Fall recruitment talks remain unsolved

By LaNasha Houze
Staff Reporter

Whether or not to defer fall recruitment continues to be debated, but the parties involved agree the issue is too controversial to deal with right now, said Don Mills, vice chancellor of student affairs.

Instead of recruitment, Mills said that he wants the future fraternity and sorority affairs to be focused on issues with a more grandiose scope.

“As opposed to something clearly divisive, I want to focus on the things that can make a positive impact, such as academics, community service and the values of brotherhood and sisterhood as students move through their college career,” Mills said.

Last semester, Mills proposed that the Undergraduate Experience Task Force form a committee to research the impact fall recruitment has on students’ academics. However, Mills said the proposal dissolved because of the lack of consensus among members of the Faculty Senate, fraternity and sorority affairs officials and students.

“(The debate) raised more concern than it solved,” Mills said.

George Low, a member of the Faculty Senate Student Relations Committee, said the Faculty Senate and the students didn’t work well together.

“I do believe they could have worked a little bit better with this to come to a solution,” said Low, associate professor of marketing. “They haven’t really sat down to work this out.”

Low said certain faculty members believe fall recruitment inhibits the academic performance of students since it occurs during the first week of classes.

Fall recruitment for sororities occurs the week before classes begin, while fraternity recruitment takes place during the first week of classes.

Katie Urban, Panhellenic president, said deferred fall recruitment wouldn’t solve the presumed academic problems because the women will try to mold themselves to the stereotypical sorority image in order fit in.

“Southern Methodist University and Baylor University, (which have delayed recruitment), hate it because they were not sure if (the women) were being themselves,” Urban said. “We are worried that (the women) will rush for an entire semester if the process is delayed. Now, they get here and go through the process, and don’t have time to learn the stereotypes.”

Low said another reason fall recruitment should be delayed is to allow students to become adjusted to college academics as opposed to the social aspect of the Greek community.

“(Faculty Senate members) see the value of the Greek system,” Low said. “We want (Greek recruitment) to work in a way where students are getting the most from their academic experience.”

Urban said no problems existed due to the high academic achievements of the Greek community.

“We are trying to take Panhellenic to the next level,” Urban said. “There aren’t enough problems to see a change. Basically, if the system isn’t broken don’t fix it.”

LaNasha Houze
l.d.houze@student.tcu.edu