The Potential New Member:
A Pocket Guide
FALL RECRUITMENT 2024
The Schedule
A Mandatory Recruitment Orientation
Tuesday, September 10th
Time and location are TBD!
This mandatory orientation is the first step in the recruitment process. This orientation will give you the opportunity to learn more about recruitment, meet the Panhellenic recruitment team, and get the opportunity to ask any questions. At the end of the group discussion, we will break into smaller “recruitment groups” where you will meet your Recruitment Counselor. Your Recruitment Counselor (RC) is responsible for guiding you through the week and will provide you with your schedule. Any schedule conflicts (such as class or sports) should be discussed with your RC at this meeting.
The Sisterhood Night
Thursday, September 12th
Times and locations based off individual PNM schedule.
In this round, you will travel with your recruitment counselor and your group to each of the three sororities. You will spend 30 minutes visiting each house. You will have the opportunity to meet each chapter’s members and hear what it means to join the Panhellenic community and each specific chapter.
What to wear: You will be provided with a t-shirt to wear during orientation. Wear any bottoms and shoes that make you feel comfortable!
The Philanthropy and Financial Transparency Night
Friday, September 13th
Times and locations based off individual PNM schedule.
Individual chapters will invite back a predetermined number of potential new members to their houses to learn about their respective philanthropic missions. You will visit a maximum of 3 houses for 45 minutes each. Potential new members will also get the opportunity to hear from chapter treasurers and learn more about the financial obligations and scholarship opportunities within each chapter.
What to wear: You will wear the same provided t-shirt for the second night. Wear any bottoms and shoes.
The Preference Night
Saturday, September 14th
Times and locations based off individual PNM schedule.
On the last day of recruitment, you will visit a maximum of two houses for an hour each. Immediately after your last party, you will meet with your RC and rank your preferred houses. You will then meet with a member of the Panhellenic Recruitment team and sign a MRABA (membership recruitment acceptance binding agreement). The signing of the MRABA is extremely important, it should be based on your personal reflection throughout recruitment. The MRABA is a binding agreement and can not be changed once signed. Signing your card begins a period of strict silence between potential and current sorority members until bids are distributed on Sunday morning.
What to wear: On preference night, we encourage you to wear what makes you feel comfortable! However, make sure you do not wear what the chapters will be wearing.
BID DAY!
Sunday, September 17th
A member of the Panhellenic Recruitment team will distribute bids on Sunday morning. If you have been extended a bid, you will receive an invitation to membership and must accept or decline. Should you decline, you will not be able to pledge another sorority until recruitment in September 2025.
The Dictionary
Active: an initiated sorority member who has been accepted into a lifelong membership and is still
enrolled in college
Alumna: an initiated sorority member who is no longer in college
Bid: a formal invitation to join a sorority
Chapter: the collegiate division of an internationally established sorority
College Panhellenic Council: the governing board of the three female Greek letter organizations at Colgate University
Intentional Single Preference (ISP): when a potential new member lists only one choice on her preference card even though she was invited to more than one preference event. This practice is at the discretion of the potential new member, however, is discouraged as it limits the opportunity to join the Panhellenic community.
Legacy: a woman whose mother, sister, or grandmother is an alumna or active of a certain sorority. Please note that each chapter has their own policy on legacies and legacy status does not guarantee membership in their chapter.
National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): an international conference body that is composed of the 26 women’s fraternities
Philanthropy: charitable projects sponsored by sororities that raise money
Potential New Member: a woman registered with the Colgate Panhellenic Association who is
interested in becoming a member of a sorority.
Recruitment Counselor: The purpose of a Recruitment Counselor is to stimulate and maintain interest in joining a sorority, providing potential new members with a Panhellenic friend ready and capable of guiding her in her relationships with sororities. They are responsible for making the recruitment experience enjoyable, memorable, and safe for potential new members by guiding them through the week and maintaining a positive attitude towards the Panhellenic community throughout the process. Every recruitment counselor serves as a source of unbiased information, support, and advice.
Sister: an initiated sorority member
Tips for Potential New Members
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Enjoy the opportunity!
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Be yourself!
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Follow all recruitment rules!
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Use your Recruitment Counselor for advice about the process!
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Go to all of the events!
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Give each sorority equal consideration!
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Make your own final decision about recruitment and about each chapter!
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Have fun!
Goals of Sororities
Colgate’s fraternities and sororities seek to enhance the student experience, mold thoughtful and engaged adults, and provide lifelong connections and have set the following goals:
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Intellectual Development: Promoting reflection and making connections between academics and the broader world through dialogue, idea exchange, and interactions with multiple stakeholders.
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Citizenship, Leadership, and Service: Developing a lifelong commitment to civic engagement by contributing to greater social awareness and positive social change; engaging in direct service at Colgate and in surrounding communities; facilitating opportunities to develop ethical and articulate leaders.
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Diversity, Access, and Inclusion: Treating all members of the Colgate community fairly, welcoming students of all backgrounds, collaborating with other groups, encouraging expression of various beliefs/backgrounds within group, promoting discovery of new perspectives, and organizing events with broad appeal.
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Personal Growth, Health, and Wellness: Expressing a commitment to members’ well-being and structuring programs to support a healthy lifestyle.
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Accountability: Instilling pride and responsibility for the organization’s actions, upholding a clear mission, providing high expectations and transparency, and promoting opportunities for meaningful reflection.
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Lifelong Connections: Encouraging social interaction among members, facilitating continuity and evolution of the organization, honoring and developing constructive traditions, fostering peer learning, and connecting with active alumni mentors and resource
Important Contacts and Phone Numbers
Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs: ofsa@colgate.edu
Director for Fraternity and Sorority Advising: Morgan Snow (msnow@colgate.edu)
Panhellenic Council: panhelleniccouncil@colgate.edu
President: Nicole Sammarco (nsammarco@colgate.edu)
VP of Administration: Alisa Kukharkin (akukharkin@colgate.edu)
VP of Recruitment: Nikki Izversky (nizversky@colgate.edu)
Assistant VP of Recruitment: Sophie Ellenbogen (sellenbogen@colgate.edu)
Director of Recruitment Counselors: Kennedy Barton (kbarton@colgate.edu)
Colgate Counseling Center
Emergency Line: (315) 228-7333
Main Line: (315) 228-7385
Campus Safety
Emergency: (315) 228-7911
Madison County Sexual Assault Hotline
(855) 966-9723
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
(800) 273-8255
Creed of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
We, as undergraduate members of women’s fraternities, stand for good scholarship, for guarding of good health, for maintenance of fine standards, and for serving, to the best of our ability, our college community. Cooperation for furthering fraternity life, in harmony with its best possibilities, is the ideal that shall guide our fraternity activities.
We, as Fraternity Women, stand for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life. The opportunity for wide and wise human service, through mutual respect and helpfulness, is the tenet by which we strive to live.
