Frequently Asked Questions

Will being in a sorority affect my grades?

Greek letter organizations were founded on the principle of scholarship. This value is reflected in the all-sorority GPA consistently being above the all-university-female GPA.  Chapters offer various opportunities throughout the semester to promote academic success such as study halls/sessions, study skills workshops, test taking strategies, time management tips, and class scheduling assistance. The Office of Student Life and the Panhellenic community also provide a number of incentives and recognition to those Greeks who achieve academically.

Will I still be able to work while in a sorority?

In today’s economy, very few students attend college without outside employment. The sororities recognize this and work with members to meet financial and attendance obligations. It is up to each individual member to communicate their work schedule to the chapter. Many students find sorority membership an advantage in that networking with alumnae can produce job possibilities and referrals.

What is a PNM?

The acronym PNM stands for Potential New Member. A PNM is a non-member who is eligible to participate in the recruitment process and usually has an interest in possibly affiliating with a Greek letter organization.

What is a Pi Chi?

A Pi Chi, or Panhellenic Recruitment Counselor, is a disaffiliated sorority member who acts as your go-to-guide or guide for all things regarding the Sorority Recruitment process. Your counselor will be in contact with you through phone/GroupMe/email by the first week of August.

How does Formal Recruitment Work?

Formal Recruitment is the main process the four NPC sororities at UCA use to recruit new members. It’s a three round process that takes place in late August.  Formal Recruitment is a mutual selection process – just as the sororities are narrowing down the number of women attending each round, you (as the Potential New Member) are indicating to Panhellenic which events you would like to attend the next day.

All women will visit all 4 sororities during the First Round, however, the remaining process will be by invitation only. As soon as the parties end for the day, you will give Panhellenic a ranked list of the sororities in preference order. For the Second Round, you will be able to attend up to 3 events; so after the First Round, you will let us know which 4 sororities would be on your ideal schedule. Our system sees which of those 4 have invited you back; if one does not invite you back, the system then tries to see if you were invited back to your next preference to make your schedule full.

For the Second Round, you could attend up to 4 events. After those rounds end, the same process will happen again and you will be asked to submit a ranked list of the sororities in preference order. For the Third (and final) Round, you will be able to attend up to 2 events; so after the Second Round, you will let us know which 2 sororities will be on your ideal schedule.

For the Third (and final) Round, you could attend up to 2 events. After these events, all women will be asked to complete a MRABA (Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement – informally known as a “bid card”). Once you leave the Third Round, you will not be able to talk to anyone about your decision (including other women going through recruitment and your Pi Chi) until bid acceptance later that night.  On your MRABA, you will list, in order of preference, the sororities whose last event you just attended AND from whom you are willing to accept an invitation from membership (a bid). You can list both sororities or just one, however, the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) and Panhellenic Council strongly encourage you to list at least two preferences (if you attended two rounds).

Once you submit your MRABA, it is kept confidential. No active sorority members will have access to them nor are any undergraduate members involved in this process (including Panhellenic and Pi Chi’s); the only individuals who will see your MRABA is the Office of Student Life professional staff. Your MRABA is used to match your choices with the lists submitted by the sorority chapters. This process is called bid matching.  Once your MRABA has been matched to a sorority list, you are matched to that sorority.

If I go through recruitment, am I obligated to join?

No. This is a time to assess whether you wish to join a sorority.  Many women participate in recruitment to make friends and to see why so many of UCA’s undergraduate women have chosen to be involved in the Greek Community. Some women decide that joining a Sorority isn’t right for them, and that is okay! UCA Panhellenic wants to meet you where you are and support you in any way you can.

Do I have to follow the recruitment schedule and go to all of the events?

Yes! The object of recruitment is to give yourself the information you need about the chapters in order for you to make the best decision;  therefore, you must accept the maximum number of invitations your schedule can accommodate.

I have heard that sororities have various reputations – how do I handle this information?

Sorority chapters are composed of many individuals with their own special qualities and talents which contribute to the entire group.  When deciding about a chapter, the only opinion that matters is your own.  If you allow someone else’s perception to influence you, you will not be satisfied with your choices in recruitment.  Each chapter of a sorority is different from campus to campus and from year to year.  Remember that you are choosing a sisterhood, not a label.

How do I decide which groups I prefer?

Each potential member will have a different experience in each group, depending on who she meets and her personal preferences and personality.  Ask yourself a few questions as you participate in recruitment:  Are the members people you can truly feel could be your potential sisters?  Are the goals and values of the organization similar to your own? Can you see yourself as a member of that particular Sorority? A sorority should feel like a home away from home.  The answers to your questions should guide you to the right group for you.  Your Pi Chi and Panhellenic Exec can be a great resource in sorting out what works best for you.

How do sororities decide who to invite back to their events?

As your schedule of events shrinks from round to round, so does the number of people each chapter is allowed to invite back each round.  Every potential member has something to offer a group, but each group must release potential members. Each chapter uses a selection process that is defined by their national organization to make the decision of who to invite back.

What if I’m matched and turn that bid down?

If you receive a bid through Formal Recruitment and decide not to accept it, you may not accept a bid from another sorority until the next Formal Recruitment, and you may not participate in Continuous Open Bidding. The MRABA agreement you sign after Preference Round is binding and therefore you are bound to the sorority you matched to until the formal membership recruitment period the following fall. We urge you to think very carefully before turning down a bid.  Emotions have a tendency to cloud thinking and judgment.  Please give yourself and the sorority a chance to prove you made the right choice.

I have heard that sororities haze their members – is this true?

Hazing is not only against UCA Policy, but it’s also against Arkansas State Law. In addition, each sorority has its own policy against hazing. UCA’s anti-hazing policy can be found in the Student Handbook. Every member of UCA’s Greek Letter Organizations have signed a non-hazing agreement promising that they will not haze and that they will notify campus officials if they ever experience hazing. All new members are required to sign this agreement upon joining a chapter. If you ever feel uncomfortable or that you might have been hazed, please contact the UCA Student Life Office 501-450-3137, UCAPD 501-450-3111, or the Dean of Students 501-450-3133