Fayetteville : Delayed rush helps UA Greeks

Well, there's delayed rush and then there's - delayed rush...

The University of Arkansas’ fraternity system was on life support at the beginning of the decade.
[...]
UA announced last week that its fraternities extended 409 bids to new members during fall rush, an increase of 18.5 percent over last year and double the number of bids in 2003.

Scott Walter, an associate dean of students and director of Greek life at UA, credits the delayed fall rush for the surge in pledges.

With the approval of the campus’ Interfraternity Council, UA moved its pledge recruitment period from early August — two weeks before school begins — to late September.

The change allows the university to promote the Greek system to freshmen, Walter said. As a result, the fraternities are attracting students who might not otherwise have joined, he said.

J. D. Lowery, president of the Interfraternity Council and a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said his chapter has been one of the biggest benefactors of delayed rush. The fraternity chapter didn’t have a single pledge in 2003. This year, it extended 20 bids.

" We were able to recruit guys that weren’t normally interested in going Greek, "said Lowery, a senior from Maumelle." It gives more people an opportunity to see what the fraternity system is all about. The numbers have just skyrocketed.

What a concept. Move rush to a time when there are students on campus. BRILLIANT!!

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