Greeks make the grade
The GPA for OU greeks is higher than for non-greeks.
Scott Hughes, Lydia C. Miller-Lawler and Laurie Padgett - Daily staff writers
December 10, 2003
She's blond; she's pretty; she calls herself a ditz. Her co-workers call her a Barbie doll. And she's in a sorority.
If someone said she sounds like the stereotypical sorority girl, she'd agree with them. Except she has a 3.77 GPA.
Ellen Smith, letters senior and Gamma Phi Beta member, is not alone in this regard. The average greek GPA for the past nine semesters, excluding spring 2002, has been higher than the undergraduate average.
Out of those nine semesters, four have seen the greeks at least a tenth of a point higher than the undergraduate average and five have seen the greeks higher by two-tenths of a point or more, according to Greek Affairs grade statistics. The 2002 spring semester was not recorded.
This trend is evident in almost all of the Big 12 conference schools. All of the greek organizations in the Big 12, except Baylor University, which refused to comment, have consistently higher average GPAs in relation to their schools' non-greek populations, according to these schools' Greek Affairs offices.
Twenty-two percent of men and 25 percent of women on the OU campus are greek, according to Greek Affairs. And they all have an advantage over unaffiliated students.
Smith said the reason for her success is structure. Her chapter, and others at OU, requires study hall hours for its new recruits, helps its members out through a support network, and rewards its good students and punishes its bad ones.
Many non-greek students say they lack such a system. Many are left to schedule their own study hours and find their own tutors. Without this structure these students often don't do as well as greeks.
Chris Bay, economics junior, said he has a little lower than a 3.0 average.
"I don't study for tests until right before it," he said. "Overall, I worry less than the average student about my grades."
Bay said if he were in a fraternity it would probably help because he would have others to study with. On the other hand, Bay said he might not do that well because of other time constraints.
"I would probably party," he said.
Cara Rosebure, public relations junior, said she had a 3.54 when she transferred to OU, but has seen her grades slip.
"I'm sick of school. I don't really care," she said. "The harder I try, the worse it's gotten. I've given up hope. Honestly, I do think I would do better in a sorority because I would have to keep my GPA up. I would have others to study with, and they would make me study."
Other students think if they had the kind of structure the greeks have they would be doing better in their classes. Without a support group or a structured study regimen, students like Rosebure might find themselves alone in an unforgiving academic environment.
The Structure of Success
Greek academic success can be tracked to one day out of the year, the first day of recruitment week.
"We make it obvious during recruitment and mid-semester. It's really emphasized that grades are No. 1," said Steven Sinos, finance senior and Beta Theta Pi president.
Sorority leaders are also adamant about the focus on recruiting successful students.
"It starts with recruitment," said Cristi Bullard, public relations senior and Pi Beta Phi scholarship chairwoman. "One of the reasons we have higher grades is the emphasis we put on grades on pledge [week]."
Beth Stathos, Center for Student Life assistant director, said the National Panhellenic Council, which is in charge of many of the sorority organizations at OU, tells chapters to focus on academic recruitment.
Tom Greenlee, Center for Student Life assistant director, said the North-American Interfraternity Council, which oversees fraternity affairs for many OU fraternities, encourages its chapters to recruit students with good grades.
The two other major greek councils on campus, the National Panhellenic Council and the Latino Greek Council, also said academics are a major part of their chapter's recruitment.
Academics doesn't stop with recruiting. All of the chapters at OU have some kind of study regimen. The Zeta Tau Alpha sorority requires study hall for new members, and they are fined if they do not go. They also have old notes and textbooks donated to the house.
The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity requires pledges to attend eight hours of study hall a week.
"This has proved to be effective in the past," said Jon Oats, education senior and Pi Kappa Phi president. "Last fall, our kids maintained the highest GPA out of the fraternity pledge classes."
The Kappa Alpha Theta sorority rates professors and passes the recommendations on to chapter members. The chapter also has past test files on hand to help its members study.
The Gamma Phi Beta sorority has a tier system. Its study hall hours are based on GPAs. The lower a member's grade, the more study hours he or she is required to do.
"Because the study halls are required, since you already have to be there, you might as well use them," said Colby Hill, international business junior and Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) member.
Many greek students said the required study halls are a major factor in their academic success.
Another big help many chapters have is their sheer size.
"Pretty much everyone has a class with someone in the house," said Bryan Conrad, meteorology sophomore and Sigma Phi Epsilon member.
Many of the larger chapters have multiple members and pledges in the same classes, especially lower-division classes.
Sinos said the ability for chapters to network in this way is a big reason for greek academic success.
Even if this is not the case, most chapters have members with the same majors.
For those chapters that can afford it, there are other incentives for the greeks to study.
Gamma Phi Beta sorority gives out $50 checks for members with a 4.0 GPA every semester.
"It is a good incentive to look forward to," Smith said. "You can buy a lot for 50 bucks."
For the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, if its pledges make above a 3.0 GPA their first semester, their national organization rewards them with a $250 check. This basically waives their initiation fee, Hill said.
Other chapters might not give away cash, but each has some kind of good-grades incentive.
On the other hand, if members don't make the grade, there are consequences.
The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity punishes as well as rewards its members, like most other chapters. Fadi Balla, health and sport sciences sophomore and Pi Kappa Alpha scholarship chairman, said if a member does not maintain a 2.25 GPA for one year, he is stripped of everything but his membership within the house, and is not allowed to participate in any Pi Kappa Alpha activities.
So which aspect helps the greek organizations the most: recruitment or the individual chapter systems?
Greenlee said it is both.
"I hope the atmosphere [in the houses] is such that new recruits talk to outstanding students and they want to be around outstanding students," Greenlee said. "Also, individual organizations foster an environment that is conducive to learning."
In Da House
"Living in the house helps because the study hall is there and you don't have to go anywhere," Smith said.
For the most part, students in greek organizations said the study systems in their chapters have helped. Many say that if they didn't have the resources the chapters provide, they would not be doing as well as they are.
"I know that if I wasn't around the guys I was last year as a pledge, I wouldn't have done so good," said Balla, referring to his fraternity's support system.
"Girls that live in the house do better than girls that live outside [of the house]," said Erika Helmerich, international business junior and Pi Beta Phi member.
Helmerich is even reimbursed for her tutor fees by her chapter.
However, some greek students said the system fails at times.
Stevie Skaggs, social work sophomore and inactive sorority member, said for her, the study hall hours did not help because everyone just talked.
Other students realize that the study system doesn't work for everyone.
"For the most part, [the academic system] is an advantage, but some people are beyond saving no matter what [we] do," Oats said.
Greeks make the grade
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