Greek Standards?

[EPTriSigma]

In our relationship with our university greeks are held to different standards than other students. The university requires that for a chapter to stay active on campus the chapter has to have an average gpa of 3.0. Our national organization only requires members to have a 2.5. Many chapters are at risk of loosing their charters due to this rule. For Joe Student (non greek if you will) good academic standing with the university is 2.0.

Is it right for universities to require members to have a gpa that is higher than good standing with the university? If we are a private organization don't we have the right to set our own standards of membership and good standing? I am just seeking some opinions on this.

[utealum]

Do they require higher GPAs for athletes? For members of student government? That is something to look into, because the argument could be made that the university wants you to have a higher GPA to participate in certain extracurricular events.

[TSteven]

I posted this in another thread.

Question for the legal experts

Can a college/university legally require a different set of standards for students? Basically one set for those who wish to associate via an organization and one set for those who do not?

For example, if you are not involved in any extracurricular activities, then to graduate you would only need say a 2.0 GPA and you would not be required to perform any community service. However, if you elect to be involved (be it a GLO or the AV Club) you are required to have a 3.0 GPA and perform 10 hours of community service. Thus to graduate, a different set of standards are applied to a select few. The higher GPA and the requirement to perform community service. Frankly, that seems like a double standard and would not (should not) be legal.

And are there any legal precedents for this - one way or the other?

[33girl]

Originally posted by EPTriSigma
In our relationship with our university greeks are held to different standards than other students. The university requires that for a chapter to stay active on campus the chapter has to have an average gpa of 3.0. Our national organization only requires members to have a 2.5. Many chapters are at risk of loosing their charters due to this rule. For Joe Student (non greek if you will) good academic standing with the university is 2.0.

Is it right for universities to require members to have a gpa that is higher than good standing with the university? If we are a private organization don't we have the right to set our own standards of membership and good standing? I am just seeking some opinions on this.

It's the chapter average, not each individual, so the "Joe Student" example really isn't an argument. Someone could have a 4.0 while others have a 2.0. Do other groups (athletes, student media etc) have similar requirements?

[EPTriSigma]

From what I know the athletes just need to be in good academic standing with the university.

Student government has no GPA requirements. I am a member of student government. Or president elect was actually kicked out of school this fall for grades and course completion rate. As a member of the student government's constitution commission, I am looking at changing that.

Greeks, as far as I know, are the only group which has a gpa requirement that is higher than what is considered good standing. I believe there were only 3 groups out of 11 that made grades (Alpha Chi, Gamma Phi, ASA, and LXA).

I do not think it is fair for the university to put standards on us only because we should put them on ourselves. We as an organization should strive to beat the average.

I will be contacting reps from St. Cloud, Winona, and the U on Monday to question their standards (if any). When greeks were brought on to Mankato we had to agree to a formal contract which mandated grades, community service, and a certain percentage of members involved in other campus groups.

Another question.... Does PHC and IFC recieve any sort of funding from the university at your respective schools?

[EPTriSigma]

On a similar note what can we do to help people get their grades up? I work very hard in school and have outstanding grades. Does social probation work? Social probation is where members with "lower than par" grades are not allowed to attend anything outside of meeting and ritual. This means no formal, no exchanges, no community service.

[ilikehazing]

Can't believe you just explained social probation.

Man a 3.0 GPA is pretty high, I'm pretty sure all of our fraternities would be kicked out and the majority of sororities.

[ECUJacob]

That's got to be some form of discrimination. Unless it's a private university/college, they should not have the authority to hold you to a overly high GPA requirement simply because you're Greek. Especially if they let their athletes and other students scrape by with > 2.5's. Our university requires a student to maintain a 2.5 to stay Greek.

[PhoenixAzul]

I'm not quite sure what the minimum is at Otterbein, I believe it is 2.0 or something to stay "active", and I know for SURE that a 2.0 is needed to participate in rush (defferred). My sorority requires a 2.8 (...where's that pledge manual when you need it...), but our chapter gpa has been in the 3.5 and up range for the past 3 years (musta been that lovely 04 pledge class ). Every chapter dictates its own academic standards. If not met, social probation or inactivity are the most common reprocussions. Although, I think out of the 6 sororities, none were below the all-women's average. Out of the 7 fraternities, I think maybe 2 or 3 were under the men's average. If OC tried to do this, there'd be hell to pay, especially because the majority of donors are former Greeks. This is the time when you start rattling your alumn too. Perhaps create a cross-council alumn movement...power in numbers, you know.

[Tom Earp]

As We all know, the GPA to Graduate with is a 2.0.

The biggest exception to the Rule is for GLOs to hold a higher Standard than the Avg. GPA which in mosts instances it is true.

Why, well, We expect more out of Our Members to strive to learn and participate in many functions on Campus.

We really are different than all other Organizations on any campus. We do hold to higher standards dont We?

[33girl]

Originally posted by EPTriSigma
On a similar note what can we do to help people get their grades up? I work very hard in school and have outstanding grades. Does social probation work? Social probation is where members with "lower than par" grades are not allowed to attend anything outside of meeting and ritual. This means no formal, no exchanges, no community service.

