely to rush. They don't want to walk around in the freezing cold to make friends when they have a semesters worth of friends already at their disposal.

I would like to reinforce everything mentioned previously and put even more emphasis on this affecting every sorority and fraternities internal structure. The sorority I advise provides a huge number of leadership positions which start during the student's freshman year. This would really take away from the Greek Life experience and would deter people from coming to UW and being in the Greek system. I guarantee that this would affect enrollment into the university for the students that would have gone Greek.

I would not rush after my first year. Apparent friendships made in the first year would triumph the need or appeal of a larger brotherhood. Greek organizations would "dirty rush" for the entire first year. That is, invite potential new members to unofficial drinking events and parties at which the party culture is the only thing focused on. This is THE most ill-advised solution to a problem that many don't feel exists. I wouldn't have gone to uw if there wasn't fall rush If next winter is anything like this past winter, it would be CRUEL to have girls outside walking from house to house. Also, the recruitment process for the older girls would most likely start to happen during midterms and run through finals, compromising the grades. Deferred Recruitment also means that girls would only be able to live in for a semester their junior year, which means any girls going abroad would not be able to live in and this greatly impacts sisterhood.

IF THIS GOES THROUGH, UW MADISON WILL EFFECTIVELY END GREEK LIFE AS WE KNOW IT. In this option the students are upper clansmen so they will not be living in resident halls. They will also not be participating in welcome week events because they are already acclimated to school. It depends on time of year but as students get older they get busier so it'd be harder to juggle recruitment. It hinders the actual functioning of the organization. Having members join early on is a lot better and efficient for the organization.

-it infringes upon well established tradition of rush. -it weakens the entire greek system to a considerable degree. -it robs freshmen of a chance to acclimate themselves as well into the greek system. -it more than likely will decrease the number of people that rush fraternities and sororities in a given academic year. -it puts more pressure on fraternities and sororities to have great rush events since they only would get one chance a year at it. this potentially opens the door for an increased amount of rule violations.

It is completely unconstitutional due the fact we as Americans have the right to freely associate ourselves with any group we so desire, thus the first amendment. It is easier for students to go through recruitment in the fall, rather than in the middle of their school year. There are still an abundance of ways to get involved both within the Greek community and outside of it. I am involved with many organizations that are not affiliated with the Greek community. It is easy to get caught up in stereotypes and rumors about certain chapters. It is much better to go into recruitment with an open mind. Deferred recruitment might prevent a potential new member from finding the right fit. It is harder to gain a leadership position because you have a late start. To get higher positions it helps to get a smaller leadership role as a freshman. This can result in members losing out on opportunities and building their leadership skills.

It is harder to prepare for recruitment when you have to juggle preparations with school. for instance, sorority members will have to drop everything to decorate the house after class rather than just doing that all before the semester even begins. you can't let the decorations sit for a few days or weeks or they are more likely to get wrecked. Also, it is harder to compare people that entered recruitment so that you are taking the people that like your house the best. You will have to continually deep-clean the house. there are a lot of things that go into prepping for each day of recruitment that are better done all at once. For instance, decorations - having all of 2nd rounds in one day, for e.g., means that you do not have to make a daily event of moving furniture, decorating, cleaning, preparing snacks, and making time to debrief with your sisters after the round. This is especially true for preference night Also, delayed recruitment, by causing each round to be split over days, gives PNMs the risk/ability to tell eachother what houses that they think are good or etc. so that there is more peer-pressure in choosing houses. Also, PNMs are more likely to see greeks out drinking and get biased opinions. I hated having to drop everything in the afternoons several days a week rather than get acclimated to my classes - a problem that I did NOT have when recruitment was over very early or before classes started. Also, early recruitment provided sororities the opportunity to have bonding events and trips before recruitment that cannot happen mid-fall because, for early recruitment, we all had to be there over summer. Also, the earlier recruitment was nice for moving into the sorority house because we were able to move in before the dorms and then the members were settled in well-before classes started. Also, because early recruitment made my sorority more able to have a sorority retreat-type of trip and activities, it also made it much easier for members to take part in large meeting s where we discuss the things we want to improve about our sorority. For instance, we were able to reduce our weekly chapter meetings from 3 hours to 45 minutes because of the discussions in our big group meeting that we had on our retreat. Also, the retreat and other aspects of having to prepare the sorority for early recruitment just made my semester start on a better note, with fewer distractions, and when I was already settled in. My grades even went up a bit because I was happier and less distracted. When our sorority did deferred recruitment, we had to use semester time to also do practice conversations, "mock recruitment," which takes about 16 hours total but can be done all in a few days - this is mock-conversation where we try to make PNMs feel comfortable. Also, we have to practice skits, routines, and procedures for the recruitment rounds and this is REALLY frustrating to do during classes if recrtuiment is in early spring then every sorority member has to come back from winter break, endure more cold, skip quality family time, and recruit while NOT being fresh off of membership bonding and retreat activities. It is hard for PNMs to get around, and the cold weather, becuase we live in WISCONSIN, is a HUGE deterrent. Later spring is horrible becuase the seniors are focused in job hunting and graduating, so you lose that entire class's help in recruitment, you are more likely to have lost people that graduated in December to help in recruitment, and people Itare is notunnecessary going to beand at counter-productive their best because theyto separate are juggling classes. recruitment with finals and trying to get out and enjoy the ending of It just delays the amount of time that members will have together at school. I have loved being a member, and would hate to have to waste a semester before joining. It may make the freshmen feel as though they are not considered to be a part of the process, and it may make them feel less inclined to get involved. It only allows one semester to rush people, and with the worse weather the total turnout would be much lower. It reaches extremely cold temperatures in the winter. Having deferred recruitment when students get back from winter break would be incredibly dangerous as they would have to be walking from house to house and waiting outside.

It will be harder for PNM's to want to go through recruitment because they had already found their own in their residence halls and it will be harder to get better used to the campus a second time It will stop people from rushing. The weather will also greatly affect those going through recruitment in the spring. It will take longer for students to acclimate to campus if they need to wait until the Fall semester to rush. It would be weird as a sophomore/junior/senior to be a separate pledge class from freshman because there are significantly fewer sophomores, etc. than freshman. It would change the structure of sorority officer positions seeing that we elect positions in the spring that last through the fall of the next year. Freshman would not have time to be acclimated with the sorority before summer either. The chapter would not get to know them as well in that short amount of time and would make for a less cohesive chapter. It would also separate the freshman a lot from the older girls since they wouldn't be allowed to rush until spring.

It would complicate the living situation for the next fall semester because women would become initiated into the chapter at various times throughout the year. it would decrease membership because upper classmen are much less likely to join greek life. It would most likely force initiated members to come back early from our short winter break, it would also be very cold so for PNM to have to be walking outside all day would be awful, and for our rush you stand outside of the house for a few Minutes and it would be brutal for the new members. Also the RHO gammas usually stand outside to help new members to the houses and that would be impossible if it was so cold It would not be a good transition, and it would definitely interfere academically It would really hurt the social lives of many kids looking to make friends. It would ruin UW-Madisons greek involvement It would split up the pledge classes between Spring and Fall which would make it hard to form a strong bond as a class. I'm not sure what Deferred Recruitment means for transfer students, but I have made some of my best friends through rushing with the freshmen class and sharing that experience. It's major disadvantage is that all of first semester, fraternities and sororities would be recruiting people under the table before recruitment actually begins. It becomes one large competition, eventually, as to who can throw the best parties first semester, and that will lead to trouble down the road. I would stay away from deferred recruitment.

It's Wisconsin in January-- being outside is terrible. This would be a huge negative impact to the Greek community. Furthermore, delaying recruitment until the Spring semester exposes freshmen to potentially harmful stereotypes and encourages them to rush a particular sorority instead of keeping an open mind. joining a fraternity is about gaining a family outside of home, friends come and go but fraternities build brotherhood which lasts, not allowing freshman to jump into something like this would make them less involved overall and not really acclimate themselves to college Joining a sorority helps to transition you onto campus -Junior live-in requirement -Loss of fall new member dues -Delayed recruitment could be in the middle of midterms -Rho gammas and PHA exec would have to be disaffiliated for a whole semester with deferred recruitment -Standing rules would have to be rewritten Juniors and seniors RARELY, RARELY ever rush. It doesn't make sense in my mind to penalize the individuals (sophomores and freshman) who want to rush by defer recruitment for freshman to benefit the individuals who don't take advantage of rush in the first place. Less students would end up joining greek life, because as a freshmen you do not have as much on your plate when it comes to applying to programs and other school related tasks. Less time in a chapter wouldn't be fun. Part of being in Greek life is an entire four years of commitment, not just three. Many times freshmen are expected to be leaders and play an integral role in the functioning of the chapter. Longer times spent in a greek org adds to its value. They have the most to offer to freshmen. loss of chance to take part of humo and philanthropies chapter loses out on semester of dues snow limits chances of women participating in recruitment Makes it more difficult for freshmen to form relationships and become acclimated to such a big campus Makes the first year more stressful. Have to worry about making a good impression on older girls. Friends CONSTANTLY talking about what sorority they want to do. Many chapters have upwards to 20 girls who study abroad in the spring so the recruitment process alone would suffer so girls may not be as motivated to join a house that they would have actually fit in best. Going an entire semester without meeting a solid group of friends could negatively effect students' perspective of the University and make them want to transfer.

Many rho gammas and panhellenic board members would need to be disaffiliated with their organization for an entire semester which takes away their experience. Also by having recruitment in January, the harsh weather would negatively affect the process. No one wants to to stand outside in negative degree weather, and considering the harsh winter that we had this year, being outside for an adequate period of time could be dangerous. Deferred recruitment would also cause active members of greek organizations to have to cut their winter breaks short in order to prepare for recruitment and for individuals who live outside of the state of Wisconsin and don't have many opportunities to return home and be with his or her families would be disappointing.

Many students will not go through due to bad weather All chapters would lose a full semester of dues, which would REALLY affect their overall budgets Gives more time for girls to hear untrue stereotypes Affects housing contracts for chapter, again messing with budgets Many students would not find the people that will be their best friends. If one person makes their friends first semester and then joins a house there is a much higher chance that they get too absorbed in all the new activity that they forget their old friends. This also diminishes the opportunity of sophomores living in the house, which is the best year to do so.

Many upperclassmen will already have commitments with school, and work and likely didn't join Greek life for these reasons the first time, pledge classes would be much smaller so it would be more difficult for new members to really experience Greek life.

Most sorority chapters have buildings in which members are obligated to live in. Typically sophomores live in sorority houses. If sorority members are not recruited until their sophomore year, sorority houses will struggle financially as it is not clear who will live in the house. Especially since many students study abroad during their junior year. Sororities will struggle financially and will be incapable of paying dues to nationals. Is their any type of compensation that could be offered to sorority chapters?

Most students coming in as freshman have an idea of whether or not they are interested in joining a fraternity. It is up to each student to determine what they want to do, what orgs they want to join, and how they will spend their time here. Every student is an adult and should be allowed to make their own decisions, not forced into waiting to join an org that they want to.

Moving recruitment to the beginning of Spring semester would cause our chapter (and others) to lose the large amount of revenue generated by new members in the fall semester. For half of the year the entire chapter would need to be supported by just three member classes instead of the usual four. Live in arrangements would also be very complicated because new members going through recruitment in the spring would already have living arrangements for the following fall. Without a full house, the chapter would again be losing much needed revenue. In addition, current members would need to prepare for recruitment during winter break which would mean that everyone would need to return to Madison at least a week earlier. Deferred recruitment would also occur in the middle of winter. Since PNMs would need to walk from house to house between rounds the weather would pose a large problem. Women going through recruitment would have large winter jackets and boots that would be cumbersome within the chapter homes. By the time everyone within the house was settled, the already short conversations during rounds would have to be made even shorter. This loss of valuable time could lower the quality of the connections made during recruitment and skew the recruiting process.

Much less likely people will join because loss of interest due to other commitments multiple n/a N/a N/A na New freshman students are exactly the students that need help understanding what's available to them. By preventing them from joining you are hurting the students. New members make decisions on their housing for the next school year and often need to commit to an apartment lease shortly after spring semester starts. Deferring recruitment could interfere with making plans for housing for the next year. On a related note, our sorority is required to develop their budget for the next school year early in the spring semester. This budget is based on the number of members we will have and number of women living in the house. It would be difficult to plan our budget if we do not know the number of new members until early in spring semester.

No other specific disadvantages. none None none. Not allowing freshmen potential new members to participate in fall recruitment while still holding it for older potential new members would force freshmen to miss out on many fun opportunities and would force chapters to incur the huge time and financial investment of recruitment twice. Many chapters would likely be unable to make the investment or it would put a great deal of stress on them, without an added benefit of any more members than there would be in the other situations.

Not allowing freshmen to rush would be a huge disadvantage to them. The transition in college would be harder. During rush they would have stereotypes formed about greek life instead of going into rush with an open mind. The current members would be more stressed about academics and other responsibilities since a lot of work is done before recruitment. Walking up and down Langdon in the snow is awful too, half the time the sidewalks aren't shoveled.

Not as many people would rush and it would be super hard while during the school year. Also the new freshman wouldn't meet as many new people and could possibly miss out on the chance to make new friends for all around the world.

Not being able to become a part of a big group right away on campus makes the campus seem too big to handle, whereas if you join a larger community like the Greek community at the start of your school year, the transition process gets easier and is a lot less overwhelming. Not being able to join a community within the first couple weeks of campus probably would made my transition to college more challenging. It was great rushing first semester knowing a had a support system to transition me into my first time being away from home and parents. Nothing to add Numbers would drastically decrease, Work Week would be during either winter break or in the midst of midterms, recruitment would be during the freezing cold weather in which women would have to stand outside the houses, Bid Day would be very difficult to plan because of the weather, dues for the entire fall semester would increase because of lack of revenue from New Members, positions within the chapter would be completely off-track, new members would already have housing plans for the following fall, which would throw off everything about living in the house.

Often, chapters are limited (by their National Headquarters) on whether or not they do Spring recruitment based on how many members they have. Thus, in spring recruitment many chapters may choose to not recruit. If a freshman has to wait until Spring, they may not even be able to have a full recruitment experience in which they visit all the chapters, which means their choice might not turn out as well as if they had the opportunity to see all the chapters.

Older students won't want to participate in the recruitment process because they are already transitioned into the school and have their community. We would lose lots of potential members. Our dues would increase. Spring semester rush would be very cold and kids would not want to go through the process due to the weather. It would not be enjoyable. We would have to pay for shuttles. If people can't join until sophomore year we would lose money because most people that live in our house are sophomores.

Once again I think that people would be deterred by academic commitments. I also think that this would put a strain on spring recruitment because traditionally very few people go through spring recruitment. Once again, the wording of the above questions is problematic and doesn't really apply. It is frustrating to see this survey so blatantly favor delayed/deferred recruitment. Once again: weather would be worse, academic stress would be SIGNIFICANTLY higher, there would be more extracurricular commitments already in place, chapter priorities will have shifted, and the will to explore campus on the part of the freshman class will have faded. In addition, acclimating members at a younger aged ultimately leads to higher levels of commitment to fraternal excellence on campus.

Once again, you're taking the wrong approach to evaluating this option. I suggest that you have a forum where actual members of the Greek community as well as other students can participate. You are certainly creating quite a stir with this survey and I think you need to do more research before making any policy decisions. One large disadvantage of deferred recruitment would be the weather. This past winter there were multiple days with well below freezing temperatures and wind chills. Many professors felt it was too dangerous for students to be walking to class in those weather conditions and even the University felt the need to cancel classes due to the weather. I don't think it would be a very smart decision on the University to implement deferred recruitment which would entail 900+ students walking around in these extreme cold temperatures all day for 2 to 3 days straight. One less semester in your sorority. I couldn't imagine having JUST joined. Only get to spend one semester of freshmen year with sorority People already have their place in the community and are lesss likely to Rush People are already involved and won't join for that reason. People lose the drive to join a fraternity or sorority after first semester Freshman year. People may already have a set group of friends and not see the need to join greek life. It also leaves freshman a chance to judge greek life and possibly not want to join because of rumors they hear throughout their freshman year.

People want Greek Life to help them acclimate to campus, not to have to find their way on their own and then join a sorority. People should be allowed to join when they see fit. People will have already found their group of friends and have their routine down, and by having deferred recruitment, this will completely mess up their schedule and make it really difficult to adjust People will not be as excited about it while stressed from school. People would talk more and chose a sorority their friends were doing, not what was best for them Personally I think deferred recruitment would only be a disadvantage the greek community. Going to events with your big and other freshmen is so fun. I also think that we have a set system and it works. This should not be changed. Having recruitment at the beginning of the year allows for students to transition to college and consider greek life in their schedules. If recruitment was deferred, they would transition to school and then have to make another transition once they join greek life. My friend at IU did not life deferred recruitment and said she would have gone to Madison if she would have known the benefits of having recruitment at the beginning of the year. Deferred recruitment would only be a disadvantage to the greek community

Personally, I don't think I would have gone through recruitment if it were in the Spring. I would have probably found other things to get involved with by then Personally, I think would be a terrible idea. Throughout the recruitment process, our fraternity treats every individual equally regardless of their year in school. I don't believe forcing the freshmen to wait an entire semester prior to going greek would bring any benefit. Please don't make it deferred recruitment. Poor weather, hindering good event planning. Postponing recruitment for a semester will bring on a whole new set of regulations in regards to active chapter members interacting with potential new members aka any female on campus (for Panhellenic recruitment). Preventing freshman from going through recruitment is completely unfair. A large benefit of being a freshman is being able to absorb and experience everything UW-Madison has to offer and get involved right away, in as much or as little as they'd like to. Why else does every other organization on campus start within the first month of school? Deferring recruitment would change the structure of many Greek organization's executive boards and elections schedule, and it would prevent freshman from wonderful leadership and networking opportunities that could help them to get jobs, internships, or acceptances into their majors/colleges for the following year. Prevents instant access to social and academic supports on campus for new students. Recruitment and the preparation for it is a very long and involved process for the girls already in sororities and having it twice in one year, especially during spring semester would be very stressful and conflict with academics, work, and family commitments. Also it does not allow freshman who feel isolated (like I was freshman year living in a small dorm in lakeshore) to meet lots of new people who have similar interests and feel accepted right away. Recruitment is a lot of work! Doing two formal recruitment a each year would really take a toll of chapter members. Spring recruitment would be extremely large since most women rushing are typically freshman.and that large of an event would be pretty difficult to coordinate with everyone's academic schedules. I also think separating the freshman from the upperclassmen would actually prevent sophomore from wanting to go through the process because most chapters are typically very selective in upperclassman selection and it is very likely most chapters nationals would want to save open spots for the larger freshman recruitment. This would also interfere with our Greek tradition of participating in humorology because casts are usually made up of freshman and humorology is a year long process.

Recruitment was a huge part of my freshman year and being in a sorority as a freshman was very positive and helpful. It would be very sad to take such an awesome and helpful opportunity away from freshman Recruitment would take place in cold weather and it would be more expensive for current members due to one less pledge class paying dues. Reduces age diversity in pledge classes. rushing in the winter isn't as fun. Plan and simple. Same as before Same as issues explained before. same as last responses answer to this question Same as previously mentioned. Same dilemma as Delayed Recruitment See question 67 for the disadvantage of deferred recruitment should have freshman be allowed to participate as well Similar to the disadvantages of delayed recruitment, in addition to cutting in to the much needed and deserved winter break that students have at the same time Smaller chapters get screwed because they don't have the funds to rush guys all fall semester to stay competitive with the larger houses, which would be necessary if spring were the main recruitment period. Smaller recruitment numbers in the fall could be problematic for some chapters snow, 1000s of girls can’t walk around Langdon and engage in traditional recruitment processes. Sophomore members comprise our living situation and by this time many people already have signed leases (financial disadvantage) and loss of approximately 30 members to studying abroad. Less girls available to participate in formal recruitment. so, so many Some freshmen would feel too uncomfortable to put themselves out there without Greek life. Or since they would already have made a ton of friends it would decrease participation in Greek life tremendously Some of my greatest friends and memories from first semester freshman year came from doing things with my sorority sisters. If I hadn't rushed until spring, I wouldn't have any of these friends or memories. Some students will chose other universities over Madison if they can not join a fraternity as a freshman. This is the best way to find friends with similar interests, both in your major and out of your major Spring recruitment doesn't get as many participants as fall recruitment. Conflicts with other organizations, work, dorm functions is going to cause many freshmen to not pursue a Greek organization Spring recruitment hurts the possibility of stronger relationships that highlight my experience in the greek community. students aren't allowed to find the friends that they will likely click with the most for 1-2 semesters at least. Students may not find that "home away from home" and will not actually become connected to the community/university if they do not find an organization that they can pour their heart into, find a new home at school, or meet as many individuals as they would in the Greek Community. You are really preventing diversification among the community.

Students who were initially interested in joining may not do so because of more committments students will already have living arrangements for the following year - conflicts with who will live in the house, students will have more academic conflicts, students will already have a friend group and could feel less likely to branch out

Students will miss out on the opportunity to build great connections with fraternities. Why defer recruitment for only Greek? Why not defer recruitment for all clubs and organizations then? Students would join other organizations their freshman year and not have time to join Greek Life. The disadvantages to deferred recruitment are also the weather issue of forcing freshman to wait until subzero temperatures to walk from house to house which is dangerous in the weather we have here in Wisconsin. With only allowing sophomore, juniors and seniors to rush in the fall it segregates the freshman from getting to know upperclassmen and from allowing pledge classes of multiple ages to bond. The double negatives in these questions were confusing to me but there are many disadvantages to the deferred recruitment. 1. bias formed 2. who would live in the sorority house in the fall? 3. Less people to attend fall philanthropies 4. losses of fall membership dues 5. bad first year experience due to the relationships not made the the anticipation of recruitment would cause me to wait to make friends because I would be anticipating being in a sorority.

The four years of Greek life is a better idea because the member can experience all parts of their chapter from new member to a leadership role. Also, it increases the number of members and connections a member can make. the greek system has been an extremely important part of my life here at madison, it would have been no advantage to me pushing it back until spring. The huge disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment is that students wouldn't even bother to go through the recruitment process in the spring. The issue with preparation/promoting programs is the officer transition. This would also impact the officers overseeing recruitment, New member programs, initiation, etc... being newly elected and taking this on instead of elected in Dec., take office second semester and have over a semester to prepare for these major duties. The major disadvantages I can see with this is that students will be busy with academics, clubs, and other commitments and may not have time to be going through a full recruitment in the Spring. The weather is also absolutely awful during this time and would be a damper on the whole entire process. What makes fall recruitment so fun and memorable is that it's the end of the summer and the start of a new academic year, and is beautiful outside. This makes the entire experience fun and comfortable. Many of the continuous traditions of greek life recruitment would have to change with deferred recruitment, which would be frustrating and unfortunate. The Marketing on Campus will most likely stay primarily with in The Greek community, not giving any advantage to marketing by moving to the fall. The strict rules the Panhellenic uses will be impossible to maintain. Retention in Deferred Recruitment is typically much lower. Women are more likely to not be placed in the RFM system due to reputation, dirty recruiting, or having a very set mind on where they want to become a member. It will not allow the chapters to fill their facility with Sophomores because they are more likely to sign leases in the fall before going through recruitment. Deferred Recruitment is very dependent on the weather, can be a very miserable experience in the snow for both the chapters and the potential members going through the system.

The questions don't quite match up with the process; in my words, I'd say deferred recruitment may be ineffective because by the time many students are sophomores, they will be reluctant to join a fraternity/sorority and make an entire new friend group with 150 others. This may cause friend groups/cliques to try and all join the same organization which doesn't aid in the mission of diversity. The recruitment process has been working the best right off the bat when we arrive at school. Everything is new and we are here at college because we can handle the transition. The strongest friendships I have on campus are with the greek people I met during my freshman year. They are an amazing group of people and support me through everything whether that be successes for failures. I would have hated these friendships to be held from me until my sophomore year. College is only four years, and I want younger generations who are interested in going greek to get the chance to make these friendships as well. The weather i.e snow would make walking around Langdon and engaging in traditional recruitment processes very. Sophomore members comprise our living situation and by this time many people already have signed leases (financial disadvantage) and loss of approximately 30 members to studying abroad. Less girls available to participate in formal recruitment.

The weather in January would not be ideal. The girls would need some type of transportation and a way to sort jackets and snow boots at each house. The weather would be a huge disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment. The snow in January is very overwhelming. Thousands of girls rushing can’t walk around Langdon and engage in traditional recruitment processes. Also, sophomore members comprise our living situation and by this time many people already have signed leases, which is a financial disadvantage. Also, we lose approximately 30 members to studying abroad. Overall, there will be less girls available to participate in formal recruitment.

The weather would be a huge disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment. There will be a lot of girls walking around Langdon in weather that is below zero. There is a lot of standing outside waiting to enter houses, and I do not know what we would do with parkas and boots. There would also be less girls able to participate in recruitment because many sophomores go abroad.

The weather would be absolutely horrible and possibly unsafe during this time, as can be seen by our treacherous winters (espeically this past one). Also, all Rho Gammas and PHA members would have to be disaffiliated for a whole semster from their repective chapter. That would mean that they would not be able to participate in any of our chapter events during the fall semster including philanthropy, chapter, sisterhoods, events, parents weekend, humorology, moms weekend, dads weekend, days of service, and the list goes on. Ultimately, it would decrease the likelihood that students would join a fraternity or sorority and it would decrease the likelihood of greek members going out for leadership positons and doing very benficial things for our entire greek system. The weather would be hard to walk from house to house in. The weather would be really bad, which brings up a lot of issues, including big clothing, and the possibility of dangerous weather conditions. This could make a lot of girls not want to rush. Also, many girls study abroad junior year spring semester, so there will be a lot less chapter members. The weather would make it almost impossible to have recruitment. I would expect an extremely low number of freshman going through the process because it would be right in the middle of finals, on top of arctic temperatures. If I waited an entire semester to join a sorority, I would feel extremely uncomfortable on campus because my fall pledge class was really the reason I decided to stay at UW-Madison after my first semester. The weather, first and foremost, is a disadvantage of Deferred Recruitment. Wisconsin winters are no joke, they are cold and they are long. Deferred Recruitment would force potential new members to travel in the cold and snow to each house for rounds. This would not only be completely unpractical but incredibly unsafe. Deferred Recruitment would also take away valuable time off from winter break. Again, we as students place high priority on our grades, and winter break is a very important time because everyone can relax and recharge for the next semester. Deferred Recruitment would cut into that valuable time, negatively affecting everyone involved. There are a lot of disadvantages with deferred recruitment. I don't like the fact that a person cannot join a fraternity or sorority until second semester. It will take away a lot of participation in Greek Life on campus. There are many disadvantages including weather, and our chapter's living situation. If there was a deferred recruitment there would be thousands of girls walking from house to house in negative temperatures. Also the sophomore members make up the houses inhabitants and my this time everyone would have signed leases. There are many disadvantages to a deferred recruitment process. The main disadvantage is the harsh winter that will be taking place at this time. With deathly low temperatures, 1000's of girls cannot be walking around outside and engage in a normal recruitment process. PNM's will have to wear hats, gloves, boots, and parkas in order to stay warm and the houses do not have room or time to organize all of this extra luggage. Another disadvantage of this recruitment process is that sophomores will compromise our living situation because at this time in the year many people will already have signed leases. This will lead to serious financial issues because without people living in the house and approximately 30 members studying abroad, there will be no one to pay the necessary bills. Also with those people who are abroad there will not be as many members to participate in formal recruitment.

There are many disadvantages to deferred recruitment. We would not have adequate time to prepare due to Finals and a break where most families travel. Recruitment is such a big help in transitioning to college that so many people would be missing out.

There are many. It will reduce the overall numbers of people in Greek organizations, these organizations give students many positive roles and environments allowing they to succeed not only in college but for the rest of there lives. This would be a tragedy. "Dirty" recruitment would also be a semester long issue that would be impossible to control resulting in many safety issues. It would be a shame if the numbers of an already low Greek community were to dwindle because the leaders of higher education don't feel that these organizations help out the community or University. The thousands of dollars in donations would be reduced and service hours would be reduced greatly.

