Some Otterbein freshmen are finding themselves unable to join Greek Life due to their high school GPA.
Students in Greek Life are required to keep a 2.75 GPA in order to remain active in their chapters. Most chapters have a designated position (sometimes referred to as a ‘Scholarship Chair’) or specified study tables in order to help their members academically. Because chapters often have multiple people in the same major, it can be a support system for people struggling.
So, why are people turned away due to their GPA?
Freshmen are required to have had a 2.75 GPA in high school in order to go through recruitment. This rule has been in effect for “a very long time,” according to Colette Masterson, director for the Center for Student Success.
The GPA requirement is not included under the Greek Life tab on Otterbein’s website or in the OtterBinder the incoming freshmen receive. According to Masterson, the requirement is stated on the Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council registration system. This means students are not aware of the GPA requirement until they try to sign up for recruitment.
5% of freshmen fall below the 2.75 mark. Of those 5%, roughly five students each year attempt to register for Greek Life. Even though they are initially turned away from rushing, students can appeal through a case-by-case basis.
But this begs a question: If a student’s GPA was good enough to be admitted to Otterbein, why is it not good enough to join Greek Life?
With the past two years being a mix of online schooling and in-person, some students found it difficult to learn in the non-traditional environment. In an article for EducationWeek Susanna Loeb, a professor of education at Brown University, said that online learning is not as effective as in-person learning.
“Only a little research has assessed the effects of online lessons for elementary and high school students, and even less has used the ‘gold standard’ method of comparing the results for students assigned randomly to online or in-person courses,” Loeb said.
Some students with lower high school GPAs may thrive in a college environment. In a major they love and with in-person classes, it’s not unreasonable to think a student will do well.
Why are we depriving freshmen of a year in Greek Life due to a GPA that was still high enough to be granted admittance into the university?
