Fourth-year Education student Meredith Collier began her term as Inter-Sorority Council president in January 2025, and her term ended in January. She had a “big picture” idea of Panhellenic unity, as well as a goal of encouraging Potential New Members to continue all the way through the formal recruitment process, which she led this past January.
The ISC has the responsibility of overseeing formal sorority recruitment, often called “rush” — a structured seven-day process spread across two weeks at the beginning of each spring semester where women have the opportunity to consider sorority membership. The women rushing are known as PNMs and are invited to visit each house and speak to women in each chapter. PNMs start by visiting all 14 sororities, and each day, dwindle the number of houses they visit until they are left with one sorority on bid day.
To work towards her goals of encouraging PNMs to finish rush and promote Panhellenic unity, Collier revamped the Panhellenic Counselor or “Pi Chi” training program — Pi Chis are women in ISC sororities who disaffiliate during the recruitment process to act as peer counselors for the PNMs — and created a program called “Emerging Greek Leaders” that aims to give the newest member class of each sorority more of a voice in the ISC.
The ISC is the governing and oversight body of the University’s 14 sororities that exist under charters from the National Panhellenic Council. The ISC sets policies, organizes educational programming and facilitates collaboration between chapters.
Besides Collier, other members of the ISC executive board include the vice president of judiciary, VP of Recruitment for PNMs, VP of recruitment for chapter management, VP of community and belonging, VP of finance, Pi Chi co-directors and a computer director. The executive board also has multiple chairs for responsibilities ranging from community service to alumni relations.
Collier said one of her team’s biggest goals was revamping the training program for Pi Chis.
“[The National Panhellenic Conference] is a firm believer that everyone deserves an equitable recruitment experience, [and ensures] that everyone is getting fair treatment and fair access to information,” Collier said. “Your Pi Chi is that unbiased source where anything goes … Their entire job is to be a support system for a potential new member.”
During Collier’s term, the ISC started Pi Chi training a semester earlier than it had previously taken place — she said the training historically began in the fall semester before recruitment and she moved it to begin in the previous spring semester. Collier said she used that increased time to introduce a peer counselor specialist to help train the Pi Chis to engage empathetically with the PNMs.
Collier emphasized the Spring 2026 recruitment cycle had a 10 percentage point increase in PNM retention rate — the rate of PNMs who go through the entire rush process rather than dropping before receiving a bid from a sorority. She attributed the increase in retention rate to the work of Pi Chis.
“Girls wanting to stay in the [recruitment] process lets me know that … everyone that is playing a crucial role in this is doing their best job to communicate that the ISC is a space for them to find love in community,” Collier said. “[It] warms my heart knowing that our commitment to … countless training sessions for Pi Chis [made a difference].”
While planning initiatives for her term, Collier said she listened to informal feedback from sorority women and her ISC recruitment board to improve rush and the sorority experience. She said the feedback showed that women in the newest member classes wanted to find ways to become more involved in their chapters and the ISC.
In response, Collier created the “Emerging Greek Leaders” program, an initiative where two members of each chapter’s newest member class became representatives to the ISC based on an application. Because these women had gone through the recruitment process less than a year prior, they were able to bring recent feedback from their rush experience to Collier.
Collier also spoke to recruitment more specifically. She noted her council made the decision to split the Philanthropy round — the second round of recruitment — into two days instead of one, as it had been. She added that the Philanthropy round used to begin at 8 a.m. and end at 10 p.m., so splitting that round into two days received positive feedback from sorority recruitment chairs. According to Collier, the built-in rest allowed PNMs to have more successful rush experiences.
“[It was important to give] girls that space to breathe … and be a person outside of your role as a recruiter, chapter leadership, Pi Chi … PNM. You deserve time to rest and relax, because that is the only way you're able to be the best version of yourself,” Collier said.
Collier said that the biggest challenge she faced during her term was managing the influx of women in sororities. After this year’s recruitment cycle, the number reached 3,082, the largest in University history, according to the National Panhellenic Council Community Report. Additionally, 1,100 PNMs registered for Spring 2026 recruitment, which Collier said was a record number for the University. Collier noted that as of spring 2026, each ISC chapter is allowed to have a maximum number of 234 members — the greatest number in University history.
Collier discussed measures she and her team took to ensure the safety of women participating in recruitment, including coordinating with Charlottesville community volunteers to set up “warming houses” for PNMs to relax between rounds. These locations included 1515, the Center for Christian Study on Chancellor Street, the Brody Jewish Center, Westminster Presbyterian Church and Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.
“We are super indebted to them to be able to allow safe spaces for girls to be able to sit and relax,” Collier said.
From acting as president of the ISC, Collier said that she learned lessons in leadership, both professionally and personally, but the biggest thing she will take away from the experience are the friendships and relationships that she has built. She stressed the importance of everyone who contributed to the success of her term.
“These successes are not my own. It took my executive board. It took the Pi Chis. It took all the chapter leadership. It took the recruiters, it took the kitchen staff, it took the cleaning crew,” Collier said. “While … I was holding the title of president, I am nothing without the teamwork of the people that were helping us along the way.”
Collier stressed her belief in the overarching strength and importance of sisterhood and female friendship that exists at the core of the ISC.
“I hope the ISC community continues to thrive in the sense that women of all walks of life are able to see themselves represented in the sisterhood and the love of each chapter,” Collier said. “Something that transcends space and time is female friendship, that is something that I have believed my entire life … I hope that the ISC will continue to be a space for women at U.Va. to find those lifelong friendships.”
Read More
Student Council hears from U.Va. Wise student body president William Rudeseal
By Margaret Nichols | 21 hours agoStudent Council convened for its weekly general body meeting Tuesday, where they heard an opening address from William Rudeseal, SGA president and fourth-year College at Wise student.
What to expect during this year’s Honor Week
By Michael Racz | 22 hours agoDuring Honor Week, the Committee will host events to discuss issues such as the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, academic integrity and ethical research.
A preview of the upcoming University student elections
By Abigail Larkin | 2 days agoAn email will be sent Feb. 24 to the University email address of every eligible student with a personalized link.
