Continuous Open Bidding

Spring recruitment is a more relaxed environment through a process called continuous open bidding (COB). Not every chapter will participate in continuous open bidding. The chapters participating will host individual recruitment eventsÌýusually during the same week. It’s a great way to meet chapter members in a more laid-back fashion compared to Panhellenic formal recruitment in the fall. Panhellenic will host a spring COB kickoff at the beginning of the semester. We encourage all interested members to attend spring kickoff and watch out for individual chapter’s recruitment schedule as spring semester begins.

Please note: just because a chapter is eligible for continuous open bidding (COB) does not mean that it will participate. Additionally, filling out the interest form does not guarantee that a woman will be contacted by a chapter. If you are interested in the opportunity to join any of our nineÌýNPC sororities we highly recommend participating in primary fall recruitment.

Continuous open bidding (COB) is an informal recruitment process that Panhellenic sororities use to recruit new members outside of the primary recruitment period to reach quota and/or Panhellenic total (i.e. median chapter size). For example, if Alpha Alpha Alpha sorority has 250 members for the spring semester and chapter total 255, then Alpha Alpha Alpha can offer five COBs if they are interested.

No. Snap bidding ends when bids are distributed on Bid Day during primary recruitment. Continuous open bidding (COB) begins after Bid Day in the fall and at the start of the semester in the spring.

All CU students who consistently live and self-identify as women are eligible to participate in COB provided that (1) they are a regularly enrolled student or plan to be a full-time student in good standing with The University of Colorado at the time of recruitment, (2) they have never been initiated into one of the 26 National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities at CU or on another campus, and (3) they have not signed the MRABA on this campus within the past year.

Unlike primary recruitment, COB is a very casual and unstructured. Following the conclusion of primary fall recruitment, chapters will individually contact potential new members and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú´«Ã½ÎÄ»¯×÷Æ· Panhellenic is extremely hands off in fall COB. In the spring, Panhellenic hosts a kickoff event where PNMs are invited to meet each sorority on our campus and hear about their COB opportunities. Not every chapter participates in spring COB but every chapter attends the event! Spring COB opportunities include but are not limited to coffee dates with active members, open houses, an invitation to attend a sisterhood, etc. Each chapter does COB differently so we recommend following @BoulderPanhellenic on Instagram as well as the chapters you are interested in! Instagram DM is also a great way to get in contact with recruitment chairs outside of the formal recruitment period. Do not direct message recruitment chairs or chapters during primary recruitment. If chapters contact you during primary recruitment, report it to Panhellenic immediately.

If a woman receives a COB from a chapter that she is not interested in joining she may decline the bid. If a woman receives a COB from a chapter she is interested in joining she can accept the bid. Those accepting bids through the COB process will be required to sign a COB MRABA acceptance binding agreement, which must be completed electronically within one business day of accepting the bid. If a woman receives a COB from a chapter and is unsure about accepting at that time, she may ask to wait to accept or decline the bid. Each chapter is responsible for determining when an answer must be given by (normally 24-48 hours from time a bid is issued).

No. There is no cost to participate in continuous open bidding. There is, however, a cost if you accept a bid.

Chapters are allowed by the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) to extend bids or offers of membership to unaffiliated women during the regular school year (as defined by the academic calendar). During the fall, COB begins after the formal structured recruitment process has concluded. During the spring, COB begins at the beginning of the semester, but kickoff is typically hosted at the end of January.

Filling out a COB interest form does not guarantee that a sorority will contact a potential new member nor does it guarantee that she will receive a bid. The COB interest form will be available following primary recruitment in the fall and at the start of the semester in the spring.