Now that recruitment is finally done and classes are in full force, it’s time to get down to business. And while the start of the new school year means new mixers and new people to meet, it also means midterms, finals, and papers, papers, papers. Academics are a priority for every fraternity brother and sorority sister (or at least it should be) and keeping those grades up are just as important to the chapter as they are to the individual member. While some of your members may be able to excel academically all by themselves, there are always those members who need a little extra help and nudge in the right direction. And, as it’s the beginning of the year, there’s no better time than the present to get your members on the right track.
Set Study Hours and Study Groups
Although it may seem cliche, study hours and study groups work! Take advantage of your 40, 75 or 100 member chapter and assign study hours and study groups. You can set study hours for the entire chapter (i.e. Tuesdays at 9:00 pm), or schedule different hours based on academic majors and class times. Additionally, you can set up large or small study groups depending on the number of members in each major and their time constraints. Just remember: when establishing study hours and groups, make sure they are convenient for your members. If your members have to excuse themselves because of work or class, your study hours and groups won’t be very effective.
Establish Academic Standards and Enforce Them
One of the best ways to motivate your members in school is to set chapter academic standards and enforce them. At the minimum, your chapter’s standards should be the same as the academic standards of your Greek governing body (IFC, Panhellenic, etc.). Ideally, your academic standards should be something that your members can achieve with hard work and studying, no matter what their major is. Once your standards are set, you should enforce them diligently for every member of your chapter, including executive members, and make no excuses for anyone. We know it can be hard to say “no” to the chapter’s president, but remember: academic standards apply to everyone, and the minute you make an excuse for one person, the standards will start to slip.
Chapter Tutors
Academics can be very easy for some students and very difficult for others. Most likely, you have both kinds of students in your chapter. Encourage your members to become a chapter tutor and help struggling members with their classwork. Even if a member can only tutor for a lower division class (algebra, basic writing, or biology) or only has a few free hours each week, their effort will benefit another member and improve the chapter.
Class Schedules
Make classes a little bit easier for your members by figuring out who’s taking what classes together. Have your members post up their class schedule on your online forum, or spend some time during meeting to go over everyone’s schedule. That way, if a member needs notes for a missed class or a copy of the syllabus, they’ll know who they can turn to (this is also a great way for your members to form study groups on their own).
Individual, Group and Chapter Rewards
Some sorority and fraternity chapters offer individual rewards for good academic performance. For example, some chapters have members submit their papers or tests throughout the year and randomly pick two or three each week to acknowledge. Rewards can be simple like a candy bar or chapter key chain, or more extravagant such as a gift certificate or school sweatshirt. Additionally, some chapters choose to reward study groups in the chapter that do well. These, of course, are group rewards and range from movie tickets and gift certificates, to chapter letters or lunch paid for by the chapter.
Finally, some chapters opt for a chapter reward for good grades. This is usually based on the chapter’s overall GPA at the end of the quarter or semester, and is something that the entire chapter can enjoy. Some great chapter rewards are chapter sweatshirts (the same design for all members, paid for by the chapter), a new TV for the house, a nice lunch or dinner paid for by the chapter, or even a party. The great thing about chapter rewards as opposed to individual or group rewards is that it brings the entire chapter together, and makes members accountable for each other. Just remember to announce the chapter reward at the beginning of the quarter or semester so your members know what they’re working towards.
Active Members and Pledges
One final note: don’t forget about your pledges! Although your new pledge class hasn’t yet gone through initiation, that doesn’t mean they aren’t part of your organization. As such, you have just as accountable for their academic success as you are for that of your active members. Be sure to incorporate your pledges or new members into all of your academic activities. This includes attending study hours, being part of study groups, adhering to the chapter’s academic standards, and working with or as a chapter tutor. This also means including your pledges in individual or chapter rewards for academic excellence. By teaching your pledges study habits and academic standards when they first enter, you’re not only helping your pledges get good grades, but also solidifying the academic standards for your chapter and members.