PANHELLENIC RECRUITMENT GUIDE 2016

WELCOME TO

Welcome, Star!

On behalf of the Panhellenic Community, I would like to welcome you and let you know how ecstatic we are that you have chosen Oklahoma City University as your new home. I am even more delighted that you are considering joining one of our four amazing sisterhoods, which make up the largest student organization on campus.

The OCU sorority community is recognized as one of the finest in the country, with numerous chapters and individual members earning national awards in the areas of scholarship, community service, and leadership each year. Whether your passion is academia, performance, service, fellowship, leadership, or athletics, joining a sorority can assist you in achieving more than you ever thought possible.

Within our four Panhellenic sororities, we have women represented from nearly every field of study, athletic team, and student organization on campus, so there is a perfect fit for everyone! Because

each of our sisterhoods has something unique to offer, every woman in our community has found a house that they proudly call their home.

When you take the first step toward joining a sorority by going through Recruitment, you are not just choosing which Greek letters you will wear, you are becoming a part of something that is

far greater than yourself. Joining a sorority will enrich your college experience academically and socially, and will inspire you to grow into the woman you hope to become. The bonds you form with your sisters are not ones that last four years, but are ones that will last for life.

Each of our four houses is full of strong women that will encourage you in all of your endeavors and enrich your life every day. Recruitment is an exciting time to get to know your fellow freshmen women and more than 40 percent of the female population on OCU’s fantastic campus. There is truly nothing to lose by going through recruitment, but so very much to gain! Get ready

to meet new friends, make memories, and have fun!

Best Wishes,

Meagan ChewPanhellenic Vice President

A MESSAGE FROM OUR RECRUITMENT OFFICER

A Message From Our President

Panhellenic to me means coming together with women that share the same love for sisterhood and believe in the power of belonging to a women’s fraternity. Each fraternity has a rich history full of strong minded and courageous women. Women’s fraternities choosing to join together and create the NPC furthered the growth and strength of the fraternal bond. It has been such a privilege to serve on Panhellenic Council and to find women who are both mentors and friends throughout women’s Greek Life. Being on the council has shown me, while we all have our strengths, together we are able to become more; striving to create a strong Panhellenic community. We each have found our own homes to grow as women and build life-long memories, but it is through Panhellenic that each sisterhood is able to remain strong.

Chandler M. HardyPanhellenic President

OCUPanhellenic Associationand CouncilNATIONAL PANHELLENIC CONFERENCE

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is an organization that oversees and supports the growth of 26 sororities and women’s fraternities both nationally and internationally. NPC holds these individual organizations to high standards, and ensures that women are able to gain an enriching and rewarding experience through women’s fraternities during their college years. Panhellenic focuses on what we all have in common. Historically NPC began when Kappa Kappa Gamma invited six other women’s fraternities including Alpha

Phi, Delta Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Pi Beta Phi to discuss their similarities and the honor of belonging to a women’s fraternity both for their time and still today. As time went on NPC began to organize, creating councils at Universities and Colleges where these women’s fraternities existed.

PANHELLENIC AT OCU

At Oklahoma City University the Panhellenic Council exists to oversee the four women’s fraternities on campus: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, and Phi Mu. The council consists of three representatives

from each of the sororities, and each woman is chosen to be a voice and embodiment of her own house on the council. The council discusses matters such as recruitment, scholarship, social events, philanthropy, and is then able to ensure all houses are meeting the higher aims that all women’s fraternities wish to fulfill. At OCU, Panhellenic supports all the women’s fraternities in their individual goals and is always working to find innovative ways to improve the quality of women’s Greek life experience. Without the existence of Panhellenic, women’s fraternities would not be given the supportive environment needed to grow. The Panhellenic council at OCU believes in all that it means to be

a part of a women’s fraternity and works to continue to make the opportunity available for women for years to come.

At Oklahoma City University the Panhellenic council and community values sisterhood and the lifelong bond and memories that come with it. We value scholarship because college is a time to learn and grow as students, and discover what it is we are meant to do. We value leadership; through women’s Greek Life each woman

is able to develop fully into the best version of herself. Sisters are always there to encourage each other to get involved and become strong leaders. Lastly we value service that above many things women’s Greek Life never hesitates to give back. Each sisterhood invests time into raising money for their philanthropy, and completing community service hours. Through

these values women in OCU Greek Life are all able to achieve more as individuals, and create an experience that lasts far beyond their four years at OCU.

