Recruitment and New Member Education Protocols

Buffalo State recognizes that membership and new member recruitment is an essential component of the Fraternity and Sorority experience. For chapters to survive, they must continually recruit new members. It is the expectation of each Fraternity and Sorority to enhance the experience of each new/prospective member by providing membership education programming that meets university requirements.

1. Each Greek-letter organization must submit and keep an up-to-date list of active members, officers, and new members at the beginning of each semester. Lists will include phone numbers, school email, position in the chapter, physical address, and graduation month and year for each member.

2. Chapter Presidents and/or executive board members are required to send this information to Student Leadership and Engagement and update it on the organization’s Bengal Connect page by the end of the first week of classes each semester.

3. Each Greek-letter organization must submit the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of all chapter advisers and their regional/national contacts to the Greek Life Liaison in Student Leadership and Engagement by the end of the first week of classes each semester. Resignation or termination of chapter advisers must be reported to the Greek Life Liaison immediately.

4. Chapters that do not complete this requirement will be placed on interim suspension until all requirements are met.

1. Membership in organizations shall be determined locally.

2. Members will be admitted in compliance with the SUNY (State University of New York) Board of Trustees and Buffalo State’s non-discriminatory policy, although chapters may be single sex under Title IX.

3. All students interested in joining a Greek-letter organization must meet certain criteria prior to the start of the new member education/intake process.

• Be at least a second semester first-year student with 12 completed college credits
• Be registered as a full-time student at Buffalo State
• Have at least a 2.5 GPA and in good academic standing
• Deemed eligible for membership by the recognized Greek-letter organization

Greek Interest Meeting Requirement: All students interested in joining a Fraternity or Sorority must attend one of the Greek Interest Meetings sponsored by Student Leadership and Engagement at the beginning of each semester and prior to the start of intake/ new member education activities.

Chapters must ensure that new member/membership intake activities (including campus introductions/new member reveal) last no more than 6 weeks and are completed three weeks prior to the last day of classes for both the fall and spring semesters.

2. No recruitment activities are allowed to take place during college-sponsored breaks, including, but not limited to, federal and state holidays, spring break, summer break, and winter break.

3. No new member/membership intake activities may occur from 11:00pm to 7:00am and events cannot exceed 6-hour time frames.

4. All Greek-letter organizations should strive to host all new member activities on campus. If an organization wishes to host an event off campus, they are to submit a request and receive written approval from Student Leadership and Engagement.

5. All students interested in joining a Fraternity or Sorority must attend one of the Greek Interest Meetings sponsored by Student Leadership and Engagement at the beginning of each semester. Additionally, the organization’s New Member Educator must also attend this meeting prior to the start of new member education activities.

6. Submit a complete and accurate New Member Education Plan (including campus introductions/new member reveal) to Student Leadership and Engagement by the end of the second week of classes each semester. Failure to submit an approved new member education plan will result in the organization being unable to recruit that semester.

• Contents of the new member education plan must be approved by the Chapter Adviser, New Member Educator, and Student Leadership and Engagement. Once approved, it may not be altered without the approval of the aforementioned entities. 
• Potential New Member (PNM) List: The President and/or New Member Educator will submit a roster of all Potential new Members (PNM) to Student Leadership and Engagement prior to the start of intake to review eligibility. Failure to do so will result in the organization being placed on interim-suspension until a roster is submitted.

Hazing is defined and prohibited by both college regulations and New York state law. These regulations apply to all groups and organizations operating on campus.

“The trustees or other governing board of every college chartered by the regents or incorporated by special act of the legislature shall adopt rules and regulations for the maintenance of public order on college campuses and other college property used for educational purposes and provide a program for the enforcement thereof. Such rules and regulations shall prohibit, among other things, any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers mental or physical health or involves the forced consumption of liquor or drugs for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with any organization. Such rules and regulations shall govern the conduct of students, faculty, and other staff as well as visitors and other licensees and invitees on such campuses and property. The penalties for violations of such rules and regulations shall be clearly set forth therein and shall include provisions for the ejection of a violator from such campus and property, in the case of a student or faculty violator, his suspension, expulsion or other appropriate disciplinary action and, in the case of an organization which authorizes such conduct, recision of permission for that organization to operate on campus property. Such penalties shall be in addition to any penalty pursuant to the penal law or any other chapter to which a violator organization may be subject. . .”

A person can be found guilty of hazing in the first degree (Class A Misdemeanor) if, in the course of a person’s “initiation into or affiliation with any organization,” that person “intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk or physical injury to such person or a third person and thereby causes such injury” (Penal Law, paragraph 120.16). A conviction of this offense now carries a potential penalty of a fine up to $1,000, one year in jail, or both. A new offense designated as hazing in the second degree (a violation) incorporates a nearly identical definition except that no actual injury to any person need be proven (Penal Law, paragraph 120.17).