Generally, the actual intake process begins with an informational meeting. Most of these informational meetings are advertised for a short period of time (as little as 24 hours) before the meeting through flyers hanging in the DiGiorgio Campus Center, Thompson Cafeteria, and by word of mouth from members. At the informational meeting, interested students are invited to learn more about a specific organization and the specifics of the application process for that organization. You should note that at this point, hopeful aspirants (or members to be) are expected to have researched all of the NPHC fraternities and sororities and know a great deal about the organization they are visiting. It is not generally accepted behavior for a person to attend more than one organization's informational meeting.
After the informational meetings, generally, potential aspirants are asked to complete a membership application and show proof that they have achieved the organization's minimum standards for academics, community service, and leadership. Each organization is different in what they ask for and how they can be documented, but all require a minimum grade point average and an official transcript. The approval process for the applications vary from organization to organization, but all include alumni in the review and evaluation process.
After the applications have been approved, the membership education program begins. There are three important components in the membership intake process:
The final pledge of oath of allegiance taken by a candidate from which he/she cannot withdraw it is a lifetime commitment. Each organization has its own ritual ceremony, but all basically have the objective that this rite is intended to be impressive.
Each affiliate organization implements the guidelines and details of its own membership intake process, so the length of the specific programs vary. Winthrop University does have a specific membership intake window each semester where intake must begin after a certain date and end before another date that semester, so in no cases should the full intake process take longer than one semester. In addition to the time-frame requirement, there are other requirements for intake:
Adapted from the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. National Handbook.
