Regardless of their bid, sophomores and upperclassmen can take solace today in knowing that they stood more of a chance than ever before in the rush process. New quotas have specified the number of upperclassmen allowed for each rush class, turning Panhellenic sororities into more inclusive organizations that allow members a year — or more — to get settled at UNC and find the best fit.
Before the new quota, the recruitment process was unfavorable to transfer students and other upperclassmen who chose not to rush their freshman year. To maximize the years in which members paid dues, sororities looked to recruit freshmen.
While this approach was understandable given the financial challenges of maintaining a sorority, it deprived many young women an equal opportunity to join.
As the Board of Trustees pointed out, the change will also alleviate some of the pressure to immediately join a sorority at the beginning of freshman year. This concern was primarily applied to fraternities within the University last year, and the board was right to expand it to sororities. With the quota system, the Panhellenic Council has constructively addressed those concerns.
The reform is subtle enough to police picking and choosing members for the wrong reasons, though it does set a worrisome precedent. While the rule allows for a more inclusive environment, further reform could compromise the Greek system’s right to choose new members who mesh the best.
The system has clearly caught on. More sophomores and juniors have elected to participate in rush this year.
As the Greek system reforms and complies with the University’s requests, it should be noted that the fraternities and sororities are making good faith efforts to meet the administration halfway. They’re striving to be as open as possible.
This measure is by no means the end of reforms, but it shows that progress can be made.
