Chapter - Scholarship

Introduction to Scholarship Chairman

The Scholarship Chairman shall be responsible for developing an academic awareness among members of the Resident Council and shall also help to maintain an atmosphere and tone within the chapter conducive to the pursuit of academic excellence.

The National Constitution establishes the necessity for each chapter to have a duly elected or appointed officer responsible for academic programming for the chapter. The Constitution, however, does not specifically address the responsibilities and role of that officer. It is up to each chapter to take into account its specific needs when designing its scholarship program. There are, however, certain functions this officer should fulfill. In addition to the job description outlined in your chapter by-laws, the following are expectations of a Scholarship Chairman.

Job Description and Major Responsibilities
  • Ensure the chapter achieves a GPA that is 0.1 above the campus all-men’s average annually.
  • Educate the chapter regarding local and national academic eligibility requirements for association, initiation, election and appointment to office, and active standing within the chapter.
  • Enforce local and national academic eligibility requirements.
  • Enforce chapter and National Fraternity statutes regarding academic probation and suspension by referring members who fail to meet academic standards, to the Board of Governors.
  • Meet with and counsel members of the chapter who fail to meet academic standards.
  • Meet monthly with the chapter’s faculty advisor. If the chapter does not have a faculty advisor the scholarship officer should coordinate the effort to recruit one.
  • Meet monthly with the Board of Governors Scholarship Advisor.
  • Establish and provide leadership to the scholarship committee.
  • Maintain confidential academic records on each member of the chapter, utilizing grade checks and release forms.
  • Attend meetings of the campus IFC scholarship committee, when applicable.
  • Assist the Membership Orientation Officer in implementing a scholarship program for the Associate class.
  • Work with the Recruitment Chairman to determine the academic eligibility of potential new members.
  • Work with the Social Chairman to ensure social activity does not impede the academic performance of the chapter.
  • Develop and properly train members of the scholarship committee as defined in this manual.
  • Maintain a detailed officer binder to supplement this manual.
Why Chapters Fail Academically

Over Programming by the Chapter

If the chapter is filling every available weekend with socials, philanthropies and community service, it is asking for problems with chapter participation, individual performance, and ultimately the scholastic performance of its members.

Failure to Use Scholarship as a Criterion in Recruitment Selection

Too often during recruitment we use personality and someone’s “coolness factor” as the only indication of his merit. This is a mistake because it does nothing to consider if he will end up being an asset or a detriment to the chapter once he becomes an initiated member. Scholastic achievement should be a major factor within recruitment. Develop and implement objective expectations during recruitment in order to set the tone early.

Lack of Study Skills

You cannot simply rely on study hours to solve the problems of the chapter; if your membership does not have good study habits the study hours could be wasted. Furthermore, many will argue that they cannot study in that atmosphere. This could be an indication that they lack the skills or study habits to make study hours an effective use of their time. Studies have shown that students perform best on exams when taken under conditions similar to those when they learned the material. By hosting workshops for the chapter, you can provide opportunities for your members to develop the skill set to make study hours effective and to succeed in school.

Motivation Problems

This is the most difficult issue to tackle and is probably the most common source identified as a contributor to nearly every problem a chapter deals with. What do you do with the member who just doesn’t seem to care? Motivation is not something that can be given to someone the same way other things can be taught. In many ways, it is a quality that each person must have individually. As a leader you can influence motivation through positive reinforcement, recognition, programming, education, and by setting a good example.

Lack of a Quality Scholarship Program

In most cases, for the chapter to continually succeed in any area the membership needs to have and understand a set of standards, receive motivation in the form of recognition and programming, and have support for those who need it. A strong scholarship program can create institutional scholars if there is a true focus throughout the chapter.

Physical Factors

There are several physical factors, which influence scholastic performance. A healthy diet, adequate sleep and exercise are all examples of physical factors. Even though the chapter may not have control over these areas, it is important to provide an atmosphere that encourages academic success. Quiet hours and a clean house set a good tone for an environment that is conducive to learning. It is crucial to provide an atmosphere in the house that not only makes it possible for its members to succeed, but encourages academic success by making scholarship an observable part of the chapter culture.

Resources

icone_e_document A Few Words on Chapter Scholarship

icone_e_document Academic Standards

icone_e_document Developing a Mentor Program

icone_e_document Executing the Scholarship Program

icone_e_document Sample Academic Probation Letter

icone_e_document Sample Scholarship Program

icone_e_document Scholarship Programming Ideas

icone_e_document Scholarship Resources

icone_e_document The Scholarship Program

icone_e_document Why Chapters Fail Academically