There are not many sophomores, juniors and seniors that go through recruitment, this would make it extra difficult for the chapters and a lot more money would have to be spend. This model has a lot of disadvantages! There are numerous disadvantages to Deferred Recruitment: Women going through recruitment in January, when it is cold and snowy; Not a long enough Christmas break to allow for prep time (will have to do prep time during 1st semester and that interferes with academics); Uncertainty of housing (due to culture here where students know where they're going to live the next year in October, all young sorority women/PNMs would be in limbo.) There are so many benefits for freshman in the Greek community - scholarship, time management, etc. I would not advocate for Deferred Recruitment. There may also be an overload of freshman that want to join in the spring causing a rise in quota or a second formal recruitment need to be held in the spring. There is an almost endless list of reasons why deferred recruitment is an awful idea. This system would have a negative impact on both freshmen and greek organizations. First semester freshmen have no idea what college life is like, and are exactly the people that need the support and guidance of a Fraternity or Sorority. By not allowing them to rush in their first semester you are forcing them to face their hardships on their own. I was absolutely overwhelmed by academics my first semester, but I found people in my pledge class in the same classes who I could study with and older brothers in my Fraternity that had taken the classed previously and were able to help us. Had I not been able to rush and join my fraternity I probably would have been able to form other study groups, but these groups would never be people that I was nearly as comfortable and compatible with. In addition I would never been able to find older students who had completed the class to help me. As a result I would not have done nearly as well in school. In addition, in early October of my freshman year my cousin with whom I was very close passed away. I was absolutely devastated and of the 60+ people that I lived with in my residence hall, people who I spent an enormous amount of time with and literally lived with, only 4 were interested in trying to console me. Meanwhile, my phone was blowing up with texts and calls from everyone in my pledge class and tons of people in my fraternity making sure I was doing ok. The funeral was in New York, and when I returned there was a card in my room signed by all 87 people in my pledge class and my Fraternity offering their condolences. Only a Greek organization can provide that level of support. In addition to disadvantages for people prevented from rushing in the fall, deferred recruitment would hurt the operations of chapters by reducing the amount of time that most members are in them for. Greek organizations require a large number of skilled leaders that need to have spent adequate time within the organization prior to the assumption of their leadership role. Recklessly reducing the time that most members will be in a chapter will impede on the ability of the chapter to produce quality leaders.

There is less opportunity to get feedback from older members regarding class schedules, exams, other on-campus activities, applying to the Business School. Also, there is less time to do activities with new members to raise money for philanthropy.

There will be a higher chance of dirty rushing, as new students will meet Greek members they individually like or dislike before meeting the chapter as a whole. It will also be difficult for the chapters to fill their housing requirements, as the majority of people live in the house their second year. There will be a lot of bid promising/dirty rushing towards the freshmen if they aren't able to go through recruitment until the following year. There will certainly be a drop in the number of freshmen rushing. Many will want to get involved on campus right away, so without the option of rushing greek, they will turn elsewhere and subsequently not join the greek community in the spring.

There would be a lot of disadvantages. For one, the weather would be much too cold for girls to walk from house to house all day. Another would be that midterms and other school work is happening so that could negatively effect grades. Additionally, it is a rule that Rho gammas do not have relations with certain members during recruitment. Spring rush would mean that those have to be cut off for an entire semester, which is terrible especially if they are close friends. Also girls study abroad in the spring, so they would not be involved in the rush process. As a house we like to be involved in these events together, as a whole. We wouldn't want that many of our girls to be missing. There would be less freshman joining recruitment and the process would be a large burden on the houses. There would be less girls to help with recruitment due to many juniors going abroad during the spring. The weather would be a huge disadvantage. Sophomores would have a tough time with living because they already signed leases. The financial disadvantage would be a huge problem for our house. Deferred recruitment is definitely not something I see as an advantage whatsoever.

There would need to be a lot more planning for spring recruitment These students will have way too much in the lives to fully contribute to the betterment of the Greek community. This will destroy the Greek society of UW. Which is probably what the university wants... They are upperclassmen and will not be living in residence halls or attending welcome week events since they are already acclimated into the school having previous experience on campus. This again would interfere with academics, student organizations, and work. This doesn't allow freshmen to fully experience everything the campus has to offer. If freshmen aren't allowed to rush until their spring semester they will miss out on a lot of things. For example, they won't be able to participate in Humerology and they will miss out on making a lot of new friends. It also decreases the likelihood that people will join to to other commitments.

This form of recruitment will drastically decrease chapter membership. This gives time for inaccurate sorority stereotyping and reputation to spread. numbers will not be as high and not as many girls will return. I was recruitment chair. Attrition from a monday 2nd rounds to a friday pledge party was horrible. I can't imagine if it was deferred. Also, splitting up the freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors is not a good idea.

This is a poor way to deal with recruitment. Freshman rushing are adults and they can make decisions. They have many new adjustments, but prohibiting them from rushing is not fair. Freshman learn many things from upper class men. This would decrease the time brothers spent together. Further, many freshman may create friend groups and be less likely to join sophomore or junior year. This is clearly the UW administration trying to get rid of Greek life. This is once again a very bias question. Other qualities to consider about deferred recruitment is money and housing. If members did not join until the second semester there would be no members to sign a lease for chapter facilities because most members would have signed leases before going through recruitment. As well, each chapter would lose a pledge class's worth of dues. The university should be prepared to compensate these organizations for these financial losses.

This just seems illogical. It will divide new members from fall and spring recruitment, although they would technically be in the same member class. I do not see any benefits to separating freshman and sophomores/upperclassman. It is only more work for the current sorority members This option would hurt the greek community because the process is delayed so much, so opportunities to be together as a greek community will greatly decline. The weather would provide a major logistical problem for the sorority houses especially, given the amount of space winter gear takes and the short amount of time we have for each party. Additionally, freshman will not be able to get involved as soon, given that they could not become an active member until late Spring. Not only that, but opportunities to get academic help/advice/resources from older women within the chapter could not be obtained.

This process would have many disadvantages. Firstly the weather, during this proposed time is awful. Having to walk in nice clothes and formal shoes in ice and snow would discourage many members from even attending recruitment. In addition, this compromises financial issues for our chapter as many people have already signed a lease by this time. In addition, many members will be studying abroad during this time which means there will be less members available for recruitment.

This really gets rid of the awesome connections between sophomore women and men and freshmen women and men who are within a single pledge class. Creating bonds between different ages is part of what makes Greek life so unique and amazing and helpful. This creates a sort of separation between the classes that sounds detrimental. It would also be very difficult for the chapters to prepare for two very different recruitments and could be confusing for PNMs who are already confused by the Greek system.

This sounds absolutely terrible. No chapter will want to hold two formal recruitments. That's so expensive. This takes a huge chunk out of professional and academic development chapters provide to incoming freshman. There is minimal guidance from older students when not in Greek life. This will negate many advantages of greek life.

This will significantly reduce the number of students that chose to go through the recruitment process. Greek communities can easily communicate about events by attending every dorm - but sophomores will already have different housing/apartments (possibly on the other side of campus). Coming to recruitment will be tougher, and less likely given potential distance issues.

This would affect many houses living situations and being able to fill houses. If no freshman were allowed to rush, that would make it harder to fill rooms in houses because sophomores and older would have to already have found housing for the year before knowing they were in a sorority. This would be the worst possible option. The spirit of Greek life would be totally decimated. My fraternity shapes balanced young men, a four year process that starts freshman year and ends when you graduate. I learn things about how to be a better man every year. This would cause us to have to do recruitment in the fall and spring which is a much larger time commitment. Also, I feel this is a disadvantage to freshmen because joining a sorority in the fall freshman year was helpful to transitioning into a new city, school, and making friends. It is difficult for girls to come into recruitment with an open mind if they have already been on campus for a year and have misperceptions of sororities or specific houses. This would decrease the amount of leadership opportunities and involvement with charities. This would just make the transition harder for freshman. Nobody is going to want to rush in the cold in winter and it would be a horrible idea. This would limit freshmen to so much. It's a bad idea. This would present a financial burden to sororities that largely rely on recruiting members that can pay dues for 4 whole years. By limiting the recruitment of freshman to their sophomore year or second semester, this could also limit the sororities they have to choose from. There are some panhellenic sororities that are only allowed to participate in formal recruitment once a year. Therefore, if they chose fall semester, they would be excluded from taking any freshman that rush in the spring. Also, other sororities might be limited based on their quota and other national rules.

This would really hurt the brotherhood of the fraternity and freshman don't have the resource any more that Fall recruitment provides This would require the current system and plan that usually goes very smoothly to go through a very big change which might make it very difficult for girls academically. Girls would have to prepare for rush during the school year rather than the summer. The weather would most likely be very cold, and the frigid weather would make it more difficult for girls to make it to the rush events than the hot weather had. Too long of time Too long of time that would potentially lead to potential new members not going because of commitments made during fall/spring semesters. Too much time for stereotypes to form Transitioning to the UW campus can be overwhelming for many students. The deferred recruitment process can intensify that feeling. As a first-semester freshman I enjoyed the amenities of participating in both Welcome Week activities as well as the recruitment process. I enjoyed both opportunities, however, Welcome Week activities can be more overwhelming and almost isolating than they are meant to be. This may come from the fact that they are very crowed with unknown people for a short period of time. In contrast, rush afforded me time to get to know the small group of girls I was placed with on a personal basis. Getting to know people on a more intimate basis where you already have something in common, that being rush, allows for the transitional period to become a smoother process.

Two formal recruitments a year? It also further highlights a potential age gap in sororities Undergoing the recruitment process in the winter would be a horrible experience for new members. The weather may encourage women to not rush. Upperclassmen as a whole are busier with their other commitments and I do not think that having fall recruitment just for them would be financially responsible. Very bad idea to not allow freshmen to get involved on campus. Waiting to have freshman rush until Spring may make students less likely to rush. They may already have a group of friends and organizations they are a part of . Weather and serious other commitments may make it harder to fully engage in the recruitment process which I believe is very important weather and transition again Weather is a huge concern for deferred recruitment because of the cold temperatures. Potential new members would have to be transported to the houses during each round. Additional time would be required for chaninging in and out of winter apparel. This is also a major concern to chapter housing facilities because sophomore members compromise our chapter facilities and by this time many people have already signed leases for the following year. This would financially disadvantage chapters. Furthermore, many people are abroad during the spring semester and the loss of 30 plus members would make recruitment more difficult.

Weather is unpredictable in Madison. Could be in the negatives and people would not be able to safely walk outdoors. Transportation would be necessary. Weather is worse, students have more academic obligations. Weather would be a major downside Deferred Recruitment - it would be not only uncomfortable for hundreds of women to walk between chapter houses on Langdon St. and to and from campus in potentially sub-zero weather, but also unsafe due to ice and inclement weather. Weather would be awful. The greek community would not be able to be functional for the entire first semester. Philanthropy would be negatively affected as well as leadership within chapters. Weather would be one of the largest problems with Deferred Recruitment, especially if we have another winter like our most recent one. Girls should not be standing outside each house in such cold or unpredictable conditions. I would not have enjoyed having deferred recruitment because I was able to meet so many people right away. With so many more out of state students attending this university each year, deferred recruitment would not allow them the chance to become so quickly acclimated as I was. Deferred recruitment would also not allow chapters any time period to prepare. Additionally, no one would have anywhere to live during the preparation process, or recruitment itself because residence halls are closed during the break. It would also cut significantly, for the existing members, into the holiday break.

WEATHER!!!! Snow is impossible to manage OR predict... Hundreds of girls cannot possibly walk around Langdon, engaging in the traditional recruitment process. Sophomore members comprise our living situation and by this time, many people will already have signed leases (yet another financial disadvantages for the majority of chapters on campus). Less girls will UNDOUBTEDLY be able to participate in formal recruitment. Weather, there isn't a location large enough to host the logistics of recruitment without having students trekking outside. The current officer transition schedule would have to change (elected in November, begin position in December) A new financial structure would have to be implemented to support dues. A new housing renting structure would have to be implemented to support a later lease agreement. WEATHER, WEATHER, WEATHER!!! Well it would especially suck for freshman who are still learning how to adapt to school, and then also throw in a huge time commitment like rush in the middle of school. Also freshman make up the majority of people who rush, so if freshman decided not to rush because of the timing, the Greeks would lose a ton of people. While deferred enrollment does still allow non-freshman to participate in fall rush, by that point many people have already decided that they don't want to "go greek" why is this survey composed in the double negative..... Why not treat freshman the same way that their peers are treated? This would only further stigmatize freshman and divide peers unnecessarily. Why should freshman be discriminated against because of their grade? Why would we further alienate freshman from other potential new members? There have been very few problems with allowing incoming freshman to rush. Will be harder to fill houses, will be harder to recruit freshmen because of other commitments, will disintegrate important fall rituals and traditions Will decrease membership in the Greek system, already under siege from a myriad of forces outside of our control...will result in a gradual decrease in alumni donations that benefit the faculty and entire campus Winter break, is a time that everyone loves to spend relaxing and at home with their families, making women cut that short due to the necessary preparation for recruitment would not be fair. Wisconsin winter is not an ideal time for girls to go through recruitment and could result in lower numbers of girls going through recruitment. Also, deferred rush would result in chapters not receiving a semester of dues from the new members, which would have a substantial effect on the financials of the chapter and the dues of active members.

Wisconsin's weather is extremely inhibiting of spring recruitment! With deferred recruitment, the weather will be changing and could potentially be hard to walk from house to house since recruitment would fall during the cold winter months. Fall recruitment was great because it was warm outside. When girls were waiting to be let into each house, they did not feel uncomfortable because of the weather. The girls were not forced to wait outside in the brutal Wisconsin winter to enter each house. I think this factor would maybe decrease the amount of girls going through the recruitment process because they do not want to have to deal with the recruitment process during the brutal winter months of Wisconsin. Would make first semester freshman very un-involved in such a great program that Wisconsin has. Would pollute the greek system with older people and would result in a lack of freshman You can't get involved with something that you want to get involved in right away. You cannot get involved in leadership because terms are calendar year, not school year. You also get a late start and lose out on some opportunities. You miss out on a new member period when you first get to campus and a whole semester (at least) of being in greek life. I also think that a lot of people have their group of friends by soph/junior/senior year which might deter people from going through recruitment. I also think that having recruitment right off the bat freshman year gives pledge classes a chance to bond b/c they're all in the same boat with not knowing anyone. You'd be trampling your student's right to freely associate. You'd see chapters that own houses leave the IFC. Thus putting IFC chapters at a disadvantage. The "have-not" chapters die off. It doesn't fix any problems, just a bad idea. YOUR QUESTIONS ARE SO CONFUSING! THIS IS THE WORST SURVEY I HAVE EVER TAKEN. BOTTOM LINE SPRING RECRUITMENT ONLY WOULD BE A BAD THING. I DONT HAVE THE TIME TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION EVERY WHICH WAY. THIS SURVEY COULD HAVE BEEN LIKE 10 QUESTIONS. IM USING ALL CAPS TO CONVEY HOW ANNOYED I AM. I GET THE IDEA THAT BY USING CONFUSING WORDING AND QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT ACTUAL LOGICAL STATEMENTS YOU ARE TRYING TO GET RID OF FALL RUSH BY TRICKING PEOPLE INTO SELECTING ANSWERS THAT ARE NOT WHAT THEY ACTUALLY MEAN! AHHHHH YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!

406 Respondents

Q74. How many years have you served in your role? Count Percent 7 12.96% Less than 1 year 16 29.63% 1-3 years 17 31.48% 4-6 years 8 14.81% 7-9 years 6 11.11% 10 or more years 54 Respondents

Q75. Where did you initiate into your chapter/organization? Count Percent 46 56.10% UW-Madison 36 43.90% Not UW-Madison 82 Respondents

Q76. What kind of recruitment model was in place at the institution where you went to school? Fall Recruitment (first semester freshmen participated in formal recruitment at the beginning of the fall semester) Delayed Recruitment (all students, regardless of year in school, were allowed to participate in a formal recruitment process that started later in the fall semester) Deferred Recruitment (only sophomores, juniors, and seniors were allowed to participate in fall recruitment. Freshmen were required to wait for spring semester recruitment) Other (please specify)

Fall formal recruitment with upperclassmen quota, spring semeser recruitment - sororities required to participate but many were ineligible to take PNMs based on national rules, quota etc. Fall Recruitment and Delayed Recruitment were both used Fall Recruitment, all eligible students participate in formal recruitment at the beginning of the fall semester Fall semester recruitment that was open to all students Fall, we never had "formal" recruitment for the Men's groups. January recruitment and COB for upperclassmen only in fall. (And only for chapters under total). just testing the survey Recruitment took place before school started our freshman year Spring formal recruitment We can recruit and initiate at any time regardless of a formal process Winter recruitment - came back from winter break a week early. 36 Respondents

Q77. How many years ago did you graduate? Count Percent 12 14.81% Less than 1 year 9 11.11% 1-3 years ago 9 11.11% 4-6 years ago 7 8.64% 7-9 years ago 44 54.32% 10 or more years ago 81 Respondents

Q78. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent do you think the following would be a benefit? - Increase of chapter GPA Count Percent 51 63.75% Not at all 14 17.50% A little 11 13.75% Somewhat 3 3.75% Quite a bit 1 1.25% A lot 80 Respondents Q79. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent do you think the following would be a benefit? - Quality of chapter membership Count Percent 54 67.50% Not at all 10 12.50% A little 10 12.50% Somewhat 5 6.25% Quite a bit 1 1.25% A lot 80 Respondents

Q80. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent do you think the following would be a benefit? - Commitment of chapter membership Count Percent 51 63.75% Not at all 13 16.25% A little 4 5.00% Somewhat 10 12.50% Quite a bit 2 2.50% A lot 80 Respondents

Q81. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent do you think the following would be a benefit? - Reduction in unsafe behaviors and chapter liability Count Percent 59 73.75% Not at all 13 16.25% A little 7 8.75% Somewhat 1 1.25% Quite a bit 0 0.00% A lot 80 Respondents

Q82. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent do you think the following would be a benefit? - Increase time to market & prepare for recruitment Count Percent 57 71.25% Not at all 11 13.75% A little 6 7.50% Somewhat 4 5.00% Quite a bit 2 2.50% A lot 80 Respondents

Q83. Please specify any other benefits: Count Percent 17 100.00% As a regional officer of my sorority and involved with the chapter at UW, I think that this is a horrible idea. I also work with a school that has deferred recruitment, and it is far less successful!!! Cannot think of any. Give potential new members a little more time to acclimate to campus. GPA would go up, but then again Freshmen year is usually lowest. If a chapter is bad and having problems having Sophomores and up only join won't change that... It won't matter since most groups will just leave the IFC. And how does it increase time to prepare for recruitment? If a fraternity is going to put stuff off shame on them. I am absolutely against deferred recruitment. I joined my chapter when I was a sophomore in college. I did much worse academically during my freshman year than I did after joining the fraternity. The motivation of scholarships and encouragement from other members is what allowed me to push myself and succeed very well into my junior and senior years and helped me gain entrance into medical school here at UW. I don't think I would have gotten in without the help of my friends in the chapter.

I see no benefits More mature pledge classes and the opportunity for upperclassmen that recently join to be more cohesive in their pledge class. Also, you are able to fill spots lost by graduating and dropped members with people the same age - this is less pressure to recruit freshman. Also, there is more focus ont he interests of the upper classmen in recrutiment styles and approaches. Also, houses will have more of an age spread because they are not trying to fill the spots left open by early graduation and membership drops with only or predominantly freshman. If this were available, and all houses had to participate, I would have waited until sophormore year to rush IF this was done before classes got into full-swing, such as before welcome week or so that part of it mixes with welcome week. However, tis will be harder for maintaining overall house numbers because far more freshman rush than upperclassmen, in general, and so it will be harder to off-set the financial losses of not having the largest pledge classes and house number possible, with quality membership, all year. I would like for UW-Madison to come up with versions of upperclassmen rushing before freshman and test them out. I think that this could be a really good idea so that uppclassmen do not feel like they do not fit. The only other problem is that study-abroad, mostly done in spring, can make it harder for a sorority to have as many members to be there to handle the freshman rush, the rush that has the most PNMs in attendance.

No benefits, other than women can attend welcome week. That can't be the only reason we keep these delayed/deferred models (both are devastating to the system). None None. Nothing to add The only true benefit I see is that chapters would be forced to stop discriminating against non-freshmen. There are not benefits This is a terrible idea. This would put all organizations that own their residences in a serious financial predicament with getting enough members to live in to support the building associations. With the increase in students studying abroad during their sophomore or junior year, this would also prove to be a challenging dynamic to recruit and retain their membership. would allow the chapter to consider fall semester grade for the freshmen 17 Respondents

Q84. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent would you be concerned with the following? - Fall semester "underground" recruitment events with alcohol Count Percent 13 16.25% Not at all 9 11.25% A little 11 13.75% Somewhat 13 16.25% Quite a bit 34 42.50% A lot 80 Respondents

Q85. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent would you be concerned with the following? - Unfair advantage for chapters who violate rules Count Percent 7 8.75% Not at all 11 13.75% A little 9 11.25% Somewhat 15 18.75% Quite a bit 38 47.50% A lot 80 Respondents

Q86. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent would you be concerned with the following? - Chapter memberships numbers Count Percent 7 8.75% Not at all 10 12.50% A little 12 15.00% Somewhat 12 15.00% Quite a bit 39 48.75% A lot 80 Respondents

Q87. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent would you be concerned with the following? - Filling chapter facility Count Percent 8 10.00% Not at all 3 3.75% A little 7 8.75% Somewhat 13 16.25% Quite a bit 49 61.25% A lot 80 Respondents

Q88. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent would you be concerned with the following? - Chapter finances Count Percent 5 6.25% Not at all 3 3.75% A little 15 18.75% Somewhat 11 13.75% Quite a bit 46 57.50% A lot 80 Respondents

Q89. If UW-Madison moves to a Deferred Recruitment Model (only sophomores, juniors or seniors could participate in fall recruitment, freshman would need to wait for spring semester), to what extent would you be concerned with the following? - Weather/logistics Count Percent 21 26.25% Not at all 4 5.00% A little 7 8.75% Somewhat 9 11.25% Quite a bit 39 48.75% A lot 80 Respondents

Q90. Please specify any other concerns you might have: Count Percent 31 100.00% Are you deferring enrollment to all student organizations? This is a bad idea, and one that would damage the IFC greatly. Why would any fraternity stick around the IFC? Most houses are privately owned and on private land. If you want to fix problems within the IFC than do actual things - have standards and hold chapters accountable, start dialogues with actual advisers (if you don't know who they are reach out). But deferring recruitment to even the winter is a huge mistake and will probably hurt the university, IFC, and Greek system... As UW's only substance free house, we are being penalized because the system is self regulated. Why are we not talking about enforcing existing rules first? As young students move through their college careers and their greek organization, they follow a pattern. When new, they are excited and motivated to learn and take on various roles and learn how to lead, delegate, ask for help, interact with older alumni and make good use of their time. As they progress and understand that they have to transition to leaving school, they are in a position to focus on what their next step will be and they become more involved in that process than what is going on with their chapter's day to day activities. By starting later in their career, it would hurt their school work, greek organization and their transition to their next step in life. Campus's like Cornell still have a major issue with freshman acclimating to college specifically in terms of use of alcohol with deferred recruitment. The Panhellenic and Chapter Officers transition positions in December and January which would cause preparation, leadership, and responsibility issues with welcoming a new class at that time of year.

Cannot think of any. Deferred recruitment would drop the # of people joining chapters tremendously. Delayed recruitment would lead to less sophomores living in the various Greek houses which would lead to those houses into financial difficulties which would lead ultimately to the sale of those houses and the dissolution of the Greek system. Again, why would the University dictate that students could take part in all other campus activities except Greek Life as Freshmen? I can only conclude that their is a larger political agenda at play here. Let the students choose for themselves!

Do the upperclassmen before classes start, then freshman do not miss any of welcome week, make sororities have to be there and take it seriously by having forced sisterhood events before upperclassmen rush starts, and then have freshmen recruitment for 2-3 weeks right after or very early on. Upperclassmen recruitment can be a sort or practice for sorority members in preparing for freshamn recruitment and numbers will be maxed for the whole year. then do another informal recruitment in the spring to fill in any other open spots created by fall graduations, study abroad, and upperclassmen drops. the underground recruitment will otherwise get WAY out of hand - it already happens even with such early recruitment - and chapters do get a HUGE advantage to underground recruitment which is a horrible precedent. the weather is also a terrible problem in the spring.

Exposure to stereotypes, recruitment infractions, increased "tattling," dirty rushing Fall recruitment in one form or another will not go away and it will have very little structure which will have some potentially bad effects. The advantage to fall rush is that members who join in the fall can then make an informed decision as to where to sign a housing contract for the following year. With spring rush, these decisions will already be made and that will eliminate a year of potentially living in the house for each member. That will negatively affect occupancy and create an incentive to recruit "warm bodies" to fill the house and make budget. I believe this will have a very negative impact in the long run as the unintended consequences create a material deterioration in the quality of membership.

Financially many chapters would struggle due to decreased numbers. Safety concerns with more "underground" parties.

For some chapters, new members are officially initiated in the fall due to chapter traditions associated with the by-laws of the chapter. Splitting recruitment could also cause dissonance in the chapter, with the fall pledge classes consisting of women from different academic years and the freshmen being isolated in the spring pledge classes. Also, most elections for chapters occur during the fall semester which denies the opportunity of freshmen members to get involved in leadership within the chapter.

Freshman are held accountable for their grades, before initiation. All socials have sober monitors. I do not know of any other social organizations that spend do much time and money keeping the members safe Freshman not being able to form a close community on a large campus right away. This would also take away their chance at having a 4 year experience in a Greek house. Houses having a hard time filling rooms since it is mostly sophomores who live in the house. freshmen trying to attend greek events in the Fall semester. Housing contracts would be a major problem. This would not work unless dorm and apartment lease structures changed.

I would have initial concerns of filling chapter facility, and would also be highly concerned with other people subverting the rules.

If we move to this model, I truly believe we will be setting up our chapters for demise. I think a huge thing to consider is that if we can't fill our houses and no longer have the flow of money to keep open because no one can live in our houses, why would we even consider. We can't ask our members to give up their opportunity to enrich their lives by studying abroad, that's just placing more limitations on them. We want them to prosper and be involved as much as they like. Our chapter was founded on this campus 111 years ago this year, and is the first ever chapter facility built just for us. I'd hate to see that just disappear because we can't support one another. Believe me if it goes to this model we will all rally together to keep the greek system alive, I just hope that we don't have to come to that.

If you want students to live in the dorms as freshmen, require all freshmen to live in the dorms. In my experience, most sophomores, juniors, and seniors choose a chapter based on where their friends are. It's much less about how you fit in with the whole chapter, so much as it's your connection. I've seen some conflicts arise within the chapter when one group has a good experience and another group has a bad experiences - so for non-freshmen it's based on their reputation. It's much more biased than if they are freshmen with relatively few connections to women in chapters. I'd be curious to know the concerns with "dirty rushing" with Deferred Recruitment. When are members allowed to come into contact with potential new members? If they are not supposed to interact with potential new members for an entire semester, that would be so unhelpful for freshmen getting to know the campus climate. Greeks are not closed off to their chapters - they are some of the most involved students on campus and their influence and presence is high in non-Greek organizations. Another concern of mine is having two recruitment periods. The women I work with put so much time into making their recruitment values-based, and coaching each other how to have meaningful conversation. In my time as an advisor we've only had to do spring recruitment once. It was beneficial, yet a huge loss of time having to do recruitment twice in a year as well as having to do two initiation ceremonies. It left the chapter I advise feeling burnt out when they could have been focusing on their school work, philanthropies, sisterhood events, and socials.

