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New Member Orientation
New Member Orientation (NMO)
is the period of time between accepting a bid to join a fraternity or
sorority and being initiated into the organization. There is a six-week
maximum on all orientation programs and a nine hours hands-off period during
the school week. A successful New Member Orientation program should
include education about the history and values of the organization, foster
academic achievement, provide opportunities to socialize with other students
in the group, and promote positive experiences that are free from hazing.
Trinity University does not tolerate hazing or violation of any University
or Greek Council policies. Any chapter suspected of hazing will be
investigated and may face judicial action by the Greek Council Judicial
Board.
Policies related to NMO
Nine Hours Hands-Off Policy
Calendar Policy
Hazing Policy
Frequently Asked
Questions about NMO
Q: What is involved in
New Member Orientation?
A: NMO starts the moment you accept a bid from a
fraternity or sorority on Bid Day, which will be Friday, February 8, 2008.
Depending on the organization, NMO can run anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 weeks,
but no program is allowed to continue beyond 6 weeks. The purpose of this
orientation is to educate new members about the organization's history,
values, and purpose. This is also a time where new members form bonds with
each other and the active members.
A typical weekday during NMO includes
breakfast and/or dinner with other members, study hours (2 to 3), and a
nighttime activity that educates the new members about the organization. In
addition to the aforementioned activities, several groups participate in
community service projects and team building activities like a ropes course
during NMO. On the weekends most groups go on 1 or 2 day retreats to give
the new members an opportunity to get to know each other better.
Q: What is the time
commitment?
A: In a recent survey of Trinity students who accepted
a bid in 2007, over half of the respondents indicated that NMO was a major
time commitment. Below are some of the answers to the question, "What
information about New Member Orientation would be helpful to know before
accepting a bid?"
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How intense orientation
would be and what a huge time commitment it is
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That it is a
time-consuming process
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You are very busy and at
times it can be VERY stressful, so make sure you use your time wisely
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Prepare to never have
any time for yourself for six weeks
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Get to know if the
fraternity will fit you
Before accepting a bid, it is important to decide what
your priorities will be and how Greek Life will fit into your schedule. Be
up front with the Orientation Chairs about other commitments you may have
(academics, athletics, other organizations, family and friends, etc.). By
being proactive about your time commitments you will be better prepared to
manage your schedule during NMO.
Q: Does hazing occur at
Trinity?
A: Unfortunately Trinity is not immune from hazing. In
the past three years, two fraternities and one sorority have either had
their charter revoked or suspended because of hazing violations. Trinity
University has taken numerous steps to educate students about the dangers of
hazing. First, we rewrote the
University Hazing Policy to be less legalistic and easier to understand.
The definition of hazing is clearly defined in the new policy and it even
includes common examples of hazing. Second, we individually train each
orientation chair about how to run an effective orientation program. Third,
the Orientation Advisory Committee (comprised of six Greek students) meets
with each orientation chair multiple times to review, make recommendations
for improvement, and approve the organization's NMO calendar.
Greek Life staff and the Orientation
Advisory Committee strive to ensure that NMO is a healthy process and that
new members have a positive experience as they transition into their new
organization. We believe that NMO should be a time of building friendships,
learning the values of your organization, developing as an individual, and
giving back to the community. Creating a power dynamic between new members
and older members is antithetical to the purpose of Greek Life, which
include brotherhood and sisterhood, respect, leadership, personal
development, academic excellence, and philanthropic endeavors.
Although most of the fraternities and
sororities have eradicated hazing from their programs, there is still
potential for hazing to occur. If you feel that you are being hazed, please
call Greek Life staff at 210-999-7547 or e-mail Katie Jundt, Coordinator for
Greek Life and Service, at
Katie.Jundt@trinity.edu.
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