During the 2022-2023 academic year, valued members and partners of the Michigan fraternity and sorority life community engaged with our external consultants from RISE Partnerships to study the impacts of institutional eligibility on our community. As a result of their extensive engagement with a variety of stakeholders, RISE Partnerships found that there was strong support for all aspects of the policy—other than the 12 post-secondary credit hour requirement.
Aspects of the policy that were supported include:
- Students being enrolled in classes at UM-Ann Arbor during the term in which they are participating in an intake or recruitment process.
- Students are in good standing with their school/college and the Office of Student Conflict Resolution during the semester in which they are participating in intake or recruitment.
- Students completing the Fraternity & Sorority Life Educational Module and the required introductory Impact Training module online, and receiving a 100% score on both final quizzes prior to intake or recruitment beginning.
As was the case when the decision to implement eligibility criteria was made in 2018, the University of Michigan remains committed to helping students make a successful transition to college and thrive at U-M. Based on information from the RISE Partnerships report considerations, the University has decided to remove the 12 post-secondary credit hour requirement from the institutional eligibility policy.
It is understood that providing individual chapters an opportunity to engage directly with first-year students from the beginning of the academic year is important. This policy change will:
- Allow first-year students who meet the other continuing requirements the opportunity to participate in formal recruitment processes after an initial transition and adjustment period of five weeks.
- Allow each of the four governing councils, in partnership with the FSL Office, to set calendars for fall recruitment/intake, to determine the timeline that best meets their needs and supports participation in the University’s first-year experience programming.
We recognize there will be questions about what the change could mean for chapters and/or councils that might be interested in returning to fall term intake/recruitment for first year students. Fraternity & Sorority Life will host virtual meetings to discuss the changes and answer any council-specific questions. Information on these meetings will be sent directly to our partners. There will be multiple opportunities for stakeholders to learn more about the policy update.
The Fraternity & Sorority Life staff and other university units remain committed to partnering with individual chapters to support early engagement activities affording first year students exposure to the value of the fraternal community experience. We look forward to working together on implementing any necessary changes as a result of the update to the policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the modification to Institutional Eligibility Policy mean for my organization’s ability to recruit new members?
Interfraternity Council (IFC) - IFC has elected to shift their formal recruitment for first-year students to the Fall semester for Fall 2023. First-year students are no longer required to complete 12 post-secondary credit hours prior to participating in recruitment. However, no first-year student should start a formal recruitment process and/or receive a bid prior to week 6 of the Fall semester.
Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) - First-year students are eligible to join in their first-semester. First-year students are no longer required by the university to have 12 post-secondary credit hours; however, some inter/national headquarters may require this as a condition for participating in intake or recruitment. However, no first-year student should start a formal intake/recruitment/new member process prior to week 6 of the Fall semester.
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) - First-year students are eligible to join in their first-semester. First-year students are no longer required by the university to have 12 post-secondary credit hours; however, many inter/national headquarters may require this as a condition for participating in intake. However, no first-year student should start a formal intake process prior to week 6 of the Fall semester.
Panhellenic Association (Panhel) - For the upcoming school year Panhel has elected to maintain their formal recruitment for first-year students in January 2024 and will reevaluate timing considering the policy change for 2024-2025 academic year. However, first-year students are no longer required to complete 12 post-secondary credit hours prior to participating in recruitment. This policy also does not affect Continuous Open Bidding (COB) which will be held by eligible chapters at the beginning of the fall semester. Please note that incoming freshmen are not eligible to participate in Fall COB and must wait for the Primary recruitment process in January. Eligible chapters will hold COB in the winter semester after primary recruitment at which time first year students are able to participate assuming they meet the other eligibility requirements.
Why is the Institutional Eligibility Criteria changing?
The Institutional Eligibility Criteria is changing in order to emphasize the importance to supported self-governance; to build a coalition of stakeholders supporting the fraternity/sorority experience; to reduce harm and risk for students affiliating with fraternities and sororities by increasing opportunities for early proactive prevention and leadership education; to address the unintended consequences that have emerged following the implementation of the policy; and to continue providing a best-in-class, first-year experience helping students make a successful transition to college, reach their full potential, and thrive on campus and beyond.