It removes potential members from almost an entire year of Greek life. It would DESTROY the Greek community and organizations as we now it. Maintaining compliance with the rules would be impossible. It is hard enough to keep sorority members away from freshman for two weeks. Underground parties would flourish. Risk management would be a nightmare. Making an immediate change from fall recruitment would have disastrous results, even if the intentions are good. It is my understanding that sorority women are involved in many other campus organizations and have some of the highest GPAs on campus, so why change it? Fall recruitment may seem arduous for the 4 days for PNMs, and for a few weeks for members, but starting it out any later would only make it worse. If sororities had to do it twice a year, their academics and ability to have outside jobs and other activities would be severely impacted. Many of these women pay for the sorority themselves, and if they are constantly at recruitment events or having to "market" themselves, they may not be able to make money. Also, I believe there is an extreme danger of rules violations and extreme underground drinking. Chapters may try to promote themselves to PNMs in a way that is unhealthy/against policy. At least when students are members/new members, there are policies in place as to where they can attend parties, who can come, etc. Deferred recruitment will only go away from that. I strongly encourage you to keep Fall recruitment as it is. As someone who went through a deferred recruitment, I can say that this hurt my grades and my ability to participate in other clubs on campus. I wish that we had been able to get everything done before school started. No one would want to do recruitment in the dead of winter here. People would be violating more rules and no one would be providing the anti drinking/drugs/hazing, etc platforms. Again this would affect the offices and leadership positions that the students would/could hold. It would take away from the experiences and learning opportunities that they came here for. People would be less likely to join and less likely to come to UW. There would be more opportunity for girls and guys to try to "be cool" and do harmful behavior to get into a said sorority or frat. This would take away from a semester of dues and affect the housing and system that is already in place for a 4 year financial obligation. Sororities and frats will constantly break rules to rush during the fall and it will be uncontrollable to stop. This would be opening the doors for all sorts of other problems.

Nothing to add our national organization already requires one semester to be completed before a person can join. Positive view of sororities on campus would need to be actively promoted and cultivated to ensure potential new members understand what each chapter is about Splitting up Recruitment by social class seems problematic and would be very difficult for PHA chapters to deal with since they do not have Recruitment social class quotas but may have to set such quotas to maintain chapter size. This conflicts with the values of Recruitment processes (fair, inclusive, open-minded, etc.). Weather would make deferred recruitment not only unsafe, but potentially also deter freshmen women from entering Recruitment, women who could become excellent members of the UW- Madison Greek Community and bring great values and diversity to our organizations.

THe way the questions were structured didn't make a great deal of sense to me. I appreciate the concern and the interest in innovation, but this is not necessary. This is the most poorly written survey skewed to achieve a specific outcome. This is very disappointing. 31 Respondents

Q91. What additional feedback or insights do you want to provide to the committee assigned to assessing different recruitment models and the feasibility and impact of each model at UW-Madison? Count Percent 484 100.00% "If it aint broke, don't fix it" is a popular saying and applies to this situation. There is no need to fix the current recruitment model. Fall Rush provides countless benefits for Freshman and new UW students. Greek Life is voluntary and the decision to Rush in the fall doesn't mean you are forced to join a house then, the next spring, or ever for that matter. The retention rate for Fall Rush is bound to be higher than Spring Rush because the kids who rush in the fall are the ones who want to do Greek Life, many do not need the time to decide, since they have all summer and 4 weeks into the fall. I think it would be a terrible mistake to switch to a different model. A change in the recruitment process would add a huge amount of unneeded stress to chapters and their recruitment chairs. Fall recruitment is the major way chapters gains members, and delaying this would hinder the ability of chapters to attract new members. Also, making recruitment into a deferred process that would make students wait a year to become able to join the recruitment process robs of year of experiences and involvement in the greek system from students. In the greek system is where many people meet their closest friends and get involved in community service and Philanthropy events. Messing with the system of recruitment would only negatively affect chapters and students who want to join the process.

A deferred rush has many positives but with the weather in Madison it seems almost impossible to have a similar rush as past years so it would have to include a complete change of the over all rush system which many believe to be very successful in finding the right house for each individual. A delayed model for everyone (a month or so from the start of the year) would be a good amount of time for the chapters to fully prepare members for recruitment, as well as allow more marketing on campus for greek life and for new students to become comfortable on campus before rushing. a lot of time Absolutely don't change the way recruitment is. Many national offices prefer recruitment to be as early as possible. Also it would be a huge pain for chapter members to make time in their schedule for recruitment practice and rounds especially when many campus clubs and classes have strict policies about absences. After rushing first semester my Freshman year, I am glad I did. I feel like I am involved in the greek community and I'm only a second semester Freshman. Although it was tougher to make friends inside my residence hall, I'm ultimately glad I was able to make friends outside of my dorm. It just helps me feel like I know more people and feel like I belong more. all of these questions seemed directed at IFC and PHA orgs and not MGC or NPHC--maybe work on that.... Although every model has its advantages and disadvantages, I think the current model is the best overall option, especially for current chapter members. As a former rush chair for the past two years for one of the largest fraternities on campus this subject is very important to me. If any faculty working on this would like to meet with an experience rush chairman to ask any questions or discuss this topic further I would be more than happy to set up an appointment. My student number is 9064879209. Feel free to use that to look up my email and reach out to me whenever. The recruitment process that we have now is not perfect, however making it delayed is not the solution we need. As a freshman fall pledge, I think it would be a travesty to have deferred or only spring recruitment. I immediately found a place where I belonged I'm my fraternity. Without it, I would be in a way worse croud, that doesn't support me for my academic endevours. As a freshman I absolutely loved going through recruitment. It was an enjoyable process and I felt fully informed. If it were to be later I'm not sure I would have participated in it, and I don't think I wound have had as enjoyable of an experience As a freshman, being involved in the Greek community has been extremely influential in helping my transition to college and making me feel like a part of campus. If recruitment were to have been delayed or deferred I would most likely not have rushed based on the time conflicts and stress of when recruitment would have happened. I would hate to see anyone else miss out on such a great experience by changing recruitment when the system in place is so effective.

As a freshman, I felt extremely overwhelmed upon arriving to campus. I hadn't thought about rushing and I didn't have enough time to consider such a large decision before recruitment started. I rushed as sophomore, because spring recruitment is not well- marketed and seems "unpopular", and I regret not rushing because I feel I have missed a year of my greek life experience.

As a member of a fraternity, I speak on behalf of Greek Life here at UW Madison. It's hard enough to get large pledge classes for my fraternity, and pushing back recruitment will only make it worse. We are losing 12 seniors and we only pledged 3 guys this semester. We depend on a good fall recruitment and without it, our fraternity will no longer exist. If this follows through and we get shut down, I will transfer somewhere else where Greek Life is accepted.

As a student from far out of state, going through the recruitment process in the first semester of my freshman year gave me an immediate support system and a quick way to meet lots of people. I immediately has a group of girls that were there to support me in any way that I needed including finding other ways to get involved on campus, helping me with school work when needed, providing me opportunities to give back to the community through a variety of community service opportunities, etc. Rushing in the beginning of fall semester avoided conflicts with my class schedule and academics because the semester hadn't started, its avoided cold weather and snow making it easy and enjoyable to move to and from recruitment events, I didn’t yet have other commitments that interfered with my ability to take part in the recruitment process, and I felt I was fully educated and informed about the recruitment process. Delayed recruitment would likely greatly interfere with student academics as it would take place right around midterms. The way housing works on this campus, students would have likely already signed a lease and wouldn't have the opportunity to live in the house as a sophomore. That would require juniors to live in the house to meet house dues and fill the house. This would be a problem for students going abroad. The weather is also a factor. The weather starts to get colder and going from house to house would be more uncomfortable. We would lose fall member dues which could likely negatively impact the houses chapter and house funds. The preparation for rush events would also be a much large disruption in the middle of the semester. Rho Gammas and Pan-hellenic members would have to be disaffiliated from their chapters for a much longer period of time making philanthropies and chapter-wide events much more difficult. The standing rules for the recruitment process would also have to be re-written which is an added burden. Deferred recruitment is a very negative change to the recruitment model for a variety of reasons. The way housing works on this campus, students would have already signed a lease and wouldn't have the opportunity to live in the house as a sophomore. That would require juniors to live in the house to meet house dues and fill the house. This would be a problem for students going abroad. Those students going abroad would also not be able to participate in the recruitment process which would make recruitment much more difficult with the amount of girls coming through increasing each year. The weather is a huge factor. The beginning of second semester is absolutely freezing and snowy and moving to and from recruitment events would be miserable. We would lose fall member dues which could likely negatively impact the houses chapter and house funds. The preparation for rush would have to be before the beginning of second semester, likely at the end of winter break and not everyone is allowed back on campus in their housing in time for that process. Rho Gammas and Pan-hellenic members would have to be disaffiliated from their chapters for a whole semester making philanthropies and chapter-wide events much more difficult. The standing rules for the recruitment process would also have to be re-written which is an added burden. Additionally, each year, more and more students from far away states are coming to campus. These students, like myself, often Asdon’t an alum, know I don't anyone understand when they why get the to recruitment school. Recruitment model would in the be fall changed. semester it seems helps studentslike the present establish one an has immediate worked supportfor many years. As someone who just went through this process last semester, I was so happy to go through recruitment in the fall and I think that fall recruitment brings the most benefits to the students because they can quickly begin meeting new people, begin to get involved in their chapter and its respective philanthropic efforts sooner, and enhance their experiences of their school year beginning in the fall. At first I thought I would prefer spring recruitment, but after going through the recruitment process, I think fall is the best option. Yes, the beginning is difficult, but it doesn't consume your life. It leaves students with lots of time to get to know their floor and to be honest, the floor at the beginning of the year is awkward regardless. Things take time and I think that students should have the opportunity to be involved with what they want from the very beginning. As a sophomore, if rush hadn't been in the fall I probably wouldn't have done it. Plus, if we did it in the winter, we would all be standing outside of houses in below zero. The fall is an exciting time at UW regardless and rush is an important part of that process. The reason pledge classes keep rising is because people enjoy it and want to be a part of it. It is a wonderful part of UW that would change if we made recruitment anytime other than the fall.

At Miami of Ohio where I went to school - we did not have houses, and also had delayed recruitment in which we came back from winter break a week early to recruit. This was very positive as it gave us a full semester to get acclimated to campus before we got put straight into Greek life. None of us found the poor weather to be a disadvantage - if anything, it was better since many of the sorority suites where recruitment took place did not have a/c and so the rooms were not as hot in the winter. I think expecting freshman to arrive on campus and start going through recruitment immediately is very stressful and may make some not consider the greek system at all. At such a large university with a large number of students in the Greek Community (though a fairly small Greek Community compared to other Big Ten Greek Communities), deferred Recruitment would create more problems than it would solve.

August recruitment start date with bid day after the first week of classes at the earliest for all but freshman with a freshman spring recruitment would be good but simply starting recruitment earlier and not starting during the first week of classes would be best Because the good chapters would have to wait (under the proposed models) to recruit new members, the off-campus fraternities will gain higher memberships. This is not what the university wants, as these groups have been kicked off for being destructive and negative members of the university, and therefore should not be given any kind of aid in recruitment. Only the on campus fraternities will be hurt by these proposed changes. Before I came to the University of Wisconsin Madison, I attended Loyola University of Chicago. As soon as I got to school, I felt lost, alone, and desperate to find something to do and someone to meet. I had no intention of joining a fraternity, but they had campus wide events for anyone to show up and just hang out. That was the most welcoming aspect of LUC, and the really most welcoming aspect any university has available. The other students in your hall are always there, relations with them are easy, but the hard relationships to find immediately are with older students. The ones that have experience and can help out. Greek life does exactly that during fall rush, and although I was unable to join a fraternity at LUC (I realized I was transferring very early due to family) I found the exact same welcoming feeling when I rushed at UW.

Before I was the Membership Advisor for my chapter at UW Madison, I was in the same position at Northwestern, which I'm sure you know is a campus that does deferred recruitment. I think it works okay there for a few reasons that *do not* really apply to UW Madison, they are: the organizations are all centrally located on a couple of "Quads" so that there is little distance between the chapter facilities (though you're still going through the snow that time of year), NU works on the quarter (well, effectively trimester) system, so you still have two quarters of school with the new members before they leave for the summer (and people going abroad only go for one quarter = you get them for the other two quarters that year), and Greek participation percentage is MUCH higher (around 40%, I believe), so women are going to participate no matter when you hold formal recruitment. I am not opposed to change, but I feel like there needs to be a good reason to do it- statistics from schools that hold deferred showing better gpa performance, membership retention, etc.- and the CfLI better about double their competent staff to prepare for the change. I mean, PHA can't even remember that they're supposed to reassess Total after every formal recruitment (or, if they do, they don't communicate it to the advisors), how in the world do you think they're going to manage an institutional shift to deferred recruitment without A TON of good, experienced help?! I also have to say, I didn't even know this Greek Recruitment Review Committee had been formed, don't know who's on it, and might not have gotten this survey if our org's overall Chapter Advisor hadn't forwarded it to the members of the House Corporation Board. I'm rather surprised, and kind of annoyed, I hadn't heard about it sooner. I also used to serve on the (then Chancellor's, now Dean's) Committee on Fraternities & Sororities, but haven't heard anything about that in 4+ years, either. I think that shows you have people willing (and QUALIFIED) to serve on these groups that you are not using. I am grateful for the opportunity to voice my input in this survey, though.

Being a freshman can be scary and stressful and recruitment/joining a sorority is very helpful. In the beginning of fall classes aren't in full swing yet which makes recruitment a much more smooth process. I truly think that changing the dates/requirements for recruitment would be detrimental for students running recruitment as well as students going through recruitment.

Being able to rush anytime any year is the best part of the greek system. Every person is different, some people may need a semester to be in the dorms, most are ready to join right away. Students should be free to choose when they want to join a chapter whatever semester they want. Being in a fraternity with older members can help get you used to the college life, help gain study habits, and continue to improve the greek system that is raising tons of money for charities.

Being in greek life is my favorite part of college. I have participated in events that I would have not even know about if I was not in greek life. The service and GPA requirement make sure that I am staying on track and helping the community. There are strict rules about alcohol and social media for the sorority. This will only benefit me in the future when I want to apply for a job. Living in the house gives me a structured environment where I will have to maintain certain expectations. Having a big gives me someone to ask for advice and guide me as I go through my college experience. Greek life obviously has many parties, but I have NEVER felt obligated to attend a party that I did not want to. Being in greek life has introduced me to some of the most amazing people and given me connections beyond belief. I would recommend that everyone that comes to Madison to join Greek life. It makes a school of over 40,000 people feel much smaller.

Changing recruitment would hurt Greek life for future and current members a lot. I joined a sorority because I wanted a close group of girls to be friends with and that's exactly what I got. Making recruitment later would prevent girls and guys alike from becoming a part of Madison and making friends early on. It would be a huge mistake to change recruitment and hurt many people in personal, educational and professional aspects of their life. changing the current system will literally hinder the chance for fraternities to excel by limiting the pool of people who can join, if changing this process for freshman is that important it should occur across the board with all student organizations (sure fraternities are larger time commitments but they can also provide the greatest structure for ones academic/future/social/service success at this university by providing all these services, while other orgs may provide these to some extent people in my opinion are less involved overall in other orgs), also college is about learning who you are in a wide variety of settings not just in one singular field and greek organizations provide these, so limiting who may join is unfair, we do not need to be holding anyones hand in their decision processes, giving time will virtually not necessarily make anyone more capable to decide what is the right path for them, greek organizations also have internal structures in place that provide ways out if one were to decide to leave if they found it not to be for them

Changing the recruitment would hurt all fraternities and their strategies for it. Also, delaying rush would be terrible because starting it later in the semester would conflict with midterms. Chapters need money and people to live in the house. Most people that live in the house are sophomores that went through recruitment in the fall as freshmen. Due to the current state of the Madison student living, most students have to sign leases in October or November. If they sign a lease and then go through the process later, chapters will not be able to completely fill their houses and it will hurt the entire greek community. Chapters need to honor member conflicts due to graduate school. During the school year, chapters are very understanding of school conflicts. However, during recruitment in the summer before my senior year, I had to work full time at my job in the healthcare industry in order to reach the number of worked hours in healthcare to enter graduate school. If I did not complete these hours, I would not be allowed to apply or matriculate after my senior year, and would have to take a year off before graduate school. Due to this GRADUATE SCHOOL conflict, I couldn't attend more than a few hours of fall recruitment or recruitment prep in total, however, it was unavoidable. My chapter was not understanding AT ALL of this conflict, and tried to charge me thousands of dollars for trying to go to graduate school. I had to dispute this for months with the national board, getting my parents involved as well, and still had to pay hundreds of dollars for trying to go to graduate school. Greek organizations advertise that they support members' academic achievement, however, in this circumstance my chapter truly did not. There need to be rules regarding school conflicts EVEN DURING RECRUITMENT OR THE SUMMER that chapters have to honor WITHOUT penalty in order to support their members attain their academic goals. That is the reason we are all at a college campus, isn't it? Additionally, if the Greek community wants a better relationship with the academic institutions on campus, I think policies like this that discourage participation in both Greek life and graduate school are unacceptable.

Chapters put a lot of time and effort into the recruitment process and having multiple times of recruitment is strenuous on the chapter's members and budgets. If the process were to be changed, we would need a large amount of time to adjust schedules, budgets, and commitments. Many students in greek life are active on campus in various other activities. Since recruitment generally takes about two weeks of preparation and two weeks of recruiting potential new members, it would be difficult to make time for two sessions due to various other commitments. check out how well it works at other schools, girls must have certain GPA in order to rush, so they are held to a high standard first semester if it's that important. have time to get to know the greek community and other women in it and also build relationships with those not in the greek community Coming from a freshman who went through recruitment upon arrival to UW-Madison, I have nothing but positive feedback for how the Greek community currently runs the formal recruitment process. It helped me find my core group of friends and get to become a part of something bigger within the school. Changing the formal recruitment to later in the semester or deferred to the spring would change the whole dynamic of formal recruitment and of the greek community at UW-Madison.

Coming in as a freshmen, I knew a lot of people from high school and other activities. Still, I was terrified of not being able to make friends and not having a good transition. I can only imagine how I would feel coming from out of state not knowing anyone. The rush process was stressful, I felt overwhelmed and confused, but in the end I know my transition went much more smoothly than it would have without my sorority. Putting rush in the middle of the academic year is an absolutely terrible idea. Many people would miss out on joining a great community because of midterms and other academic obligations. I don't believe rushing right in September took away from my dorm experience, it actually enhanced it. It was a great ice breaker for all the girls on my floor who were rushing, and though we didn't all join the same sorority we are still all very close. I have also become close with girls who didn't decide to rush, and Greek life has not taken away from that. consider the implementability of your suggestions. Considering most of the people going through recruitment are freshman it would lower the attendance of fall recruitment to do deferred recruitment, which is not helpful because welcome week is when you have the most free time before you have big commitments like school and outside clubs, etc. We don't have that same long weekend before the beginning of spring semester.

Coordinating an event in the spring with the winter weather and the size of participation is nearly impossible with the amount of support provided to the Greek Life office. The support from the institution (Division of Student Life/Center for Leadership and Involvement) would have to increase. This would look like a bump in operations budget to be devoted to a new full time staff member who would be capable of assisting in all of the changes and supporting the chapters.

Currently some chapters only do fall recruitment because they are able to meet quota with that group of individuals. For those chapters it would be very difficult to transition to two organized recruitment seasons. Deferred commitment would just hurt the amount of membership in the Greek Community, so if the goal is to eliminate the Greek community this should be pursued. I am very against this idea. I think it could also create big problems with some organizations trying to rush new Freshman all fall semester. Deferred Fall Recruitment would completely change how some sororities elect officers. In many sororities, new members are allowed to have smaller positions if the chapter believes they are a good fit for the office. If potential new members weren't allowed to rush until later in the semester, her sisters would not know if she were well suited for an office. To make up for this problem a chapter would have to defer slating, which would take the opportunity to represent their chapter as officers away from new members or completely change the infrastructure of the chapter.

Deferred model is a bad idea. Delayed model may have a chance if it is still occurring in the September or October timeframe.

Deferred recruit is nothing more than eliminating freedom of choice for our young adults. College should be about providing an environment for students to evaluate and decide for themselves. To succeed and fail. Learn and move forward. Give them the opportunity to do so without interferring. Deferred recruitment is a bad option because first semester freshman students need proper advice on how to adjust to a college environment from more experienced students. Also, deferred recruitment will ruin the smaller chapters on campus due to the less amount of students rushing in the spring. Deferred recruitment is not a good idea hence why only one school in the big ten does it... For those who don't sign leases in hopes of getting into a Greek house and then don't, they are left to find a place to live with very little notice. This only adds stress and pressure on those who decide to rush. Deferred recruitment will kill UW's already dwindling Greek community Deferred recruitment would be detrimental to those in Greek Life. Our house would suffer immensely as we loose all our dues from freshman, our house wouldn't be filled leaving paying rent to be a difficult task. Our Rho Gammas and Panhell members would have to be disaffiliated from our chapter for a whole semester which makes me incredibly sad as I am roommates with two of those girls and that is incredibly hard on them as they are not included from our group for an extended period of time. Our current recruitment set up is perfect, it allows for girls to become comfortable here at Madison before classes and midterms really stress you out.

Deferred recruitment would be impossible due to the weather Deferred recruitment would ruin the entire rush process for not only chapter members but the PNMs as well. It would be too difficult to work it into hectic life once school begins and I can guarantee grades would be lower. Deferring or delaying recruitment will really change how greek life at Madison works. In addition to recruitment conflicting with exams and classes (if it were to be deferred) and the brutal weather girls would have to deal with (if it were delayed) it would impact each chapter significantly. If recruitment were to be delayed, we may not be able to fill our house to capacity and be significantly short of money because the dues of the fall recruitment girls will be lost. Also this will significantly effect the sacred traditions that each house participates in if recruitment were to be deferred or delayed.

Deferring recruitment will only allow for more complications to arise. The current system in place has worked extremely well in the past, so why try to experiment and try to change it? There are only going to be negative consequences. All of the greek community agrees with this. Delayed and deferred recruitment would interfere with academics. The recruitment process we have now does not conflict with them. For example if we have a rush event the night before someones exam, we would not want them to fail an exam just to come to an event, but that could mean they would not be in a sorority. Thats not fair. delayed or deferred recruitment is a bad idea. Delayed or Deferred recruitment is a silly idea. As a beneficiary of the Greek system and the whole recruitment process, I firmly believe that choosing to follow a different system than the one already in place would severely limit the time one would have to build lifelong friendships, participate in improving the community, learn stuff about professional development, and much more.

Delayed or Deferred recruitment would completely destroy the great opportunities greek men and women would be able to obtain early on in their freshman year. I am a freshman this year and was voted onto the executive board in my sorority, which I later used as a leadership role I held on my resume when applying to the Business School. This opportunity would not be available to me if recruitment was Deferred or Delayed. Also Humorology, the largest philanthropy in wisconsin would be nearly impossible to continue if freshman were not able to join until winter, which would be extremely unfortunate considering how much money humorology raises each year for local charities in the Madison area.

Delayed recruitment is a horrible idea. It would severely limit a sorority's ability to plan for recruitment and be way too stressful for all those involved Delayed recruitment will only hurt greek orgs that follow the rules. The greek orgs that break the rules will continue to do so.

Delayed Recruitment would occur in the middle of the academic semester and doesn't seem like an effective option for the University. On a similar note, deferred recruitment would most likely take away interest in the greek community and negatively impact those who hold leaderships in an organization who must disaffiliate for an entire semester. In addition, deferred recruitment would take away from fall membership dues which would negatively each chapter on campus as it would not be able to afford items such as one's chapter house and would take away from funds that are normally used for promoting and putting on recruitment.

Delaying or deferring recruitment would be detrimental to not only potential new members but existing members as well. It is an unnecessary change that seems forced, based upon the skewed method with which this survey was formatted, making the answers to questions misleading and therefore the results as well. Delaying recruitment any period of time will only cause more problems. It will allow for dirty rush parties to occur through out the entire semester causing pressure on students to drink heavily to impress. Recruitment should be left in the fall periods.

Deterred recruitment would cause financial trouble for chapters and would take away from the experience of living in and member class bonding. Different recruitment models would impact Greek Life very negatively. Delayed or Deferred Recruitment would most likely decrease chapter size. With a decrease of chapter size, philanthropy would most likely decrease as well. All philanthropies are the main priority of Greek Life on campus. Obviously the purpose of delayed recruitment is not to take away money from charity organizations, but that would be a result of a different recruitment model. Do not change anything about the current system. Do not change the way recruitment is now. It is working for our university and it is more dangerous to the students to have spring recruitment because of the weather we have here in Wisconsin. Our university is meant to bond the student body and that is what fall recruitment does. Incoming students meet so many more people at the beginning of the year instead of when their friend groups are already established come second semester. I was able to meet so many more girls than just those who live on my floor. Also it was such a relief to be able to meet older girls with experience of this campus and be able to ask them questions whenever I needed to. Fall Recruitment helped me adjust to this campus of 40,000 and make it feel like home to me and I would not want that feeling to change for the incoming students.

Doing recruitment during the semester (from two weeks after the semester starts and on) makes it more stressful not only on chapter members, but also on potential new members. For example, I know many of the chapter members who participated in spring recruitment events on campus felt as if they had to juggle them within a busy midterms schedule, other organizations, and employment. Don't change a thing, the system works fine as is and the greek system at UW-Madison is thriving. Changing the system would be crippling and would overall just be a horrendous and disastrous idea. Additionally, this is the most poorly composed and confusing survey I have ever taken in my life. It is clearly biased and intended to skew the answers in the direction the administration wants them to go in. Awful and a complete bush-league move, I'd expect better from administrators at a world class institution such as this. don't change rush... DONT BOTHER. AND NEVER MAKE A SURVEY LIKE THIS AGAIN! Either do it a week before school starts in the fall or spring, during classes attrition will be through the roof and girls will not join. The university and the greek system need to talk and agree with each other about when recruitment will happen. This cannot be done by working just within the greek system. The greek community can offer so many benefits to the university but the university needs to recognize this. The greek system is who give back to the university the MOST, especially at schools where the greek system is supported and embraced. Eliminate dry rush, so kids have a realistic idea of what being a part of greek life is like Enforcement is a joke. I personally reported three violations last year and was never follow up with or contacted about the outcome. How can a 40 year old alum see the problems and not the system, the university, or the Greek advisor?

Enforcing this model would be very detrimental for the Greek community, and what it offers to incoming freshman. Due to the harsh climate of Madison through most of the school year, recruitment would suffer drastically. There is a reason fall recruitment numbers are much larger than spring. Also, this would cause major concerns with the filling of Greek houses. University students are incredibly pressured to sign leases early, and if we wait to extend bids to freshman, there is a high likely hood that many chapters will not have the numbers to fill houses. This would also impair the Greek systems largest co-philanthropy, humorology, which needs large numbers of participants to be able to sustain itself and raise money for charitable causes. Greek life provides structure and real world education for freshman. Social events sponsored through the Greek community highly monitored and much safer than the vast number of social events put on by students not in the Greek community. I firmly believe that deferred recruitment would have a greatly negative effect on the Greek community

Everything is going to change in the next couple years with the addition of azd, recruitment works the way it is now but maybe there could be more ways to support PNMs without any drastic changes f fall -- tradition, sudden but works out to advantage delayed -- might affect how the chapter runs spring -- horrible weather, loss of dues, affects humo, affects philanthropies Fall and spring rush is the best model, as it allows both kids who are ready to join and ones who are hesitant to join fraternities and sororities fall has worked for this long - why fix something that is not broken? Fall is the best time to recruit. It doesn't make sense to try and delay recruitment if as it would be like shifting from one group of friends to another drastically. Fall recruitment allows new students the opportunity to find a large group of guys to call their friends and a place to call their home within their first few weeks on campus. This structure and support provide a homely feeling to a campus which is otherwise still a mystery and can be unsettling to several new students. The support gained from rushing and pledging during the fall semester can carry over into the rest of your college career and is, I believe, beneficial towards success.

