The Alabama Panhellenic Association’s fall primary recruitment ended on Aug. 15, and 2,307 women — 92% of the students who participated in open house events — accepted bids to join one of 17 Panhellenic sororities on campus. 

About 2,500 potential new members participated in the first round of Panhellenic recruitment, and 97.5% self-reported their race. 

Of those PNMs, 2,172 identified as white, 159 as Hispanic or Latino, 33 as African American, 22 as Asian, four as Native American, two as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 45 reported more than one race. 

The University of Alabama reported that 89% of students who participated in the first round of APA fall primary recruitment are white, which is 4 percentage points higher than that demographic in the UA undergraduate student population. 

In total, 236 students participating in APA fall primary recruitment identified as racial or ethnic minorities. UA spokesperson Shane Dorrill said this figure is consistent with last year’s primary recruitment. 

The Alabama Panhellenic Association directed interview requests to the UA Division of Strategic Communications. 

Hispanic and Latino students made up 5.1% of the UA undergraduate student population in spring 2021. This population accounted for about 6% of PNMs. Only 2.5% of PNMs who identified as Hispanic or Latino and completed recruitment did not receive bids. 

“It’s important to note that some of the women who did not complete the recruitment process self-selected out of it,” Dorrill said. “For example, 17 women who identify as Hispanic or Latino withdrew themselves from recruitment during the week, while only three were released.”

About 1.3% of PNMs identified as African American. In spring 2021, Black and African American students made up 11.7% of the UA undergraduate population. About 97% of African American PNMs who completed the recruitment process received bids — a higher rate than any other racial group. 

Asian students accounted for about 2.9% of the UA undergraduate student population in spring 2021 but made up 0.88% of this year’s PNMs. Of the 22 Asian PNMs who completed the recruitment process, about 90% received bids — the lowest rate of any racial group.

Native American students accounted for 0.16% of PNMs, while American Indian and Alaskan Native students made up 1.9% of the University’s undergraduate population  in spring 2021. Another 0.08% of PNMs were Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, a category that included 0.5% of UA undergraduate students in spring 2021. All Native American, Native Hawiian, and Native Alaskan PNMs who completed recruitment received bids. 

White students accounted for about 89% percent of PNMs but made up about 85% of the UA undergraduate population in spring 2021. About 93% of white students received bids.

Biracial students made up 1.8% of PNMs; 3.4% of UA students reported multiple races in fall 2020. More than 90% of PNMs who reported two or more races received bids.