Fall Recruitment and Intake

Primary recruitment/intake processes will move to the fall semester, starting over the Labor Day weekend next academic year (2024).

Yes. This change would be for the entirety of the Greek community; however, each council’s adaptation of the timing would depend on their internal policies and structure. No groups would be eligible to recruit students prior to Labor Day weekend.

If your council usually has formal recruitment in January, be prepared for two recruitment processes in 2024: the one already planned for January and the new one over Labor Day in 2024. Chapters in these councils should also think about any financial or leadership effects in the first year. Your FSL Advisor will provide more guidance on successful strategies during your council-specific workgroups.

While this topic may feel new for some, this has been an ongoing conversation for several decades. Previous workgroups involved headquarters representatives, advisors, student leaders, and faculty. In addition, SMU staff continue to meet with students and parents each semester who provide insight and feedback into their experiences during the year. Student Affairs recently presented all this background information and history to SMU leadership, and, after careful consideration, the change was adopted.

Now, both existing members and potential new members can take part in January Term courses. This means chapters can dedicate more time to embodying FSL values rather than constantly recruiting throughout the year. New members also get a chance to step into FSL leadership roles earlier. Additionally, potential new members will have a clearer understanding of what to expect in recruitment. Moreover, chapters that typically host fall recruitment events are likely to see financial savings.

Labor Day falls within the initial weeks of the fall semester, and historically, most students opt to remain on campus during this period. Any impact to students at this early stage of the semester should be minimal. Moreover, chapters that traditionally engaged in formal processes in January will now have more of their winter break available to them.

While no single model will provide a process free of logistical issues, SMU reviewed formal recruitment models before the start of the academic year, but senior leadership determined those models are not feasible at this time. Many factors, including summer conferences, meal plan contracts, and overlapping with early arrival programming would require several areas of campus to make significant shifts in their planning models and could have large-scale financial impacts for SMU. A fall break model was also considered. While it does not negatively impact move-in, conferences or early arrival programs, it does provide academic challenges given the time of year. Many students are facing mid-term exams, and we value the physical and mental break from academic work mid-semester. Additionally, it may be difficult to connect students to other involvement opportunities during the fall semester after this point. Overall, the committee felt that the Labor Day model best supported the goals to improve the fall student experience, while also minimizing impact to start-of-year programs and the financial impact to altering dining and conference schedules.

A move to fall recruitment/intake does remove the current university requirements that students must complete 12 college credit hours prior to joining. Additional eligibility requirements can be found on the main page of the FSL website. Students interested in joining a fraternity or sorority at SMU will need to meet the following:

The SMU Fraternity & Sorority Community prides itself on the high academic achievements of its’ members and chapters. Students interested in joining one of our fraternities or sororities must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Students must be enrolled in at least 12 hours during the semester in which they plan to join, and have completed new student orientation requirements, if applicable.

2. Achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA, calculated on a 4.0 GPA scale. This can be demonstrated through high school transcripts for incoming first-year students, or through my.SMU or transfer records for upper-class students.

3. Not be placed on conduct probation or higher with the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards during the semester in which a student plans to join prior to initiation.  

4. Please note that most individual organizations have policies requiring a higher GPA or hour completion for membership. We highly recommend that students review these requirements as they explore the opportunities to join.                                                                                                                                              **Average GPA of students participating in primary Panhellenic recruitment last year was a 3.4.

Organizations should anticipate that our spring semester will look and feel very similar to our current practices in the fall semester. MGC and NPHC can continue to hold formalized intake/recruitment processes and Panhellenic and IFC can continue to utilize continuous open bidding, when necessary.

Students must fully matriculate at SMU before engaging in involvement opportunities. We also respect the summer months as a time for students to take a break from campus, recharge, explore diverse class offerings, participate in study abroad programs, and pursue internships or career-building experiences. Primary/formal recruitment/intake processes may not begin before Labor Day weekend.