Fall recruitment and Fall new membership is very important and was instrumental to my development as a person. I would not be who I am if it went any other way. Fall recruitment for freshmen is an important event not from the stand point of a greek community member but as a person who benefited a great deal from the structure that fall recruitment gave me. As a freshmen I was not sure if I wanted to be greek or not. After my mother and great family friend (who is a doctor) spoke so highly of the beneficial aspects of greek life I rushed in the fall of 2011. I learned a great deal about the history about each chapter I rushed and the University itself. During fall recruitment I met a great deal of people from other dorms that I would most likely not have met otherwise. After I pledged in the fall I learned even more during the new member process. I learned how to study correctly and manage time well. I networked with a great deal of alumni during football gameday events at our house. By learning how to network well with many alumni, many whom are extremely successful, I was able to communicate better with employers as I searched for internships. Since there are fewer school events in the spring that attract alumni students who rush in the spring do not get this chance to network with as many alumni as they would have in the fall. During the pledge process I socialized with my pledge brother and not only built great friendships with them but we also educated each other. We studied together, tutored each other, and helped each other out regardless of when the pledge brother was in need. These relationships cannot be built in the dorms regardless of what the University does. All these skills that I have touched on throughout the survey are reasons for why fall recruitment is one of the most important times in a students life. Having many brothers of the same age and much older constantly being in their lives provides the student with reinforcement they need to succeed at this University. These brothers keep the student focused on the student's personal goals and grow the student exponentially along they way. By not allowing fall recruitment for freshmen the University is doing itself a disservice to itself and is hindering a student's full experience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Fall recruitment has been very beneficial to college adjustment. It provides an instant connection with girls and a close-knit community. Fall recruitment has many more positives to it than negatives. The other two options face similar or worse problems but don't add any positives. In fact the other options diminish the positives of recruitment as opposed to fall recruitment. It doesn't make sense to change the recruitment process, it will only harm the positives of a early recruitment. Fall recruitment has proven to be the most effective and has never shown problems in the past. I think changing the model would be detrimental to the Greek system and would contribute to unhappiness of a large number of students. Additionally, Alpha Z Delta would have a really hard time getting off the ground if recruitment was pushed back because they wouldn't be able to get their name out right away, and would have the disadvantage of delaying colonization of their chapter.

Fall recruitment has worked. I don't see a need to change it. Rho Gammas and others are there to ensure girls are happy with their decision/informed and bids are not entirely binding. Fall recruitment is a wonderful process that benefits everyone involved academically, socially and otherwise. Delaying or deferring recruitment would affect my ability to have a leadership position in my house and would make it difficult for girls to arrange living arrangements, because many people already have leases by second semester.

Fall Recruitment is extremely beneficial as it allows new students to become a part of a community within the first weeks of being on campus. If any freshman are not interested in doing so their freshman year, they would still have the opportunity to do so they following fall. In addition, having recruitment before classes start is great because you do not constantly feel the academic pressure that goes on once classes start. In addition, fall recruitment features the best weather for recruitment. If we had deferred recruitment, it would not be safe for girls to be outside so much because of the cold weather, and we would not have the financial means to get shuttles. Fall recruitment is huge for a lot of chapters. Especially those who are a part of a smaller chapter like myself. I am a part of chapter composed of 40 men and we recruit the majority of our guys in the Fall because the weather in the Spring makes it very difficult to market events that are desirable enough for kids who live farther away (Lakeshore) to leave the warmth of their home and join us at an event somewhere else on campus. Fall recruitment is imperative to the success of Greek life and changing it to deferred or delayed recruitment would take away from the process. Not only would potential new members miss out on new friendships and a supportive group of people to aid in the transition to college, sorority members would also be negatively impacted by forcing women to miss out on opportunities during winter break (when they would need to be preparing for recruitment) and forcing them to balance school and other commitments which occur during the school year but are avoided with fall recruitment. It also provides structure to the first week of school that as a freshman I wanted more of and would have been less effective without.

Fall recruitment is the best for new students to feel a part of the school right away and become acclimated faster. Fall recruitment is the best option for everyone. All the freshman are able to make an instant friend group, and have guidance from older students when adjusting to campus. The idea of spring recruitment is not a good idea because rushing beginning of spring semester, the weather is too cold to be walking from house to house for a long day. Also, for people that want to live in, spring semester rushing wouldn't give them an opportunity to do so because most leases need to be signed in the fall.

Fall recruitment is the best option for Madison as it been very successful the entire time the Greek system has been in existence. It has made my college experience better than anything I could have imagined because it helped me get acclimated so well freshmen year. The recruitment process is geared towards helping freshmen get acclimated and it is only able to do this if it takes place in the fall as it does now. It is very beneficial and helpful for freshmen coming to campus and I do not know anyone that feels otherwise.

Fall Recruitment is the best option I believe. Anything else would make rush more competitive between chapters. We are very strong believers in "Go Greek!" not a certain chapter. However, the longer you wait, the more chapters would end up focusing on their chapters and not the entire Greek Community. It also leads to more time for dirty rushing. The first week, when chapter members are not allowed to speak to girls in Greek life, they are intimidated. They would be even more intimidated if they could not speak to chapter members for a longer period of time. Fall recruitment is the best option. It helps with the transition into the large environment. Makes the school seem smaller.

FALL RECRUITMENT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO! Fall recruitment is the most advisable recruitment process. It helps freshmen make friends instantly and bring them into the community. Having a year as a freshman in a sorority really helps with the transition. You have all year to make friends versus if you joined in the Spring you only meet these people for a semester. We would lose many potential members and our dues would be extremely expensive. I would not be able to pay for these and would not be in the greek system.

Fall recruitment is truly the only way to keep recruitment fair for PNMs and members. School comes first and delaying recruitment would really hinder our ability to focus on school plus girls will be less likely to rush if they have so many commitments already made. Fall recruitment is vital. Coming from a spring recruit, I regret so much not being part of Greek Life right away. A huge missed opportunity in my book. Fall Recruitment needs to stay. Fall recruitment seems like the best model! Fall recruitment seems to be the best model for incoming rushees and especially girls already part of sororities. The other models seem to have many more disadvantages compared the current structure. Fall recruitment should be kept the same as is. Fall recruitment should stay in place however delayed recruitment should be chosen over deferred recruitment as an alternative method. Fall recruitment was a great experience and I think changing it would have a very negative impact on Greek life as a whole.

Fall recruitment works well because people coming back from summer or new students to Madison who are looking to get involved and have the goal to so so will be more likely to do so at the beginning of the academic year - the fall.

Fall rush as a freshman is the best method because the weather is nice (so rush is more effective), more people want to rush (which benefits all chapters), and you get to have more time with your sisters. Fall rush has been a tradition to UW-Madison and people use this opportunity to make friends quickly and start their college experiences right away. Fall rush is a longstanding tradition that exists for many good reasons. A delayed rush has some benefits, but will create more conflicts with academics. Kids have more time early in the semester. A spring rush is a really bad idea because of the occupancy and budgetary issues it will create. This should be obvious to anyone who has been a member of a fraternity or sorority with a house. If this decision is being made by people who were never greek members, you are far more likely to come up with a bad decision. The spring rush proposal is not very well thought-out. fall rush was important for me, since i am an out of state student. it allowed me to meet a lot of girls right away. First of all, I would like to note that the wording was a bit confusing with the benfits and disavtange questions. It was hard to wrap my head around exactly what the question was getting at. Also, I believe that consdiering all the options of recruitment time, the original fall recuitment is the best option. While I see the idea behind deferred and delayed, once I sat down and weighed the positives and negatives, it was without doubt that fall recruitment is the best option. More specific reasons why can be seen in my explanations on each page throughout the survey. First, I would like to say that I understand where this committee is coming from. You believe that Greek life is corrupting freshman on campus, bringing them into a culture of exclusion, drinking, and generally poor decision making. You believe that these young men and woman would be better off choosing their friends on their own time and using the time spent in Greek life on more productive things like clubs and the arts. You believe that they should at least have the opportunity to explore these alternatives before they are rushed. I get that, and for some students they believe that as well and they do rush in the Spring. I have been part of my Fraternity all four years of college starting my Fall semester freshman year. I have served on my Fraternities executive counsel and I have held many other positions along the way that have given me insights into how a delayed or solely Spring rush would effect Greek life here at Madison. You have to believe me when I say that many students would not be part of my Fraternity if the delayed recruitment were set in place. In my opinion, you inadvertently know the reasons for this as they are part of your questions. Recruitment numbers would drop because freshman will make friends with their floor mates, they will become heavily involved in other clubs, they will not find as much benefit in having a new group of close-nit friends or older guidance because they believe they have found it elsewhere. This is proven by the lower volume of Spring rushes and the even lower retention rate of those Spring rushes. I have seen this first hand, three times. I honesty believe that if you do implement a delayed recruitment, Greek life will slowly evaporate. It makes me question whether or not that is, in fact, your ultimate goal. If it is that would be a shame. Also, why is this not under review for other organization like LGBT? Are they not in such clubs for the same reason? To find support in people like them, to develop close friends, to be a part of something bigger and stand for something bigger? What if freshman were not allowed to join LGTB until second semester because the University wants to make sure the students know its the right "experience" for them? As you surely know, that would never happen. Let me share what I personally would have missed. I would not have the closes nit friends that I could ever have imagined. Yes, I would have made great friends without being a part of Greek life, but 120+ friends that I would lay my life down for? No. I would not have been admitted to the Wisconsin School of Business. The guidance and motivation I received from the upperclassmen as a freshman was a main factor in my acceptance. If I was not in Greek life I would not have met these older mentors. Earlier this fall I received an offer from a prestigious financial firm, making just under double the average salary of a WSoB graduate. My chance to interview with this firm was made possible directly by another member of my fraternity. I am now representing WIsconsin as a whole in a position that will give me the potential to make a large contribution to the world someday. I will be representing Wisconsin 100 times better than I could have if I did not join Greek life. I truly believe that. I think one of the greatest contributions a fraternity can give to a young man is upperclassman guidance. This is something that is rare outside of Greek life. I have seen that be the case with all of my friends that are not a part of a Forfraternity/sorority. my first semester The at greatest Madison lesson I was miserable,the upperclassmen I didn't connect taught mewith when anyone I was on a my pledge floor was or in character. my classes. They I was taught planning me to on treat leaving the next year until I was introduced to my current fraternity brothers. Because of them I am still here. If I were not allowed to join when I did I would not be here. My biggest regret was not joining the second I arrived at this campus.

For our culture, climate, and academic intensity at uw Madison, fall recruitment is the only practical model at this time.

Formal recruitment should be in the spring to allow freshmen to acclimate to UW freshman should be able to rush in the fall otherwise they do not get the full experience and end up having to adjust to a busier schedule which will make academics much more challenging. whether recruitment is delayed by a week or not it should be in the fall

Freshmen are easiest to recruit during their Fall semester due to their willingness to try everything. A deferred plan would massively inhibit this trend. Freshmen as well as all other students deserve the right to rush a fraternity or sorority whichever semester they so choose, whether that be the first day they arrive in Madison or the start of second semester Getting rid of Fall semester would be a huge mistake. It would increase alcohol-related recruitment events, and would encourage the Greek community to be an after-thought to most students. It's those students that make the worst Greeks and make no positive contributions. Going through recruitment is a choice. Some students may want to become more involved with their residence halls and others may want to join a sorority or fraternity as soon as they arrive on campus. Everyone has their own niche on campus and having delayed or deferred recruitment would affect those who want to join a sorority greatly. They would not find their "place" on campus as soon and it would not be an easy transition for them. Using the argument that joining a sorority or fraternity increases a student's exposure to alcohol is irrelevant since many of the relationships that develop in the residence halls revolve around alcohol as well. In fact, I can confidently say my chapter has alcohol awareness presentations and activities, something that I did not receive in the residence halls upon my arrival at UW-Madison. In addition, my chapter has sisterhood activities about each week and new members are welcome to come to the house at any time. I know I speak for my entire chapter when I say that joining a sorority made me feel like I had a place on such a large campus. Meeting people who were accepting of me was very refreshing and I am so happy that I went through recruitment in the fall and my college experience would not be the same without the friends that I made due to my sorority. Greek life has really helped me entire college experience. I have grown as a person and become extremely responsible and a leader through this community. I am so thankful for the opportunities it has presented myself with and I don't think I would be in the business school, have the job that I do or the connections I have without it. I think that in moving the recruitment times it really hinders what we are trying to accomplish through greek life and helping freshman establish themselves and create a network early on. Freshman year can be such a scary experience and having a group of people ready to help you, mentor you and show you the ropes from day one is one of the best things you can provide students. I think that if recruitment was moved stereotypes would become a huge issue, and students wouldn't go into recruitment as "blind" as they do now. I didn't have ANY idea what a sorority even was going through recruitment and I think that is why my experience was so pure and I know that I made the right decision. Also UW's weather is terrible, who knows we could have -50 degrees again and have to be doing recruitment if it was pushed back to second semester. This would make things so difficult. Lastly, we go to an incredible academic institution. The first week of freshman year is the only time until we graduate that we have the flexibility and little academic commitment in order to participate in recruitment. Anything else may effect students grades.

Greek life has recently seen an increase in membership over the last couple of years. This profess would be destroyed if recruitment were to be delayed to when we are in classes, as many people will either a) lose interest in rushing or b) not be able to rush as a result of academic/obligitory conflicts or pure exhaustion after their first month/semester of college. Also, chapters would have to significantly adjust their policies and financial situations in order to account for the absence of members during the fall semester. Another point of interest is that college is what one makes of it-if one wants to foster relationships with people outside of greek life, one will do so regardless of whether he or she is in the greek community.

Greek life should be considered like every other organization that has the opportunity to recruit members at the beginning of the year. By altering the process of how organizations acquire new members, there is a disruption within the functioning and overall experience of active members. Also, greek life recruitment should be included more within the First-Year transition programs that are already around rather than hidden and less encouraged to join like it appears to be. have two informational sessions after we have registered but before rush starts so those who have on campus job training can still attend an informational session and get all the same information Having a fall recruitment allows for students to transition into UW socially and academically. It's surprising how many people I have met in my sorority that share the same classes with me. We are able to study together and help each other out academically.

Having gone through the process, I would not feel as comfortable on campus because I have made so many close and reliable friendships. Having it in the beginning of the year benefits us a lot because we can focus on it rather than juggling a million things at once when classes start. Helps new people to campus to find a community to become involved in. Honestly, the model we have right now works perfectly. I know going through the experience as a first semester freshmen only enhanced my college experience, my academics, and my social life. Taking away one whole semester of that would be an absolute crime to the freedom we give our students to chose. If students want to go for it, they should NOT have to be told to wait a semester to do so. The brotherhoods and sisterhoods that are formed on this campus carry you all the way through your LIFE. This is something you can't find on a dorm floor, or on some committee you join freshmen year. These people around you in your chapter are your family. I would HATE to see Wisconsin deprive future students of that in the first semester of college.

I am strongly against the idea of deferred recruitment. As a student who joined a fraternity spring semester of my freshman year, I have first hand experience. I wish I had joined fall semester. I had much less time spring semester because of conflicts with other orgs, a heavier academic workload, more extreme weather, etc. I believe delayed recruitment would carry many issues because of conflicts with classes and midterms of both active members and pnms. Fall recruitment now is extremely difficult for both pnms and actives due to the weather and that it can be overwhelming. Deferred recruitment seems like the best option to me, but I know it will generate a lot of hostility from chapter members.

I believe Fall recruitment allows students the opportunity to investigate Greek life before getting into the academic part of school.

I believe Fall Recruitment makes the most sense. It helps girls build strong friendships at the beginning of college, make the transition into college easier, and and learn how to manage time in college. I believe freshman year fall semester is the best time for recruitment. Right in the beginning of the school year is less hectic and gives time for students to acclimate and feel a part of something right away. I was so proud to be going through recruitment and after I was proud to wear my letters around. I had friends, guidance, and confidence in my decision. I am so happy I got to experience recruitment when it was and I believe it should stay the same. Spring semester would also be too cold and weather is not at all predictable. I believe having recruitment in the middle of the semester is difficult on both active chapter members and new members. Once classes have started students have a lot of work, and this factor could turn off many freshman from going through recruitment because they do not want to struggle through their firs set of midterms because of the extra time commitment recruitment requires. Active members will also be impacted, which could lower Greek Life GPAs on campus, which is an overall negative. Also, many freshman use recruitment as an opportunity to meet more people on campus, and excluding them from the process during their first semester could negatively impact their experience.

I believe hosting recruitment at any other time than the beginning of fall semester creates a major inconvenience for members of sororities and opens the door to many more academic, and other, conflicts. I believe it is best to keep Fall Recruitment given it structures our first couple weeks on campus, which can be daunting, in that it gives us activities to participate in in order to acclimate to the new environment and build friendships. I believe it is essential to see the Greek community for all its worth to those involved in it. Changing the recruitment model from its current state would not only create many more problems than it would ever solve, but would also take away many opportunities from incoming or current students who are eager to experience ALL that UW-Madison has to offer.

I believe maybe a somewhat delayed could be potentially benificial, however I think the Greek Community is a great success the way it is now. Maybe a bit more education on the greek community to give eveyone an opportunity to see what it's like.

I believe that changing the current recruitment model would be detrimental to the Greek System. Everyone in college is an adult and should be treated like an adult. We should be allowed to join a fraternity or sorority when we feel ready and that could be at the fall semester freshman year. I have a lot more in common with my brothers than than the people I lived with in my dorm freshman year. The dorms are full of random people from different backgrounds. It's difficult sometimes for people that are completely different to get along and become friends. For this reason, why would you prevent people from joining a group of people that are similar to themselves where they can make lifelong friendships. That is why I support fall recruitment. On a different note, this was one of the most difficult and confusing surveys that I have ever taken. In future surveys, please make them easier to analyze and make decisions.

I believe that switching to a delayed or deferred recruitment model would adversely affect the Greek community. The delayed model throw recruitment into the midst of midterms, work and other student org activities. Some students will choose to not go through recruitment simply because they don't have the time on a specific day, which would really be a loss for both the student and the Greek community. A deferred model would adversely affect many chapters that may not have enough money to function or keep up their house because they had a large group of seniors graduate. Additionally, I have talked to many students at Indiana University who have a deferred system. They say that the system promotes cattiness between girls going through recruitment and some members who may have had a run in with each other the previous semester. It causes more divides in their Greek communities as the only impression that some chapters have of others are these unfortunate situations from the semester before recruitment. I believe that the current model employed is great because it allows PNMs to decide on a chapter based on their recruitment experience, not on what they know about one member or another. Additionally, the current model minimally interferes with school, work, socialization, and other student orbs (which usually start up activities in the middle of September).

I believe that the current recruitment model is well done. I believe that it helped me adapt to our universities campus and helped my stay on top of my academics. I believe that the earlier the recruitment, the easier the transition and the better it is for building friendships and helping with academics. I believe that the recruitment process is very successful as it is. Over 800 women rushed last fall which is awesome.This shows that so many girls are interested in joining a sorority and come to campus excited to be part of a tight knit community. The Greek community is growing which allows more opportunites for community service and philanthropic events. The past two years have been so successful in terms of fundraising for philanthropies. Many sororities and fraternities have become more committed to their philanthropies and by acquiring even more members by continuing to have successful recruitments, fundraising efforts would only increase. I believe that the recruitment process should stay in the fall because it allows the freshman pledge class to get involved in the organization called humorology. Humo not only provides students with a way to connect with each other make new friends but also raises over $25,000 for the local community. If we did not have fall rush then there would not be as many members within the organization. I believe that the system in place now is doing well in terms of keeping recruitment non-biased and also letting people who aren't sure about the process go in with an open mind and choose what they want based on the recruitment process. I do not think any changes should be made. I believe that the University has no right to control the way that recruitment functions within the Greek Community. While the Greek Community is by no means perfect, other campus organizations practice bad hazing and they also have members making bad decisions occasionally. It is disrespectful as a senior that was president of her chapter as well as the vice president of recruitment that you are dismissing all of the hard work that we have put into making this system function as well as it does.

I believe that this survey was very confusing and hard to understand due to the fact that it was completely in a double negative, had poor choice in wording, and did not define specific terms that could easily be misunderstood. I believe the biggest problem with deferred recruitment is that it will lead to less participation in Greek Life. I believe the deferred and delayed recruitment models would severely impact and hamper the success of many fraternities. Small fraternities in specific, as well as healthy large fraternities and new, growing fraternities, would be severely impacted because they rely on a solid, yet smaller number of members every semester. A switch to delayed or deferred recruiting would prevent those fraternities from getting a steady, yet smaller number of members every semester and would force them to recruit and admit a much larger class of members every spring. Healthy growth in a fraternity is getting a similar number of quality men every single semester, and not overloading membership admission one semester over another. In fact, delayed and deferred recruitment would not only promote overloading pledge class sizes one semester over another, it would also force overloading pledge class sizes. Why would any governing body enact a policy that promotes and forces unhealthy organizational practices?

I believe the model we have now is the best choice for the recruitment process. As a result of this process I have had a great first year here at Madison and the transition into college life was made much easier. I believe the proposals are an unnecessary move which will force fraternities to scramble to modify their current practices to fall within, or work around new rules. I see this as a thinly veiled attack on the institutions of Greek life built on the pretenses of improving the recruitment process. My recruitment and Greek experience were some of the most important aspects of my University experience, and I believe many benefits would be lost in such a change. I believe the recruitment model that is currently in place works fine and does not need changing. What concerns me, however, is the group of individuals that have put this survey together, with certain intentions of coercion that is unbecoming of any fraternity/sorority member and this great university itself. I was concerned while taking this survey that the "interestingly" worded questions may mislead many students into answering questions that do not promote or show their true thoughts and beliefs of this issue. I believe the recruitment process is perfect the way it is. I really dislike the idea of a 'deferred' recruitment and I'm not the biggest fan of a delayed recruitment either. Having rush the way it currently is helped me acclimate to this big university in so many ways that I will forever be grateful for. I got to know a lot of greek life on a personal basis without having to worry about my academics and I also became closer with other incoming students (specifically freshmen) as an individual who wasn't granted an opportunity to live in the dorms. I was extremely grateful for our current fall recruitment process and I truly believe it brought it me closer to the campus and it's residents better than any mandatory residential life or welcome week event could've done for me.

I cannot imagine having a different recruitment model than what is in place now at UW-Madison. Going through recruitment was one of the best decisions of my life and it would be completely different had it not been in the beginning of the fall semester. The friendships I made, leadership skills I gained and academic successes I have accomplished I attribute to my growth as an individual thanks to my sorority. That initial semester is a huge part of a freshman's life and the development that takes place helps form their character and work ethic for the next four years. Recruitment before fall semester for all grades is a wonderful model that does not need to be changed. I come from a campus with a different department model. Sororities struggled mightily. If you want to kill the Greek system, this is the best way to do it. I could not imagine the recruitment process happening in any other semester or time than traditional fall recruitment. If it were to switch to spring, for example, we would not be able to do humo because we would not a full year to prepare SO madison will lose a huge charitable organization that brings in thousands of dollars for the Dane County Boys and Girls Club. Also, we would have trouble filling the house because girls would have already signed leases. Also, executive members would have to do redo their entire terms and it would complicate the entire process.

I do not believe a recruitment model switch or change would be beneficial to potential members/students or the university.

I do not believe any change should be made with the current structure of recruitment, but if anything, here's what I would say: I struggled a bit first semester with my grades due to overcommitment with a few different extracurriculars, so if anything, postponing rush until the spring semester could benefit students. Allowing students a semester to settle in for a semester before making a decision would likely benefit them. I believe that freshmen should still have the opportunity to rush, unlike what is suggested in Deferred Recruitment. I do not believe you are taking into account the personal lives of the VOLUNTEERS who work with each chapter on recruitment. Quite a few have jobs outside of volunteering for recruitment events, and any change would be detrimental to the well-beings of those of us who are volunteering our time and resources. I do not see any benefit in changing the rush process. Our rush process is great, and yields a thriving greek community. No one involved in the community has problems with rush, except for maybe the fact it is a tad bit too long. The only possible exception to changing the rush rules, would be to have rush start the week before classes - and correspondingly have freshman arrive in their dorms a week before classes, so that no one has anything to do and can easily dedicate themselves to rush - if they choose to do so, or explore other student orgs/clubs available that would also be advertising throughout that first week.

I do not see the advantages that these two other proposed models pose in comparison to the current model. I am personally content with the current model and would not advocate either of the proposed changes to it. I do not think a deferred model of recruitment (where only sophomores, juniors or seniors can go through recruitment) is a feasible option. I also do not think that deferring all recruitment to the spring semester is a feasible option either. Both models would create excessive difficulties for both current members and potential members and I do not think that the assumed benefits would outweigh those costs. I do not think that recruitment should be deferred. It will have a huge negative impact on Greek life. For me, at least, being able to go through recruitment in the fall of my freshman year helped my transition and made me want to stay at this school.

I don't think other recruitment models are necessary or will work. I believe that forcing other models on the Greek community will only distance you from it because it will still operate as it has but behind closed doors. I don't think that recruitment time correlates with any negative outcomes by Greek organizations I don't think there is any need to change the system as it right now. I think that rushing as a freshmen was one of the best decisions of my collegiate career. I was able to make great new friends while still be acclimated to the university and meet people just as any other freshmen would be able to. By pushing back recruitment, I think that it would only make the recruitment process harder as less people would want to be a part of Greek life. I don't think there needs to be a change in the way is done I don't understand why this survey is even happening. The Greek Community at UW-Madison is completely happy with the current recruitment model. A VASTLY small percentage of not only the Greek Community but UW-Madison students as a whole, have a problem with the current model. In regards to weather, ease, and feasibility, the best possible option is to drop the conversation regarding a new recruitment model and keep the one that is 100% working absolutely fine.

I enjoyed going through recruitment my freshman year. It allowed me to build lasting friendships instantly and I found people in my classes that I could study with. The rho gammas were friendly and very helpful when I needed to find my classes or ask questions about the campus in general. I enjoyed participating in recruitment right as I attended school. Also, Humorology, the largest student run non profit in the state of Wisconsin, would be severely impacted and ultimately not happen. Delayed and deferred recruitment would cut practice times immensely and the charity would cease to exist. I feel as though the current recruitment model works on our campus, especially when considering academics, involvement, preparation and event execution, and weather. I feel like deferred recruitment would not be a good decision for recruitment in the fall. I feel that Deferred recruitment is the worst model of those in the survey. I feel that the fall recruitment as we currently have it allows the best opportunity for women to become involved in the greek system and gain the support system and all the other advantages that it offers. I feel that fall recruitment is the best recruitment model and has the least negative impacts. The most important thing I'd like to stress is that fall recruitment did not interfere with my academics. As a UW Madison student academics are very important to me and with the delayed and deferred models, I feel my academics would suffer. I felt this survey intentionally attempted to trick/confuse its audience. I feel delayed recruitment is a bad idea, yet I felt it wasn't possible to answer questions as such. The questions regarding the disadvantages of delayed recruitment seemed like disadvantages for recruitment as it is. I was very disappointed with this survey, as I feel my voice will not be heard and my opinions not respected.

I find that this whole changing recruitment process to be unnecessary. From talking to many girls at many other university who went through different processes, i found that ours seamed to be the most painless and effective given the size of our greek life. Without my sisters first semester i don't know if i would have made as many friends with other on many campus, though most of them are in greek life, those are the people i feel i can connect to most regardless. Our greek life is also small enough where i feel that i am able to keep the relationships with the many friends i have made in my classes and in my dorm. I have also had the time to join clubs outside of the greek community. Rushing second semester delayed, i wouldn't have been able to organize my schedule right away and i would have been behind during those periods of time later in the year.

I firmly believe that creating two recruitments per academic year is not an option for sororities on campus. While some outsiders may believe strongly in deferring recruitment, we go through A LOT of planning and practicing and learning prior to each recruitment (we take about a week or two to undergo preparations). I firmly believe the best thing is to have only sophomores "rush" giving freshman the opportunity to experience different organizations before making a decision. Gives existing organizations more time to devote to other events in the spring (such as philanthropy ect) and takes a load off of members who are expected to be at every rush event once a semester.

I found this survey to be extremely unprepared. It seems to be surveying those involved without the knowledge of the organizations and how the process works. In my opinion, this survey is quite pointless. The questions were very unclear and those who prepared it seems did not seem like they were educated on the topic and were just focused on searching for issues with a process that has been successful in the past and is well liked by many. I found this survey to be incredibly biased and confusing. The things stated in benefits are designed to promote deferred and delayed recruitment in their wording as well as put down the current rush. The wording of the actual benefit/disadvantage questions was very confusing at first. I didn't know if when I chose not at all (or a lot) whether I was actually answering how I wanted to. The survey would provide more reliable info. if it was clearly worded and 100% unbiased.

I had a wonderful experience with the recruitment process that we currently have in place. Especially when I compare it to recruitment processes at other schools (which I hear about from friends at those Universities). We should not change a thing. That would be a disservice to the Potential New Members and to the Greek Community as a whole.

