After the Formal Recruitment Process has ended, the chapter's total number is determined. This number is the largest chapter size that a sorority is allowed to recruit up to during an academic year. The chapter total number is determined by calculating the average chapter size after the formal recruitment process has ended. Those organizations below that average chapter size, are then able to engage in the continuous open bidding process.

Continuous open bidding (COB) is an informal process in which organizations below the chapter total size can recruit additional new members at their discretion. Informal recruitment activities can vary in style but are generally shorter and less structured than the formal recruitment process. The number of organizations participating in COB can vary throughout the course of the semester because any time the sorority’s membership falls below the chapter total, it can recruit back up to that number.

This process will be repeated in the spring semester, as we will reset the chapter total after the first week and notify chapters who are eligible to recruit that they may do so at their own discretion.

If you are interested in pursuing continuous open bidding,  please submit your information to fsl@jmu.edu. We will give your contact information to the chapters in which you express interest who submit COB plans to our office. From there, they will be able to contact you about their events.

As a reminder, if you participated in the Formal Recruitment Process and received a bid, you are ineligible to participate in any form of recruitment at JMU until next Fall.