What is formal recruitment?
Formal Recruitment is a week long event held in the fall of the academic year. Anyone interested in learning more about sororities or joining one can get a chance to see all that they have to offer. It is a fun filled week where prospective members get to meet the different houses and girls. One can learn about the advantages that joining a sorority has in a woman’s life.

Who is eligible for recruitment?
All undergraduate women are welcome to participate in Fall Formal Recruitment. Also prospective members must meet the minimum grade requirement set forth by the Panhellenic Council, which is a 2.0 GPA. However this is a minimum requirement and some chapters may have higher requirements for membership.

Are sororities affordable?
Each sorority has a different amount of dues that a member pays. During fall recruitment week every prospective new member will receive a pamphlet from each house that explains how much the cost of dues are for membership. Many sororities offer payment plans for its members as well. The money we pay for our dues goes towards the planning and events of our sororities and Panhellenic Council.

What if I decide that I don’t want to join a sorority?
Any women can drop out through the recruitment week. The recruitment week allows girls to get a chance to learn more about all the benefits that go along with joining a sorority. If you decide to drop out through the week, it will not be held against you.

How does a person decide which sorority to join?
Sorority recruitment week will allow you to have the opportunity to see all the different sororities. Each sorority at St. Cloud State University is unique and no matter which one you join it will be a lifelong experience. The four sororities come together to form Panhellenic Council and we are “All Four One and One For All”.

What is hazing?
Hazing is any activity or situation which intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of a person, which can involve a personal servitude or substantially interfere with the academic responsibilities of a student. It is presumed that hazing is a forced activity regardless of the apparent willingness of an individual to participate in the activity.

Do your chapters haze their members?
Hazing is prohibited by St Cloud State University, the State of Minnesota, and the National Panhellenic Council. All members of SCSU community share the responsibility to challenge and make known to the University and Panhellenic Council any acts that appear to be hazing.

How do I join a sorority?
The first step in participating in formal recruitment is to register. For more information on registering for formal recruitment, please go to the Recruitment Page.

Common terms that are good to know...

Alumnus/Alumna: an initiated fraternity/sorority member who has graduated from college
Sister: an intiated member who sponsors, advises, and guides a new member through her orientation and membership
Bid: a formal invitation to join a sorority
Chapter: the collegiate group of an inter/national or local sorority
Continious Open Bidding: the period other than Fall Formal Recruitment when Panhellenic sororities aquire new members
Formal Recruitment: the period set aside for structured recruiting, which usually occurs in the fall
Greek: a student who is a member of a social sorority or fraternity
Initiate: a woman who has completed a chapter's membership orientation process and initiation ceremony and is currently 
   enrolled in college
Initiation: the formal ceremony that marks the transition from a new member status to full membership
Legacy: a prospective member whose parent, grandparent, or sibling is an alumnus, alumna, or undergraduate member of a 
   sorority
New Member: a member of a sorority who has not been initiated
Philanthropy: a community service and/or fundraising project sponsored by a chapter
Quota: the number of new members that each Panhellenic sorority may select based on the number of women participating in 
   formal recruitment week divided by 4. 
Recruitment Counselor: a Panhellenic representative who assists prospective members during the recruitment process. This 
   woman completely disaffiliates herself from her sorority in order to provide objective advice and support. 
PNM: potential new member of a sorority


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panhellenic@stcloudstate.edu                (320) 308-3179                 Panhellenic Council 720 4th Ave S AMC 133 St. Cloud, MN 56301