Welcomefrom GreekLife

FOR SORORITY RECRUITMENT

To register, visit: okcu.edu/students/greeklife/panhellenic

> Click the “Online Registration” link> Fill in required information

Your first week of college is one of the most exciting weeks you will have in your college career, and taking the leap to participate in Sorority Recruitment may be where you meet your new best friend! Should you choose to accept a bid to one of our four amazing chapters, you will join the long legacy of OCU Greek students who have focused their life around the values of leadership, scholarship, service, and sisterhood.

The Panhellenic Council at OCU facilitates a fully structured recruitment process during Stars Week, the week before classes start in the Fall. Please take the time to review this booklet in

detail, as it will be a resource to many of the questions you will have regarding Greek Life. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact your Rho Gamma or the Panhellenic Advisor.

Any women with special needs due to health or disability are encouraged to contact the OCU Panhellenic Advisor at 405.208.7903. We want everyone to have an outstanding recruitment experience!

The OCU Panhellenic Advisor and Rho Gammas are here to assist you in the recruitment process and help you get adjusted your first few days at OCU. Don’t hesitate to say hello, we just may be your new sisters soon!

Registration for Sorority Recruitment is available online at okcu.edu/students/greeklife/. Registration will open on April 11, 2016 and will close on August 16, 2016 at 11:50 p.m.

The following information will be required for registration:

• Your student ID Number (B-Number). Your B-Number is a nine-digit number starting with the letter B.• Your high school information, including your GPA• Your T-Shirt size• Your honors, activities, or service experience

Plan to register for everything in one sitting; if you close your application it will not be saved and you must start from the beginning.

Once you have completed your registration application and your payment has been received, a confirmation email will be sent within the following two weeks. Remember to check your OCU email regularly to see any updates or information you might need!

Contact Information

okcu.edu/students/greeklife/405.208.6287ljharrel@okcu.edu

Find us on Facebook atOCU Sorority Recruitment 2016

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

MUTUAL SELECTION PROCESS

Sorority Recruitment is a mutual selection process that balances the preferences of each potential new member with those of our sorority chapters. The OCU Panhellenic Council attempts to give each potential new member the opportunity to find the sorority that best suits her individual interests, personality, and values, while providing an objective and organized membership selection process for the chapters.

Invitations are only guaranteed to potential new members for the first round, which begins on Wednesday. There is no guarantee that a PNM will be invited to attend the second or third event rounds. Invitations to subsequent rounds are made based entirely on both the preferences of the PNMs and of the chapters. PNM schedules will be maximized so they are able to able to get to know as

many chapters as possible during their recruitment experience.

There is no guarantee that a woman will receive a bid to any sorority. However, if a PNM attends all the events she is invited to and is invited to a party on Preference Night (Round 3) and lists those chapters on her preference sheet that night, she will receive a bid to one of those chapters.

There is no specific formula or reason to explain why a woman is released from a particular chapter, or why a woman prefers one chapter to another. It is the goal of the OCU Panhellenic Council to make every effort to provide the opportunity for each PNM to join her chapter of choice, but there are no guarantees a young woman will be placed within that specific sorority. However, there are four outstanding options at OCU and there is no bad choice. It is important to keep an open mind during your first week in college,

and during Sorority Recruitment. Use this time to make new friends in all the organizations on campus!

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

A letter of recommendation is written by an alumna member of an organization for the purpose of introducing a woman to a chapter. If you have family members or friends who have told you that you need a recommendation letter to get into a sorority, no need to worry! Fortunately, recommendation letters do not play a large role in the recruitment process at OCU.If someone is interested in providing you with a recommendation letter, they can be mailed directly to: [Organization Name]Attn: Recruitment Officer2501 N BlackwelderOklahoma City, OK 73106

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

OCU Panhellenic Council does not set any academic conditions for potential new member to participate in our recruitment process. However, it is important to understand each chapter has grade point average requirements set by its international organization and local chapters. It is possible, but extremely rare, for exceptions to be made to these guidelines. If your high school or college GPA is below a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), you may have significantly fewer opportunities than participants with higher GPAs. Potential new members who do not meet the minimum academic requirements of a specific chapter are typically released early in the recruitment process to allow these women to explore other alternatives. After accepting membership in a chapter, there are academic requirements for women to stay active in the chapter. The GPA requirements differ from chapter to chapter.

