Marshall business fraternity revamps recruiting tactics, doubles membership

Marshall University's Xi Upsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity has doubled its membership this semester by marketing to business majors.

Over the past three years, the fraternity has grown from two members to nine members and 10 pledges, said Mike Mellace, vice president of professional activities for Delta Sigma Pi.

"It started in 2002 with 30 members, but everyone graduated and we were left with two," Mellace said. "It's been a fight to get people actually involved in the College of Business."

The small number of members made planning and carrying out events nearly impossible, said James Kuhn, president of Delta Sigma Pi.

"Due to our relative inability to operate effectively and hold events, we were unable to get students interested because they couldn't see an actual product," Kuhn said.

Kuhn said the members of the fraternity were determined to find ways to recruit other business majors.

"With everyone working together towards the same goals and realizing that we can take larger steps forward, we don't need to limit ourselves to what we can't do but what we want to do," Kuhn said.

Mellace said the fraternity e-mailed business majors and made flyers that the 10 pledges said prompted their interest.

"We were overwhelmed by how many pledges we had," Mellace said. "We have seven girls and three guys joining and will have a lot of females compared to males."

Kuhn said the importance of campus involvement for a resume is a possible reason more students are interested.

"I feel that as signs of a drooping economy become larger and larger, more and more students are starting to realize that differentiation from their peers will help them not only get a job or a career but the career they want," Kuhn said.

Joining Delta Sigma Pi gives business majors an opportunity to network with former members of the fraternity who have been successful in their careers around the nation, Mellace said.

"We traveled to conferences in Lexington, Ky., and Annapolis, Md., this year," Mellace said. "You meet hundreds of people, and you go to these educational sessions and learn from entrepreneurs who used to be in the fraternity."

Mellace said the fraternity participates in four professional events, three community service events and fundraisers for the organization every semester.

   Erin Shaver can be contacted at shaver29@marshall.edu.