Informal sorority recruitment at Ohio University allows potential new members to choose specific chapters or houses they are interested in. The formal recruitment process consists of four rounds extending between the first two weeks of the academic school year, according to a previous report by The Post. The informal recruitment process begins immediately after bids are distributed from the formal recruitment process.
Continuous Open Bidding is a term used to reference the informal recruitment process that sororities use to add new members outside of the formal recruitment period. Unlike formal recruitment, the informal process gives PNM’s a more personal and laid-back experience.
The COB process takes place during the academic year immediately following the formal process, but chapters may hold larger COB events in January or February at the start of the spring semester.
The Ohio University Panhellenic oversees 10 sororities and is a part of the Sorority and Fraternity Life Committee. The committee serves as the advisory body for all rules, regulations and standards affecting the recognition of fraternity and sorority organizations on the Ohio University campus.
As COB differs from the formal recruitment process, there are regulations and policies that each recruiting chapter must adhere to during the COB process that takes place during the academic year.
Cameron Parnell, a junior studying sociology pre-law and the executive vice president of panhellenic, spoke about the National Panhellenic’s unanimous agreements that outline expectations.
“So it says in (the) MOI, which is the manual of information that comes from the National Panhellenic, the wording is, ‘Each College Panhellenic Association must prohibit the use of alcoholic beverages in membership recruitment and Bid Day activities.’” said Parnell.
She adds the OU Panhellenic has bylaws, standing rules and a code of ethics that each chapter has to follow throughout the academic year.
Parnell included that the National Panhellenic says each sorority chapter has the right to use COB to reach its quota or total of members and chapters want to take as many members as they can.
Emma McPeek, a junior studying marketing and the recruitment chair for Alpha Xi Delta, discussed the COB process compared to the formal recruiting process that takes place in the fall.
“At this point, you can see everything we’ve done as a chapter this year, say, you are going through informal in January, you can see all of our philanthropy events that we’ve done,” McPeek said.
She also said COB allows for PNM’s to get a better sense of a chapter’s personality through COB events that are organized. Parnell talked about her role with OU Panhellenic and COB.
“From the Panhellenic side, chapters submit their COB events to us to approve, but they get to determine what those events are,” Parnell said. “So it can be coffee dates or painting tote bags, anything like that.”
McPeek said the COB events provide casual conversations between active members of the chapter and PNM’s. She explained it is a better way to get to know the girls.
Lauren Updegrove, a sophomore studying engineering and an active member of Delta Gamma, shared her COB experience.
“I think the thing about DG that really drew me into the chapter was how comfortable they made me feel initially, I got a house tour after my coffee date, and they literally just invited me to hang out with them,” Updegrove said.
She said she didn’t go through the formal recruitment process in the fall because she was worried about the time commitment in conjunction with her engineering major.
“COB was a great option for me because I was going through, as all freshmen are, you’re going through so much those first couple of weeks going through recruitment takes a lot,” Updegrove said.
Updegrove said going through COB with an open mind is crucial.
“I think it’s important to just try it, and again, if it doesn’t work out or if you just don’t feel a connection, then, that’s okay, you at least tried it,” she said.