Schedule of Events

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PARENT INFORMATION SESSION: GREEK LIFE (parents only)

3:00-5:00 pmMeinders School of Business

GREEK LIFE INFORMATION MEETING (student event, parents welcome)

7:00-8:00 pmPetree Recital Hall, Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center

PNM MEETING

5:00-5:30 pmWatson Lounge, Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

OPEN HOUSE PARTIES-ROUND 1

5:30-11:15 pmPanhellenic Quad

PNM MEETING

4:00-4:30 pmWatson Lounge, Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

PHILANTHROPY NIGHT-ROUND 2

4:30-10:15 pmPanhellenic Quad

PNM MEETING

4:00-4:30 pmWatson Lounge, Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel

PREFERENCE NIGHT-ROUND 3

4:30-9:15 pmPanhellenic Quad

BID DAY!

10:00 amGreat Hall

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship is an important aspect of any college organization, but OCU Panhellenic women have taken their commitment to scholarship to the next level! Panhellenic women have consistently outperformed their all-women and all-campus counterparts, recording an average 3.52 GPA over the course of the past 10 semesters.

SISTERHOOD

Joining the Greek system gives you the opportunity to create a unique and special bond with women in your organization. One of the greatest aspects of joining a sorority is making new friends that will last long after you graduate from OCU. Sisterhood means more than wearing the same Greek letters, attending meetings and going to socials; it is about developing the camaraderie and sense of belonging that will impact your college years and your life beyond.

Sororities were founded as social organizations, and learning to interact in these environments will help you in your professional and personal life outside of college. Our events support the important goal of bringing people together to develop bonds and friendship.

FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS

The financial requirements of joining a sorority vary from chapter to chapter. Dues consist of expenses related to membership fees, new membership fees and cost of maintaining meeting house facilities. There are also occasional one-time fees to cover the cost of various things; such as, initiation badges, meals and events. Typically, the first

year of membership is the most expensive. At OCU, the first year of membership ranges in $480 per semester to $745 per semester. However, rates are reduced significantly the second year and beyond. At OCU, the second year of membership ranges from $370 per semester to $462 per semester. Payment options vary from chapter to chapter, also. Many of our chapters offer payment plans and scholarships. All financial

information for each chapter will be discussed during Formal Recruitment. Feel free to ask any questions you have about the financial commitment to have a clear picture of the investment you are making. It is important to consider all of the financial obligations associated with being in a sorority.

How do they do this? Sororities concentrate on creating successful scholarship programs that help each member reach her academic goals. Some of these programs include, study buddies and academic tutors. Each chapter takes great pride in their academic accomplishments and makes a priority to encourage academic excellence in their members.

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is acquired through hands-on experience, and OCU sororities offer just that to their members. Chapters encourage their members to get involved and to maximize their potential in their chapter and on campus. Almost 40 percent of all OCU current student organization presidents and 30 percent of

SERVICE & PHILANTHROPY

One of the most enriching aspects of being involved in a sorority is the unique opportunity to work as a group to make the world a better place. All of the sororities at OCU make service a priority in their activities and for their members. Sorority women contribute volunteer efforts and raise money for monetary donations to a number of important local and national causes. Our women donate hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in an effort to improve their community. It is the ideal of many of our organizations to instill a sense of responsibility in our members to enrich their world.

HOMECOMING

“Homecoming is an amazing time on campus. It’s really a time when organizations work

together to show everyone what OCU means to them. While Homecoming is a competitive time, it brings everyone together by uniting us as a student body that loves our university. Other than showing campus pride, Homecoming is fun! You learn things about your organization, the university, your peers, and yourself that you would not have known otherwise and you create bonds that will last your entire time on campus. Homecoming

is part of what makes being an OCU star so spectacular!”

– Mackenzie Kelly, Homecoming Commissioner 2014

SPRING SING

“Spring Sing is a campus-wide event where all the houses compete in a friendly way as to who can put on the best musical production. It is so refreshing

to hear the talents of all the different houses on campus and the event draws each house closer. Judges select the Best Production as well as Blue Key Honor Society, who produces the event, selects the Best in Show awards. The event is also a great way to help philanthropies all around the school so it feels nice to give back to our community.”

– Jordan Hopkins, Blue Key Honor Society President

all OCU student-athletes are members of Greek Life.Each organization offers dozens of opportunities for their members to take on leadership roles. Additionally, each chapter offers programming targeted to leadership development and cultivating the skills that will enable their members to excel.

Did You Know?

Did you know your experience in Greek Life can help you out of college too? A recent national Gallup-Purdue Index found a relationship between Greek Life and post-graduate success. The study found that respondents who identified themselves as Greek scored better in overall well-being, workplace engagement, emotional support from their college, experiential learning experience as a student, and alumni attachment. For more information, click here.