I had such a positive experience with the Fall Recruitment, so I wouldn't want to see it changed for incoming classes. It helped me academically and socially to get a start at UW- Madison. The Greek community is such a positive thing for me, and I think it's a great thing for Freshmen to experience right away. I had such a positive recruitment experience in the Fall semester of my freshman year, so I may be biased. But joining my sorority right away in my college experience definitely made the transition to college so much easier. It was so nice feeling like I belonged to something, and I was able to meet so many new people, not only in my chapter but in the whole Greek community.

I have already said everything. See previous pages. I have an out of state child at Madison. Freshman Greek recruitment is the only reason I allowed my child to go to school 1000 miles from home. Instant support I have been as objective as possible in assessing each question in this survey. I have never regretted my decision to join a fraternity my first semester freshman year. This can be largely attributed to the fact that I took rush seriously, attending various houses' events, and through that attendance to different fraternities that I was able to find the right fit for me. While I think that the recruitment process that is currently in effect here at UW-Madison is correct, the only other feasible solution would be delayed recruitment (NOT deffered). Moreover, the one clear benefit in delaying the recruitment process into the later semester would be so students can acclimate themselves to university life. However, as I mentioned earlier, this would place recruitment in a part of the semester that is more academically demanding with upcoming exams and other large assignments. This would force students who are serious about joining a fraternity to either sacrifice studying (because they will want to attend as many events as possible) or to not fully explore the options of different fraternities on campus to find which house is truly the best fit for them (because they will sacrifice attending many recruitment events in order to study more).

I have come to believe that the time period of recruitment is being analyzed, primarily because there is an informal belief that Greek recruitment processes do not adhere to sponsoring organizational values. I want to point out that the time period in which the recruitment processes occurs bears no relationship to the integration of organizational values in the processes at all. I have friends at other universities that are a part of the Greek communities on their campuses and I think that deferred and delayed recruitment negatively provides opportunities for more exclusivity during recruitment. For girls that don't know many people at UW, especially in Greek life, it will be harder to insert themselves in the system. Indiana University has underground rush parties where only certain girls are invited and I don't think that's fair for the entire group going through recruitment. It takes a year to really get to know your entire pledge class well and I had no problem doing that while still maintaining residence hall friends with whom I still hang out with. With enough effort you can balance it all easily.

I honestly think that having a Fall rush is necessary to maintain the strong bonds amongst chapter members because that first semester on campus is when everyone is looking for new friends, which forces them to meet all of the other members and gain close relationships with them. I joined a sorority because of the opportunities in leadership important in leadership and when applying to the business school. Not many clubs have positions for Freshman or they are very difficult to acquire. I also joined this sorority so I would have sources of reference when applying to the business school. I had a sister look over my entire application - someone who did not know me that well but willing to do hours worth of review with me. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated this as well as was benefited by this gesture. If I had rushed later I may have not been comfortable asking someone in the sorority to review my application or I may have not known in time which girls were apart of the business school. Another reason I joined this sorority was for opportunities in service work - I knew if service works were not structured for me then I would not be involved in service to the degree I am now. Lastly, I joined this sorority to show I can balance two things that require a lot of attention - my school work and Greek life - something companies favor when hiring. After all the work I put into my sorority and in school I really enjoy being with my sisters - people who challenge me and would be willing to do anything for me. I love the service we do as a group and the impact we have in raising awareness and funs for women's hear health. We strive to make a difference and better our community.

I just want it to be known that this is the worst survey I have ever taken. If one wants to actually get an accurate representation you should start by not asking extremely biased and convoluted questions. If it takes somebody three or four times to read a survey question because they don't understand the meaning of it you are not going to get an accurate representation. These questions are extremely biased towards one side and are clearly just trying to get statistics to back up what is already believed instead of coming to conclusions based off of the statistics. I am really disappointed by the way the university has handled this. Since the largest body of people affected by this are people in greek life, their voices should be heard on this issue. Not just in a horribly written survey but also on the board or at the very least an open forum discussion with those who want to change it to spring rush and those already in greek life. The disconnect between the school and greek life at this campus is unbelievable. Greek life is the most philanthropic student organization not to mention greek alumni donate the most to universities, so the school should really be making more of an effort to connect with it's members instead of just looking at them like they are nothing but drunk people who cause problems and don't deserve their attention. I understand Madison wants to get rid of its party school reputation but taking down greek life as a scape goat is not the right course of action. You need to adress the attitudes of the students and for that matter the attitudes of the alumni. The state of Wisconsin as a whole is extremely conducive to drinking, so attacking greek life will not get you anywhere when trying to change how students view drinking. Streets that aren't named Langdon are easily just as destructive on the weekends as Langdon. To be frank, I kind of liked the idea of spring rush but after taking this survey and realizing the way this process is being handled I am unbelievably not in favor of any action the school plans on taking.

I knew no one coming to UW. I rushed in the fall and I am so comfortable and happy it is insane. If it can work for me it should not change. Plain and simple. I know that many other universities do spring recruitment but honestly, fall recruitment is one of the things that Madison does well. It allows freshman with several opportunities to get to know so many more people than they previously would have never met. Fall recruitment is great not only for the weather, academics, but it also significantly enhances our transition from home to college. I probably would have transferred if I hadn't met the friends I've met through the Greek community. Not to mention, I never would have joined the service organizations that I did through references from older girls. Their guidance exposed me to several opportunities I wouldn't have known before. Also, I felt a great more pressure to do well academically and I am so happy for that.

I know that there are many reasons as to why these three different models of recruitment are being looked at but I am a strong believer that the way it is now is the best way. There are so many reasons that boil down to the fact that there is no better time to meet new friends and get necessary help from girls or boys who are older and can give advice on how to be successful at this university. I know the University does not want to move the Freshman move in date, however this seems to me what would have helped me most as a freshman. Also, after being on the other side of recruitment I see also many benefits. Recruitment is a fun but exhausting process, so doing it right before classes starts can be a little overwhelming (just the actual recruitment) not being a pledge. Being a pledge is not exhaiusting at all ands aids the transition into college. Recrutiment is just long days for everyone involved, so the other two options, delayed and deferred do not address this, yet I think the best option would be moving it a week earlier. Also, this would reduce girls breaking rules of having contact with potential new memebers, which is not allowed during recruitment.

I know you hate to acknowledge it, but the party culture here is plenty sufficient for most members of the campus community. That is to say that many don't feel the need to go Greek for the social benefits. Therefore, the students who know they want to rush right away will indeed do so. Others who don't rush immediately often will hear about the positive experiences their Greek friends have and will rush in the spring semester in a more selective fashion, i.e. they feel more welcomed into the chapter because they were introduced by their already-Greek friends I like rush the way it is. It has been working out well, so I don't see a need to change it. The time & money cost of two rushes would be too much for chapters. We're here to go to college, not to spend weeks working on rush. I like the 3 round 4 day option because the number of girls going through rush is increasing each year and having upwards of 18 rounds in a day would be hard on both the PNMs and the active members I liked that fall recruitment was the first weekend of school because I immediately felt a sense of community. I only have the perspective from my chapter. My suggestion would be to reach out to each individual chapters' Alumni Recruitment Advisers. They are the resources the active members turn to in regards to conducting formal recruitment, and may have insight regarding how formal recruitment is conducted at other chapters nationwide. I personally had a great recruitment experience and am very happy with the result. I do not see why the times of recruitment needs to change. My time spent here at Wisconsin has been only been positively added to by joining a sorority.

I personally really enjoyed recruitment this year and I thought it worked out really nicely. I think it is important that people come into rush with an unbiased view of the houses. I personally think that they should leave it how it is. If you delay it, it will prevent students from joining because of tests or studying because certain majors have tests almost every week (I am a biology major and can attest to this). Also, if you do it second semester, no one wants to come back early from their break to practice for recruitment. It's called a break for a reason and would be unfair. I personally love enjoying time with my family because I never get to see them during the school year.

I really don't think this survey is doing a fair job of assessing the situation. The majority of these questions are convoluted and are difficult to interpret. It is easy to tell that the makers of this survey are fishing for answers. Don't fix something that isn't broken.

I really enjoyed Fall recruitment because it allowed me to assimilate into UW-Madison more easily. I would not have liked the awkward time before rush. I really enjoyed fall recruitment. It allowed me to meet lots of new people right away and helped to make the campus seem a lot smaller. I really support a delayed or deferred recruitment model. I think PNMs would make more informed, mature decisions before making the large commitment that Greek life requires. I really think that recruitment was perfect how it has been. I loved the fact that I got to rush before I had any homework/tests/quizzes. I also loved that I met people right away. I had met people on my floor, but being in a sorority was totally different. I got to meet all types of people, all different ages. I think that delaying recruitment would take away some of the benefits that girls can have during their first semesters of college. Also, I have heard people say that my pledge class wasn't as close 1st semester because we were all getting to know each other, but now we all hang out all of the time. I think that if recruitment wasn't until spring everything would be different. The pledge class would kind of become close during the spring semester, but they probably wouldn't all see each other over summer, so in the fall they would have to start over again. Overall I think that fall recruitment right away is the best way to go.

I rushed as a sophomore because I absolutely hated my freshman year here at Madison. I told myself if I didn't get into a sorority in the fall I would transfer at the semester. Being able to join a house completely changed my perspective of this school for the better and gave me the best friends and improved my happiness and therefore academics. Delaying the recruitment process would have been harmful for not only my academics but my mental health, perspective, and willingness to recommend this school to others. The Greek System may have some flaws as everything else does at this University, however the Greek System also saves students and makes them feel like they have a healthy place to belong as early as possible in their Wisconsin Experience. I honestly think keeping recruitment in the fall right when we arrive at school is the best and healthiest means of recruitment for all those interested in joining the Greek system.

I rushed fall semester of my freshman year and wouldn't change a thing about it. It got me involved with a friendly group of guys from all over the country right away. I still had plenty of time for academics, other groups, and building relationships in my residence hall. I rushed in the fall, and I think that rush should stay this way. My sorority is truly a sisterhood, and i have formed better bonds in just this time with them than anybody i was friends with from home. Not only does this make my time at UW amazing but i feel loved and welcomed by so many people. This is so important as this is my first time away from home. Also, older girls have helped me so much with things that i needed to adjust to on campus. I strongly believe that Fall Recruitment is the best choice all around and I hope you really take my responses into consideration as to why. I strongly believe that fall rush is better than spring. My first year was much smoother and more welcoming with my sorority. I would probably have never rushed had it not been in the fall, and I would be missing out on a great support system. They are always there to help me with school and life in general, and I could not be more lucky to be a part of a sisterhood so strong. Spring rush would not be the same, for the reasons I previously stated. I strongly stand by the way that our recruitment is now. I think having it at the start of first semester freshmen year provides the women with the most possible benefits. i think a deferred recruitment model could work IF the campus provides extra support for the Spring recruitment of freshmen -- this could include more contact options (mailing, emails, flyers, residence hall visits, more organized intro-to-greek-life events) for ALL freshmen, increased contact for interested freshmen (similar to the previously listed ideas), stronger support of greek organizations in general I think an extended fall recruitment process is the best change we could make to the process, at least for smaller fraternities like mine. We, and the individual we are looking at, need time to properly asses weather this is the right decision, Spring is too late in my opinion and with whether, really limits the success of a rush period. Maybe you can rush in the fall but can only sign a bid in the spring would work but it still limits a transition period for those that could be productive members to the group early on. With a later process, you limit their abilities to produce and contribute for the group.

I think another survey should be sent out that is much easier to understand. It could have been made a lot simpler and instead it seemed like the survey was trying to trick people into certain answers. I think by keeping rush how it is will have more benefits. I think delayed recruitment is a great option to allow incoming freshman students the opportunity to learn more about greek life and the reputation each chapter holds before jumping in and joining a chapter! I think formal recruitment in the spring would be the best option. I think having recruitment before school starts like we do now is the best option for everyone involved. Not only would less people participate if the timing were different, but also this would cause conflicts with academic, work, and extra curricular schedules. Another timing of recruitment would also take away the benefit of creating so many new friends right away as a freshman and having instantly a hundred mentors that you can turn to with all of your freshman year questions.

I think it is very important to weigh the impacts that changing the rush schedule might have on individuals' academics and leadership opportunities and on the chapters' own plans regarding their philanthropies. No matter when rush occurs, it can feel like a big, stressful decision to the individuals rushing. However, I am thankful every day that I was able to rush in the beginning of the year because I met many great friends through it. I met other people in my dorm who introduced me to their non-Greek friends, and I felt like such a bigger part of the Wisconsin community as a whole.

I think it would be intelligent to keep the recruitment process the way it is so that it does not conflict with academic obligations.

I think it's important to have it at a time where school isn't crazy and make sure that it's also not too much at once considering the entire process on its own is somewhat overwhelming. I think normal recruitment is the best possible route. It had all advantages and no disadvantages. This survey is very unclear.

I think out off all the models available, the current one is the best. Recruitment takes place when the weather is still temperate, and allows fraternities and sororities to prepare for recruitment over the summer, before school obligations become overwhelming. Moving to another model will put an undue burden on both the current members who now have to balance their schoolwork with recruitment, but with the potential new members who will have to balance schoolwork and traipse around campus in the snow and ice in order to fulfill their desire to be a part of the community. Increased liability for the chapters and the school with the ice and cold, since delayed recruitment would be taking place during the coldest time of the year. Higher likelihood of cold related illnesses, ice related falls and injuries.

I think recruitment has been run smoothly in the past and it might be more of a negative to change an entire system that only has minor flaws, rather than the flaws themself. i think that a delayed recruitment would be a better idea than what we currently have. HOWEVER i do NOT think we should have deferred recruitment I think that a more spread out ease into the rush process would be more effective in allowing girls to find a house that is truly right for them. I think that although the recruitment process may seem "quick" or "rushed", it proves to be very helpful in making a large campus seem smaller and more comfortable right off the bat. Of course, choosing a Greek organization is a big decision, but I do not think that having early recruitment impedes that decision. In fact, I think engaging in recruitment early on prevents some of the negative aspects associated with Greek life, such as "dirty rushing" and people talking negatively about Greek life in general.

I think that any change to the current recruitment process would negatively impact the greek community because the changes would drastically hurt recruitment which is the lifeblood of the greek system. I think that Fall recruitment brings out the best in everyone. Incoming students are still true to who they are and aren't given the extended period of time for what is known at other schools as "dirty rush" (essentially giving kids gifts and recruiting kids under the table by inviting them to events that they are not allowed to be at). Between the weather and the school spirit of the beginning of the academic year, I think it is the best time of year to hold recruitment. Madison is glowing with spirit during that time from Badger football and the weather and Greek life adds to it through the recruitment process.

I think that it is crucial to UW-Madison that the Greek Community remains the same. We are a small part of the student, but we contribute massive amounts of community service hours, participate in a wide variety of clubs and maintain an above average GPA.

I think that keeping the fall recruitment model is the most beneficial for the students at this university who want to participate in greek life. Not only does it help students to form strong bonds so early on, but it also helps students academically and gives them older peers to look up to and ask for advice from. If the model were to be changed, I feel that freshman year would not live up to its potential for some. I think that members from the sorority boards should be invited to participate in this discussion. It is important and needs to be fully thought through with voice from all who would be affected. I think that not allowing first semester freshmen to join is a great idea. It'll allow them to fully acclimate to college and hopefully they will also have developed skills like time management, how to prioritize, etc. I think that our recruitment process at the beginning of the fall semester I think that recruitment should remain in the fall and be opened to all students, however, I think that there should be more marketing to students during SOAR so they are aware of it before they come to campus so they have more time to think about whether they want to participate or not. I think that recruitment should stay in the Fall for freshman. It was a big part of me feeling more comfortable on the campus and making friends. I am still really good friends with girls on my floor from the dorms and participated in clubs.

I think that the committee should consider just trying to increase advertisements during the summer to give freshmen more time to think about Greek Life. A change in the recruitment model would cause too many difficulties with academics, finances, housing and overall campus involvement to be worth a change. The university needs to be ready to assist the organizations with these changes. As well, this would cause for bias recruitment and many parties to try to incite people to join their chapter.

I think that the current model for recruitment is the best for all students. It doesn't require missing class or other student orgs while allowing any student to participate regardless of age, grade, etc. It also doesn't require students to come to campus early which I believe is a great aspect of UW's recruitment current model. Moving recruitment to later in the Fall semester would be more difficult for students to fit into their schedules. I think that the location in time that recruitment currently is, is perfect. It helps students to acclimate faster because they have people to count on. I wouldn't have done it any other way. I could not wait any longer for recruitment to start when I first got here

I think that the most important aspects to consider are the academic repercussions that would accompany both delayed and deferred recruitment. Having recruitment during school would affect many students negatively due to the overwhelming amount of work that goes into recruitment in addition to the amount of school work a college student already has.

I think that the recruitment process and timing that we have in place now is a great system and not many adjustments need to be made for the future. I think that a deferred recruitment is too big of a change to be made and will not be favored by many chapters.

I think that the recruitment process we have right now is perfect timing wise and a great transition for girls entering college to have a comfort zone from the start. I think the other two models are a huge turn off when looking at schools if greek life is an important factor. I think that the structure for IFC is working well. SAE has fall and spring recruitment and it works well. Joining as a freshmen fall semester really helped me adjust to campus and did not limit my friendship with those in my residence hall.

I think that the way it is set up now works perfectly. Girls know when they want to rush and they have the opportunity to rush their second year fall semester if they didn't, or were not able to, rush freshman year. Rushing immediately helps to keep sororities on a more neutral playing field, and it definitely helps out of state girls transition into the school much better than the dorms can. Not everyone is going to join Greek life, which we Greeks respect. I would like to say that the University respects our decision to join a community that holds us to higher standards of social behavior, grades, and future career paths, however, I am sad to say that many in the Greek community feel that we are not respected as we should be. We raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities every year, we donate time and money, and Humo is the biggest philanthropy in Wisconsin. If deferred recruitment is chosen, please keep in mind that girls who rush as sophomores and girls who will graduate early will be losing a semester that would otherwise have been filled with volunteering and help with classes from older students. Legacy is a large part of recruitment. If I had legacy, and I was deciding between what colleges I wanted to go to, I would most likely pick the college where I didn't have to wait to be involved on campus. And lastly, the dorms really aren't that great. I personally do not spend a lot of time with my floor, and I never have. I prefer to spend my time with people I truly relate with. Some people do make lots of friends in dorms; however, there are people like me who would rather spend time with other Greeks because they are my friends, not just because they're Greeks. Being in a sorority opens up so many doors for friends and for our future. Please please please take time in considering changing the Greek system. We may not be perfect, but we do care about this school and our community. Thank you.

I think that this survey should be sent out to people who went to formal recruitment and either were rejected or quit. I think that their feedback is the most valuable. I think the best time to have recruitment would be the week before spring semester begins. Classes haven't started yet, so there wouldn't be any academic conflicts. Freshman would have an entire semester under their belt, and therefore, a better perception of not only whether or not they want to be participate in greek life, but have a better idea of which chapter would fit them best.

I think the committee should keep it the way it is. I rushed in the spring. However, if I were to do it over again, I would have done it in the fall. I think the current model is great and provided me with sufficient information and time to make a decision about the house I would join. I think the current system has the potential to be very beneficial for incoming students. I know when I went through the pledge process, I was able to meet a lot of people both in the Greek community and outside of the Greek community which helped me better acclimate to school. There were also a lot of resources made available to me such as through tutoring and networking events.

I think the model at UW is great. We have a quick and efficient model that doesn't impact anyone's responsibilities academically. It is a great way to meet people and get involved on campus from the beginning. It offers role models and guides for transitioning into college. It provides girls with a security during the first few weeks of being independent.

I think the model with most success potential would be altogether switching formal recruitment to the spring. I think the more general tabling events where all chapters are together, the better. I think the recruitment model we have now is just fine, however it would always help to make it a little longer, because it gives the potential new members more time to figure out what they want, make friends, and make decisions. It would also be a good idea to have more events where all of the fraternities and sororities participate... not just tabling. I know my freshmen year there was a fraternity football event, which I thought was awesome, because then I could meet people from each fraternity and got to spend a little time getting to know them while playing football.

I think the system of fall recruitment is very good. It falls at a very good time in the year when there isn't a lot of stress from school, the weather is nice, and people are all looking to meet new people. If there was more delay in recruitment that would cause people to choose a house based on what they've heard about it or what they're friends are doing and not on which house they would fit best in. I think there should only be a certain number of people allowed to go through recruiting on a certain semester. When there's too many girls, there's a lot of girls who will get left out and it can seriously damage them socially and academically too.

I think this survey is really biased and phrased unfairly I think UW Madison's set up for recruitment for fraternities is perfect. Any semester, anyone of any age can rush. Not having Greek life open to certain ages, or certain times of the year would be detrimental to the greek community, and to all the benefits a fraternity brings to an individual. I really hope that the administration looks at other models in other universities because I think UW Madison has the best recruitment set up out there. I think we should keep Fall Recruitment, but add additional days so the hours are shorter for everyone. I think what we have right now is very appropriate and works amazing and it is an extremely wonderful way to get adjusted into campus and the start of freshman year along with meeting new people and making amazing lifelong friends.

I think what we have works best I think with the greek life growing like it is, we definitely do need a change, however pushing it or changing the current model drastically seems too much I truly believe that a delayed recruitment model or a deferred model would ruin the Greek system's success. Although recruitment is hard work, fall recruitment is the perfect time for both upperclassmen and freshmen to go through this process.

I understand the concerns about fall recruitment but I strongly believe that it hurts prospective freshman in an unjust manner more than anyone else. There is an atmosphere of enthusiasm and inclusion that is really reassuring for many students, myself included, during fall recruitment. Going Greek does involve compromises mentioned such as Welcome Week, but the gravity, committment, and wholly unique nature of Greek Life demands that you can't go about committing to anything you find even the least bit interesting. Freshman could get involved in undeniably positive ways with other campus groups with a recruitment shift, but then be very disappointed and disillusioned when they realize that all the time and talent they invested in other campus groups may preclude them from Going Greek. I think that the current recruitment model teaches some important lessons about balancing and prioritizing limited time and makes students really consider what they value in any organization before making a committment.

I understand the thinking behind changing the recruitment process, but the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits. Smaller houses on campus will not have the funds to recruit for an entire semester. Fewer freshmen will join. Spring rush does not receive nearly enough enthusiasm from the greek community, and though I would love to change that, it simply isn't going to happen in the near future. Even if freshmen are being thrown into a "drinking culture", there are valuable lessons to be learned and the greek community does a great job of showing freshmen the line between right a wrong.

I understand why the University has its concerns regarding Freshman's participating in recruitment, but I believe that our current model is the most beneficial for everyone participating. Fall recruitment imposes no academic conflicts, which is the most important aspect. In fact, as a Freshman, I constantly consulted upperclassmen about academics and the entire chapter was very focuses on academic performance. If anything, my academics were better because of my chapter. Also, I feel like without joining my chapter in the Fall, I would have been an emotional wreck with all the hardships I encountered after I left for college. The emotional support and constant compassion I received from women in my chapter that first semester of college is why I am still at this university today.

I was a fall semester rush and my experience at Madison would have been much different if recruitment was delayed or deferred. Fall rush allowed me to meet people I could relate too, not get overwhelmed with my academics and have an overall better experience on campus. I went through recruitment fall of my freshman year. Going through recruitment gave me such a positive outlook on Greek life and the university right away. I felt wanted and comfortable and was able to meet hundreds of people in just a couple of days. I was able to come in with open eyes, ears, and heart. Moving away from home is tough especially when you come from a caring family like mine, but the excitement and belonging that came with fall recruitment made me really happy and optimistic during a time that could've been really lonely and sad for me. I went to a school last year with delayed recruitment and all it caused was a semester long tension between freshman and upperclassman women as well as a much longer time for pre conceived notions to form about chapters that do not exist when a student is allowed to participate in recruitment right away in the fall. Fall recruitment allows for the potential new member to choose where they feel they fit, and not where they have been told after an entire semester where they "should" fit.

I will never be one to say that the fraternity and sorority recruitment processes are flawless. Everyone in the Greek Community is well aware of how unnerving the idea of jumping right into recruitment in the first few weeks of school is, however the overall benefits outweigh the initial pitfalls. In comparison to other universities, UW-Madison's Greek Community has some of the most level-headed and genuine recruitment processes offered in the country. Trying to change the process will only result in negative consequences for active members, potential new members, and the futures of all chapters on campus.

I will provide you with just a few of many logical reasons to maintain the current model of recruitment. 1.) Current model allows students a wider medium of options in which to engage and interact with other students 2.) Current model allows those students who join the Greek system access to networking oppurtunites through prominent alumni and current Greek members while providing students with access to resident scholars (graduates pursing a PhD) 3.) Current model allows incoming freshman to immediately receive scholarships offered to those who have excelled academically in high school. Deferring recruitment could mean deferring vital scholarship money to students who may need it

I wish we could concentrate on getting more support from the university than pushing recruitment back. It is a huge part of life here on campus, and without it i would be very unhappy. Please listen to the voice of the students in the greek system because we are the ones living through this experience. I would be very upset if the fall recruitment process was not kept as is. I'm big on tradition and believe this is the best functioning way for recruitment. If someone does not want to rush first semester freshman year, he or she can always rush in the spring semester freshman year or sophomore year as well. I would highly suggest continuing to allow freshmen to rush. Greek life was a big deciding factor for me and I don't think I would have had nearly as fantastic of a freshman year if I hadn't been a part of Greek life. I would just like to say that I believe the formal recruitment process we have right now is the one that would work best. Delayed recruitment would bring too many conflicts with scholarship for not only the pnms but the sorority women as well. Lastly I believe that not letting freshman go through formal recruitment in the fall is one that would not be beneficial. Not only are our chapters based on new members but I believe that it would be an infringement to decide when girls can go through formal recruitment. Part of college is learning to make decisions on your own and that is what recruitment is but also it is so beneficial for a young student. They still have the choice to decide who they hang out with and when they do recruitment. If they don't feel comfortable first semester freshman year, they can participate in recruitment that spring or the next fall.

I would like to present to the committee my perception of people who chose to rush and people who chose not to rush. Coming into school, I knew that I wanted to be in a sorority. Firstly, many family members had joined greek life and had nothing but amazing stories of sisterhood to share. Secondly, I was not connected to the university as I am an out of state student and I felt that I needed to find my place in this massive crowd of students. Thirdly, I wanted to share my love for service with people who share similar interests. I respect many students who chose not to rush. From my experience, students not in a sorority have networks on campus and wish to involve themselves in other manners, whether it be a club or an intramural. I respect students decisions not to rush and believe there is an easy entry and exit to greek life for every person.

I would look at the rest of the Big Ten Programs that are similar to Wisconsin. IU has had some very negative publicity with their Greek system and their in ability to accept many women into the Greek system in addition to the fiasco they dealt with because of the weather. Most of the other schools in the Big Ten Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, Nebraska, Minnesota, Purdue and Penn State all use a fall recruitment system in different fashions that works for the university and the students. As we have seen enrollment increase in Greek Life across the country evaluate what will help increase membership and the membership experience. Evaluate the Donor Ratio to the University from Greek Life and see if they will have as strong of an experience with the University and their willingness to give. Also there would be potentially a year and a half between the chapters having new member classes and that is a hard transition to make for Greek Life. That would throw off a lot of internal practices and also decreases moral and retention with in a chapter so dealing with the backlash of that will need a plan.

I would not be a fan of delayed or deferred recruitment due to the fact I think that Greek Life helped me feel involved in the university during my first couple weeks of school. I met so many people through rushing, and I had plenty of time to meet all the individuals on my floor as well. I really think rushing in beneficial to the the NEW freshman student. Our new member educator really taught a lot about getting used to college life and how to make the most out of college experience. I would not be where I am without fall recruitment occuring. I would not be in favor of doing any formal recruitment activities during fall semester for sophomores, juniors, or seniors and then doing deferred recruitment for first-year students during the spring semester. I would prefer either delaying recruitment for a couple weeks into the fall, or only having recruitment the week before school starts in January. This would give younger potential members adequate time to adjust to school, and give chapters the chance to promote recruitment. Having recruitment the weekend before school begins is too nerve-wracking for first year students or transfer students who have yet to even attend a class before potentially receiving a bid - this is too soon of a schedule to give them adequate transition time to UW-Madison and the collegiate experience. There is no need to delay recruitment for more than 1 semester; any longer than starting recruitment at the beginning of the spring semester would severely hinder a chapter's ability to recruit young members who would contribute many positive things to the Greek community.

