2020 Panhellenic Recruitment Guide

YO U N G S T O W N S TAT E U N I V E RS I T Y

Panhellenic Recruitment

STEP ONE : REGISTER

Guide STEP FOUR: RECRUITMENT

The cost of for recruitment registration covers the expenses to make formal recruitment a reality! That money is used for various logistical costs for the Zoom accounts, the computer system we use to create your schedule, and marketing fees. There will not be refunds for Recruitment registration fees.

MUST ATTEND ALL EVENTS FOR THE ENTIRE TIME FRAME, SO ADJUST YOUR WORK SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

STEP TWO : INFO SESSION If you are interested in joining this semester, you are encouraged to attend one of the following sessions:

MEET THE GREEKS

SORORITY INFO

SORORITY INFO

August 25 7:00 pm Virtual Zoom Meeting

September 2 7:00 pm Virtual Zoom Meeting

September 8 7:00 pm Virtual Zoom Meeting

STEP THREE: MEET YOUR RECRUITMENT COUNSELOR After (or before) attending an info session, you should receive contact from a recruitment counselor. Any questions about Greek Life can be answered by them and they are there to guide you through the recruitment process.

ACADEMIC & MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS Undergraduate students who wish to join an NPC organization must meet specific membership qualifications.

- Have a minimum of a 2.50 overall cumulative grade point average (unless the organization requires a higher GPA)

- If the potential member is a first year student

who has not earned a YSU academic grade point average and is seeking membership, they can join

with the understanding that they must have a 2.50

cumulative average or higher from a previous

institution or high school.

- Be a full-time YSU Student (attempting 12 academic credits or more) - No active conduct record with the Office of Student Conduct

ABBEY COCHRAN

September 10 - 7:00 pm Virtual Zoom Meeting

@YSU Panhellenic

9:00 am - 4:00 pm Virtual Zoom Meetings

QUESTIONS? CONTACT:

RECRUITMENT ORIENTATION

(ATTENDANCE REQUIRED TO START RECRUITMENT)

YSU Panhellenic

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 Philanthropy Night 4:30 pm - 9:00 pm Virtual Zoom Meeting

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 Open House Round 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Virtual Zoom Meeting

Vice President of Recruitment panhelvprecruitment@gmail.com 419-617-8134

@YSU Panhellenic

@YSU Panhellenic

CARRIE ANDERSON Greek Advisor clanderson@ysu.edu 330-941-4702

@YSU Panhellenic

@YSU Panhel

“Welcome to Youngstown State University! For the past few months my team and I have been planning this year’s Formal Recruitment. We are very excited for you to start your journey.

“I have been a part of YSU Greek Life for the past two years. It has seriously been one of the best experiences of my life! Over the years I have met some of the greatest people you will ever meet.

I have made tons of friends and many memories.

“Now it is your turn to do the same! All of us here on the YSU Panhellenic Council hope that you enjoy this time. We want you to join us and find your home. So have fun and GO GUINS!!!”

Recruitment Counselors The first Panhellenic women you will meet are the Recruitment Counselors. These women disaffiliate from their chapter during the formal recruitment period, to recruit for Greek Life as a whole and not just for their own chapter. They act as a guide and mentor to the Potential New Members (PNM) during their recruitment experience.

Abbey Cochran VP of Recruitment

Recruitment Counselors went through a competitive interview process and were selected based on their leadership skills, counseling skills and their enthusiasm for recruitment. You will be assigned to a Recruitment Counselor group. Your Recruitment Counselors are there to be your listener, guide, and friend. You can count on them to keep all of your questions and concerns confidential. Look at your recruitment counselors as a shoulder to lean on. They were here once before, so they understand that the decision to choose a chapter is a difficult one and they want to help.

Chelsea

Briana

Abbey

Brooke

Erin

Olivia

HANNAH

Mikayla

Morgan

SERENA

Financial Obligations Each chapter has several different types of dues and fees that must be paid in order for the chapter to function properly and for you to remain in good standing. Different chapters break their dues down differently, some include everything, and others allow you to make additional purchases for things like shirts, outside of the base cost. When you calculate everything, all of our chapters have relatively similar costs for a year.

