National data boasts that members of fraternities and sororities have higher GPAs than the average non-affiliated student.
But Greek Life coordinator Kevin Bazner said at MSU that is not necessarily the case.
Last semester, over half of the reconginzed Greek chapters on campus saw its grade point average drop. Some chapters dipped below national standards.
Six out of 12 Greek organizations even have a 2.5 or below.
Last fall, one posted a 1.64 chapter GPA and another acquired a 1.44 grade point average.
No Greek chapter earned an average GPA of a 3.0 or above.
As of fall 2011 the average GPA for a Greek chapter at MSU is a 2.53.
All Greek chapters GPAs are below the overrall undergraduate GPA of 2.79.
Bazner said he has not seen an academic issue with fraternity and sorority life. He believes they are advancing.
“You look at the different numbers, whether it be academics or impressions of the community, for the most part they are good,” Bazner said. “Numbers will sway up and down, but you see a general trend of improvement. I think that is best thing that anyone can hope for is improvement.”
According to the fall 2011 grade report, the average sorority GPA is 2.69.
The average fraternity GPA is 2.2.
Kappa Sigma, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Sigma Nu fell below national standards, 1.64, 2.08, 2.20, respectively and are required to participate in weekly educational programs.
Until Banzer became coordinator in 2010, community grade reports were not posted online.
“That was surprising to me because organizations that say they are about scholarship and academic achievement do need to prove that,” Bazner said. “I do empathize with the chapters, especially those who may not meet that average and it may not look good for them.”
Every Greek organization does have a minimum grade requirement, but some have higher standards than others.
Midwestern does not mandate a university GPA standard for Greek students, unlike some Texas schools. Angelo State University, which requires all Greek life students to maintain a 2.5 grade point average, and Southern Methodist University chapters must maintain a 3.0 or above GPA.
“I don’t feel right now as an university administrator that we need to be imposing that extra requirement on a student,” Bazner said. “But it is obviously something I’ll look at and something that as a community we need to challenge ourselves to constantly seek out improvement and be better than the average.”
“Within the Interfraternity Council, every single one of the chapters that fell below the all men’s average are doing weekly presentations on scholarship, whether that be study skills, academic achievement or test anxiety,” Bazner said. “Every chapter, to my knowledge, is keeping up with their members on their progress. Obviously this (spring) semester will be the tell all.”
Bazner believes that students coming out of high school and straight into a Greek organization are ill prepared for college, causing a few chapters to drop.
“They don’t have the necessary resources coming out of high school in order to balance that work, social, school triangle,” Bazer said. “If you put your heart and soul into an organization, there are going to be extra requirements and it is that balance of how do we deal with extra responsibilities and requirements.”
According to the fall 2011 grade report, the average GPA of new Greek members is lower than the average GPA for active members in eight of the 12 organizations.
As Greek coordinator, it is Bazner’s responsibility to ensure that Greek students are meeting the standards of the university, particularly those in the student handbook those standards include each student earning no lower than a 2.0.
“As far as academic, my main focus is that they understand that they are here for an education and giving them the tools and resources they need,” Bazner said. “Then I track that data semester to semester, chapter to chapter, year to year.”
With a chapter GPA of 2.43 last fall, Gamma Phi Beta had its lowest average since 2009.
When The Wichitan contacted the national Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority, they refused to comment on the GPA drop.
Instead, a spokesperson stated that chapters plan scholarship programs to encourage individual and chapter excellence.
“Gamma Phi Beta believes its members need to be academically successful to participate, lead, serve and enjoy sorority membership to the fullest,” said Maureen Walker, director of marketing and communications for Gamma Phi Beta International.
The national organization requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.4 from college or 2.8 from high school.
“Members are encouraged to exceed minimums and every chapter is expected to have a cumulative grade point average higher than the all-women’s average on the respective campus,” Walker said.
As of fall 2011, the MSU all-women’s average for Greeks was a 2.91.
Sigma Lambda Alpha’s chapter grade point average decreased from 2.82 to 2.73. With only four members, chapter president Gloria Villarreal said it is difficult to participate in Greek activities with their current membership.
“The cause (for the GPA drop) was due to so many Greek events and programs that we had to attend at that time and it was very difficult for us because it was just a group of four,” Villarreal said. “We can’t be at two places at once.”
Villarreal said Sigma Lambda is bringing in five new members at the end of the semester.
“We make each other study together and make study log sheets,” Villarreal said. “Its important because it shows that we are trying to improve our grades.”
As president, Villarreal said she spends 12 hours a week doing Greek activities.
“I work part-time and go to school full time and have two important positions in my organization. If I can do it, anyone can. Just don’t be lazy,” she said.
