Continuous Open Bidding
The primary recruitment period for the College Panhellenic at UT-Martin occurs at the beginning of the fall semester. Given that College Panhellenic Associations are only allowed to host one formal recruitment per year, the University of Tennessee at Martin Panhellenic Association does NOT host a formalized spring recruitment. UTM does have informal recruitment opportunities, so women interested in sorority membership following the conclusion of fall formal recruitment in the fall or in the spring should complete the COB Interest Form.
Continuous Open Bidding Interest Form
We will have the COB interest form linked soon!
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.
During the fall, COB begins after the formal structured recruitment process has concluded. During the spring, COB begins depending on when the chapter finds it best to begin the process.
Questions About COB
What is Continuous Open Bidding? (COB)
Continuous Open Bidding (COB) is an informal recruitment process that Panhellenic sororities use to recruit new members outside of the designated primary recruitment period to reach quota and/or Panhellenic Total (I.e. Median Chapter size). For example, if Alpha Alpha Alpha sorority has 150 members for the spring semester and Chapter Total 155, then Alpha Alpha Alpha can offer 5 COBs if they are interested.
Is a Snap Bid the same as a COB?
The Snap Bidding process takes place before bids are distributed on Bid Day and eligibility is limited to women who participated in at least the first round of recruitment (i.e. Orientation). Snap Bids are coordinated and extended through the College Panhellenic, prior to the distribution of bids and the start of Bid Day activities. Snap Bidding ends when bids are distributed on Bid Day.
Who is eligible for a COB?
All female UTM students are eligible to participate in COB provided that (1) they are enrolled as a full-time student on the main campus, (2) they have never been initiated into one of the 26 National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities at UTM or on another campus, and (3) they have not received a bid during the most recent primary membership recruitment and declined the bid or have broken their pledge.
How does COB work?
Unlike primary recruitment, COB is a more casual and unstructured experience. Each chapter does COB differently so the College Panhellenic does not set dates for informal recruitment events or offering of bids. Chapters individually contact a potential new member and invite her to an informal recruitment event or chapter activities in an effort to get to get to know her better.