You will receive information about each individual chapter’s costs during the open house round. Below are some general terms and things to consider regarding sorority financial obligations.

One-Time Fees These are generally paid during your first semester and may include a badge fee or initiation fee.

Chapter Dues These cover chapter operations, as well as the cost of chapter events like sisterhoods and socials. Some chapter dues include the full cost of formals and t-shirts.

Inter/National Dues These are fees that go to the inter/national organization and allow you to be a member of the larger inter/national organization, and often help to fund programming, operations, etc. put on by the inter/national organization.

Attendance Policy The Panhellenic Association has a mandatory attendance policy during recruitment. This means that as a Potential New Member, you are required to attend all chapter events to which you are invited. If you choose not to attend a chapter on your event schedule and you do not have an excused absence, you will be removed from the recruitment process immediately.

PNMs must submit academic or athletic conflicts to your recruitment counselor no later than September 17 at 5:00 PM. While Panhellenic encourages chapters to invite back PNMs who must miss events due to conflicts, there is no guarantee that a chapter will invite you back if you have to miss an event.

At the beginning of each recruitment round you will go into one Zoom Room Session with all of the other PNMs and Recruitment Counselors. Each day you will be split into groups with your Recruitment Counselor. Please listen to the Recruitment Counselors who will be assisting you before the event begins as they will be taking attendance to allow you in a chapter’s Zoom party round.

2020 Recruitment PNM Behavioral Contract You’ll be asked to sign a behavior contract and initial each section during your recruitment orientation. Here are the highlights of that agreement. yy I will attend all Primary Recruitment Events for which I have received an invitation for each round of Primary Recruitment. yy I will respect myself, other potential new members, chapter members, recruitment team members, and university staff at all times. I will refrain from making offensive comments and/or actions towards any and all of the aforementioned individuals at all times. yy I will communicate regularly with my sorority recruitment counselor and will let her know if I decide to withdraw from the recruitment process. yy I will exercise proper time management throughout the week of recruitment and understand if I miss a Primary Recruitment Event for a reason not approved by Panhellenic Council, I will not be allowed to reschedule the event for which I have missed. yy I will refrain from communicating with chapter members or individuals affiliated with chapter members outside of Primary Recruitment Events. This includes, but is not limited to, in person conversations and or communication via phone calls, written correspondence, text messages, Snapchats, etc. yy I will not make any disparaging remarks about any YSU Panhellenic chapter or individual member. This includes, but is not limited to, remarks made during in person conversations and/or any posts made to social media that accounts (such as Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) that are deemed inappropriate by Panhellenic Council. yy I agree to treat the chapter videos and virtual recruitment parties as confidential. I will not share any video or virtual recruitment party, including

What to Expect INFORMATION SESSIONS Here at YSU, we like to start things off with a couple days where we provide information to you about who we are and what we do.

recruitment orientation Get an overview of the sorority recruitment process. Meet your Recruitment Counselor as well as other women participating in recruitment.

OPEN HOUSE -ThursdayThis will be the first round of recruitment. You will get to learn about each of the chapters through videos they have prepared for you to view. You will view these videos with your recruitment counselor group via a zoom meeting.

Philanthropy -FridayThis is the second round of recruitment. You will be spending 45 minutes in chapter zoom rooms that you have been invited back to. During this round, you will learn about each sorority’s philanthropy and service projects. This round is very important to every sorority woman because their philanthropy is close to their heart.

Preference -Saturday MorningThis is the most important and meaningful event of the week. This serious hour long event is where you’ll make your final decision on what sorority you want to call your own. Listen carefully to the words they say and the songs they sing – that is where they’ll tell you the essence of their beliefs.