I would really appreciate each of my comments made for each individual option being read and considered thoroughly. I, along with many many members of the Greek community, feel it would be an irrevocable mistake to alter the ways in which recruitment is already being run. Also, as I mentioned previously in a comment, in my opinion these questions are slanted to make early recruitment appear to have more disadvantages and while the questions do not directly address the advantages and disadvantages of delayed and deferred recruitment. I would urge the committee to carefully weigh each handwritten response. The reliability of the questionnaire is flawed due to the incongruencies between the question and the response choices. "What does your chapter need...?" with the option, "Somewhat Marketing Assistance" is not a valid response. It is unclear how the data will be scored, whether it will be reverse coded, and how it will be analyzed. I would love to see a written report of the results from this questionnaire and how they apply to the views of the models. I wouldn't have gone to uw if there wasn't fall rush If a change is going to be made, I think there needs to be EXTENSIVE research to prove that this is what our community wants, and that there will be concrete benefits to it. If Fall recruitment were eliminated, fraternities would end up dirty rushing freshmen until spring, which would be horrible.

If fraternities and sororities are considered organizations at this prestigious university, then all other organizations should have to change their recruitment models. There is a Org Fair each semester in which students, predominantly freshmen attend in order to get involved on campus. A fraternity and sorority does the same thing for these students and allows them to make a new group of friends, give back to their community and network. To inhibit these students from joining such organizations would be inconsistent with the setup of all the clubs on campus. Greek life is being stigmatized for developing bad habits in students, however it is a requirement for members to complete community service, take an active role in their respective chapter and complete study hours. While fraternity and sorority rush are very apparent on campus, it is clear that all other organizations also have a recruitment process. For campus to be fair and equal a change, if made, should reflect the entire campus, not a small portion of esteemed individuals.

If it isn't broke don't fucking fix it. If recruitment was deferred we wouldn't have enough members to pay to live in our beautiful homes If something is working the way it is, why change it? Keep fall recruitment. If the current recruitment model is changed, it would be very detrimental to the Greek community. It decreases the likelihood of getting new members, increases costs, increases the difficulty of creating rush events, etc. At the start of the spring semester it is very cold; people don't like to travel much at all when it is cold. This would make it harder to get people to attend Greek rush events especially if the houses are farther away from their residences. It also minimizes some house's strengths such as lake location, docks, yards, etc. If there is one thing that should be taken into heavy consideration, it is the opinion of the people who are actually going to be affected by this decision - the Greek community. Largely under-represented in this decision, we are the ones who will be dealing with this. Please be fair and take the time to heed our opinion based on our experience in the current system so we can continue to provide an invaluable Greek experience for future students. If we are discussing the deferred or delayed recruitments, I am not in favor of either of those, but if we're talking about the 4 day, 3 round model, then I am in full support of that. I think splitting up days would be better for both the potential new members as well as the chapters. If we moved to Deferred Recruitment, it would severely impact smaller chapters with less members due to the fact that a majority of new members in the fall are typically freshmen. This would put small chapters at risk of losing their charter due to a declining number of members, which could be easily avoided by keeping the same model we have in place at the moment. Older students also tend to believe that they should not rush if they did not rush during their freshman year. Since the Deferred model would only allow older students to rush, the number of new members in the fall would go down as a result of no freshmen along with few older students that would go out and attend the rush events. The current model also allows chapters to hold more rush events in the fall, giving freshmen a higher chance of being able to attend these events before their schedules become too hectic with exams and before they get involved in an abundant number of organizations. That would also be a disadvantage of the Delayed model. If the Deferred model is put in place, not as many freshmen would be inclined to endure the frigid temperatures of the early spring semester and new member numbers would dwindle in that way as well. The overall concept of changing the rush process would be a disadvantage to Greek system as a whole.

If you do not allow freshmen to rush you will be ending the Greek System. Most people who join the Greek System do so as freshmen. Not allowing this will be a huge detriment to the "University Experience" for many people new to college.

If you switch to delayed/deferred recruitment you're essentially trying to remove greek life from this campus. You're trying to appear on the outside as if you would really like to help the greek community but are clearly following another agenda. Cut the bullshit. Despite stereo types of the greek life overly dramatized in tv today there are many positives it has to offer. By delaying recruitment you're trying to ensure students are too busy with other orgs to want to join a sorority or fraternity come spring semester or their sophomore year. In addition to the feedback I have provided in the advantages/disadvantages section of this survey, I would like to highlight the benefits I see of having Fall Recruitment. --Fall Recruitment facilites the opportunity to make friends past the residence halls within the first few weeks of embarking on one's collegiate journey. Because recruitment doesn't start for a few days after move-in, students still get the opportunity to meet others initially and continue those relationships throughout the year. --Fall Recruitment conflicts the least with academic obligations because bid day occurs only a week after classes start for the year, allowing students to focus on their studies following the short recruitment process. --Fall Recruitment allows students to get involved sooner. Personally, I got involved by late fall of my freshman year in my sorority as the Director of Internal Events. Having this position early allowed me to be exposed to business practices before applying and being accepted into the Wisconsin School of Business at the end of my freshman year. --Most importantly, Fall Recruitment allows members to get involved in their respective chapters sooner. There are so many resources that being in a Greek house can provide, especially in academics. Always having study partners and academic help and guidance from older members have been so incredibly valuable on my academic journey at UW-Madison.

In all honestly, the way our recruitment model is set up right now is the most beneficial to the Greek Community at UW-Madison. For members, our "work week" is during the summer before school starts so we don't have to worry about it interfering with our academic schedules. For potential new members, especially incoming freshman, it provides a community of similar people which can be difficult to find on such a large campus. Increase the number of days for formal recruitment, not the time of year. It is important to take in the financial impact that these different recruitment models have on the Greek Community. In addition, Deferred Recruitment has a negative impact academically in regards to midterms. Delayed Recruitment has difficult logistical issues that are hard to surpass during the winter months and as a result, the recruitment process would be affected in a negative way.

It just doesn't make sense to change the timing of recruitment. I would've felt so lost and alone on campus if I hadn't been able to go through recruitment at the beginning of first semester freshman year. Horrible idea to change that around in my and many others opinion. It needs to be in fall. It is the best way for students to get acclimated to Madison and more specifically the greek community.

It seems completely infeasible to do this in the middle of a semester. The planning and time a sorority needs to go through rush can not be done during the midst of the academic semester. School takes priority of course. This survey is also very confusing. I would maybe consider rewording it... Lastly, I would prefer a fall recruitment based on my rush experience and the timing that worked perfectly for me. It should stay the way it is It will probably have to raise dues because we lose out on dues that we normally get from having new members in the fall and this would also restrict a lot of people from even joining greek life in an general manner. Having recruitment in the fall is better because student organizations don't start until a few weeks into the school year so women don't have to choose between getting involved on campus and joining greek life. Also, with delayed recruitment many women will join houses with their existing friends and it defeats the purpose of meeting new friends and having a new experience.The chapters with houses will also have trouble getting people to live in because at a school this big it is important to find housing for the next year early on in the current school year so many people will have already signed leases and will be unable to live in the house.

It would be absolutely detrimental to the greek system if we "deferred" recruitment. It is a tradition we have always had on this campus, as well as something that incoming freshman are always looking forward to. It is a way for them to immediately meet people outside of their residence halls that are going through the same transition as they are. There is no reason to fix something that isn't broken - it will only do more damage and will anger many, many people within the greek system. It would be beneficial for UW to have a good relationship with the greek system, and "deferring" recruitment would definitely not foster a positive relationship. It would be helpful if the surveys were worded better, they were very confusing to follow and understand. In addition as the House Manger of my sorority, a large concern I have is that if we were to delay recruitment to the spring we would not be able to fill our sorority house as well as maintain it through the loss of dues from the fall semester. This would then lead to a possible mandatory live in requirement for older girls thus affecting their ability to study abroad by having to live in a full year- thus affecting their UW Madison Experience. The best thing would be to keep it in the spring, the loss of greek houses on campus also means a loss of history and tradition to UW Madison, something we are all so proud to be a part of and to continue.

It would be idiotic to have a delayed rush. Students are looking to make new friends when they arrive on campus and when they join a fraternity or sorority that is one of the many things they are doing. It would also be very hard to fill a house with members if you aren't recruiting them considering how leases are dealt with down here Joining a fraternity my first semester on campus was the one of the best decisions I made during my college career. I was able to quickly find a group of people on campus that I shared values with and connected me with people with valuable college experience. Seeing an organization grow and change over four or five years, and seeing how you change and add to the organization is extremely rewarding. Joining Greek life my freshman year was one of the best decisions I've made. It helped me make many more friendships than I would have had, as well as providing me with class help and advice from students who had been there. My social communication skills and motivation towards my education improved, allowing me to successfully interview with multiple companies and obtain an engineering internship at the beginning of my sophomore year. My grades were affected for the better, because I was encouraged to do well both for myself and for my chapter. Just a quick comment on the drinking culture that was brought up in the disadvantages section- while I believe it is true that the University of Wisconsin Madison as a whole does have a drinking culture, I don't think that Greek Life pushes it anymore than the student population as a whole. In fact I joined Greek Life because my sisters accepted me and respected my values knowing that I didn't drink. When I came to college, I had never drank before in my life. I selected the sorority I did because I confided in members that I didn't drink at all, and they made me feel so comfortable and welcome. I never felt pressured to drink with them, unlike the pressure I felt from people on my floor in the Residence Hall.

Keep fall recruitment. KEEP FALL RECRUITMET AS IT IS. Delayed or deferred recruitment models will only hurt the Greek community and are unfair.

Keep fall rush. There is no point in waiting. The pledge process will be the same no matter when it happens, so I want to have the most possible time with my brothers. Keep it how it is Keep it the same, delaying recruitment affects were people live, the positive influence from older members that are going on to be successful people and the social experience of college. Keep it the way it is, there is no other system that will do anything but severely hurt our community. Keep it the way it is, with maybe just the exception of adding in something about visiting all the chapters. Keep it the way it is. The "drinking problem" is not a greek culture issue, it is a Wisconsin culture issue. Keep recruitment the way it is Keep recruitment the way it is. There is no need to change it, it is working out well the way it is. Keep the recruitment process as is. Maybe make spring recruitment a week longer than this year's period. (2 weeks instead of one).

Keep things the way they have been for the last how many years. The system we have works perfectly fine Leaving it the way it is is completely fine, because there doesn't seem to be any problem with it! Let students decide for themselves. If young men or women want to join an oganization they should be permitt as the U.S Consitution gurantees that right. If this passes through University we will sue UW-Madison, that is a promise. I can't believe the University of Wisconsin of all places wants to limit ADULTS free choices and decisions. This is not about assist kids and there lives. This is about destroying the Greek Community plain and simple. Look more into how it affects a student's performance in school. That's what we are all here for, to earn a valued education, so look at how Greek Community's GPAs do among these different types of recruitment practices. Looking at our current recruitment process vs. other schools who engage in delayed or deferred recruitment, I truly think we have the best approach. Dragging out the recruitment process puts intense pressure on girls to behave in certain ways. They will judge different sororities in unfair ways. The recruitment process is designed to be based purely on conversations with different girls in each house. If we wait to go through the process, other factors will become more important than they should.

LOVED GOING THROUGH RECRUITMENT FRESHMAN YEAR JUST HOW IT WAS. Making a change like this would send shock waves through an already struggling greek community. This community is a special part of UW-Madison and should be cherished. Make sure that whatever decision is made, it is made in the best interest of the community, and not made in the best interest of the University trying to dispose of the greek community. This is a historic tradition of UW-Madison, both of my parents were greek in the 80's and now my two sisters and I are greek. We love the memories we have been able to make and wouldn't want this opportunity to go anywhere for any incoming badgers.

Many freshman join greek life to find friendships that last a lifetime. By deferring recruitment, the university would be taking away the opportunity to feel like a part of the campus because they would not have a great group of friends established right away. By having a better relationship with older members, freshman also have the opportunity to learn about the classes they are in, and the activities they could join. It is a comfort to have a group of people who are willing to help and accept you to UW Madison.

Many prospective students who are interested in the option of greek life, whether they join or not, use it as a determining factor in the application process. For example, a student may not apply to a school because they do not allow freshmen to participate in greek life or because recruitment occurs during an odd time of the semester. More organization is needed My chapter has had significant discussion on this topic before and as a chapter we have always come to the conclusion that the recruitment process that is in place now is best. We have very valid and important reasons for thinking this, many of which I have mentioned, and I think it is best to truly listen to what the greek community is telling you on the topic. We know what is best for our chapters and what could potentially harm our organizations. My main concern with the delayed recruitment model is academic interference. I like having recruitment at the beginning of the year because we are able to get it out of the way before school becomes our main priority. A lot of women would be upset if the timing of recruitment changes. n/a N/a N/A na need to find a balance between greek orgs providing needed support, especially minority students and ensuring a positive experience. Some greek orgs require one semester of school to be completed anyway because they have a GPA minimum. none None None it was great None. Normal fall recruitment was hands down one of the best decisions of my college career and for other students to not be able to get the same opportunity as myself would be unfair to them. Not allowing fall recruitment would be a large disadvantage to the recruitment efforts of Chapters because the first weeks are full of excitement for a new student and new students are more willing to try new things such as attend rush events. After a semester or a full year, some students will have already become comfortable and not be as open to a life change such as joining a fraternity/sorority. Also, more rush events can take place during August/September than in January/February due to the extreme weather differences between those months. Not many students rush in spring as it is really cold and they don't attend rush evens at the houses as they are a little far away

Obviously there are pros and cons to all of the models. I know administration is worried that women are overwhelmed when they are required to go through recruitment in the fall. I do believed effete recruitment would really hinder participating and I think there would be an enormous about of unforeseen academic, work, and other activity conflicts if we were to have deferred recruitment! As the Vice President of recruitment of my own chapter last year I know for a fact that preparing our chapter and the logistics of everything recruitment related would be near impossible so late in the semester or year. I do understand everyone's concerns and I think the best compromise that keeps everyone's academic and emotional interest in mind is allowing freshman to move in a week early! This would make sure there are zero academic conflicts, which should be everyone's top priority since this is an educational institution. Freshman would be able to get acclimated and wouldn't feel overwhelmed! They would still be able to meet friends outside the Greek community and participating in other clubs and welcome week activities! Early move in would also finally allow our Greek community to follow NPC's formal recruitment structure and have 4 days of formal recruitment that is necessary when we have 12 chapters.

Of course recruitment isn't the greatest most fun process in the world, but I strongly believe that the current system in place is the best it can be. Deferring recruitment would not only prevent students from having a great opportunity to become acclimated to a large campus and make friends, but it would also hurt the chapters financially.

Our current model has been in place for so long, changing the model will cause a severe shakeup and probably could impact the growth of our community because of the trial and error aspect of the first couple years could impact participation. Not allowing freshmen who would really like to join a Greek organization from the get go (like myself) would make them lose out on a semester of making friends and gaining knowledge about our campus/university/classes/culture. In allowing a delayed/deferred model, dirty rushing and bid promises would rise since girls would see each other outside of recruitment for a semester and start seeking out potential members in a biased way. Humorology, one of the Greek community's prized philanthropy events would need to be revamped since the highest participation is from freshmen men and women Greek community members. It would decrease the impact it would have with one less semester of fundraising available.

Our recruitment model works very well the way it is. I would not recommend any changes be made. Out of the proposed models, I strongly prefer to stick with Fall Recruitment for the reasons I outlined throughout this survey. But if the University absolutely felt it was necessary to change something and clearly communicated those reasons, Spring Recruitment is the most feasible of changes. Delayed and Deferred Recruitment would be very challenging to do for my chapter and still maintain our quality of risk management and new member programming. I also have to say - if the Greek Office wants sophomores, juniors, and seniors to be made members more often, then PLEASE make it mandatory for their GPA to be included in their information and say which GPA it is - college or high school. Through the membership selection process it is required to know their GPA before making a decision.

Overall, Fall recruitment is ideal and should be kept. Delayed recruitment is not ideal, but could be managed, but I urge you not to implement deferred recruitment. I realize that the UW faculty has their own ideas and opinions about greek life, but the truth is this: there are bad eggs in every fraternity and sorority. These few people cause us to have a bad image, and will make stupid and embarrassing decisions regardless of recruitment time. This cannot be stopped, as there will always be those few people who cast a shadow over greek life and make it out to be so much less than it is. The all-sorority GPA is higher than the all-women GPA at this school, and that is NOT a coincidence. These girls are smart and hard-working, and we do a lot of good for the community. The benefits of having greek life with fall recruitment far out-weigh the costs. The Greek system is seen as a hassle to UW faculty, but to thousands of students, Greek life is what we live for. It isn't perfect but we are very proud to be Greek and we do the very best that we can. We are a positive influence on the community and on each other, and changing recruitment would be a huge and unnecessary obstacle for us to overcome. It may not seem like a big deal to the faculty, but it is a HUGE deal to us. Please keep in mind that we, like many other minorities on campus, take pride in what we do and prefer things to be done a certain way. Please respect this fact and take it into consideration when making your decision.

Overall, I believe that the current system of fall recruitment provides the best opportunity for new members to learn about Greek life, make early and advantageous connections with women in all chapters, and allow recruiting members to present their own chapters in the best light. Overall, rush sucks. It's long and boring. It will suck at any time of the year. But the reason people do it is to get a once in a lifetime shot at being in a sorority or fraternity, and it would be a shame if people missed out on that because the timing is when classes are extremely intense and the weather is terrible (who wants to walk around for hours in heels and a dress in 0 degree weather?). I don't think moving rush back later would make freshmen have a better dorm experience either. I'm great friends with almost all, if not everyone, on my floor. I'm also great friends with the people in my sorority now too. I don't think you have to choose one or the other to have a quality relationships with. As long as you put in the effort to be a part of both experiences that's what you will get. And not all people want that and that's fine. I know plenty of non-Greek people that hate dorm life and have yet to bond with their floor. That's their choice. And if rush is moved back it will be harder to have a full Greek experience, so essentially by moving it back you are taking away our options to fully experience freshman year, not adding to it. I don't think I'm the only one with this opinion either. Inside Greek-life and outside Greek-life people understand that college is a time where you can try out choosing your own experiences and likes and dislikes. I think they would also agree that those decisions shouldn't be indirectly taken away from us by decreasing Greek participants through a delayed rush date.

Panhellenic needs to move to a four day recruitment model ASAP. It's insane the hours demanded of members and really gives recruitment a bad name because everyone is so hot and exhausted. Partaking in recruitment right away when I came to campus as a freshmen completely shaped my college experience. I would not be as successful, independent or as confident without that experience. I was still able to foster some great relationships with both my residence hall friends and greek friends while also gaining great knowledge on how to acclimate to the major life change I had just made. Personally I think having fall recruitment at the end of August is best for women as they have less conflicts that prevent them from joining a sorority. I also believe having recruitment at this time prevents girls from not joining a sorority for stereotypical reasons. When women go through recruitment with little knowledge of each sorority each sorority is given an equal chance to recruit girls.

Personally, I really enjoyed going through fall recruitment. It provided me with new friends who I wouldn't have met otherwise. The weather was also very nice in comparison to spring. Fall recruitment also provides our chapter with more funds in the fall to participate in activities and events. Please make sure that the people making the decision have been in the Greek system and like the Greek system and are from all different types of sororities and frats. Please see my previous comment. I think that different recruitment models would change the entire way the greek system is run and would cause a lot of chaos. Winter rush seems implausible and the greek like would be significantly hindered by a spring rush event. Please shorten the amount of hours each day of recruitment runs PLEASE take into thoughtful consideration my worded responses. The selection questions on the survey were worded very vaguely, almost to a degree where it seems like respondents are trying to be tricked into giving a predetermined outcome. I don't like how administration on our campus is going about this change, and I CERTAINLY do not like the fact that the majority of members on this committee ARE NOT GREEK ALUM. I am a sophomore that rushed a traditional fraternity in the fall of my freshman year; I wouldn't change a single think about my Greek experience. I strongly believe that I am a better student, friend, and brother from my experiences. You may not agree, but I don't believe that someone on this committee that never experienced what I have will ever truly understand the benefits.

Pushing recruitment back would be a terrible idea and ruin the positive growth within our greek community Putting recruitment at a later date for the freshmen would put less popular houses at a disadvantage as freshmen would be exposed to a semester's worth of rumors about every house. Read all of my previous boxes that I have typed text into. The fall rush events are way more enjoyable than the spring ones. Really look at the housing conflict regarding leases when choosing a model. Also, look at other schools and see how they do recruitment. Many recruit over the summer before the school year begins to maximize exposure and minimize conflict with academics. Recruitment goes way more seamlessly when chapter members have time to prepare before recruitment when they don't have any other commitments. Recruitment is a very specific process in which hundreds of members of panhellenic organizations spend hours preparing. This preparation during classes will cause detrimental academic effects to many chapter members and potential new members. Classic fall recruitment is the most preferable recruitment model.

Recruitment has been a success in the past at UW- Madison, why change something that is going so well? Members are happy with their choices to go through recruitment and the number of sophomores/ juniors that are starting to commit to Fall Recruitment is increasing. When I ask members why they decided to go through recruitment as a sophomore/ junior they say that they have seen their friends have so much fun through Greek life and want to be a part of the Greek Community. Many of these girls that go through recruitment did not find a good group of friends their freshman year and are looking for a strong bond between a large group of girl friends. Greek life and Fall Recruitment has made me a strong, independent, successful women in the classroom and the professional world as well. recruitment in the fall, how we have it now, is so important. my experience at Wisconsin would be so different without recruitment how it is now. I also can't stay I would have stayed at Wisconsin past my first semester had I not joined a sorority and had all that support and best friends. Recruitment is a mutual vetting process for a chapter like mine. This is not about trying to get guys to join, it is about finding young men with character and potential. Through pledgeship, we seek to instill our values and foster that potential to develop men of true character worthy of being in our chapter. Why should freshman not be provided this opportunity? Do you want them to languish in the alcohol oriented and reckless culture that is freshman life? Would you rather have them being idiots blacking out at football games or house parties because they are inexperienced or attending Hammer for a Heart with me on a Saturday morning, learning from a senior what it takes to succeed at this school and in life?

Recruitment is at its most efficient as it is now. It allows freshman who come into Madison an easy access way to meet people who have similar interests as them. It is done when there is minimal school work and minimal outside responsibility. While it does take a lot of time at the beginning of the year, it does not damage the students' possibility to befriending their fellow floormates as they have the entire year of living on the same floor to interact with them. Further, the current system does not punish sophomores for waiting to rush, yet does not force people to wait to rush either (this wait, in my opinion, would stop many people from wanting to rush). Going greek at the start of my freshman year provided me with the opportunity to meet great people, both on my floor and in my fraternity.

Recruitment is not only important for the rushes to see the chapters that they like, but it is also important for the members of the chapters to see who could potentially become part of their chapter. It benefits both sides and all of the events are optional. No one is forcing anyone to do anything and it is up to the rushes to show how much effort that they want to put into the process.

Restricting recruitment from its current time and personnel will only serve to decrease Greek life membership at an institution that already struggles with Greek life membership when compared to similar universities. Protecting the interests of freshmen by making certain decisions for them may seem noble, but I believe it delays their acclimation to college life and ultimately adulthood.

Reword this survey. Rushing a fraternity in the fall gave me an opportunity to get acclimated to campus in a unique way that had upperclassmen giving me guidance and advice for succeeding at UW-Madison. It also allowed me to meet new people who were not in my dorm. Rushing in the fall did expose me to more drinking, but it also taught me how to drink in a safe way and not do anything that would harm myself. Having recruitment at the beginning of the year, I did not miss that much in terms of academics and other commitments. It also gives individuals more time to learn about the chapter before being initiated and will have the chapter feel less rushed before initiation. Rushing during the Fall was one of the best choices I made on this campus. I am INCREDIBLY close with my floor friends as well as my sorority sisters. It is possible to have a balanced life on campus and I believe that fall recruitment offers girls an opportunity to make friends quickly which is comforting as a freshman. Having recruitment during the fall also allowed me to rush without the stress of my classes. See previous comment about the disadvantages of deferred recruitment. Some of these questions were poorly stated. All forms of recruiting should be allowed from my personal experience neither semester is absolutely advantageous. That being said fall is better because people are more motivated.

Something I think would be an issue with both delayed and deferred recruitment is that the freshmen would learn the different campus/greek life perceptions of the different chapters before actually going through recruitment. The purpose of formal recruitment is to level the playing field among all chapters and detach any kind of stereotype or idea attached to any one chapter. If we did delayed or deferred recruitment, potential new members would have time on campus to hear others' opinions and stereotypes of each chapter, which I think would be a major detriment to the recruitment process. I also think that our current timing of recruitment is most feasible because we are not busy with school during recruitment. Obviously we are all here to get an education first and if recruitment were moved to a time when school is more intensive, that would defeat the purpose.

Stop wasting your money and time on this. Why try to fix something that is not broken? These processes have been around since Greek Organizations began. Personally, my Greek Organization has been around longer than this university so I think they know what works best better than some committee. Students should have the option to decide what they want to partake in. That is the whole point of the student organization fair in the Fall and Spring. They are able to talk to different student groups and learn about each group. From there they decide who they want to form relationships with. Deferring recruitment would only hinder these relationships. Many Greek members are involved in student organizations as well, so students could learn about these organizations through Greek life.

Students that want to join a greek organization are usually kids that were pretty active in High School and they have to be good students or they won't be asked to join. Knowing this, deferred recruitment would keep these types of students away from something they like and hurt the greek organizations that wouldn't benefit from their participation.

Switching the recruitment model would really affect multiple aspects of the Greek system. One would be that the big philanthropy competition Humorology would either not be able to be done. As a current Humorology director, this has been one of the aspects that couldn't have made me grow more as an individual. I have made life long friendships and gained significant leadership experience. Changing the recruitment model would also interfere with chapters filling their houses since now it is common for Sophomores to live in. I know that I do not know who I would have lived with if I was unable to live in the house as a sophomore. Additionally, if recruitment was delayed it would interfere with the leadership opportunities that are offered. I know for me, a large reason I was accepted into the business school was because I could say that I held a position on the executive board of my sorority. This was a great opportunity for me to develop my leadership skills as a freshman and look up to older members in my chapter who were also excellent leaders and role models for me. I honestly feel that my Wisconsin Experience would not have been as positive and great of an experience as it was if I hadn't joined a sorority in the fall of my freshman year.

The benefits of Fall Recruitment heavily outweigh any disadvantage, while the disadvantages of any other recruitment time are vast. Fall Recruitment is at the best time in regards to academics, as it would not coincide with academic commitments, and being a part of the greek community gave numerous resources for classes. Deferred Recruitment would be unsafe as we have below freezing temperatures during the winter when it is not healthy to be outside.

The best model of recruitment is easily the normal fall rush process. Forcing kids to wait until spring or not rush at all would ruin the entire process. Rushing in the fall is by the best way to become accustomed to the campus and create a strong group of friends you will have for the rest of your college experience and beyond. Why would you want to delay that process?

The choice to rush/pledge greek life is the individuals decision. If they wish to rush in the fall, they will, however if they want to rush in the spring then they can choose to do that too. I don't believe that we should limit students to one option because everyone is different, and the semester that works for one student, might not work for another. Greek life is the main reason why I am the student I am today, I have high expectations of myself, both academically and personality wise to be the best I can and without that expectation coming from an outside source I would not be as motivated as I am to be the best person I can be. GPA is a major factor when recruiting pledges into a organization and having others you look up to hold you accountable for doing the best you can increase your willingness to get a better GPA. Also most students have to apply to their school of choice at the end of their freshman year or soon after, and at least half of them have no concrete idea of what they want to specifically major in. Rushing in the fall gave me the ability to talk with older students and decipher what majors corresponded with what I wanted to do, which made me plan my future classes according to my newly understood major. If I was unable to have this connection my future would be unorganized and I would be at a loss when registering for classes. Older students are the ones to talk to about how freshman and sophomores should go about their degree, administration just doesn't cut it anymore. An individual needs that connection with someone who experienced the same thing they are going through, not someone who is trained to try and calculate it for them. Without the automatic connection I gained through rushing with older students I would not know what I need to do at the university to achieve the job I wish to work at.

