Despite stricter rules placed on recruitment this spring, Interfraternity Council (IFC) officials said accepted bids increased by 49 percent from last year.
While 574 recruits registered last year -- far more than the
378 registered this spring -- only 184 accepted bids, a rate of 65.2 percent.
By contrast, 274 recruits accepted bids under the new system, a yield of 84.8 percent.
"These numbers clearly demonstrate that a more personal method of recruitment is more effective than simply throwing our glamorous social life in the faces of recruits," IFC President Max Wendkos said. "For a test run, this was a resounding success."
He credits the new system, and said recruitment focused on individuals who were looking to go greek for the right reasons.
Adding a $10 recruitment fee and eliminating alcohol from recruitment events discouraged students who never intended to actually accept a bid, he said.
What's more, fraternities got to know their recruits better -- and vice versa, he said. Wendkos wants to keep the system in place next semester.
"We will be working very, very hard to aid the recruitment efforts of our chapters in the fall semester, and expect to improve on our numbers and the quality of members for the fall 2010 semester as well," he said.
IFC Vice President for Membership Mark Mixon said recruitment isn't only about the social scene -- it's about informing new members of the history of the chapter, the founding values and benefits.
Despite a few communication problems, the new values-based system worked and the
numbers are evidence of that, he said.
"The chapters believed it was going to work, and they made it work," Mixon said.
