I need ideas to get chapter GPA up, any help welcome!

[PiPhiAngel09]

Our GPA is consistently one of the bottom ones. For some I think the problem is overprogramming, but I think that lots just aren't responsible for themselves. We already have a points system that incorporates gpa and mandatory study hours for those on academic probation, but what else can we do? I would especially like some kind of way to help our good grades get better instead of just focusing on the lower ones. We have lots of straight A girls, lots of B grades that could easily be As. Then we have a huge gap, and a a lot of girls whose grades are suffering. Do you have any ideas for programming or accountability?
These are some that I have...
- chapter study hours where everyone must come and study in silence for an hour every other week
- grouping girls with others in their classes or majors and making it mandatory that they discuss topics and classwork on a weekly basis, maybe on a discussion board or facebook thread so that i can verify that they do it

Do those seem like they would help, or do you have any more you would like to offer? If so, I would be very grateful. We are just desperate to get our chapter GPA up this year instead of having it get worse or we may end up on probation in the future.

[Eightisgreat]

Has it occurred to you stop social activity for a semester/quarter until there is a marked improvement? If you don't stop it yourself, your Panhellinic may stop it for you.

[carnation]

I've heard a lot of girls say that contacting the national office about ideas for scholastic improvement was the best thing they ever did! They have files and files of ideas, I've heard.

[Kevin]

Cut the people who consistently don't make grades.

Also, your house might have a drug problem.

[angels&angles]

We had an "A bucket." For every A (on a paper or test, during the year, in a class for the first meeting after semester break), you can put your name in the bucket. Do a drawing once a week or once a month (make it something pretty nice that people really want). One idea might be waiving the fee to formal, esp if it's an expensive one, or some of the nicer jewelery or badges. It's pretty easy to find stuff that's not going to break the bank but that the girls will love.

Suspending formal events may make people resentful rather than motivated. Carrot, not stick.

Try making study hours more appealing - have food, make sure there are breaks but that they don't last too long (say a 5 minute dance party -in another room in case people want to keep working). Make a 3 hour study period, but people only have to come for one hour.

Make a "study board" where people can post what they need help in, or brag about what they did well in.

[PiPhiAngel09]

Originally Posted by angels&angles

We had an "A bucket." For every A (on a paper or test, during the year, in a class for the first meeting after semester break), you can put your name in the bucket. Do a drawing once a week or once a month (make it something pretty nice that people really want). One idea might be waiving the fee to formal, esp if it's an expensive one, or some of the nicer jewelery or badges. It's pretty easy to find stuff that's not going to break the bank but that the girls will love.

Suspending formal events may make people resentful rather than motivated. Carrot, not stick.

Try making study hours more appealing - have food, make sure there are breaks but that they don't last too long (say a 5 minute dance party -in another room in case people want to keep working). Make a 3 hour study period, but people only have to come for one hour.

Make a "study board" where people can post what they need help in, or brag about what they did well in.

Thank you so much! I love the study board idea! I am contacting our regional specialist for ideas, too. And we're not at risk right now to get into trouble like probation, not even close right now, actually. It's just I'm afraid that if we don't improve we could be there in a few years and I don't want to allow any more further downhill movement. We're getting worse instead of getting better right now, so I want to turn it around.

And we don't have a drug problem, haha.

[ThetaPrincess24]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Cut the people who consistently don't make grades.

Also, your house might have a drug problem.

Yes. Does your chapter mention something in your bylaws about scholastic requirements (as in if a member hasnt made grades in so many semesters their membership is up for termination)? You'd be suprised how enforcing this "little" rule gets butts in gear for those that care about membership. For those that dont care one way or the other, then the chapter is better off without them and they should have their membership terminated.


I agree with what Carnation has told you about contacting your HQ for ideas. I will go a step further and also suggest that you contact other Pi Phi chapters to see what they are doing with their scholarship programming, especially those that have won recent awards on their campuses and nationally with Pi Phi.

