PARENT AND FAMILY INFORMATION
Hello, and welcome to SLU on behalf of the Saint Leo University Panhellenic Association! Supporting a student participating in Panhellenic Recruitment, or a student who is a chapter member is incredibly rewarding. The opportunities for our Greek students and their families are unlike any other experience. Saint Leo University staff in The Office of Greek Life and Family Engagement are here to answer questions (there are no silly ones - we promise!), and be a resource for you as your student experiences Fraternity and Sorority Life at SLU. This page will include specific information that may be helpful for parents and families, as well as additional tips and tricks to help your students best navigate the Greek experience here at Saint Leo University! Thanks, and Go Lions!
Common Questions
How does the Primary Recruitment process work?
Recruitment is a mutual selection process. That means, as your daughter is learning more about the chapters and getting to know their members, the chapters are also learning more about your daughter. You daughter will make her own selections as to the chapters she would most like to return to, and the chapters will extend invitations for the next round of the Recruitment process.
Is it possible for my student to not receive a bid?
It is possible, however, it is unlikely. If your daughter makes it to the Preference Round, and elects to maximize her options, she is guaranteed a bid for membership.
My daughter doesn’t have a copy of her transcript, can she still register?
YES. We do encourage participants to have all of their information together prior to the application opening. However, if you are waiting on a transcript, upload what documents you do have, and be sure to send your final transcript to the Office of Admissions as soon as possible. This will allow our office the ability to provide chapters with SLU verified GPA.
What is the time commitment for a woman participating in Primary Recruitment, and as an active member?
There is undoubtably a time commitment associated with both Recruitment and being an active member of a chapter. During Recruitment, your daughter could have several events, or “parties” scheduled on each day. It is important she makes notes of any conflicts during her registration, and also lets her Rho Gamma know when they have the opportunity to connect. We will try our best to schedule around any conflicts, but those accommodations are not guaranteed.
As a new member, your daughter should expect to dedicate 2-4 hours a week to her new sorority. It is common that new members be required to attend meetings, events, retreats, workshops, and other chapter functions to meet other members, and discover what college life in a sorority entails. Think of it like adding an additional class to your schedule.
Do parents and families come for Bid Day?
Some parents and families choose to come visit for Bid Day, but we ask to limit visitors as much as possible. Many chapters only allow for each new member to have one or two guests, and they will likely be busy with their new sisters and will not have time to spend quality time with any visitors.
I have some concerns about my daughter’s safety and wellbeing in a sorority.
We encourage parents and students to become familiar with our Panhellenic bylaws as well as the New Member Bill of Rights. If your daughter is aware of a conduct violation, we ask that she fill out an Incident Report Form found under our Resources tab and send it to Panhellenic for review and investigation.
We understand that as a parent, your daughter’s safety is of the utmost importance and your concerns do have some grounds. We are aware of the stigma regarding greek life: partying, drinking, hazing, and worse. However, we want to assure you that in our Panhellenic community, we value the safety, mental health, and community of every single young woman in our community and on our campus. We encourage a community that values personal growth and excellence over “fitting in” or blindly following a herd. Hazing is strictly forbidden in our Panhellenic bylaws, Saint Leo University’s Student Code of Conduct, and is a felony in the state of Florida.
We want to address and emphasize that we understand that we cannot 100% guarantee that every Panhellenic sorority member will follow our guidelines or standards or that someone will speak up against wrongdoing, and we understand that this may be the source of your reservations when it comes to Greek Life. However, our President and Vice President of Operations have made it their responsibility to make sure every Panhellenic member follows these guidelines and have put strict consequences in place for those who violate our policies.
Saint Leo University and Panhellenic define hazing as any action or situation that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for purposes including, but not limited to, initiation or admission into or affiliation with any organization operating under the sanction of a postsecondary institution. “Hazing” includes, but is not limited to, “pressuring or coercing the student into violating state or federal law, any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug, or other substance, or other forced physical activity that could adversely affect the physical health or safety of the student, and also includes any activity that can subject the student to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment, or other forced activity that could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the student. Hazing does not include customary athletic events or other similar contests or competitions or any activity or conduct that furthers a legal and legitimate objective.”
How can I support my student during Primary Recruitment?
Be a part of the process with her. Research the organizations on her campus with her, discuss their values, philanthropies, missions, etc. If you do the preliminary research with her, you will be ready to support her during recruitment. Help her decide what she wants out of a sorority experience. You can also review common terminology together. This will help her be prepared and confident when recruitment starts. You can also discuss with her what she wants out of sorority membership. During recruitment, this will guide her decisions and make her choices a little easier.
Listen to her. Sorority recruitment is a unique experience due to the long days, meeting a lot of new people and opening up to them quickly. Your student going through recruitment is going to need to process what she is experiencing. During recruitment, there are trained women called recruitment counselors or Rho Gammas who can help your student work through her feelings. Even with that support, she may be more comfortable talking to you. The most important thing to do is listen to her. She will need you to lean on during this time.
Ask her questions. Don’t be afraid to ask her the following questions throughout the week:
Which chapter(s) did you like and why?
Which chapter(s) did you not like and why?
Tell me about the conversations you had today.
How do you like your Rho Gamma(s)?
Tell me about some of the other girls in your Rho Gamma group.
Which chapter(s) do you see yourself joining?
Connect with other sorority members. Look into connecting with sorority women who have been through this experience. Try posting on social media and utilizing your personal network. Many sorority members would be willing to speak with potential members and offer advice. They can also answer questions and provide information about the experience. She can also connect with these women during Recruitment when she needs someone to talk to.
Take Notes. Encourage your student to take notes about each chapter after each party. She may think she can remember everything about each sorority, but after multiple days, and meeting multiple members of each chapter, that can be very challenging.
Encourage her to keep an open mind. Perhaps she knows women in some of the chapters or thinks that she has an idea of which chapter she wants to join. There are great women in every chapter and each chapters offers a wonderful experience. If your student is not returning to a chapter that she really liked, please encourage her to stay with the process and to keep going!
Support her decisions. If you are familiar with sororities, perhaps you or a family member are a member, you have probably heard of legacies. Many family members want their students to join their organization so they can share in that experience, but the truth is this process is about her and what she wants. She will be happier in the organization she wants to join and not the one she feels she must join. Let her know that you support her in whatever organization she joins because it isn’t about the letters, she wears but being a sorority woman.