Sigma Phi Epsilon has more undergraduate members than any other fraternity in the country. Our brotherhood has grown strategically over its 110-year history by maintaining high expectations of its members and recruiting only those men with the highest standard.

Over the last few months, you likely came together for an officer transition retreat with your executive board, volunteers and alumni to discuss goals for the upcoming calendar year. These conversations will continue in February at the Carlson Leadership Academies. At a high level, each chapter should be discussing where it wants to be at the end of the year –size, quality of membership and the experience offered. At some point, there might have even been a discussion about balancing quantity versus quality.

If this conversation sounds familiar, check out this article, which outlines the possibility to have both: a quantity of quality.

In the upcoming semester, more than 2,000 men will join our Fraternity. The spring semester is a great opportunity to exceed your recruitment goals. Many of our chapters have deferred recruitment and are getting their first chance to recruit freshmen. Others have the chance to build on their fall totals to reach a goal, fill a house or become the largest fraternity on campus. As you set goals for the year and prepare for spring recruitment, have you considered . . .

• What defines a quantity of quality on your campus?
• Does your spring recruitment goal account for new member attrition?
• Does it account for brothers who graduated in December or are studying abroad or interning?
• Does your spring recruitment goal move your chapter closer to its optimal size— a size that is sustainable, healthy among other fraternities and allows members to reach many student organizations on campus?
• Do your visions for your chapter’s optimal size and spring recruitment align with the goals of your alumni and volunteers?

If you can answer these questions, you’ll find yourself in a much better position for success this spring and next fall.

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