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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEMBERSHIP IN A GREEK ORGANIZATION AND SELF-ESTEEM AND GRADE POINT AVERAGES |
Study Incentive Ideas
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Academic Excellence Ideas
- Senior Scholars: Rising seniors are asked to share their academic experiences at University by naming their favorite class, hardest class, favorite professor, hardest professor, greatest memory, recommended club/ organizations and general advice. This was posted on a board in the house for other members to benefit from the experience of older members
- Senior Tour: series of programs/ opportunities aimed at recognizing seniors by giving them points for transitional activities such as job interviews/ grad school interviews/ GRE prep in addition to regular opportunities for earning participation points
- Star Studier: 5 members are chosen weekly based upon 100% class attendance, completion of study requirements and academic achievement. Names are announced in meeting and posted for public recognition
- Tree of Knowledge: public display of the “A & B” basket. Every A or B on a test or paper equals a leaf added to the tree.
- Study Tables Raffle: Every time a member attends study tables, her name is entered into a raffle held at the end of the semester (more times studying, better chance to win prize- usually a restaurant gift certificate).
- Angels in Academics: Resource book given to all members that contains information about university resources (Writing Center/ math lab/ tutoring) that included a section called “My 2 cents” in which members gave advice about classes, professors or anything they wish they’d known when starting their university program.
- Scholarship Dinner variations: Invite parents to showcase chapter’s scholarship and cultural program — DA note: this is especially effective when membership is largely first generation Greek and parents may have erroneous misconceptions abouttheir daughter’s/Son's choice to pledge.
RECOGNITION OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Let’s face it, everyone like to noticed for doing something well. Rewards do not have to be expensive. Recognition might include a paper certificate, recognition on a bulletin board, applause during a meeting or at a special event.
Opportunities for recognition
- Chapter meeting
- Post good news on chapter listserv
- Parents Day dinner
- Scholarship Dinner/ Dessert/ Brunch <link to ideas for scholarship dinner>
- Formal
Ideas for general incentives
- Competitions:
- Academic All-stars: members are divided into teams, each “A” is worth yards on a football field. The first team to get a touchdown wins a prize
- “XXXXX grades are Red Hot”: a poster for each team with a thermometer that rises with each “A”
- Regular recognition of ongoing excellence
- Brag Board: Newsprint posted somewhere prominent where members can write in their own brags.
- A & B Basket of treats, drawings for “Awesome Angels” and “Brilliant Betas”
- Academic XXXXX of the week
- Smarties: candies passed out to members either as a reward or inspiration
- Seasonal treats such as:
- hearts for Valentine’s Day to “put your heart into grades”
- Candy eggs for Easter to “try egg-stra hard to be first in grades”
- Recognition of regular attendance
- Skippy Jar: members place a quarter in the jar for each class they skip, with the money going to Arrowmont
- “No Skippy” Jar: Members who don’t miss any classes put their name in the jar and are eligible for drawings or prizes.
- “Stick to it”: Members attending all their classes that week place a sticky note on a board. The person with the most stickies at the end of the term gets a prize.
- Special supports for final exams
- Candy kisses to those who “don’t kiss off finals”
- Pencils to “sharpen up for finals”
- Balloon pop: members are given a number of balloons equivalent to the number of finals they will take and told to pop it after each exam.
- Survival kits: parents/ alumnae may contribute to individual or chapter exam survival kits
- Other incentives
- Points for room pick/parking spot priority for having highest GPA
- Highest GPA (term and accumulative)
- Highest New Member class GPA
- Highest Big/Little combined GPA
- Highest roommate combined GPA.
- Most improved GPA
- Most improved for each class
- XXXXi Society: all members above 3.14
- Dean’s List
- Pearl dangle for scholarship excellence (chapters may define whether this is awarded for XXXi or 4.0)
- Members accepted into graduate/ professional school
- Members receiving academic scholarships
- Members inducted into academic honor societies
- Members who will be studying abroad
- Members who Presented at the SCSU Annual Student Research Colloquium
- Ceremony to honor XXXii Society members
- Present awards at another event such as: Chapter Retreat, Formal, Homecoming or Parent’s Day
- Instead of dinner, do a brunch
- Include Alumni/Alumnae Area Association or local alumni/ae and make it a potluck meal
Scholarship Dinner/Dessert/Brunch
This is an event to formally recognize academic excellence that should be done every semester. Menus are not determined by academic performance as this will only serve to embarrass and alienate members.
Academic awards events are a time to applaud the chapter and every member for a job well done. It is a good time to invite faculty, alumnae and/ or parents.
Ideas for awards:
Other ideas for recognition during formal scholarship awards program
Academic awards presentation on a budget
* Provided by Pi Beta Phi Women's National Fraternity
Resources
Gamma Sigma Alpha: National Greek Academic Honor Society:
http://www.gammasigmaalpha.org/academic_incentives.htm (list of incentives)