What is changing about the Institutional Eligibility Criteria?
There will no longer be a requirement for students to have 12 post-secondary credit hours. Therefore, each council/chapter will be allowed the ability, in partnership with Fraternity & Sorority Life, to determine the timeline that best meets their needs for the recruitment/intake of new members.
Why is there a five week delay in a chapter’s ability to offer membership to first-year students during the fall semester?
Fraternity & Sorority Life believes in the values diversity, equity, & inclusion. Not all students coming to college have the pre-established social networks in fraternities and sororities. We believe that if the first six weeks are used to provide students with opportunities to learn about and engage with fraternities and sororities through various chapter, council, and office activities, fraternity and sorority life could be more accessible to the student body.
Social and academic adjustments in the first few weeks are indicative of student persistence However, the importance of the first weeks is not always evident to students, and many end up having an imbalanced approach to the new academic and social lifestyle. Fraternity and sorority membership is a life-long commitment of a students’ time and resources. We want to allow first-year students time to get acclimated to their responsibilities as a student prior to making this important decision. We want students to get acclimated to their classes, their new home; and have ample time to transition.
What activities are allowed during the first five weeks of the fall semester?
Councils and chapters are able to engage with first-year students during the first six weeks. There are a variety of ways that this can occur including department and council sponsored programs, open chapter events, and participation in other university programs to name a few. However, a formal invitation to join the group (bid) or invitation to start an intake process should not be extended until the start of week six. First year students should not pay any fees or begin a new member or intake process prior to week six of the semester. All interactions during the first six weeks should be to encourage students to consider joining a fraternity/sorority, more broadly.
What support will the university provide to organizations for recruitment and intake?
Fraternity & Sorority Life staff provides a number of strategic support to organizations for recruitment and intake. The staff provides direct advising and chapter support for groups' recruitment and intake efforts. Also, Fraternity & Sorority Life partners closely with the Office of New Student Programs to engage and assist in marketing the fraternity & sorority experience to first-year students. In addition, Fraternity & Sorority Life partners and provides marketing resources to councils and chapters to promote the fraternity/sorority experience to all students. In addition, Fraternity & Sorority Life provides trainings to students affiliated with fraternities and sororities on various topics such as leadership development, marketing, etc.
When do the changes go into effect?
Beginning with the Fall 2023 semester first-year students are eligible to join fraternities and sororities no earlier than week six, as long as they meet the following criteria:
- Students being enrolled in classes at UM-Ann Arbor during the term in which they are participating in an intake or recruitment process.
- Students being in good standing with their school/college and the Office of Student Conflict Resolution during the semester in which they are participating in intake or recruitment.
- Students completing the Fraternity & Sorority Life Educational Module and the required Introductory Impact Training module online and receiving a 100% score on both final quizzes prior to intake or recruitment beginning
Will the changes modify timing of any council’s primary/formal recruitment processes for the 2023-2024 academic year?
The modification does not automatically modify timing of any council’s and/or chapter’s primary/formal recruitment or intake processes. Each council/chapter will be allowed the ability, in partnership with Fraternity & Sorority Life, to determine the timeline that best meets their needs for the recruitment or intake of new members.
How did the original eligibility criteria impact us before the changes?
The original policy limited the ability for first-semester first-year students to join a fraternity or sorority that were part of the four governing councils. Therefore, the two councils with council-driven recruitment processes, Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Association (Panhel), shifted their primary recruitment processes to Winter term for first-year students. Students who met the eligibility requirement (typically second year students and beyond) were still able to join an organization in the Fall. Chapters in the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) were not able to recruit and/or offer membership intake processes to first-semester first-year students. Which also opens up the added risk of a chance to not be considered in “good standing” under the Office of Student Conflict Resolution.
FAQs updated May 2023