This round is often a very emotional step in the recruitment process because each chapter is sharing a ceremony with you that reveals their whole heart and soul.

a video in its entirety, or recordings, clips, screen shots, and/or quotes from a video or virtual recruitment party. I understand that any breach of this agreement could result in referral to YSU Office of Student Conduct and/or the Youngstown Panhellenic Council Judicial Process. yy I will participate fully in each virtual recruitment event. This includes leaving my camera on for the duration of the party and leaving my microphone on during breakout room conversations. I will engage in respectful conversation with chapter members. yy I understand that if I sign my MRABA after Preference Round, I am bound to this document and the chapter that extends me a bid. This means I am considered ineligible for an invitation to membership from any other Youngstown Panhellenic Council chapter until Fall 2021. yy I understand that the consumption of alcohol and/or any illegal substance use during the week of Primary Recruitment, on Bid Day, and up to 24 hours after Bid Day events have ended, is strictly prohibited by YSU Panhellenic and may result in YSU Panhellenic disciplinary sanctions and/or Youngstown State University disciplinary sanctions. yy I understand that, upon joining a chapter, I will be responsible for all financial and academic obligations of membership. yy I will follow all expectations, rules, policies, and procedures set forth by Youngstown State University, the Youngstown Panhellenic Association, and the National Panhellenic Conference shared with me by my recruitment counselor, the Youngstown Panhellenic Council Executive Council, and the Office of Student Activities staff.

What to Talk About Ask about Greek Life in general, about individual sororities, or about personal experiences.

This evening is dedicated to answering any questions or concerns you may have. Be sure you are registered and paid for recruitment by the time you leave this event.

At this point, you’re thinking about being in a sorority; now you just need to figure out where your best match is. Ask questions that will help you learn more about the individual sororities. Tell them about you, too!

- What are your chapter’s academic programs?

- What positions have you held?

- What are some other activities on campus that your

sisters are involved in?

As the day will be focused on the chapters’ efforts to promote their various philanthropies, this is a great chance to ask them what service projects they do on campus. You might just be surprised at what these women can accomplish!

- Tell me about your chapter’s philanthropy.

- What do you like most about your chapter’s philanthropy?

- What types of community service do you do as a chapter?

- What philanthropy events have you participated in?

- What is your most cherished memory from being in your chapter?

- What made you feel at home in this chapter or why did you choose this chapter?

Bid Day -Saturday AfternoonThe last and most exciting event of the week! At this event you’ll receive an invitation to join a sorority. Recruitment is a mutual selection process where your Preference card is matched with the sororities’ preferences. After discovering what chapter each Recruitment Counselor belongs to, you’ll get to join your new sisters in a celebratory sisterhood event.

Virtual Recruitment Logistics Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about virtual 2020 Panhellenic Recruitment

Which platform will be used for virtual recruitment? Do I need to learn something new?

We will be using Zoom to facilitate conversations between PNMs and active chapter members. Your RCs will provide plenty of guidance on how to use this platform, so don’t worry if you haven’t used it yet!

Panhellenic Recruitment happening this fall?

Yes! Panhellenic Recruitment is taking place this fall and we’re so excited to meet you. We’ve listened to everyone’s feedback and the university about the best plan forward, and this is the best way to follow YSU guidelines and keep everyone safe.

How does moving to a virtual recruitment process affect the recruitment schedule?

We are keeping mostly the same structure that we would usually have for recruitment. You will have a Recruitment Orientation (Meet Your Recruitment Counselor) plus 3 rounds happening in 3 days. During this total of 3 days, the first day will have the same time structure for everyone, and the last 2 will depend on each PNM’s individual invitations. Please plan to reserve your days and times for recruitment even though you will not be online for the full day. You can access the general schedule overview online at ysu.edu/greek-life.

Registration for primary recruitment will close on September 17th.

What is Recruitment Orientation (Meet Your Recruitment Counselor)?

Recruitment Orientation will be held on September 10 via Zoom and you will be attending the same time as your recruitment group. During this time we will go over frequently asked questions and you will be chatting with your group about what to expect for Recruitment. If you cannot make it to this for whatever reason, please let your Recruitment Counselor know when she reaches out to you.

How can I make sure these chapters really get to know me if we can’t meet in person?

Your Recruitment Counselors will help you figure out how to ask meaningful questions that dig into your personal values and chapter values. You will hear more from them in late August, and will learn more about our values-based recruitment process at Recruitment Orientation. The important part about formal recruitment is to go in with an open mind. Friends that you have before recruitment week will still be your friends after, no matter which chapter you join!

