Greek GPA's rising, still better than University average

The BiCultural InterGreek Council GPA rose to 2.83 in the spring, up 0.5 from last fall. The BiCultural InterGreek Council GPA rose to 2.83 in the spring, up 0.5 from last fall.Diem TranThe BiCultural InterGreek Council GPA rose to 2.83 in the spring, up 0.5 from last fall.Diem TranDaily Pennsylvanian The BiCultural InterGreek Council, the Panhellenic Council and the InterFraternity Council achieved an average GPA of 3.21, in comparison to the overall student average of 3.14. IFC President Matt Baker said the Greeks' high GPA shows that "the average Greek is very well-rounded, very involved and very committed to academics" despite the negative stereotypes attached to fraternities. And Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said the averages reflect the University's overall attitude toward academics. "Students come to Penn for academics," Reikofski said. "It's their primary focus, and it's no different with Greek members." In the largest jump, the BIG-C's grade average -- although still below the all-student mark -- improved from a 2.33 last fall to 2.83 in the spring. Panhel's GPA of 3.32 was again considerably higher than the general female average of 3.17, though it was slightly lower than last fall's 3.34. And the IFC, with a 3.14 GPA -- marginally higher than the all-male average of 3.1 -- recorded its highest average since fall 1993. OFSA Assistant Director Tom Carroll said the Greeks' 21st Century Report released last fall heightened interest among the chapters in improving academic performance. "[Greek members] are in support of the mission of Penn, that the purpose of being here is receiving an education," Carroll said. As a part of the report, chapters hoped to build a stronger relationship with the faculty and administration. Panhel has already found faculty advisors for each chapter, while the IFC and BIG-C hope to do the same. The BIG-C also put a particular emphasis on academics following a significant drop in their average GPA last year, according to Carroll. BIG-C President and College senior Jason Rosas said his organization "took a lot of initiative to improve the GPA" such as seeking stronger support from academic services and taking greater advantage of university resources. The BIG-C also sought to build a better support network within the organization, Rosas added. "We intended to watch each others back," he said. "We are a small community, so we helped each other within the chapters as well as within the organization." Rosas stressed that the BIG-C will continue to strive for stronger academic performance from members, hoping for a greater boost in their combined GPA this semester. "We had great success last year and will translate that into an even bigger improvement this year," he said. Panhel's vice president for publicity, Beth Linn, said sorority sisters benefit from the "support system" offered within each chapter, who incorporate academics into their social planning. According to Linn, academic activities such as group study hours show new members that academics are an important part of Greek life.