CHAPTER UTILIZES BEST PRACTICES TO BREAK RECORDS

Rishi Jain, Case Western Reserve '11

Since 2009, the Ohio Sigma chapter has invested significantly more work into its recruitment process, which has yielded astounding results. This fall, the chapter recruited 27 new members, its largest one-semester total ever. The chapter has also retained its quality new members, helping improve manpower from fifth on campus all the way up to first, and lifted its GPA from eighth to second.

Five specific successful recruitment tactics have brought about such a change:

• Early implementation of the Balanced Man Scholarship.
• Recruitment calendars posted around campus.
• A well-structured recruitment committee.
• Rush events catered towards SigEp’s values.
• Integration of social networking.

The BMS
We mailed BMS applications to all of the incoming freshmen, in collaboration with the Greek Life office. Through the scholarship selection process, we met potential new members. Having their contact information allowed us to invite them to our rush events, expanding our initial networking capabilities.

Recruitment calendars
We posted our recruitment calendars in places targeted towards freshmen, including their dorms and various LED screens around campus. This also increased our name recognition on campus and provided another way for potential new members to check out our website, or contact our vice president of recruitment and rush chairs.

Recruitment committee
The recruitment committee became an essential avenue for improved communication and increased involvement. The 10 members of the committee met every recruit that attended our events. Then they took a preliminary vote at the end of the formal rush period, determining which recruits should be voted on by the entire chapter. This saved time during bid voting and, more importantly, established a core set of brothers who were relied on as integral contributors to the recruitment effort.

Values-based events
Implementing events that related to the Cardinal Principles of SigEp— Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love— made our mission crystal clear to potential members. For example, we hosted a Krav Maga session this fall, led by an alumnus from the Israeli Defense Force. This directly applied to Sound Mind and Sound Body, reiterating our values, and allowing us to gauge interest in our mission.

Social networking
We implemented a Facebook fan page to connect to recruits on an informal level, and improve our public relations and marketing. The page currently has more than 200 fans.

Beginning the rush period with a bang was a critical way for us to attract and retain potential new members at our rush events. We invested in sumo suits, which were by far the most popular event at our Greek carnival, the first chance for freshmen to meet all of the chapters on campus. We diligently put together a list of names, numbers, and dorms for potential recruits so that we could later talk to them about our Fraternity. The recruitment committee then made calls throughout the week, inviting them to our events.

Through a commitment to growth and sustainability, and the utilization of these five techniques, the Ohio Sigma chapter has achieved significant accomplishments in the past year. Armed with the philosophy that recruitment never stops, we are always seeking new opportunities to meet potential members. The chapter has numerous resident advisors and orientation leaders who will be on campus over the summer. Reaching out to parents of incoming freshmen, as well as simply making friends with the students themselves, has become a truly rewarding addition to the recruitment process.

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