The current fall recruitment process that is in place is the most beneficial for the greek community and any change in this model would negatively impact us. Delayed recruitment would highly interfere with studying and academics. Deferred recruitment is disadvantageous for potential members going through recruitment because freshmen will miss the opportunity to build helpful connections with women their age and older during the critical time they are transitioning from home to college life.

The current model is a fun and easy way to find friends and become a part of a respectable organization before any other obligations arise and while the weather is enjoyable. The current model is working great and the delayed model could work well in the future, but I could never foresee a situation where the deferred model would ever work efficiently. The current model of recruitment at UW-Madison works fine. Please don't change it. The current model of recruitment is the most beneficial and sensible way to conduct the recruitment process. It was single-handedly the best part of my first semester as a freshman, and if recruitment would have been at a different time, I don't know if I would have been able to participate. The current model should not be changed. It is on par with the models of the great majority of other universities. No girl wants to spend more time than necessary playing the "waiting game" and stressing out about recruitment. My older sister went to one of the only Big Ten schools with a deferred recruitment, Indiana University, and had a horrible first semester because of it.

The current recruitment model is the best recruitment model for everyone. It is the best system for potential new members, for chapters, and for the university. The removal or alteration of the current recruitment model in which anyone can rush, and rush takes place in the first coupe of weeks of both semesters, would have a broad negative impact on all three of the aforementioned groups. It would empower chapters who are under University sanctions to neglect their punishment, it would cause a proliferation of dangerous dirty rushing, it would reduce the ability of freshman to make campus their home, and it would reduce the ability of greek organizations to facilitate brother/sisterhood and adequately develop leaders. The current recruitment model works well, i came onto campus not planning on joining a Fraternity, yet when i decided to attend rush events, i found a fraternity that welcomed me with open arms, there is a fit for everyone on this campus if they want to be a part of the Greek community. The current recruitment process allows for current members to arrive early, catch up on their summers, and bond while devoting majority of their time to recruitment preparation. This process also allows for immediate student involvment and a large group of resources and friends. The current recruitment process allows freshman to get involved and make the decision for themselves. Pushing back recruitment is unrealistic at a school like Wisconsin due to the weather, extremely high housing demand, and tough academic schedule. As an already small community, pushing back recruitment would decrease the chances of growing and making more of a positive difference on the Wisconsin campus. The current recruitment system is perfect as is and should not be changed in any way. The current system is easily the one that makes the most sense logistically, and ultimately results in the best performance on the part of our fraternities and sororities. The delayed recruitment model really interferes with school work and other outside activities. It is not fair that the university will ask these women to put their academic life on hold to participate in recruitment. What if students have exams during the recruitment process, that adds stress to their decisions. I believe that the current recruitment model and process fits the school well and should not be changed. The fact that there has been little discussion of the economic impact to the organizations concerns me. I understand that is not the primary issue with this topic, but it has serious implications if this course of action is chosen. I can also see an issue with National organizations interest in this subject. Are there examples of other like institutions that have implemented this sort of a recruitment process. I could also envision where this could be challenged on a legal standpoint.

The fall recruitment model seems to be very successful and although other schools have different ways of running recruitment, Madison's style makes it unique and fun for new students to enter college with 100+ people to say hello to on their way to their first class and just in general around campus. The fall recruitment one is the most likable by girls who will be rushing and for the girls who are rushing them. The Greek community at Wisconsin has been bringing in increasingly high numbers of students willing to be involved and dedicated to whatever is thrown at them. Changing the dates of recruitment would cause a lot of stress and uncertainty within the Greek Community, leading to a result far less successful than in recent years. The greek community is finally becoming prominent on campus, and any change in the model will ruin all the progress we have worked so hard to gain. The greek community has positively effected me through academic, social, and philanthropic aspects, and is something that should be looked at as a positive contribution to a students experience on campus. Fall recruitment is the perfect time for new freshman to join the greek community if they so choose to join. I have help numerous leadership roles in my sorority and would not have been presented with so many leadership opportunities if recruitment was either deferred or delayed. I would also like to mention that this survey was written in a very confusing format, and because of that reason students answers could have easily been skewed due to confusion. I believe these questions could have been asked in a more organized, simple way and thus would result in a more clear response from the student body.

The Greek life at UW-Madison is a strong community that would be successful with any model of recruitment. It is however, clear that the current model of Fall Recruitment is the most beneficial to the undergraduate experience. I am glad that the University has reached out to the members of the community for their input on the matter because decisions about the process effect us directly. However, I think the committee would benefit from hearing opinions from hearing more opinions from the greek community. A committee of greek members could be set up to do additional research to help the existing committee to formulate solutions to the problems currently involved with recruitment. This might make the University and the Greek community more successful at working together providing undergraduates with a better experience in general.

The model that we've been using since sororities came to Wisconsin has worked really well. I know personally, I had a hard time making friends with the people on my floor, and I couldn't wait to go through recruitment and meet more women. Freshman year is a really hard time to make close female friends because everyone is so obsessed with finding a best friend and then looking for guys to hang out with. Recruitment gave me that opportunity to get closer with other women, many of whom are now my closest friends. The model we have now is the most beneficial to the chapters and to the potential new members rushing. The models expressed in this survey are not feasible options for our Greek community. Eliminating/modifying fall recruitment or forcing freshmen to wait to join the Greek community puts extra strain on each organization. Membership numbers would plummet as a great majority of incoming new members are freshmen. Spring recruitment would become larger and would require substantial budget increases. The Greek community provides freshmen the opportunity to make friends, acclimate to campus life, and resources to succeed academically. the more organic the process is the better. It forces chapters to get organized and new members to put themselves out there during events. The new models offer many interesting and new possibilities to consider, but in recent years it has not seemed as though there have been many major problems with the way recruitment is currently designed. The new recruitment models would only make Greek Life at UW-Madison less viable, and we already only make up ~10% of the student population. If anything, we should be searching for new models that would only increase numbers, not alienate any grades or new experiences. People know that their going to rush - especially legacies - why should we limit an already short period of Greek involvement. THe only good model for recruitment is Fall recruitment. It in no way limits students exposure to activities or people on campus. That is a huge stereotype that is 100% false. People in greek life are the most actively involved people that I know. They spend copious amounts of time in student orbs, volunteering and working. being exposed to these influences early on really motivated me to become just as involved in the school. I believe that this survey was worded in a very bias manor and is extremely confusing and will not show how great the current recruitment is. I wish I had a better way to express these feelings because greek life is extremely important to me. It has connected me to upper classmen who are majoring in pre-med and helping me plan out my schedules. It has also motivated me to be an active member on campus. It has helped me develop many interpersonal skills because when I came to college I was shy and now i feel comfortable introducing myself and meeting people.

The overwhelming consensus throughout the greek community is that our current recruitment process works and should not be changed because it would cause too many unnecessary challenges. the process in place right now works very well in my opinion. I could only suggest that there be more informative letters/emails sent out to incoming freshman outlining the quick recruitment process and preparing them to decide whether or not to rush before coming to campus. The recruitment process as it is, is perfect. Fall rush is needed for freshman because it aided them immensely in the adjustment process The recruitment process as it stands provides students with an exciting opportunity to engage in leadership, philanthropy, and gain valuable friendships. Humorology is Wisconsin's largest student-run philanthropy that benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and relies heavily on incoming Freshman to make up the majority of participants. Disrupting the recruitment process would be detrimental to Humorology and its philanthropic efforts.

The recruitment process is good how it stands. The university does not need to step in and instead might consider treating its students like educated adults (which is what we were addressed as at SOAR). The recruitment process we currently have has been working for quite sometime. It doesn't interfere with classes, and it allows for freshmen and sophomores the chance to be a part of an amazing organization that supports philanthropy and service, brotherhood and sisterhood, and other amazing opportunities for real world success after college. The delayed and deferred recruitment models would flip the system upside down and require way more time, money and effort than needed.

The recruitment processes we have now seem to work very effectively. Girls who know they want to rush before coming to campus, typically end up staying in their sorority. Girls who hear about it just coming to campus don't have a huge attachment to it, and therefore may drop membership. If we give girls more time to hear about recruitment, more of them will be willing to "just give it a try" and, because of that, we will have a larger percentage of dropped memberships which look bad for our greek community overall. The regular fall recruitment is the best way to ensure strong numbers, fresh leaders, and successful philanthropy. Academics are not an issue that early and it does not conflict but instead aid in the transition into Madison. The regular fall recruitment model has worked so well for our chapter. Why fix it if it's not broken? It allows our new members to jump right in to being involved and making lasting relationships. I got to form lasting relationships with older members that have since graduated, and if I had joined later I wouldn't have had that opportunity. In addition, my leadership experience with the chapter would not have been possible if I had joined later. Being a part of greek life has been such an important and beneficial part of my Wisconsin experience, and I wouldn't want to limit the amount of time that other students get to be a part of it.

The student should be allowed to decide when he or she wants to rush. For students like me, who knew no one at this school, the first semester would have been miserable with fewer relationships. The switch to another recruitment model would put an added strain on organizations that are nonprofits. The vast majority of students have a positive and enriching experience in greek life and restricting the amount of time that students can take part in it would in the end be a detriment to all involved. Greek organizatons allow the development of their members and their leadership skills that benefit our campus and our community. The system currently in place has been working for years and there is overwhelming interest from freshman every fall which is highly beneficial to the Greek community. Deferring or delaying recruitment would hurt the community rather than help it.

The system works very well as it stands. A spring-rush-only system would inevitably be detrimental to the fraternities and sororities on campus by increasing competition and selectivity whilst also decreasing growth and chapter sizes. I can attest that a majority of Greek students would seriously object to a change from the current system. Another thing to note: weather is a serious part of daily life in Wisconsin. I'm not trying to be overdramatic when I say that the weather would have a serious impact on recruitment. Spring only recruitment would force fraternities to cancel many athletic and cookout based events, which are what make fall rush so special, and sorority potential new members would struggle going from house to house in below freezing temperatures. the way i tend to see it, is that high school friends are the best of who you have available. a similar argument can be made for those that only befriend a couple of the 60 floor mates. fall greek recruitment allows for the student to hop into campus involvment right off the bat and find those same kids who click together with similar ideals and goals, and to hinder that now seems pretty unfair to new students. The way it is right now is most beneficial to chapter members and PNMs The way recruitment is handled right now seems to work perfectly well. The way the rush process is set up currently works perfectly and it should not be changed. There would be an uproar if it were to change and it would not help anything. DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING. The way we have recruitment now is perfect. It is a great way to meet new people and get to know campus. It does not interfere with making friends in resident halls, in fact I believe that it helps. The whole idea seems ridiculous and seems like a punishment to the whole Greek community for the actions of a few bad chapters. Personally I feel like our chapter does an excellent job of helping and aiding new members in their transition to college life. The wording for this survey was confusing at times and may have resulted in me answering a question differently than I would have liked.... Just a heads up! the wording in this survey is very confusing. Differed recruitment doesn't allow potential new members their right to choose if and when they choose to rush a fraternity. It effectively limits their freedom and the fraternity's freedom of assembly. On top of that it is impractical and an ineffective. It would not be beneficial for anyone, and would simply be useless bureaucracy.

The wording of this survey was very confusing. There were a lot of double negatives and it was hard for me to respond accurately. With that being said, I want to point out the importance of keeping recruitment in the fall, the way it currently is. It provides students with immediate opportunities to meet people, volunteer, get involved with the community and campus as a whole, and make this large campus seem a bit smaller. It does not get in the way of academics. In fact, the average GPA of sorority members is higher than that of the overall women's campus GPA. We strive for academic excellence and I feel that I have many resources within the greek community. I also feel very comfortable with my house and the members in it as well as other chapters, and did not ever feel uncomfortable or rushed during the fall recruitment process.

There are benefits and disadvantages to both, but I personally feel like fall recruitment would have more benefits. There are disadvantages to all three models and I tried to comment about them previously There is no need for changing the system. Everything is just fine. There is no reason at all to change the current form of recruitment. Delayed or deferred recruitment would completely change the effectiveness of recruitment on campus. Additionally, the weather in the spring on campus is not suitable for recruitment and would severely hinder Greek life. There is nothing wrong with the recruitment schedule the way that it is. As a freshman, who went through recruitment during the first three weeks of school, I found it to be very helpful in getting used to the school. I was still plenty able to attend the welcome- week activities, and I did do that. I also was still able to make friends on my floor. I would say that I have as many friends that are not a part of greek life as I do that are in greek life. I think that Wisconsin's greek life right now is exactly how it should be.

There should be no change to recruitment for all fraternities and sororities. We have the system under control even though we have different processes. The greek system runs how efficiently and in best interests of all new and exisiting members.

Think about what the IFC provides and why anyone should stay a member? Think about what problems the IFC is facing and what you would like to address and fix that rather than do something that doesn't fix any problems, just defers them a bit...

This shouldn't be up to a few people who have never experienced Greek life. In order to make the most educated decision, the staff deciding this new schedule should fully immerse themselves in the Greek community for at least a year or two in order to change the preconceived notions they seem to have about Greek life. This survey failed to address the positive impact Greek life has as a whole on the University, the community and leadership skills starting with the freshman year first semester. It creates LIFELONG friendships, mentors and much more.

This survey is extremely poorly written. It is confusing and it leads to misconstrued results. It leads people to choose choices that are one-sided, based on the wording of the questions. This survey is extremely poorly written. It's confusing wording and ranking system leads to misconstrued results. It is also designed very one-sided. This survey is not very relevant to the MGC council. Most of the organizations on the council are not allowed to INITIATE first semester freshman. I believe you need to redefine the survey a bit and differentiate between actual recruitment and the timing of the intake process. This survey is poorly written and I feel it leads to misconstructed results. I think it is extremely biased. This survey is poorly written and it leads to misconstructed results. It is designed in a way that is extremely biased and one-sided in terms of its organization. This survey is poorly written and leads to misconstrued results. The questions are extremely leading. Its design is completely one- sided in terms of favoring the delayed/deferred recruitment process and in favor of the school's organization.

This survey is poorly written and will lead to misconstrued results. Also the design of organization is very one sided.

Though I understand why the committee assigned to assessing different recruitment models see's the benefit of having a delayed or deferred recruitment (i.e. allowing freshman to meet people on campus, get to know their floor, join clubs, start school, etc.) I do not think that fall recruitment hinders any of these benefits in a significant way. Fall recruitment is the perfect timing because students do not have to worry about club meetings or academics, it is beautiful weather outside, and it gives students a chance to meet a bunch of new people on campus in both large and small settings (like rush groups and then one-on-one conversations with those from the greek life community). The fall recruitment process gives students a chance to meet new people, learn more about campus and have a fun beginning of the year. Changing this recruitment timing would be difficult for the greek life community because it would be extremely difficult to manage/organize recruitment in the middle of the academic semester or at the beginning of the spring semester. Too much is going on during these times, the weather is much worse, and it breaks tradition.

Though recruitment right away in the fall may not be ideal, there is no better alternative. Nearly every member in the Greek community agrees. Time commitment and other commitments for current members and those going through recruitment To summarize what I said above, I do not believe that a delayed recruitment model would be a good idea. Those first couple weeks on campus are crucial in helping students form habits, and I can confidently say that joining a fraternity right away helped me meet a lot of friends, learn good study habits, get more involved on campus, and teach me valuable lessons right away. Ultimately there are far more advantages to fall recruitment than any other time of recruitment. I also think the committee should beware of the validity of the survey answers because they were confusing to answer and at some points I did not know what the question being asked was. Use people that used to be part of a Greek organization as opposed to a group of people that are all highly against Greek organizations in general. Very biased. UW Madison should be about letting the students decide what they want to be involved in. Fall recruitment is an important part of ALL organizations membership. By limiting some organizations you are hurting the students ability to choose as well as the organizations they would join. If you're going to limit fall recruit you should do it across 100% of the organizations available to students. UW-Madison should stick with the normal Fall Recruitment, which happens before school begins or within the first few weeks of Fall semester. The new members will be acclimated to campus life because they will have joined a fraternity or sorority, and have met new friends, students, and role models, who can support them academically, personally, and throughout their lives. They will have established a connection to the campus and will not feel as alone since they have just joined a fraternity or sorority--a group of peers who care about them. We are not merely seeking "numbers" to fill out our house. We are seeking men of quality, morals, and ambition. We need time to get to know each individual before extending a bid. This is something that we take EXTREMELY seriously.

We are working in the interest of both parties. Changing recruitment will lead to unforeseen problems that will eventually lead to the destruction of the Greek Community and the ultimate downfall, in a wrong direction, of the social structure of this University.

We cannot switch the recruitment process. It is imperative that we have fall rush. It is the only way people can live in their sophomore year. It also helps them with the academic transition from high school to college. I personally succeeded in a philosophy class because an older brother was a philosophy major and took me under his wing and helped me prepare for exams. This process is crucial to the success of Greek life at Madison. I cannot stress that enough.

We do not want to change the recruiting process. Keep it as is. We do NOT want to change the recruitment process. The way it stands right now works extremely well. Changing it will only hurt the Greek community. I suggest that the surveys given be changed to show less bias so as to give a fair evaluation of what student actually think. We need 4 days especially considering that another chapter is coming to campus and so many more girls are rushing We need open ears from the University, and a positive relationship so we can start working together on issues instead of these unnecessary punishments. We offer so much to this campus and it's sad we don't get recognized for our efforts, but instead are often chastised and mislabeled. Weather may become a big logistical issues if you did choose to have deferred recruitment since the temperatures may be below 0. It may be hard to have a slushy, snowy environment with coats and boots and extra clothing. Also i believe the transition is easier for college students to handle when the recruitment process it done at the beginning of the year because it gives new students access to academic support, social support, and helps students feel at home right away.

What we have now works best While fall recruitment does have some disadvantages in terms of Welcome Week, it is overall the best time as it allows students to get involved immediately, meet people and begin to define their Wisconsin Experience in a positive way.

While I understand that freshman need time to acclimate to the university setting, Greek life is a perfect way to help them with this. It provides structure, friendships, mentors, activities, academic accountability, and leadership potential. Not only that, but there are many less tangible benefits that should be considered as well. While personal testimony is hard to give over a survey, there are many people, especially those from outside the state who would not have stayed at UW-Madison if it was not for their ability to be in Greek life right away. I hope this committee really investigates all aspects of recruitment, both tangible and not, before making any changes or advising anyone a certain way.

While the system we have now is not perfect, it works pretty well. Backing it up a week so that members could attend Welcome Week events or spreading first rounds over two days so it is not so overwhelming in a day. Or spread rounds over two weekends. Also, formal recruitment in the spring (on a smaller scale) may be nice for potential new members. That way it is easier for sign up and accepting bids. Why fix something that has been the working for over a hundred years at UW- Madison. If deferred recruitment was to happen I would also expect that many other clubs should do the same thing, would this happen? Why fix something that isn't broken? Why is only greek life being stripped of fall recruitment. As with any other club, stripping fall recruitment would have a devastating effect on the group. Winter is far too cold to hold recruitment in the spring. with a later recruitment the work week would have to be in the middle of the semester You should rewrite this survey if you want to use it as the basis for any decision making. You're making a huge mistake. Fraternities and sororities are peoples homes, families, and foundations. Deferring recruitment would bulldoze those homes, rip apart those families, and decimate that foundation. Don't try to fix something that isn't broken.

484 Respondents

Q92. What does your chapter need from the university to make a recruitment model switch or change? - Marketing Assistance

Count Percent 265 28.13% Not at all 115 12.21% A little 182 19.32% Somewhat 121 12.85% Quite a bit 259 27.49% A lot 942 Respondents

Q93. What does your chapter need from the university to make a recruitment model switch or change? - More Greek Life Staff

Count Percent 297 31.53% Not at all 148 15.71% A little 178 18.90% Somewhat 90 9.55% Quite a bit 229 24.31% A lot 942 Respondents

Q94. What does your chapter need from the university to make a recruitment model switch or change? - Relationships with University Housing, Center for First Year Experience (Orientation), Campus and Visitor Relations, Parent Program, etc.

Count Percent 185 19.64% Not at all 77 8.17% A little 169 17.94% Somewhat 177 18.79% Quite a bit 334 35.46% A lot 942 Respondents

Q95. What does your chapter need from the university to make a recruitment model switch or change? - Greek promotional recruitment events prior to the recruitment period Count Percent 144 15.29% Not at all 77 8.17% A little 152 16.14% Somewhat 184 19.53% Quite a bit 385 40.87% A lot 942 Respondents

Q96. What does your chapter need from the university to make a recruitment model switch or change? - Dean of Students Office/campus administration promotion or backing of involvement in Greek Life Count Percent 114 12.10% Not at all 43 4.56% A little 114 12.10% Somewhat 132 14.01% Quite a bit 539 57.22% A lot 942 Respondents

Q97. What does your chapter need from the university to make a recruitment model switch or change? - Financial assistance with chapter programming to off-set other costs Count Percent 158 16.77% Not at all 106 11.25% A little 155 16.45% Somewhat 155 16.45% Quite a bit 368 39.07% A lot 942 Respondents

Q98. Please specify anything else your chapter might need from the university to make a recruitment model switch or change:

Count Percent 280 100.00% Nothing to add $$$CASH MONEY$$$ 9% of the UW Madison population is Greek. This change will not increase that number. It will increase underground parties, as the housed attempt to recruit members, without formal rules. A change is not necessary A dedicated transition team would be nice A heck of a lot more money to make up for what will be lost. A lot of assistance and reasoning behind the switch. A lot of money because there will be many less members and smaller houses may not survive. A lot of positive advertising A lot of reasons and backing up of why for many angry people. a lot of time A recruitment model switch or change will result in a complete and total remodeling of our chapter's budget as we will not be obtaining our finances as we have previously. We may need assistance financially or more greek life staff to help us adjust to this change. In addition, it is absolutely necessary that we have more greek life advocates on campus.

A solution to the academic problems that the recruitment model changes would introduce. Absence policy lightened for Greek members, midterms moved, Panhellenic recruitment bylaws lightened because much more time=many more infractions and almost impossible to abide by Advertisement would be the best support to get the word out to people about how recruitment works. All of my answers to question 63 need to happen regardless of a recruitment model. change. Ample amounts of education about the new process from those involved in the planning process (i.e. CfLI, Greek Life Office, PHA Exec Board, etc.). An official greek week sponsored by the university in which the greek orgs are advertised in a healthy way. This week would preferably happen one or two weeks into the semester. Reference Purdue's Greek week. as a chapter, we do not want the model to change. As I am not personally involved with recruitment, I had a hard time answering this question. there should be another choice for the answers, like need more information. I am basing my previous answers on my "rush" experience 40 years ago.

Assistance from Central Reservations for spaces to hold formal recruitment events will be helpful in the event of a change in formal recruitment. If the University decides to switch to a different model that involves women going through recruitment during the winter months, it may result in high attrition rates due to the weather and safety of those participating.

At least a year of advanced notice would be necessary so that our organization has time to adapt our recruitment plans and strategies. at the moment, the university gives little to no public support of Greek Life and recruitment, and if changes such as the ones proposed were to be enacted, it would be very difficult for the Greek community to grow and prosper if its relationship with the university continues. Changing disrupts the entire structure of the greek system. Its something larger than just a university thing. Its a nationwide process that a lot of time and effort is put into. Changing the recruitment model only puts a strain on the system, new recruits, and ultimately everyone involved. chapters depend on a certain amount of new members for their budget, without the new members, the chapter could go over budget. support from the housing department and deans office would also be crucial. Chapters would need to be financially supported by the UW campus if recruitment were to change we wouldn't have access to new member dues. If recruitment was delayed or deferred the chapter would need the school to help with covering the new member dues. Communication to non-Greeks Do not make this model change. It would be detrimental to greek life. Do not switch the process. QUIT TRYING TO CHANGE IT Don't change a working system. don't change it... DON"T MAKE A CHANGE DONT MAKE A CHANGE. Early move in would really solve a lot of issues without creating new ones. Enough notice to make the necessary accommodations to the chapter calendar, chapter bylaws, chapter budget, and house corporation budget. Equal visibility and representation on Greek website. IFC and PHA are fully marketed by the university however chapters in NPHC and MGC are not. Finances to cover lost dues in addition to chapter programming finances financial assistance Financial assistance would be vital for a chapter's success if the model were to change, but not just for the recruitment process. There would be financial consequences for the chapter that would need to be subsidized for as long as it takes to adapt.

For the university to not make a recruitment model switch or change. For this to be successful, IFC fraternities will not be able to depend on IFC funding for the services specified above due to the council's financial situation. Increasing IFC dues would cause certain chapters to die. All changes imposed by the university must be fully funded and assisted by the university administration. Full support from the UW- but still as a past recruitment chair it is my honest opinion that switching the model would be a disastrous mistake. Academics must come first, and the fall model is the only model that supports that. Greek life has shaped my experience at UW and has provided me with overwhelming opportunities to form friendships, take on leadership roles, and most importantly, it has benefited me in a way that will help me succeed in my future workplace. Overall, my chapter could use more back up from the administration. While I recognize that Greek life is not for everyone, there is no denying it provides opportunities for individuals to excel. It is no different than any other club or organization on campus that brings people together who share similar interests. There are negative stigmas that surround the community, however, we are not always recognized for the ways in which we contribute to the university and the wonderful things we do for the community. More support front he administration would mean the world to the Greek community and I think it would improve its reputation as a whole at UW.

Greek life here has long failed to have the support of the university. Going greek helps create friendships and build relationships with people that could potentially aid us in our future. We also encourage each other to get involved in our community and to reach our goals. In essence, it'd be nice if the University understood that and could realize all the good things that greek life has to offer. The decisions that you make here help to define your college experience. Going greek was one of the best decisions that I made, but it was one that I needed right when I got on campus. It made the campus smaller and suddenly I wasnt so alone.

Greek life values academics, support and philanthropy above all other aspects. Having the support and approval on the university will strengthen the greek bond and better the members by providing a more comprehensive college experience. It is important to feel valued by the university, rather than criticized because of stereotypes Having support from the university to at least say "hey Greek groups have lots of benefits, just make sure that you put in the time to get them and don't use is as a way to drink on the weekends". Do not hire more greek staff, the interns there suck and have never gotten our roster right in the 4 years that I have been a member, they consistently mess things up and never work to create a relationship with our group to fix issues or work them out. I am completely opposed the potential recruitment change. I am extremely against a model switch or change, the university would not need to assist us if we don't need a change.

I am not in a position to know what else we might need other than the items already listed. I am not sure how the university could help with this challenge, but second semester we lose around 20-30 members because they are studying abroad. It is already difficult to make sure all potential new members are given an equal chance to talk to girls individually and with less members of our chapter present in Madison this would be an even greater obstacle and disadvantage to both our chapter and potential new members. I am not sure what my chapter would need if there were to be a recruitment model switch I believe the greek system at UW needs a significant increase in support from the University. I definitely think that if Greek life were promoted a little more by the school, whether big or small promotions, it would greatly benefit us. Even if that meant mentioning it briefly at SOAR where there'd be IFC and Panhel reps that gave a brief presentation. It'd be cool too if VIP offered information on Greek life or even if Panhel and IFC had their own sort of branch off of VIP. I think kids just need to know that there's so much that Greek life has to offer, and that should be told to them.

I do not believe our chapter would be willing to switch or change our recruitment model. This is ridiculous that this is even a conversation. Our chapters would cease to function properly if such action is taken. I do not feel that recruitment model should be changed. I do not feel that the recruitment model should be changed. The current way provides the most benefits and least disadvantages.

I do not support a change in recruitment model. I do not think we should switch the model in anyway or shape I don't believe we would be willing to switch or change. I think there would be a lot of opposition to the University mandating how we stay alive as an organization. I also believe the most Greek organization would continue to do what they preferred despite the University's desires. I don't know enough I'm a freshman I don't know. I don't think a switch should be made. I don't think the University can do anything to make up for the damage it would do by changing recruitment. I don't think there should be a change in the recruitment model. I do think that the UW advisors and staff need to have a better outlook on the Greek community. Many think that it is just about partying when in fact it is so much more. I joined it to make friendships to last a lifetime, get advice and guidance in times, to participate in philanthropic events, to be part of a smaller community on such a large campus, and to learn about other clubs/activities on campus.

