Questions about GPA Requirements and PNMs
 

The Panhellenic Council at my university has decided not to release the required gpa for membership this year as they don't want PNMs to judge the sororities based off of gpa. This is a smaller school with less than 5 female GLOs on campus, and rush isn't considered very competitive. My question is, doesn't this put the PNMs at a disadvantage if one of the groups they prefer has a gpa req that they do no meet, or if they go into rush only to find out how limited their options may be?

I dare say that most campuses don't release that information solely because there are always exceptions and besides, that's information private to each chapter. I don't have a problem with it because I would never tell PH what our requirement is anyway!
Those who don't meet the GPA requirement are usually released after the first round at most schools. With RFM these days, it's the easiest way to get your numbers in line.

How does it put them at any kind of increased disadvantage? The GPA requirement is the same whether it's published or a closely guarded secret, and the PNM either meets the requirement or doesn't.

I doubt that they use RFM because

Also, they may only have one invite-only round.

SororityGirlBO - what is Panhellenic's GPA requirement to participate in rush? If it is far below the GPAs the individual sororities have, raising it may remedy the problem or any concern about PNMs with low grades being disappointed.

33Girl, NPC recommends NO GPA requirement to participate in recruitment so that each organization deals with it according to their rules. And the number of groups on campus has nothing to do with RFM. You should still use it as it gives feedback to the chapters as to where they stand overall with the PNMs. There are only 4 at my campus and they use it. We have 2 invitational rounds - theme night(2nd night) and pref(third day). All the grade cuts are done after open house round (first night).

Really?

That's incredibly irresponsible. Especially with the economy in the crapper and more parents/students than ever worried about funds for college.

Not trying to shoot the messenger, I just think that's a horrible recommendation. I can only hope that most universities/Panhellenics ignore it.

What I meant re RFM is if it is a small school and not big on rush, it may be more a matter of hoping enough girls show up in general. Also if women don't pre-register, there is no way to know their GPA until they come through the door.

The reason NPC prefers no GPA requirement is that a chapter's requirement is private information. Everyone would have to put their membership criteria out there for everyone to know and then be open to possible lawsuit if they took someone below that. SO how can CPH set a minimum when no one knows what everyone is willing to take? And what do they do when PH sets one and a group wants to pledge someone below that? THat's interferring in a chapter's autonomy. No it won't work unless you make the minimum a 2.0 - which should be the min to get in school to begin with.

A group can pledge a woman without any interaction from Panhellenic - i.e. through COB. If they want someone that much, and know there's a reason for her crap grades, then they can hold a spot open for her and pledge her after formal rush. That also is "chapter autonomy."

I've never heard of a Panhellenic setting a minimum too high. Obviously the Panhellenic would vote on such a thing, and each group has a vote, so a representative can always vote against the proposed GPA - for whatever reason you choose. Too high, too low, don't like the way the numbers look. It's no one's business (except your nationals) why you vote the way you do. The vote to pass this policy should be unanimous. I don't see what's wrong with putting that in the Green Book, rather than allowing women to waste their money and time and seemingly condoning it.

This is not setting a minimum to JOIN, this is setting a minimum to PARTICIPATE IN FORMAL RUSH.

I thought most campus Panhellenics had a minimum GPA to participate..?

But maybe I'm wrong..

I also thought that for many sororities, the minimum GPA to join was public information. I believe AST has that information posted on their website, and I know of at least 2 other NPCs that do as well. I'm sure if I looked at more sororities' pages, I'd find the same thing.

In terms of what each chapter requires though, that's a different story.

Please see the MOI (Green Book) 17th edition, Unanimous Agreement #II, Jurisdiction of Panhellenic Associations, Item 1 College Panhellenic Associations, page 29:

C. A College Panhellenic Council shall take no action that infringes on the sovereignty, rights, or privileges of the individual NPC fraternities. Infringements include but are not limited to the following:
i. Requiring fraternity chapters to maintain a specific scholastic grade point average.
ii. Requiring a scholastic grade point average as a condition for a chapter’s participation in membership recruitment.
iii. Requiring a scholastic grade point average as a condition for a woman’s participation in the membership recruitment process.
iv. Requiring a scholastic grade point average as a qualification for pledging or initiation.

swerve/

I'm obviously not NPC, but IIRC, our councils didn't have GPA requirements, but our university did (you must have a 2.5 or whatever to participate in any campus group).

Is this not the norm?

/swerve

I'm not saying it's not in the Unanimous Agreements, I'm simply saying that I thought there was a minimum GPA to participate at many campuses.

But again, I could be wrong...

Either that, or I'm mistaking that with a university policy, as k_s and KSU have pointed out.

There very well may be but they are violating the UA if they do. And should be counseled by their AA regarding their error. The CPH has no right to determine a minimum GPA for my chapter. Only my national organization can do that. They are interfering with our personal membership rights if they do.

However (and sorry I'm double-posting), I think the OP needs to clarify what this means. She says "required GPA for membership" .. Is this referring to a GPA to participate in recruitment? Or the minimum GPAs required for each sorority? Because again, as far as I know, the latter is public information.

you release your minimum required GPA? Wow! Am amazed at all the private information put out there. I would never let a chapter do that.