Unless your chapter is so huge that you can take these people out of the mix without really making a dent - or it's just one or two people - social probation kind of screws the whole sorority. We had a mixer once that a lot of people couldn't attend because of academic/social pro and it just made us look like idiots because so few people were there.

If the MAJORITY of people in your chapter are having grade issues, either you're overprogramming, or else they all need to be encouraged to meet with their advisers and rethink what they're doing academically - are they in the right major, etc.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

I spent a lot of time struggling with grades when I was in - my mom's illness started getting really serious during my pledging period, so I was spending a lot of time at home. And when I was doing schoolwork, I wasn't concentrating like I could've been.

Obviously, the problem wasn't that I was whooping it up and drinking too much during the week, thereby neglecting my studies.

I couldn't attend much of anything, and I missed that a lot. I really needed the girls' support - aside from the family stuff I had going on, bombing a couple of classes will really take a toll on your self-esteem.

I really could've used someone sitting down with me, helping me figure out what was working and what wasn't, helping me find tutors, suggesting study hours, etc.

I should've been able to do that myself, but I was overwhelmed and young and thought I could handle things on my own, anyway. Being on social probation did nothing but make me fee ostracized at a time when I really needed the support.

[adpiucf]

Originally posted by EPTriSigma
On a similar note what can we do to help people get their grades up? I work very hard in school and have outstanding grades. Does social probation work? Social probation is where members with "lower than par" grades are not allowed to attend anything outside of meeting and ritual. This means no formal, no exchanges, no community service.

Review your existing academic program. Set a min GPA for members that is competitive with the current all-around sorority GPA. In my sorority, we sometimes raise this standard above that chapter min. for those holding chapter offices so that they can take their position as role models to the highest degree. You may consider doing the same so that your officers are prioritizing appropriately.

Employ a set of checks and balances-- we held a "3 consecutive strikes and you're out" position that gave member the time and resources to improve her academics. The first time a member missed grades, she attended a standards meeting with the standards committee and academic chair where the situation was reviewed (academic alert) and the member worked with the academic chair on a plan to improve, which could include utilizing other members and university resources. If the member missed grades in the second consecutive term, she went on academic probation which resulted in a loss of most social privleges and ramped up attention and resources. In the third consecutive term of missing the min GPA, the member was called into a formal standards meeting to readdress her membership status and if the sorority was helping her to meet her academic goals or hurting them.

One group I worked with rose their sorority GPA ranking among the other sororities from 11/11 to 7/11 by putting every chapter member on mandatory study hours for one term. The members committed to logging a min. of 8 hours of study per week and could study wherever they wanted. Study partners and use of the chapter or school library were highly encouraged and rewarded with incentives. In-chapter incentives included giving weekly awards for going to class, getting A's and B's on exams, a "scholar of the Week" Smart Cookies" "A+ Bulletin board" to track accomplishments, etc.

the academic chairman also maintained a log of scholarship and internship opportunities, coordinated study buddies and tutors within the chapter and gave weekly reports that included study tips.

For general PR, the chapters also did a semesterly appreciation event to honor professors.

Per the posters who argued against academic probation-- all valid points. However, a member who consistently is not making grades should receive assistance with time management that would result in loss of SOME privileges in order to encourage better study habits. In addition to this, there should be a chapter policy of regular communication and assistance to that member so she doesn't fall behind or feel unwanted.

I think that if you do impose a social probation, that member should still be required to fulfill philanthropy requirements and permitted to attend sisterhood events and the opportunity to petition to attend at least one date function. They should be able to experience the sisterhood events while monitoring their study habits.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

Originally posted by EPTriSigma
On a similar note what can we do to help people get their grades up? I work very hard in school and have outstanding grades. Does social probation work? Social probation is where members with "lower than par" grades are not allowed to attend anything outside of meeting and ritual. This means no formal, no exchanges, no community service.

Haha.

[UNLDelt]

Something to be concerned about in this situation (and I admit that I do not know ALL of the details) but there is a right to free association that public institutions cannot infringe upon. It's been discussed in another thread and from what understand a public institution such as a state univerity or college cannot set certain standards on one organization of students that it does not on others.

So if the _____ club doesn't have to have a 3.00GPA to be recognized by the school, then XYZ Fraternity or Sorority shouldn't have to either. They need to recognize all student organizations by the same standards.

Now we all know that as GLO's we institute our own standards for recognition...and that's ok...b/c they are self imposed and agreed upon through our processes of decision making as organizations.
And if IFC or Panhell institutes their own standards for recognition, then that's also ok b/c it's the student's themselves, and therefore the representation of the chapters, within one umbrella organization (IFC Panhell) all agreeing to abide by certain standards and place them on themselves. There's nothing wrong with that...it's democratically decided.

Student athletes are a different issue b/c that's sponsored by the school.

But when you get down to it, it all depends on where the regulation comes from and who it is applied to...
Does it come from the administration of the university and is it applied evenly across the board to student orgs? Or are Greeks being discriminated against within the system by making their recognition harder to obtain and to keep?

Or is it 'in house' by greeks holding other greeks to higher standards?

It's easy to show the wrong done here if you create a 'slippery slope' argument...would the school impose higher standards for recognition to a student group organized around a certain religious faith...or race...or sexuality? No way...they would smell the lawsuit from miles away! So how can the do this to student groups who chose to be organized around the greek system tradition? They can't.