Over the weekend of February 21-23, the Alpha Chi Omega collegiate experience staff had the opportunity to engage with vice presidents recruitment, recruitment information, and public relations and marketing during Collegiate Growth Academy (CGA). This event provided an immersive experience filled with leadership development, personal growth, meaningful connections and a lot of fun.
Officers were organized into large groups by their roles and smaller groups led by both volunteers and staff members. Recruitment and PR and marketing officers from across the country had the chance to brainstorm and collaborate, generating innovative ideas that they could bring back to their chapters and implement during their terms.
For the VPs recruitment, the weekend was focused on getting back to the basics of sorority recruitment. They explored what makes a successful recruitment round, concentrating on philanthropy, pre-preference, preference rounds and Bid Day. The central theme throughout these sessions was the value of building connections. Establishing strong, meaningful relationships was emphasized as a key to successful recruitments and chapter growth.
In the VP recruitment information sessions, officers focused on how to build a steady pipeline of potential new members. The “Level Up Your Network” session helped participants identify untapped networks, allowing them to expand their pool of unaffiliated women. The officers then created actionable continuous open bidding (COB) plans and adopted a growth mindset. The sessions helped them integrate a 365-day recruitment approach with a focus on year-round relationship building.
VPs recruitment and VPs recruitment information came together for the “Understanding Performance” session, where they reflected on their chapters’ feedback reports. This allowed them to assess areas for growth and improvement, ensuring they had a clear path forward for their chapter’s success.
VPs public relations and marketing gained insights into building a strong chapter brand within their sorority community. They explored strategies for leveraging social media to enhance this brand and developed a PACE plan to market the Alpha Chi Omega experience on campus year-round, including passive marketing techniques.
One VP public relations and marketing shared, “The Collegiate Growth Academy was an incredible experience! As a young professional, I truly feel empowered by the unwavering support of my sisters—both within my chapter and across the nation. It is an absolute honor to lead and be led by the inspiring women and community in Alpha Chi Omega.”
The weekend wrapped up with a session on promoting the sorority experience, where officers gained a deeper understanding of their roles and responsibilities and set SMART goals for their action plans. While learning was at the forefront, networking opportunities during shared meals helped foster connections that will continue beyond the event. By the end of the weekend, the officers not only had the tools to continue growing Alpha Chi Omega but also formed lasting friendships with sisters from across the country.