[sherrybaby]

my chapter went from being in last place for GPA to tied for third-highest in a very short time - a year and a half or two years, i think. we do the following:
-mandatory weekly study hours based on GPA...i forget how the actual break-down is, but it's something like, students with a 3.5-4.0 don't have any, 3.0-3.4 have one, 2.5-2.9 have two, 2.0-2.4 have three, and below 2.0 have four. new members have 4. if you don't make your study hours, you get put on social probation and can't participate in anything until you make them up.
-smart cookies - every week at chapter, if you got an A on something, you put your name and what you got the A on on the smart cookie list, which is read during chapter, and you get a cookie that our director of scholarship brings
-the skippy jar - this also goes around at chapter. girls who did not skip any classes that week can put their name in, and two names are drawn for little prizes each week

i think these are national theta things, but members with a 4.0 for a semester get a pearl that attaches to their pins, and members with a 3.5 or above get a certificate. i know i wanted a pearl so bad and worked extra hard for it this semester

[PhoenixAzul]

I don't know how this would apply for a national chapter, but for my local, our alumni sponsored a "Scholarship Fund". Basically, if a girl made above a 3.5, she got a discount on her dues. That discount was then covered from the alumni scholarship fund. And while our dues were only $45 a semester, that $10 discount on your dues was a welcome relief!

We consistently had the highest GPA on campus, which is saying a lot considering that we were also the smallest sorority, which meant that each sister's grades impacted the overall GPA a lot.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by 408

I think you need to inspire your members and help them realize that their grades actually do matter and its their own lives they for which they have to be accountable.

Also, look at the majors you guys have. There can be a lot of different ways you guys can go about it dealing from different academic perspectives, you know?

The bolded is actually a really good point...what majors you have can make a difference. Also, take that into consideration when making study hours. Some majors (art/theater are two that come to mind) probably don't spend much time on books their last two years and might need help with time management instead. Ask the chapter what they need...a time management program? Tutors?

[ThetaPrincess24]

Originally Posted by sherrybaby

i think these are national theta things, but members with a 4.0 for a semester get a pearl that attaches to their pins, and members with a 3.5 or above get a certificate. i know i wanted a pearl so bad and worked extra hard for it this semester

Those are optional for the chapter if the chapter decides to do it/budget for it.

[thetaj]

We have "kite cousins" who are just other girls with your major. Great resource for help with projects, teacher recommendations, etc. Also, whenever we get an A on an exam or paper, we email our VPE and our names are put in a weekly drawing for a $10 Victoria's Secret gift card. It's small but it's fun! And it's not hard to get. $20 Starbucks gift cards and the certificate from Theta at the end of the semester for girls with 3.5 or above, and I'm not sure if we do the pearl for 4.0 or not.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

The bolded is actually a really good point...what majors you have can make a difference. Also, take that into consideration when making study hours. Some majors (art/theater are two that come to mind) probably don't spend much time on books their last two years and might need help with time management instead. Ask the chapter what they need...a time management program? Tutors?

I think you should also consider expectations for different majors. If you happen to be the chapter on campus that has 75% engineering majors, don't sweat it so much. If 75% of your girls are student teaching, however, you should be expecting 4.0's from all of them.

[AXiDTrish]

Our chapter has a required 5 study hours per week per sister regardless of GPA, academic probation or not.

The week of a social/mixer, study hours are due by the day of the social.

We have a skippy jar for those who do not skip classes during the week. A drawing is held during chapter for a prize (box of Smarties or something).

We also hand out candy to sisters who make A's and B's that week.

The last, and I think the most telling, instead of saying here or present during roll, sisters have to give the number of classes they skipped that week. Girls sometimes don't like it, but those are the girls who skip a lot of classes. You will find out VERY quickly if grades are lousy because of girls skipping classes.

[SouthernTKE]

Try increasing the GPA requirements for PNM's and actives. That brings in more studious members right off the bat, and can provide an immediate boost in the GPA. This may sound harsh, but you're not doing women who are scraping by with a 2.1 any favors by letting them waste time in a sorority.