Lawrence fraternities for men and sororities for women offer deferred formal recruitment for first year students early during the Winter Term, usually the second full week of January. Prior to formal recruitment, prospective members may be invited to attend general information sessions and informal recruiting events. The Greek community believes that new students should take advantage of a broad range of college activities and become acclimated to the academic program before making a membership commitment in a fraternity or sorority. Deferred recruitment provides sufficient time for prospective new members to get to know members of each of the fraternities and sororities.
Formal Recruitment
Held during the second full week of classes in the Winter Term, formal recruitment week features a series of events designed to answer questions and help prospective members consider various opportunities for membership.
The Panhellenic Council hosts a series of three "parties" for women during which prospective members visit with representatives of each of the three sorority chapters. Recruitment counselors are available to assist prospective new members through the process. At the conclusion of Formal Recruitment, prospective new members are asked to rank order those chapters in which they would like to attain membership. At the same time, each sorority develops an invitation list of those prospective new members whom they would like to have within their chapter. Through a process called "bid matching", prospective new members are matched with chapters. The process culminates in Bid Night when new members are formally inducted into their new chapters.
The Interfraternity Council hosts a variety of events designed to promote interaction between Lawrence's five fraternity chapters and prospective new members. Events vary some each year, but typically include an open house during which prospective new members may visit with each chapter, attendance as a group at a sporting event, and entertainment followed by a reception. At the conclusion of Formal Recruitment, invitations or "bids" are distributed to prospective new members. It is possible to receive bids to several chapters. To join, the prospective new member "pledges" by completing a pledge form in the Campus Activities Office.
Continuous Open Recruitment
Once formal recruitment has concluded, a student is eligible to join a fraternity or sorority at any time while enrolled at Lawrence. Sororities hold events and issue invitations to join through a process known as continuous open bidding. Fraternities may issue invitations to join at any time.
Scholarship and Membership
Each fraternity or sorority establishes criteria for membership including academic criteria. In most cases, a student must have a composite grade point average above a threshold in order to join. In other cases, a standard is required before full membership may be achieved through initiation. Academic standards required for membership are:
Beta Theta Pi - 2.00 to activate
Delta Gamma - 2.300 to pledge/activate
Delta Tau Delta - 2.250 to activate
Kappa AlphaTheta - 2.400 to pledge/activate; 2.500 to hold office
Kappa Kappa Gamma - 2.25 to pledge/activate
Phi Delta Theta - 2.25 to activate
Phi Kappa Tau - 2.4 to activate, must attain within one term of pledging
Sigma Phi Epsilon - 2.4 to pledge/activate
Greek Glossary
ACTIVE - an initiated or full member of a fraternity or sorority
BID - a formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority
BROTHER - a term used to refer to a man within a Greek organization
CHAPTER - a chartered undergraduate or alumni group recognized by a national or international fraternity or sorority
GREEK - a term applied to members affiliated with Greek letter organizations
HAZING - a term used to describe a number of practices characterized as rights of passage; hazing in any form is against Wisconsin state law, college policy and the policies of every fraternity and sorority and is not practiced at Lawrence
INITIATION - a formal ceremony or series of ceremonies during which the teachings of the fraternity or sorority are revealed and exemplified and active membership is conferred
LEGACY - when a student has a relative who is a member of a particular Greek organization
NPC - National Panhellenic conference, a body comprised fo delegates from 26 national or international sororities
PANHELLENIC COUNCIL - the central organizing and governing body of Lawrence sororities
PHILANTHROPY - usually refers to a range of events and activities supporting or seeking to raise funds to support and promote human welfare; community service
PLEDGE - a new member of a fraternity or sorority who has "pledged" to join and work toward the values and purposes of the organization, sometimes called an associate member
PLEDGE PERIOD/PLEDGESHIP - an orientation and new member education program lasting usually from 4 - 8 weeks designed to teach new members the traditions, purposes, and history of the organization and to prepare them for the ceremonies of initiation and the responsibilities of full membership
PROSPECTIVE NEW MEMBER (PMN) - a student interested in membership ina Greek organization
RECRUITMENT - a formal period when Greek organizations seek new members, often called "rush"
RECRUITMENT COUNSELOR - an undergraduate sorority member who is selected and trained to assist prospective new members; sometimes called an "RC", these individuals try to maintain "anonymity" so that their chapter affiliations are not known by those women they are helping. They do not participate in membership selection with their chapters
SISTER - a term used to refer to a woman within a Greek organization