University of Arkansas Greek System Awards Record Number of Bids

Fayetteville, Ark. - A record number of Greek recruitment participants received bids for the fall 2004 semester at the University of Arkansas.

In total, 423 women received bids from the seven UA-recognized sororities, up from 360 bids awarded in fall 2003, and the highest number of bids awarded in the past 10 years. A record 345 men received bids to participate in fall pledge activities, up from 165 participation bids awarded in fall of 2003.

Scott Walter, associate dean of students and director of Greek life said, "It's so important that all students get involved in campus-related activities. Organizational involvement allows these students to develop meaningful relationships and bonds that will last long after their college experience has concluded.

"A key reason for the success of sorority recruitment was a new approach toward student participation," Walter added. "All students who went through the necessary recruitment activities and met all requirements throughout the week were awarded bids at the end of the process."

Walter attributes the record fall 2004 fraternal recruitment class to the recommendations submitted by the Task Force for the Enhancement of Greek Life.

Formed by Chancellor John White in April 2002 and chaired by Vice Chancellor for Advancement Dave Gearhart, the task force was given the charge of examining the existing practices of the Greek organizations, specifically fraternities, and recommending enhancements to the programs.

"I am pleased to see these young men and women taking advantage of the University of Arkansas' Greek system," said Gearhart. "These students will participate in numerous activities that will assist them in developing the necessary leadership skills they will use in future careers. These experiences will be invaluable to them.

"The decision to form the task force arose out of concerns regarding decreased initiation numbers, questionable condition of the structures in which fraternities were housed and the possibility of hazing," Gearhart said.

"The task force led us to explore new practices in the recruitment of young men for fraternities," he said. "Existing practices in place among sororities served as a blueprint for many of the recommendations on how UA fraternities should manage their facilities."

Among its new recommendations and rules, the task force required that each fraternity adhere to a quota of 40 participants during the fall 2003 recruitment period. The quota was lifted on a trial basis during spring 2004 recruitment. This semester, the quota was lifted, once again, and four fraternities gave bids to more than 40 participants.

Additional recruitment rules for the 2004-05 academic year include:

• Greek freshmen will live in the residence halls for the full academic year.
• Those who satisfactorily meet the initiation and affiliation requirements, including appropriate grade-point average for the first semester, will be initiated immediately upon returning for the spring semester (within two weeks).
• Spring Rush will mirror the Fall Formal Rush period except that it will occur during the third week of the spring semester.