I don't want a change. If it weren't for fall recruitment and rush, I would have never met the kids that I now call my best friends and share some of my favorite memories with. I don't want it to change. I feel that I am not qualified to say what my chapter does or does not need, although I assume all of these relations above are necessary to some extent. I know that many other universities operate on a spring recrutiment model, but I think that the unique tradition and community that exists here would make such a transition very difficult. The University would need to facilitate a paradigm shift across campus through intensive marketing, outreach, further research, and collaboration with Greek Life that would most likely be a several-year effort for the most effective transition. I know that there has been a lot of conflict with the university and greek life on campus. I just ask that we have more support from our university in general. We are such a small group on campus and actually do some really great things on campus and in the community. It would be nice to see more support. I put "A lot" for all of these questions because in general the Greek community could use more support from the University, which seems to just look for any excuse to hurt the Greek community. I really want to emphasize that making a model switch or change would be really difficult and take away many of the great benefits of joining a sorority my freshman year. I sit in the Interfraterity Council (IFC). We speak about these changes frequently at our executive meetings. If a change is made, there is no question that we need more help from the University. Specifically, the university housing needs to come through in a big way. That is a huge lacking area in terms of relationship because we are aiming to speak to students who often live in those communities. It is vital that we have a working relationship. I think a recruitment model switch or change would require a huge amount of additional funding. I think it would be phenomenal to have the support from campus administration and the Dean of Students office to be able to excel in Greek recruitment. I know that in the past, it seems like there has been some sort of clashing with recruitment between the chapters and the school, and since the benefits of Greek life are myriad, I think it would be wonderful to be able to be fully backed by the school, especially in order to demonstrate all of the amazing benefits of joining a Greek house.

I think just some support from the administration would be appreciated for all of Greek Life, not just my individual chapter.

I think one of the most important needs of the greek community is a positive relationship with University officials about greek life and the recruitment process. A positive relationship would foster better communication, solutions to problems, and a better experience for all. I think that every house would need more assistance from the university. I think that it could benefit all students if recruitment was held a week or two earlier in the month of August so that no students had to worry about recruitment while classes were in session. I think that new members we receive in the fall help my chapter get participants for humo and other philanthropy events. Also fall recruitment helps us fill up the house for the next year because by spring or once a new member is a sophomore, they usually have other arrangements. I think that recruitment should take place the week before dorms open and classes begin not later in the year. I think that the main issue we are going to run into is a lack of participation due to bad weather. Sorority recruitment is a lengthy process, and many girls who dont have a grrek background may decide not to go through. The greek community will be missing out on a lot of potentiall extraordinary members and future leaders. There is not much than can be done by the university to offset this loss I think that the University and related divisions involving student life should have a better relationship with Greek organizations, though I don't feel as though a recruitment model change is necessary to do so. Greek organizations facilitate academic success, provide support systems and leadership opportunities, raise thousands of dollars for amazing, worthwhile causes, and promote teamwork in order to remain self-governing organizations. I feel as though these aspects of Greek life are extremely important, and deserve more recognition. I think the biggest thing is the school's support. Greek tries to give back, we have incredible academic performance and are leaders on this campus. I think the main problem is that we need people to back us up. So many people don't see all the good we do on campus and it is extremely frustrating. I think the university needs more support from the university as a whole. Greek life encourages service to the poor and vulnerable and through philanthropy events it raises money for many organizations. Greek life also sets rules for me to follow, such as no alcohol in any pictures what-so-ever. This strict policy can only help me. In addition we have study binder, group study nights, excel sheets with what classes fulfill which requirements, the list goes on and on. We also hold a higher GPA as women in sororities than the population of women not in greek life. I think to make formal recruitment in the spring semester work, the university would need to allow the freshmen participating to come back to campus housing before spring classes start (middle of January) to participate in recruitment then, as to decrease the amount of conflicts from both sides. I would want a solution for the problems that would be created with the academic conflicts that would ensue as a result of Delayed or Deferred Recruitment. I would want feedback (and on-campus assistance, if possible) from folks at the NPC in Indy to our Greek Life staff. If the decision is made to switch to deferred recruitment, I think we'd need three years to make the switch successfully from the individual chapter side. We'd need two fall formal recruitments, mainly to get financials for the chapter and the housing corps all squared away before the membership and occupancy numbers get shifted around.

I'm not sure on what else would be needed, but a huge change like this will affect the entire greek community greatly in a more than likely negative way. If a delayed recruitment decreases rushes then the University should mitigate the losses in revenue in the future. if the change is made we're gonna need a lot... like so much... basically starting defunding elsewhere because this is gonna cost us...

If there were a switch to a delayed or deferred model, we would need a lot of support with recruitment in the spring for freshman since most of our new members are freshman. We would need a large promotional campaign to keep interest in the Greek Life during spring rush since a lot of our energy goes toward fall rush. If we were to change the current recruitment process our chapter would be in need of extensive training to teach us the proper way to recruit women within the new guidelines. In general, Greek Life as a whole needs more backing from the University. It often feels like the University does not support Greek Life and shuns all who are in Greek Life. Since I do not believe there should be a recruitment model switch, my chapter does not need anything from the University. In order for the university to make a recruitment model switch or change, the entire greek community would need the support and respect from the university it deserves. The university would need to recognize the many contributions greek life makes to the community with the multitude of community service hours we are required to do each semester as well as the large amount of donations we generate during our philanthropy events. independence of operations. Our needs and the needs of potential new members change faster than university policy. We need the flexibility to adapt and be effective Interesting change in UW policies that have been hinted at for some time. As a member of a professional fraternity, the questions of liability and such of underage drinking offers a view other than what we hold for our organization. The university for sure needs to address how this inhibits the functionality of such an organization. It doesn't help when every agent who works for the university hates Greek life and doesn't value it because of stigmas that they themselves put on these organizations. It would be a confusing process, especially for the deferred recruitment. It would take a lot of preparation on everyone's part.

It would be great to feel supported by the Dean of Students Office/campus administration. Due to the events of last year, it did feel as if PHA was being attacked by the Dean of Students Office, which is hurtful because being in a sorority has been such a positive experience for me. I really appreciate this survey though, because I think it's important to understand where members of PHA are coming from and where the Dean's office is coming from. I hope that we can both continue to be transparent with our concerns and our goals. It would be hard for our chapter to make this switch because most sophomores and a few juniors live in the house but with delayed or deferred recruitment we would not be able to fill the house due to these kids being forced to already find a place to live for the following year. This would make it very hard for our chapter to keep our house. It would have to be during a week with no exams, and I do not see that as possible. It would help most if they didn't change it... It would require a lot more staff and promotion efforts as students would be very unlikely to leave their winter breaks early to come back for recruitment. It would take a lot for everyone to agree to a change It would take a lot of convincing to change the model. Many incentives would be needed to make it actually happen.

It's difficult for me to say what exactly our chapter would require to make a change of this magnitude to our recruitment process (hence the ambiguous answers to the previous questions). However, regardless of whether a change occurs, we would greatly appreciate the support of the dean and other staff members in our efforts to get more students involved in Greek life. Being in a Greek organization has been an incredible opportunity for me and has allowed me to be a more well-rounded person, and I think that is a chance that all students should get early on in their college careers.

Just overall more support of Greek Life from the university. Just recruitment process related, we'd need shuttle services provided by the University for all 600 plus PNM's, we cannot ask women to walk around in below zero temps. We would also very much need more support staff in the greek life offices. We can't expect 2 people to take on such a large change. Just support from the campus and promotion. Just support from the university. We get the feeling that the university does not like greek life. Ya, we do through some parties, but so do several other houses on mifflin, east wash, and over by camp randall. It is a college campus, what do you expect. From personal experience, greek life (compared to just making friends in the dorms) has given me so many more opportunities to take advantage of my 4 short years here. It's unfortunate that there is such a negative view of greek life and I can understand why, the only things that really get publicized about us are the bad things. Support us, and we will be a lot more likely to support you in the decisions you make about greek life at UW Madison. Sorry about the rant.

Leave recruitment alone Legitimate input in the crafting of these proposals, not ostensible help once the proverbial bomb has been dropped.

Lots of financial aid to offset costs of not having sophomores live in the house Mainly financial support I believe because without recruitment in the fall, each sorority and fraternity would lose fall new member dues. make the days shorter Making a change is a terrible idea. The greek community is fine how it is. I have loved every second of being in greek life and I would be disappointed to have lost time in my fraternity because of delayed recruitment. Making a switch would cost chapters a lot of money. Tens of thousands of dollars. It would also hurt any fall philanthropies in the Greek community, so there would need to be more campus wide support for those. However, changing the recruitment model would hurt the overall Greek community, no matter what assistance the university could provide.

Many years advance notice Money, money, money, and more money Money. More advertising More positive feedback about Greek life in general, and the benefits of being in a Sorority/Fraternity More promotion around campus so that more people know of the benefits of joining the greek system. More publicity prior to rush. Like in the SOAR programs. More support from administration since we're kowtowing to their demands for a change in the recruitment process. The transition will take a lot of understanding from both sides since there will be many difficulties. More support from the Dean of Students Office would greatly benefit the Greek community. Since the school uses the Greek community as a way to attract incoming students, the least they can do is support it or not actively go against it, as I feel they have done throughout my time here. More support in general would be nice! Lots of people on campus still don't realize that we have a Multicultural Greek Council in addition to Panhell & IFC. More university support in general. It is really upsetting that the university has taken such a strict stance against greek life, and always points out the negative aspects while completely ignoring the positive aspects. Most importantly, we need the university to acknowledge us in a positive way and to understand where we are coming from better. We as a community overwhelmingly wish to cooperate with and be a large part of the university and feel largely stigmatized.

Most students would feel as rushing later was not a good idea, I just do not think that we could make up for this fact. If the university backed Greek Life like other schools, we may make it a bigger idea and others will look to participate and the bad connotation of Greek Life could be changed. Much greater support in general My chapter will not support any changes to the recruitment system. n/a N/a N/A na no change needed No changes should be made. UW Greek Recruitment is a solid program so far. The normal table rush days are very good as they are.

No matter the change, it would be beneficial to have an introduction at SOAR. No need to change current model no one wants to modify or delay recruitment NO SWITCH none None None, I do not think it is necessary. None. NONE. Here's a wild suggestion for you- THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS FINE THE WAY IT IS. CHANGES ARE NOT NECESSARY. Good day.

Not having the backing of Greek Life from the university is something that scares many new students at this campus. I do not think that the university understands how much the Greek system benefits UW-Madison, but also the community around it. There are so many philanthropy events that are going on each and every week and so many more things that are giving this school a great reputation. There needs to be a change in the culture of how the school views the Greek Life. There needs to be cooperation from both sides in order to make Greek Life the best that it can be.

Not really involved enough with current chapter to know Not really sure nothing Nothing because rush should stay as it is Nothing besides perhaps promoting Greek life more prior to recruitment. Nothing much if the change is the delayed option. A life-line if it goes to the spring option. Nothing needs to change. Nothing that I am aware of. nothing! Nothing, because how it is done now works well. Nothing, because I pray it does not happen. Nothing, don't change it nothing, dont do it Nothing, no change necessary Nothing. A change should not happen Opportunities to get involved with different orgs Our chapter needs the university to begin to support the current recruitment model rather than trying to find all the possible negatives. The greek community has done amazing things but when we go to reach out to the University to portray these amazing experiences and fundraisers we get turned away. It is sad to see a University turn down such a large and influential organization here on campus. Our chapter would need a lot of assistance if recruitment were changed. For example, we would have a really hard time filling our house and we would need substantial financial assistance to meet our annual budget. We would also need the university to be understanding with academics because we would have an enormous time commitment to put on rush, right in the middle of exams/finals. Our chapter would need this campus to start assisting greek life so that it is easier to give back to the community and to the campus. The consensus on the greek life is that the university is holding us back, when really we can contribute greatly to the community with our philanthropy events. If a switch is made to only spring recruitment, however, this campus will lose its greek life, which will ultimately be a very bad thing for this campus and extremely disappointing.

Our fraternity is smaller and will not be able to afford to hold rush for an entire semester. Larger houses will be able to fund dirty rush events and dry out the potential member pool creating 6 or 7 large houses and effectively eliminating the houses who cannot afford to throw parties all first semester. our organization does not need help because first semester freshman are not eligible anyway. outside heaters. Please consider that pushing back the recruitment dates will highly affect the amount of students that will attend events/participate in events. As soon as school has started, the magic of summer and free time is done and one has to start with the stress of keeping up with school and getting to know new people and new places. I argue that getting involved with Greek life right away aided in my acclamation to the UW campus right away; I felt that I belonged right away and already had many friends that I could lean on. I learned the ropes of classes and schedules all while meeting many other women to study with. My GPA soared after one semester in Greek life because I knew where I belonged and was confident with myself on campus. In addition, I became friends with many kids on my floor- Greek life had absolutely no effect on the bonds I formed elsewhere.

PLEASE DO NOT switch the current system in place. Please show that you actually are reading these comments and not just doing a survey to say you've done a survey. It is very disconcerting to see that a very large group on campus may have its policies changed by a group with little, if any, Greek Life experience. Why this group? Why now? Why not change how the band selects members? What about other clubs? Please be considerate of the needs of the Greek chapters and its members when making this very important decision. rather than help from the university, how about we begin with not hating the greek community? Reassurance to recruit. But if the University already doesn't support Greek life, that will be extremely hard to come by and very harmful to all of the panhellenic organizations. Respect and the opportunity to be treated as equals to non-Greek students. Someone that would encourage greek life and help us out. As a member I always feel separated from the University and their staff. This isolates us and it would be nice to have someone backing us up. Speaking from the perspective of my first-semester-freshman-year self, there is nothing that the university can provide to make up for the comfort I found in joining a community so early in my college career. Specific Guide to the process, detailed recruitment schedule, long term Greek life Plan. Students have the right to at least KNOW about rush. The university, like many others, view Greek life as a racist, pro-rape liability and are reluctant to acknowledge their successes, leading them not to promote going Greek. In my three years on campus, I rarely have felt support from the university, which is evident in the lack of proper promotion to incoming students, BANNING the presence of Greek members in the residence halls during recruitment and move-in, and failure to acknowledge the successes of philanthropic efforts of the chapters. I ask that freshmen students have a comprehensive guide to knowing the ins and outs of rush before coming to campus, including a chapter directory and schedule of events (or at least contact information). Yes this information is online, but the sites are inaccurate, hard to navigate, and not well put together. There is no need to defer, delay, or cancel fall recruitment; there exists only the need for proper exposure to first year students.

Support and trust of our opinion. Often, the Greek community feels as though the University as a whole and the administration does not value us nor want whats best for us. It often seems the University does not recognize that Greek life is a very positive thing, and something that more new students to our campus should be encouraged to do. support from the non-greek community support from the school for the greek system in general Support from the university. The Greek community here on campus doesn't have full support from the campus staff or university officials. Support of the University for Greek Life and recruitment. More publicity of the new rushing model. Support, not the efforts to make us grow less as a greek community Switching recruitment would change a lot in the greek community and would require a lot of man power and support to even begin the process. I wholeheartedly believe that without going through recruitment early on, I would have not gone through the process and I would have missed out on the best experience of my life. I gained valuable leadership experience through my time in my sorority along with gaining 2 internships and a job after graduation due to the connections I have made. Not to mention a lifetime of friendships and memories. The biggest thing is support from administration. The Greek community does a lot of great things and I don't feel like anyone on the administration is very supportive. It is disappointig to know that I love being a part of UW-Madison but am not supported as a Greek life member. I have been involved in so many leadership opportunities that have been because I decided to go through recruitment and join a chapter. The greek community here at Wisconsin would greatly appreciate support from the University. We are athletes, club members, students, and most of all, badgers. I sincerely hope you take all of our answers and suggestions seriously.

The Greek community tends to have a "partying" reputation on campus, and sometimes the Greek community supports that reputation, but it's also very positive and not all chapters and members support ill behavior and would like to have a positive impact on campus which might be better achieved if we had more help branding Greek life on campus

The Greek Life staff already does so much for the Greek Community on a day to day basis, not to mention the extreme efforts that are required to make recruitment possible. The drastic change to a deferred model of recruitment would definitely require additional Greek life staff. The change to a deferred model would also require financial assistance to off set additional costs caused by either a semester or year of significantly decreased new member pledge class sizes.

The house needs a certain amount of people living in it to meet the costs of bills. If recruitment is switched to deferred we will lose that income. Therefore, we would require financial assistance for our house. There may be an extra cost of transportation as well if switched to deferred recruitment. With more than 800 girls rushing this past semester, how are they all to be transported during the winter months of recruitment when safety is our number one concern.

The MGC doesn't have the same recruitment styles as the other 3 councils. We don't do recruitment periods, we recruit throughout the year. So, being aware of the difference would be great. The only plausible change would be to delay recruitment to a later point in the Fall, at which point the University would need to publicly endorse Greek Life otherwise students who would have otherwise been engaged earlier are less likely to Rush.

The second to last prompt will never happen, which this survey is further evidence of. The support from the Dean of Students and Campus Administration would be a pivotal change, and this support would increase enthusiasm for the recruitment process. The tone of this entire survey suggests that you are really trying to make this switch from an administrative standpoint. Do your students justice and allow them to speak more openly about this issue. Organizations that make decisions from the top-down without feedback from the rest of it experience a lot of problems. The university consistently tries to limit, hinder, push, shove, or discipline greek life in a manner unseen with other student organizations. Greek houses are consistently held to a different standard, and the school does not recognize all the good Greek life does for the community. I cannot help but think this opinion is linked with the fact that no one in the school's administration was involved in greek life when they were in college. Due to this, there appears to be consistent attempts to derail Greek life as it is known at Madison, instead shaping the school how the administration feels fit without taking into account the thousands of students to whom greek life is the greatest aspect of their college experience. Instead of trying to change greek life, the best thing the school could do is support it. At school's such as the University of Southern California, the school actively supports greek life. At events held, the school provides security guards to check IDs, keep the crowd under control, and make sure everyone is safe. Also the school actively takes part in their philanthropies, allowing greek houses to raise considerably more money. With this support, the Greek community flourishes and is safer than without it. If UW were to, throughout any of my three years at Madison, give the slightest hint of support towards the greek community , I would be much more willing to compromise on issues such as this. However, until the Greek community as a whole feels as though the school is our supporter, and not our disciplinarian, I will not be willing to change anything about our community.

The university is very obvious with their dislike of Greek life. It would be nice to feel more supported. The University needs to support and promote greek life. This relationship between the greek community and the university goes two ways. The university needs to support Greek life, it's as simple as that. But like I said earlier, it would not be beneficial for them to make this change. You can read my reasons why in the previous text boxes. Every person is different, and if the reason for this change is because of not getting involved on campus events/relationships with floor then we are putting Greek life at a disadvantage. The university would be giving preference to other clubs for first semester and delaying ours to later in the fall/spring. So how does this benefit Greek life? This would limit the number of people going through recruitment because they have already acclimated to the university. Girls chose to join Greek life over certain clubs and it is their choice to do this, after all, they are adults now and are able to make these decisions by themselves. If we delay our recruitment process then why shouldn't we delay joining clubs because isn't the commitment just the same? I'm in clubs that require meetings 2 times a week for 2 hours which is more than Greek life. My try outs for my dance club take up a whole weekend, which is the same as recruitment. So why are we just focusing on Greek life when we are just as equal with every other club on campus?

The university would have to start acknowledging Greek life as a serious student body with its own voice, and not continue targeting and persecution because of stigmas The university would need to be in full support of Greek Life and hopefully understand the issue that this could create to multiple chapters if this switch is made. The university's support in what the greek community is attempting to provide other than partying. Their is no interest in greek life deferred recruitment. Any data from this survey that says otherwise is because the wording is confusing and intentionally skewed to trick people into saying they want deferred recruitment when that is not beneficial to anyone.

There should be a forum in which we, actual members of the Greek community, can sit down with members of the university and validly and intelligently discuss why we believe recruitment dates should not be changed and understand the universities opinions. Moreover, my name is Megan Hoffman and you can reach me at [email protected] if further discussion is ever established.

They would need to rework university housing in that members could not live in until their junior year. This changes everything so while we need everything our house would go under, our fraternity would shut down and no longer exist. This is hard to say, as there will likely be many unforeseen complications due to a recruitment model change in addition to the ones I have listed above. It will not be easy and each chapter will need heavy assistance in terms of money as well as education on the change and the new rules that will apply. I can say that although surveys are convenient and usually a good tool, this survey was horribly constructed. The questions involving clicking the bubbles were so confusing and usually contained double-negatives. This is embarrassing for the university as well as the individuals who created this survey. We can do better than this.

This university's treatment of Greek Life is appalling. We make more money for philanthropies than all other student organizations and we do this without any financial assistance from the university. The fact that CSO is allowed to bring down punishments on Greek Organizations is disgusting, considering we already have our own governing body, IFC. We do not receive any kind of aid from the university so why should a council that has no representatives from the Greek Community be allowed to dictate what we do. The things that the Greek Community and UW could do together are amazing if the UW supported us instead of trying to destroy traditions that have been around longer than UW itself. I know I speak for the whole Greek Community when I say that we are very willing to work with UW to make this school the best possible place to go to college. This will be so hard to implement and freshman are more likely to lose interest by that point. How about some sort of way for rushees to get special transportation to the events, like shuttles that go to all dorms or parts of campus just for this and straight to the greek row. much more time-efficient and makes it easier nd cheaper to avoid the bad weather. It is a pain to get the bus out to the greek events and especially hen classes are far away. Devil's advocate is that a long winter break can get really boring and so coming back early for recruitment could be really nice.

Time to change our budget and contact our alumni. By not letting freshman join their first semester for example my fraternity would miss a few thousand dollars in income that is spent in the benefit of the new members as well as the current members.

Time. At least a 2 year transitional period. This would mess up how living in fraternity houses would be set up. It would dismantle the greek community. Lastly I hope students are sitting on the body that will make this decision. To be honest, I don't know what exactly my chapter would need, but I do not support this change at all. As a freshman who rushed this fall and owe a lot of my happiness on campus from doing so, this would be a tremendous mistake.

To support Greek life Transportation for freezing weather in case of deferred recruitment. Univeristy support, street lights on Langdon Unless the campus can change the month of February to 65 and sunny 7 days a week, not a whole lot. Valid data that the current system is not only not beneficial, but harmful as well. Additionally, a communal sentiment from the Greek community and freshmen, alike. we are doing well on recruitment, if the university would just leave the system alone and back the greek organizations like any other org on campus we would be able to prosper and we probably would even have less issues even past recruitment

We are very satisfied with the way that matters are happening and being handled now. There should be no consideration for different models because the Fall model works without flaw. We would like your support for our fall recruitment because the vast majority of girls in the system would not have it any other way. Thinking about a new time would mess everything up and there is no need. we do not need a change. We do not need to make the switch. We do not want a change. Please do not change. We do not want to make a recruitment model change. We are very satisfied with the way the recruitment process is run currently and do not feel any changes would be fitting. We would like support from the Dean of Students Office in supporting the Greek system and recruitment process as it is currently as well as Greek promotional events prior to the recruitment process (at SOAR for example). We do not want to make the switch. Fall recruitment is the best time for recruitment. We don't need any of this because we will not be deferring recruitment. We don't need anything. We don't need this change. We don't want a change We don't want to make the switch. We need both semesters to be able to recruit We need more support from the university. There is a very negative view about Greek Life on our campus. We do many great things and they often go unnoticed. Our organizations raise thousands of dollars for charities, and this is not recognized since administration focuses heavily on the negative aspects. Greek life is not perfect. But neither is any other student on this campus.

We need much better advertisement of Greek life in general. UW's Greek system is an amazing philanthropically center community that everyone should be informed about. I did not go through recruitment my first semester simply because I had no concept of UW's Greek system until I was on campus for a period of time. We need the university to trust us and believe that we know the best way to perform recruitment. We need you to then help with our financial situation as you take away all of our fall dues from new girls. We shouldn't need anything because it shouldn't change from what it is now. We will not change. It is not in our best interest to do so. We would appreciate the support of the Dean and administration in maintaining the system that we currently have in place.

We would have to completely redo our dues, living in requirements, and specific things within each sorority. Not only would PHA need help, but each sorority specifically would need to redesign a lot of internal things. we would need our nationals to come in and help us with everything. We would like the support of the university in keeping the current recruitment model as it is now. We would likely need a lot of financial assistance with the lack of dues in the fall semester. We would also need the university to be much more supportive of the Greek community and work with us on bettering our community. We would lose out on a lot of great girls by delaying or deferring the process. We would definitely need help financially because it would effect who lives in the house. Juniors typically go abroad second semester, so the house would be essentially empty. Living in contributes to the majority of our sorority dues. Sorority houses are landmarks on this campus, and it would be a shame to see this tradition fade away. We would love some support in the decisions that we are perfectly capable of making ourselves. We would need an assurance that the model of growth that you are promoting (overloading one semester over another, essentially recruiting quantity over quality which goes against our fraternity's morals) is actually sustainable, more healthy than solid growth semester over semester, and provides benefits that we are clearly not seeing right now. We would need compensation for the loss of an entire semester of dues. Transportation would need to be provided for winter recruitment should it be chosen. Finally, backing of the Greek Community is what we are looking for most. Sometimes UW overlooks all of the positive things that come out of this community. Yet some of the most successful, well-rounded people on this campus are members of the Greek community. Supporting this community would likely increase the Greek community's involvement in other organizations on campus. We would need finances to cover the lost dues. As well, there would need to be a change to midterms so Greek Students aren't negatively affected for a change that the University itself imposed. We would need financial adjustments due to lack of people able and willing to live in the house. We would need full compensation in order to maintain our house and chapter. we would need help filling our leases. Leases for the house are generally signed in the fall, because most students have decided where they want to live for the next academic year by the spring. We would need help from the national Panhellenic conference to completely rewrite our PHA bylaws and recruitment rules. We would also need help from NPC in designing risk management policies for deferred recruitment.

We would need lots of warning in advance, two years at a minimum would be best. There is so much we'd have to make happen through nationals in order to make any changes work. My biggest concern would be the sustainability of the chapter's housing. If freshmen are not allowed to go through recruitment until their sophomore year, they will have likely made other housing arrangements with apartments and be unable to fulfill the one year live-in requirement that allows the chapter to pay the mortgage through the Chapter Housing Corporation. We would have to hear more information and run some numbers in order to figure out if this is a possibility. Good luck in your endeavor. Thank you for asking the Greek community their opinion as part of this process.

We would need the city of Madison to have the lease signing dates to back up a few months. Otherwise we will have tremendous difficulty filling our house the following year. This will be a Greek-wide issue if new members already have housing plans prior to joining a chapter. We would not need anything else. We wouldn't be making a switch or change. what about incoming freshmen who already have friends (from same high school or shared classes/activities/clubs/sports) or siblings who are already in greek organizations -- will exemptions be allowed for those freshmen?

What all greek organizations need from the University is a moderate amount of support. Greeks are not looking for the University to promote their organizations because the University does not know a great deal about what the organizations can offer. From the stand point of someone in greek life it would be nice for the University to take a neutral position against greek organizations. Rather than look at the Greek organizations as an enemy of the student body but look at greek organizations as a benefit to the academic success of students, promoters of school spirit, and organizations that promote some of the biggest philanthropic events within the University. What I would like most is for the university to not make a change. When the advancement team of the university is diligently trying to secure donations, going back to the greek members and reflecting on what they enjoyed about their experience is what is going to make those donations happen. Embrace the greek system, find a method of recruitment to help not hurt the greek system. Keep all classes together during recruitment.

While I believe the recruitment model switch or change should not be passed, I do believe that having some of the things from above from the university would be great for all of our chapters during fall recruitment. Again, fall recruitment is the best option, however having resources and help from the university would make fall recruitment even more successfull than it already is.

While I do not think that we need to make a huge change, I think that the administration should be more supportive of the greek community. Having more support form the school community would only benefit the school as a whole.

You would have to create the model and ensure that it would be just as or more successful than it is currently before you threaten the success of Greek Life by changing recruitment. 280 Respondents