Do you think this is fair?
 

So my chapter just found out that for fall semester we were ranked nationally among all Beta Chapters as #1 in GPA with a 3.443 house GPA. Obviously we're very pleased with this, as it probably means that we will for the third consecutive year win the Highest GPA overall award at our annual convention.

Here's where I'm wondering what you guys think. In order to qualify for awards like this, as well as most other awards that our Gen. Fraternity gives out, the chapter GPA must be higher than either the all male, all university, or all-fraternity GPA's. For our highest award of chapter excellence the chapter must be above all three.

Now I know that some chapters have higher GPA's than our own, off the top of my head I know that our chapter at Yale had something in the area of 3.6 or something. However that GPA was below the all male average. Is it fair that the house that truly does have the highest GPA not win, and in some cases not be eligible for, awards and recognition?

I personally can see both sides. One of Beta's openly stated goals is the cultivation of the intellect and so I can see the point in saying that at places like Yale, perhaps being a fraternity is something that may bring down performance, or that the chapter is not putting enough emphasis on academics if they can't beat the all male average. However, there is something to be said for the case that highest is highest no matter what.

I, too, can see both sides of the coin. I suppose that your HQ (or is it an IHQ?) may view it that different schools not only have higher/lower expectations than each other, but that they grade eniterely differently from each other as well. (I vaguel remember seeing/hearing something on the news about grades/weighted grades and the false perceptions they give off recently).

Perhaps at University A the grading scale may be somethings like

• 90-100% = A
• 80-89% = B
• 70-79% = C
• 60-69% = D
• 59 & below is failing

And at University B it's:

• 94-100% = A
• 89-93% = B
• 83-88% = C
• 78-82% = D
• 77 & below is failing

If that's the case, then basing the higest as the highest is still not entirely fair. (Incidentally, my jr. high/high school grading scale was very similar to #2...talk about tough.) Making it the highest from each university does 2 things:

• [A]It encourages each chapter to be a leader on its campus in academics (or whatever category), regardless of what their school's "average" might be
  [B]It makes it easer to discern the best performing chapter overall (as you said) based both on their work on campus and nationally.

Or, they could give 2 awards: highest overall nationally and highest in campus performance nationally.. that would probably be the fairest.

At any rate, congrats to you and your brothers! :D

My chapter dealt with this back when I was president. We were below the all-women's GPA several semesters in a row. We were above a 3.0, and one of the highest Phi Mu chapters. However, it still said something that we were below the all-women's and the all-Panhellenic. I think it is fair that HQ stepped in at that point.

MAKE SURE THEY COUNT APPLES/APPLES
 

Make certain that your HQ counts only the UNDERGRADUATE male average. To compare your chapter's grades to the All-University average would be unfair. Virtually everyone in graduate school makes As and Bs.

I think it is fair because you have to look at the fact that people going to Yale may do better in school then those going to another university where students do not do as well in school. Therefore, in order for them to be the highest they have to at least beat those who are taking similar classes. Otherwise, they luck out because it may be that they just happen to be better students and not have anything to do with working hard.

I've never heard of that kind of a method, but when I think about it, it does make sense. How can you receive an award for highest GPA if you can't even beat the average at your university.

Plus, if the chapter that has the highest GPA in the fraternity wins, but they are below average when compared to those at their same university, what does that say about the rest of the chapters at the other universities? Nothing good from my point of view. I'd rather hear of a chapter ranked at the top in both areas than one ranked in the top within the fraternity.