Ole Miss drops GPA exceptions for rush

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

basically it's legal discrimination

No...it's called standards!

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

No...it's called standards!

Depeding on the circumstances, it can be considered as legal discrimination. But, I do agree that 2.5 GPA minimum is reasonable...even 2.75.

Originally Posted by Dionysus

Depeding on the circumstances, it can be considered as legal discrimination. But, I do agree that 2.5 GPA minimum is reasonable...even 2.75.

Just how exactly would that be discrimination?

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by OTW

Just how exactly would that be discrimination?

Professional and honorary GLOs would be off the hook, since their main focus is academic achievement. There are probably exceptions.

But social and service GLOs are the ones who should be careful how they handle certain students, because they are mainly non-academic orgs turning down students for academic reasons. Learning disorders, ADD, Asperger's or whatever are defined as disabilities. Depending on the school, students with disabilites can have a variety of accomodations, including GPA or grade exceptions. Most GLOs have anti-discrimination policies. Disibilities can be included, it depends on the organization (which I believe is the majority). If a GLO denies a disabled student's rights (granted by the disability office), that could get them in trouble. They won't get thrown in jail of course, but it could get them a civil suit.

Again it really depends...the specific disability, how the school accomodates them, if the student even notified his/her school about the disability, specific school and student org policies, greek life policies, GLO policies, and how the student is treated.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

Professional and honorary GLOs would be off the hook, since their main focus is academic achievement. There are probably exceptions.

But social and service GLOs are the ones who should be careful how they handle certain students, because they are mainly non-academic orgs turning down students for academic reasons. Learning disorders, ADD, Asperger's or whatever are defined as disabilities. Depending on the school, students with disabilites can have a variety of accomodations, including GPA or grade exceptions. Most GLOs have anti-discrimination policies. Disibilities can be included, it depends on the organization (which I believe is the majority). If a GLO denies a disabled student's rights (granted by the disability office), that could get them in trouble. They won't get thrown in jail of course, but it could get them a civil suit.

Again it really depends...the specific disability, how the school accomodates them, if the student even notified his/her school about the disability, specific school and student org policies, greek life policies, GLO policies, and how the student is treated.

But it's a GPA based policy for people who probably were receiving accommodation for the disability, right? Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have documentation on the disability to seek a waiver, right?

Disability law doesn't require that you have no standards for people with disabilities just that you make reasonable modification for them. If the students were receiving modifications in their classes, why would they need to be held to a lower academic standard in terms of GPA?

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

But it's a GPA based policy for people who probably were receiving accommodation for the disability, right? Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have documentation on the disability to seek a waiver, right?

Disability law doesn't require that you have no standards for people with disabilities just that you make reasonable modification for them. If the students were receiving modifications in their classes, why would they need to be held to a lower academic standard in terms of GPA?

EXACTLY! Also, organizations other than honorary societies base decisions on achievement. Have you ever tried to get a job that requires a degree without having a degree or just getting by with the minimum gpa? The school itself often mandates a gpa cutoff for organizations because they see these as ways to make sure that weak students aren't overloading themselves on extra-curriculars while failing out of school. There are no rights to glo membership. It is an honor to join a NPC organization with lots of responsibilities. We may not be honorary societies, but academic success is part of our missions, Dionysus!

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

We may not be honorary societies, but academic success is part of our missions, Dionysus!

I understand that. But as someone mentioned upthread...being in a sorority may actually help a student who was struggling. Don't sororities require study hours anyway? Mind did. Plus, it's not uncommon for students within the same chapter to have the same classes. They can help each other.

[gee_ess]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

No...it's called standards!

LOVE this response!

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

No...it's called standards!

basically it's a way for them to say "something is wrong with you, so we don't want you in" that's what discrimination is.

But none of the sororities wants to come out and say "we don't want anyone with learning disableties to join" so they made an NPC rule basically saying the same thing

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

If a GLO denies a disabled student's rights (granted by the disability office), that could get them in trouble. They won't get thrown in jail of course, but it could get them a civil suit.

I don't see any such suit being successful.

In any event, as you've described it, it's not discrimination based on disability. No organization would be saying "we're not taking her because she's got this disability." They're not taking her because she doesn't meet academic qualifications. As others have noted, if there really is a disability requiring accommodation, then that should already have been taken into account by the school.

Not all standards = discrimination.

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

basically it's a way for them to say "something is wrong with you, so we don't want you in" that's what discrimination is.

No, that is not what discrimination is. Discrimination is "treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit." (Thanks, dictionary.com.)

A GPA is without question individual merit and has nothing to do with "the group, class, or category to which that person . . . belongs."

I'm sorry, but I think it's just plain silly to suggest that having a GPA requirement is merely to keep people with learning disabilities out of sororities. That doesn't even pass the straight face test.

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I don't see any such suit being successful.

I
Not all standards = discrimination.

No, that is not what discrimination is. Discrimination is "treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit." (Thanks, dictionary.com.)

that is exactly what is going on

once again, you have your head so far up your own ass you can't see the point

[Ole Miss Phi Mu]

I'm just going to put my two cents in. Most girls that go through have 4.0s, were the homecoming queen, captain of the cheer squad, and were involved in what seems like everything else. If someone has below a 2.5, then they aren't going to cut it here. Being in a sorority is time comsuming and if you can't keep a 2.5 in highschool then how are you going to do it in college while balancing sorority life. I don't think it's discrimination. As AOII Angel said it's called standards. Besides the reason a girl gets cut is MS which is private. I don't think that this is going to affect many girls, but it will save the few money and the heartache of getting cut.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

that is exactly what is going on

once again, you have your head so far up your own ass you can't see the point

Are you serious?

Give me just one fact to back up your claim that intentional discrimination against students with learning disabilities is "exactly what's going on" or give it a rest. 'Cause I really don't think I'm the one who needs to adjust the placement of his head.

[sigmadiva]

I'm sorry for butting in again, but when did learning disabilities automatically = dumb? I think some of you are assuming that. And, I don't think that is the case at all, that LD = dumb. Sure, some students may have to work harder because of their LD, but that does not make them dumb.

And, I don't see where this is discrimination. It is a standard. The sororities know how demanding being an active can be, whether you are talking about NPC, NPHC, MCGLO - greek life demands your time. If the student can not handle the demands of school and greek life, then that student needs to focus on school.

Besides, from what I've learned on these boards, it seems that girls who want to go to Ole Miss know if they want to be in a sorority or not, so then they should know that they need to have a high GPA to particiapte in recruitment.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I'm sorry for butting in again, but when did learning disabilities automatically = dumb? I think some of you are assuming that. And, I don't think that is the case at all, that LD = dumb. Sure, some students may have to work harder because of their LD, but that does not make them dumb.

I don't think anyone has assumed that people with learning disabilities are dumb. I certainly don't think so at all.

I do think that some have assumed that sorority members at Ole Miss must think that women with learning disabilities are dumb or otherwise undesirable. A baseless assumption, IMO.