Fraternity & Sorority Scholarship Responsibilities with New Members

New Member Academic & Scholarship Success

Responsibilities with New Members The scholarship chairman should meet with the new members at their first official meeting and should state the chapter's view on scholarship. If the new members are made aware of scholarship emphasis from the day they are bid, the chapter climate in one college generation should improve drastically. DEVELOP an Academic Success Plan with All New Members as part of the New Member Education Plan. * Make sure your new member obligations to not contridict your activities and hinder the new members ability to get sleep, attend class, have time to study, and commit to academic success. Academic Learning Contract template The scholastic officer should consider the writing of a standard letter to parents of all new members explaining to them what the chapter's policy is on scholarship and how their son's academic career will be furthered by his fraternity membership. The selection of a Big Brother/Sister/Mentor for each new member should be given consideration by the scholarship committee as well as the New Member Education Officer. The person selected should be able to work well with the new member in question, both intellectually and socially. Would your fraternity/sorority be better off utilizing a "Learning Team". Dividing up your new members as part of teams of members who are in the same courses and/or disciplines? A weekly report of the new member's grades should be required at meetings of the new member , and reports made to the chapter about the progress of the new members. You model this by facilitating academic success in your fraternity/sorority weekly meetings. Do you set the 'learning climate" by making academic success a regular part of your chapter meetings? Does this set a tone for your new members? There should be a minimum standard for initiation based on a scholastic grade point, necessary to remain in good standing. There are a number of gimmicks which might be employed to help promote good scholarship among the new members, such as steak ad beans dinners, studying with older members, and so on. Many of these are just what the name implies - "gimmicks." They may not serve any useful function. If they do and have proven to be of value, then they should be continued. What worked one year will not always work every year. You need to consider the individuals in your current semester and how to develop "Learning Teams" and a "Learning Climate". WE DO NOT RECOMMEND MANDATORY STUDY HALLS. This does not get at motivation, encouragement, support, or take Learning/Study skills into consideration. Study Hours Individual: Members track and report to Academic Officer and/or New Member Educator the number of hours they have studied that week. Alternatively, sign-in books may be placed in the chapter house, or campus libraries. Study halls: small group sessions, typically of members in similar majors or similar courses which can be done in a quiet place in the house or campus library.   Proctored hours: This would only be done as part of a structured academic mentoring program. Mandatory group study sessions in chapter house with members of different majors are not encouraged.	Scholastic Assistance and Improvement Encourage the new members to seek assistance from their professors. As the number of college-going students continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important for students to attempt to maintain a close relationship with members of the faculty. The uni nterested or uncooperative faculty member is the exception rather than the rule. Be familiar with and utilize the services of the staff of the university's Academic Learning Center. Encourage a members and new members who may be floundering due to vocational indecision or personal problems to seek assistance immediately. Provide a system of tutorial assistance whereby those persons who are more proficient in certain fields may assist other members having difficulty. Outside resources in the form of faculty members or graduate students may also provide help. Conduct reviews before examinations, particularly in the usual survey courses.   Develop Learning Teams: Do you know who is in what courses? Get everyones Course schedule. Organize everyone up by courses and disciplines as "Learning TEAMS". Establish a systematic method of securing weekly reports of new members and share this information with their "Learning TEAMS". Avoid forced study tables; these represent a negative approach to the problem of self-discipline and call into question the quality and maturity of new members. Too often, forced study tables are noisy, poorly ventilated, become substitutes for concern trated individual study, and are seen as an opportunity for a good time. Rather, concentrate on a scholarship program which assists the individual in budgeting her/his time, in learning how to study, and in utilizing her/his time most effectively in an atmosphere conducive to learning. Discard fraternity examination files which are too often used as a crutch or substitute for individual study. Students may obtain a basic understanding of the style of the professor and type of questions from the instructor prior to the examination. Examine/Assess the extracurricular participation of members who are experiencing scholastic difficulty. Constitutional provisions of the inter/national fraternity/sorority, the local campus, and the Fraternity/Sorority Govering councils provide that a member is not in good standing if S/he is delinquent in scholarship. When this action is taken, see to it that efforts are made to assist the individual to correct this deficiency. More importantly! We want to encourage and support success. Part of our commitment and values as Greek organizations is to develop ourselves and develop our members. This begins with standards, clear expectations, intentional planning/support, and accountability.	Positive Reinformement is "KEY" to your program! Suggested Reading! Whale Done! : The Power of Positive Relationships (Hardcover) by Kenneth Blanchard (Author )           Stewart Hall 101, 308-4993 Academic Learning Center http://www.stcloudstate.edu/alc/ Academic Learning Center Study Skills Assistance Academic Learning Center Study& Learning Resources SCSULearning DisabilitiesOffice Academic & Scholarship Resource Page Academic & Scholarship Program Ideas