Formal recruitment at the University of Iowa’s 14 Panhellenic sororities will be held virtually this fall, according to an email sent to sorority members by Fraternity and Sorority Life assistant director Meghan Bullard.

The decision was made by UI administration and Fraternity/Sorority Life staff. In the email, Bullard said the decision is in-line with current UI guidance that limits any non-essential meeting of more than 20 people. 

Recruitment dates will remain the same, with the first weekend taking place Sept. 4-7 and the second weekend taking place Sept. 11-13. Individuals who have already registered for fall formal recruitment will be offered a full refund if they do not wish to participate in virtual recruitment. 

Bullard included a document addressing frequently asked questions in the email. According to the FAQ, the status of work week and other fall Greek life activities is still being decided, though members are advised to “plan for a virtual work week experience.” 

According to the FAQ, Fraternity/Sorority Life staff chose not to push recruitment to spring 2021 due to the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 in the winter months. 

“We are looking to avoid a situation where we don’t recruit formally in the Fall of 2020 and are then potentially in a situation to not recruit in person in the spring either because of COVID, leaving us in a virtual situation anyway,” the document stated. “There are also significant financial and logistic concerns to consider when looking at a potentially deferred recruitment.”