NEW MEMBER

NEW MEMBER MEETINGS

As a new member, you will be required to attend weekly new member meetings in addition to weekly chapter meetings. The goal of these meetings is to teach new members about the values, traditions and rituals of their sorority chapter.

PHILANTHROPY EVENTS

Each of our Greek chapters devotes time and energy to supporting their own local and/or national philanthropies. Each chapter will host events each semester to raise awareness and donations for the cause. New members are invited to attend and participate in these events to socialize within the community and to promote a necessary cause.

RECRUITMENT TRAINING

Throughout the year, chapters host recruitment-training programs to help their new members prepare for Sorority Recruitment in the Fall. New members are expected to be in attendance at these events.

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

New Members are encouraged to participate in campus-wide events, such as Homecoming, Spring Sing and Relay for Life, etc. These events offer new members a chance to engage with the university and to get to know people outside of their Greek membership.

SCHOLARSHIP

School always comes first for Greek students. Our Greek population includes almost every major available on OCU’s campus, and our results show that students involved in Greek life excel academically. Sororities will give extra attention to new members to ensure that school is their focus and to position them for success in their first year with the organization.

NATIONAL HAZING PREVENTION WEEK

Greek Life supported National Hazing Prevention this past year by raising awareness about the contrary purpose it has on our community. The OCU Panhellenic Council started off the week by tabling outside the OCU Cafeteria using a social media campaign to discuss what sisterhood and friendship meant to them. Using the hash tag “Words Matter” our Panhellenic women came out and explained what sisterhood really meant to them.

HAZING POLICY

Oklahoma City University has a zero-tolerance policy regarding hazing that is consistent with Oklahoma state law. Hazing is contrary to the purposes of the Greek community and the University. Hazing is not tolerated. If you sense a student may be participating in inappropriate activities as a result of membership in a sorority or fraternity, you should contact the Dean of Students Office. Calls will be handled in a discreet manner.

DRUGS & ALCOHOL

Oklahoma City University is a “dry campus” and the use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of drugs and/or alcohol is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, providing these substances on or off campus is strictly forbidden. If you sense a student is violating this policy you should contact the Dean of Students Office.

DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT, RETALIATION, & VIOLENCE

Oklahoma City University has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or violence. Allegations of such conduct will be investigated and anyone found to have violated the University’s

Policy concerning these actions will be subjected to University sanctions, as well as possible civil and criminal penalties.

Find more information on all OCU’s Policies and Codes by clicking here.

RESPONSE ABILITY PROJECT

We started 2014 with the mission of empowering our Greek students to be the positive impact on our community. Greek Life, Panhellenic and IFC partnered to bring out Mike Dilbeck, an award-winning speaker, to present his Response Ability project to our Greek community. Response Ability revolves around bystander intervention training, and puts the power in the hands of our students to keep harmful events from happening on our campus. Our students took the pledge to stop acts of harassment, bullying or hazing from happening on our campus.

University Policies& Codes

The Student Code of Conduct States:

“Hazing, defined as an act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, or which destroys or removes public or private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliations with, or as a condition of membership in, a group or organization. The express or implied consent of the victim shall not be a defense. Neither apathy nor acquiescence in the presence of hazing is a neutral act; both are violations of this rule.”

Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Phi

ΑΧΩ ΑΦ

NATIONAL FOUNDINGOctober 15, 1885DePauw University

OCU CHAPTERGamma TauChartered in 1955

COLORSScarlet Red & Olive Green

SYMBOLSLyre & Pearl

FOUNDING VALUESWisdom, Devotion, Achievement

MOTTO"Together let us seek the heights."

PHILANTHROPY

Domestic Violence Awareness

NATIONAL FOUNDINGOctober 10, 1872Syracuse University

OCU CHAPTERDelta DeltaChartered in 1961

COLORSSilver & Bordeaux

SYMBOLSIvy Leaf

FOUNDING VALUESSisterhood, Leadership, Service, Scholarship, Loyalty, Character Development

MOTTO"Union hand in hand."

PHILANTHROPY

The Alpha Phi Foundation

"TOGETHER LET US SEEK THE HEIGHTS" "UNION HAND IN HAND"

Gamma Phi Beta Phi Mu

ΓΦΒ ΦΜ

NATIONAL FOUNDINGNovember 11, 1874Syracuse University

OCU CHAPTERBeta OmicronChartered in 1951

COLORSLight & Dark Brown

SYMBOLSCrescent Moon

FOUNDING VALUESLove, Labor, Learning, Loyalty

MOTTO"To inspire the highest type of womanhood."