PNM Introduction Video Questions and Instructions I’m stressed about this video, what does it need to look like, what do I need to say, etc.?

This video is meant to be a quick and easy way to let chapters get to know you. You can record on your phone or laptop or similar device, and don’t worry about having professional video equipment or lighting. We definitely aren’t assuming anyone is a professional videographer. Backgrounds of videos should be neutral and should only include you. In the video you will respond to a prompt provided by Panhellenic. This isn’t meant to be a big stressor, and we really just want to get to know you!

Be yourself, and it’ll be great!

What format should I save my PNM video in?

An MOV (.mov) or MP4 File (.mp4) file is preferred as these files are easily accessible on MAC and Windows computers. If you are filming on an Apple product, your video should automatically save as a .mov file. If you are filming on a Windows product, your file should automatically save as an .mp4 file.

What should I say in my video?

Check out our prompts and instructions for recording your video via our online guide. And check out some example videos (https:// youtu.be/R4vxkUOOusA) made by our recruitment counselors.

Who will be able to see my video? Will it stay private?

Your videos will be shared with each of our chapters, and their members will be able to view them during recruitment. After recruitment is over, they will be deleted.

Why was this decision made to have a virtual recruitment as opposed to an in-person recruitment?

YSU has provided guidance to student organizations that if our meetings and recruitment processes can be put online, they should. That being said, we looked into many different options, virtual and in-person alike, and virtual was the only way we felt we could ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in this recruitment process. This decision was made collectively with our community this summer, and our chapters have been working hard ever since to modify our process to make it the best we can for you!

What do all of these acronyms mean?

PNM: Potential New Member, that’s you!

RC: Recruitment Counselor: a current Panhellenic woman responsible for leading a group of PNMs through recruitment. She is disaffiliated from her own chapter during recruitment to remain an unbiased, confidential resource for you during the entire process.

NPC: National Panhellenic Conference: the umbrella group for all 26 sororities. This Conference has representatives from each organization, and they help unify all of our chapters on a national level.

Can I talk to current sorority members on social media before recruitment starts?

Sure! There are no rules against active members reaching out to you prior to recruitment, but please know that they will likely be talking in generalities about the sorority experience since you’ll still need to go through primary recruitment to join any of our NPC chapters. If you happen to talk to a current member and you feel uncomfortable for any reason, please do not hesitate to let us know at panhelvprecruitment@gmail.com.

Can I still go through recruitment if I am choosing to have remote classes away from campus?

Yes! As long as you are a student at Youngstown State University, you can participate in recruitment. Please let us know if you have difficulties with the time difference if there is one.

How much does being in a Panhellenic Sorority cost?

Being in any fraternity or sorority costs money. These dues cover a wide variety of expenses and vary from chapter to chapter. The semester you join a Panhellenic sorority, your dues are much higher than subsequent semester because you pay some one-time fees, like purchasing your badge and initiation fees to the National Headquarters. New member dues for this year (Fall and Spring) will range from $600-$900. During PNM Orientation you will receive breakdowns on each chapter’s dues structure for this year.

Will I need to do anything before recruitment begins?

1. Register for recruitment using our online registration form.

2. Make sure to put thought into your answers to the questions, you have until September 17th to complete the application.

3. You’ll also be filming a short video of yourself (90 seconds max) so the chapters can get to know you better.

When do I get my Recruitment Counselor and how can they help me?

Your RC will reach out to you after orientation once you’ve registered, so keep an eye out for a phone call or email. When they reach out to you, they’ll also ask about your availability to have a meeting with them and the other PNMs in your group to start to get to know one another and answer any additional questions you may have. Your RCs are there to help you and a small group of PNMs though the recruitment process, so do not hesitate to use them!

What do I do if I have unstable Wi-Fi or my Zoom freezes?

Contact your recruitment counselor immediately! We will work to get you back on the call as quickly as possible. We also recommend having your mobile phone charged and readily available as a backup in case anything goes wrong. You can always call into Zoom without video if necessary!

Youngstown State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, age, religion or veteran/military status in its programs or activities. Please visit www.ysu.edu/ada-accessibility for contact information for persons designated to handle questions about this policy.