Sigma Nu, which currently has nine members, suffered its lowest chapter GPA in two years with a 2.2. Chapter president Josh Kattner explained that two members’ personal issues affected the average.
Scott Smith, director of leadership development for Sigma Nu Fraternity, said the general fraternity is disappointed to learn that the MSU chapter dropped, making it one of the lowest chapter GPAs on campus.
“(We) understand that the drop could be a result of any number of factors affecting individual chapter members,” Smith said. “We will continue to work with the chapter to support academic improvement.”
Kattner said that it is not entirely his responsibility to ensure all members are in good academic standing.
“I feel as president I need to make sure they have all the tools and resources available to remain in good academic standing,” he said. “At the same time we realize that we are all adults who are accountable for our owning grades and actions and accountability is highly regard in our chapter.”
Kattner said he sets an example of good academic standing for his members.
“Both semester GPAs negatively affected the chapter’s overall standing, but the chapter accepted the result and continue to support the brothers,” he said.
Kappa Delta Chi president Samantha Forester said this semester has been a test of the wills for her to balance school and sorority activities.
Kappa Delta is one of the few Greek organization whose chapter GPA average rose from 2.6 in the spring of 2011 to 2.7 last fall.
Forester said her women took advantage of university resources last semester.
“We held an academic workshop with our (faculty) adviser,” Forester said. “We took advantage of the Student Support Services tutoring program which offers group tutoring as well as individual sessions.”
Each member of Kappa Delta is required to complete 10 study hours per week excluding holidays, mid-semester grade checks. At least one visit with the faculty adviser is required each semester.
“I believe it is my responsibility as well as our academic chair (to ensure all members are in good academic standing),” Forester said. “I, as the representative of my chapter, and our academic standing are a reflection of our chapter. While we have made improvements, that bar still needs to be raised and we are reaching for new heights.”
Sigma Alpha Epsilon has the highest GPA of any Greek organization with a 2.83 chapter GPA as of fall 2011. Each chapter of SAE is expected to use the national minimum of a 2.3 as a baseline for determining if members are delinquent in scholarship at the local chapter level.
SAE chapters can raise GPA requirement if they see fit.
“Each SAE chapter collegiate is virtually independent of the national fraternity,” said Deran Abernathy, associate executive director for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. “Nationally we provide advice and counsel to the chapter collegiate, but have no power to control the activities or operations.”
Bazner said it is common for some fraternities and sororities to empower their chapter to make decisions for themselves.
“On some campus a 2.0 might be good and on other campus that GPA might not be good, but at the end of the day everything is kind of relative,” he said.
Bazner said he is confident in the leaders in those Greek organizations will make that big decision.
“If we do not allow them to make decisions for themselves and learn from their successes and their mistakes I believe we miss a huge opportunity to allow students to understand decision making,” Bazer said.
Unlike SAE, Kappa Sigma’s chapter GPA has been one of the lowest of Greek chapters for the past three years. Last fall, it averaged a 1.64 grade point average.
Chapter president Daniel Basham admits he failed when it came to making sure all Kappa Sigma members keep their grades up.
“Not making grades directly contradicts the foundation upon which we are built,” Basham said. “And to me not making grades shows that you don’t’ care about the ritual or ideas upon which any fraternity is founded upon.”
Kappa Sigma members hold study hours based on their GPA from the previous semester.
Incoming freshman have a base number of study hours they must complete. If not, they will be fined and not allow to participate in social events.
Despite not meeting the IFC national standard last semester, Kappa Sigma still participated in its community service activities, including its annual Box-a-Thon last fall that raised $3,000.
Kappa Sigma is the only Greek organization to have a house for members that is owned by the fraternity, not the university.
The men of Kappa Sigma deal with handling the finances for the home, including the mortgage and taxes.
“All of this is on top of managing 20 college guys, which at times, is about like herding drunken cats,” Basham said. “These experiences will help me later in life with managing any sort of business I go into.”
Tau Kappa Epsilon also fell below the 2.5 national standard last fall to 2.05.
“It’s unfortunate and an area that the chapter, advisers and headquarters will focus on to improve,” said Nathan Lehman, the regional director for TKE.
According to Lehman, as of March 27, the average chapter GPA in TKE was 2.7.
Since fall 2009, Midwestern’s TKE chapter has never met that average.
Bazner said that individuals that have fraternity and sorority experience are better prepared for the real world.
“There are those organizations on campus that do great things and it’s one of those things that you truly don’t understand unless you are apart of it,” Bazner said.
Academic Support Center, Student Support Services, Counseling Center and the Career Management Center are all university resources that Bazner encourages Greek students to take advantage of.
“Do I think you can get the skills that are in fraternities and sororities elsewhere – yes. But I don’t think any other organization is quite like Greek where it brings this huge dynamic of diversity.”