PHILANTHROPY

Building Strong Girls

NATIONAL FOUNDINGMarch 4, 1852Wesleyan College

OCU CHAPTEREpsilon EpsilonChartered in 2013

COLORSRose & White

SYMBOLSQuatrefoil

FOUNDING VALUESLove, Honor, Truth

MOTTO"The faithful sisters."

PHILANTHROPY

Children's Miracle Network

"TO INSPIRE THE HIGHEST TYPE OF WOMANHOOD" "THE FAITHFUL SISTERS"

Round OneRound Two

Preference Night

Bid Day

Here are some examples of what kind of attire you might see for each round of Recruitment! However, feel free to cater to what you feel comfortable in and what best reflects you. We will give you more examples on the OCU Recruitment 2015 Facebook page and at the Greek Information Meeting during Stars Week.

WHAT TO

What if I want to be in a sorority but I'm not interested in participating in formal recruitment?

Continuous Open Bidding (COB) is an informal recruitment process that takes place after fully-structured recruitment in the fall and lasts throughout the school year. Please keep in mind not all chapters can or will participate in Continuous Open Bidding. Please see more information about COB in the “Greek Terms” section.

What if I decide I don’t want to participate in sorority recruitment? Can I still join a sorority?

If a woman decides to withdraw from recruitment, she must check out with the Panhellenic Recruitment Officer and the Panhellenic Advisor. If she is

ALUMNAEMembers of a sorority who have graduated.

BIDAn invitation to membership extended to a prospective member

BID DAYThe last day of recruitment that includes activities hosted by each chapter.

BIG SIS/SISTERThe new member selects an active member to serve as their Big Sister. This initiated member serves as a resource, role model, and problem solver for the new member.

CHAPTERThe local group of undergraduate students on a particular campus recognized by the university and the inter/national organization.

CONTINUOUS OPEN BIDDING (COB)An informal recruitment process that takes place after fully-structured recruitment in the fall and lasts throughout the school year. Sororities may extend a bid to a potential new member at any time if the chapter is eligible for COB and chooses to participate.

interested in COB, she can still be eligible to accept a bid. However, please keep in mind there is no guarantee that any chapter will be eligible to participate in COB.

I am a performance major, will I have time to be able to be in a sorority and keep up with my classes and rehearsals?

Each woman needs to decide for herself how much she can manage with the time she has. However, it can be said that our sororities host members from every performance major on campus and many also hold leadership positions within their chapter. If this is something that concerns you and you want to know more about it, don’t hesitate to talk to your Rho Gamma who can give you a clear picture of what it looks like to be a performer and a Greek woman on OCU’s campus.

The availability within each chapter, as well as the chapters participating in COB, is subject to change at any time.

IFCInterfraternity Council. The umbrella organization for the fraternities at Oklahoma City University.

INITIATIONA spiritually based ritual which marks the acceptance of a lifetime commitment to the sorority.

LEGACYSomeone whose mother or sister are members of a particular Greek-letter organization.

MEETING HOUSEHouses where individual sororities meet for their weekly meetings and other functions.

MRABAMembership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement. It’s the document a potential new member signs to make her final selections during recruitment. This is a legal binding agreement and details about this document can be found by clicking here.

NEW MEMBERA new member of a fraternity/sorority aspiring to become an intiated member.

PANHELLENIC COUNCILThe governing body of the National Panhellenic Conference sororities at Oklahoma City University.

PNMA potential new member. This is someone who is considering being a part of Greek life or participating in recruitment.

RECRUITMENTThe organized period for the recruitment of prospective new members. For Panhellenic sororities, formal recruitment occurs during Orientation Week each fall semester

RHO GAMMAA Rho Gamma is a Recruitment Guide. She is a neutral sorority member who is available for guidance through the recruitment process.

I have a scheduling conflict during recruitment rounds, can I still participate?

It depends. Please contact Levi J. Harrel, Panhellenic Council Advisor, at 405.208.6287 to discuss how we can change your schedule so that you can still participate in Recruitment. Please note, failure to attend invited parties can affect the number of houses you are invited back to.

Is it better to sign up early or during Stars Week?

The earlier your register for Recruitment the better. This gives the Greek Life office enough time to ensure that your payment has been processed and secures that you will be able to get a T-shirt in the size you want.

FrequentlyAsked Questions