Scholarship
Our chapter's scholarship program is a very structured program to ensure our members can do the best of their ability academically. We really focus on our new members when it comes to academics because they are usually freshman and we want to guide them to have a successful college career. During their first semester, the new members are required to have study hours from 6-9 pm Sunday through Thursday. During these study hours the new members are allowed to study at their desks, in the study room, at the library, or any where else they might need to go for academic purposes. Also during study hours, we heavily enforces quite hours around the entire house so no one is distracted while studying. Another part of our new member scholarship program is grade checks. The new members are given grade sheets for each teacher to give them their grade at that time of the semester. We do this so we can help any new members who are struggling with their grades. During the new member's first semester we have at least 3 grade checks. If a new member has a 3.5 or above after a grade check we reward them by reducing their study hours from 6 to 8 pm. However, if a new member has fallen below a 2.75 after a grade check we add an extra hour so they study from 6 to 10 pm each week night. For all new members and especially the ones whose GPA is below a 2.75 the scholarship chairman works with them to see how their grades can be improved. One way he helps is to recommend different types of study habits. Another way is to find older members in the house who have taken similar classes to guide or tutor the new members. This structured new member study program is designed so that they do better in school and so that they learn successful study habits that they can use throughout college.
To be initiated in our chapter, one requirement is to earn a 2.5 GPA or higher in your first semester as a new member. If they fail to reach that GPA then they become a holdover the next semester. Holdovers have the same study hour rules as that of new members. During this semester, holdovers have a minimum of 2 grade checks, so we can monitor their progress. If a holdover is unable to earn a 2.5 GPA or higher in his second semester then he is depledged from our house. Standards are set accordingly in order to instill the importance of high scholastic achievement within each individual. A positive studying environment creates an atmosphere that breeds brotherhood based on those important ideals that represent and define our chapter. Those ideals include, but are not limited to: the development of our member's character, ability, purpose and moral judgment through educational enrichment in high degree.
Active members of our chapter do not have quite as a structured of a scholarship program as the new members, but they still positively contribute to our academic achievement. Active members are not required to have study hours due to the increased course load and difficulty with increasing years, enough maturity and experience has assumedly been developed or reached. However, poor grades of actives do not go unnoticed. If an active earns a GPA of 2.50 in one semester he is placed on scholastic warning. The chapter takes concern with his academic performance because he will be dismissed from the university if he gets below a 2.0 the next semester. Monthly meetings with our scholarship chairman and chapter advisor will provide additional help towards ensuring a higher GPA is achieved. The scholarship chairman and chapter advisor work with the struggling active just as they would a new member, in addition to study habit and goal development; devising individually reflective educational methods will be of main concern. This is the main purpose behind monthly meetings between the academically warned and the scholarship chairman or chapter advisor. Actives on scholastic warning are also provided with grade sheets so together we can track and monitor the status of grades throughout the semester. Another academic standard our chapter indirectly applies towards brothers who want to hold a position in our house: we require that our members have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA because. This standard of manhood is applied to our leaders because we believe our leaders should be academically responsible. Academics are very important to our chapter and our scholarship program has been working for us to ensure successful scholastic achievement.
In our chapter we take great pride in academic achievement. Because academics are so important to our house we strive very hard to reward the members who succeed in their school work. One way that we show our gratitude to our members who get the highest grades is to give them scholarships. Each semester to the top 12 in grades of the in house members from the previous semester receive a percentage from a scholarship fund. The largest percentage of the scholarship money is given to the top member on down to the 12th highest member. In case of ties, the scholarships are determined by seniority points. We also have a scholarship for the member of our house whose grades have improved the most from the last semester. All of our scholarship funds come from a very generous alumnus who provides the scholarships every semester. Another way that we recognize good grades is by hosting a scholarship dinner each semester for every member who achieved a 3.5 or higher from the previous semester. We invite the Dean's from every college at K-State to come join our high achieving members. This dinner is usually a nice meal like a steak dinner to reward the members. Receiving seniority is also a way we reward our members for succeeding academically. Seniority points in our house are very important to most members because there are so many benefits by having more of them like getting a better room. The amount of seniority points you get from grades each semester is determined by that semester's GPA. By getting 3.5 or higher in a semester, a member would earn as many seniority points from that has he would from holding the highest office in our house. That just shows that grades are definitely not over looked in our house. All these ways that we recognize academic achievement are excellent ways of motivation for our members and seem to have been working for our house.
Because academics are so important to our chapter we provide our members with excellent practices and resources that make our scholarship program one of the best on campus. Our house features a useful, well-maintained study room facility. It is never crowded because it has plenty of desk room and seating, and is a quite area to study 24 hours a day. Our study room also has a connected computer room with a printer and computers that feature high speed internet. Also, the study room has an up-to-date, organized study file shelf. We offer study files from just about every class that K-State offers. These study files are filled with helpful notes. Some files even have old tests if the professor has approved of them to be studied.
The Scholarship Chairman provides information about scholastic opportunities. He informs the chapter members of any scholarship opportunities or financial resources that is offer by the university or the Sigma Chi General Fraternity. The Scholarship Chair can also assist the Rush Chairman by talking to rushees about what classes to take and when to take them. Because of all the scholastic opportunities and practices that our house provides and instills, academically, we are able to hold ourselves to the highest of standards in our educational careers.