Page 53 - 1925 September - To Dragma

42 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

THE FRATERNITY AND SCHOLARSHIP

T HESE is ALWAYS the constant and much disputed question as to whether
fraternities maintain as good scholarship as the unorganized students,
or whether social life and other interests make too great an inroad upon the
educational side of a college career. The fraternity, defending itself and
its existence in some places, has always maintained that it raises the scho-
lastic standing of its groups, due to the initiation requirements and general
educational policies of the fraternity.

J . A. Bursley, dean of students at the University of Michigan, has
issued a scholarship record of men's and women's fraternities for the past
ten years, comparing the results, too, to the record of the unorganized
students. It brings out some interesting facts which may be taken as a
criterion, since the University of Michigan is representative of the modern
university of today.

Averages from 1914-15 to 1922-23 were based upon the following scale
of grading: A-100; B-85; C-70; D-40; E-0. In 1923-24 the scale was
changed in the following grades: D-50; E-20.

The following table shows the averages for the year 1914-15. in which
professional fraternities and general sororities are in the lead.

1914-J 5 Average

General Fraternities 72.3
Professional Fraternities 74.7
General Sororities 82.1
Professional Sororities 81.4

In the ten-year period, averages slumped slightly for all sororities and
were raised slightly for all fraternities. In 1919-20, the year just following
the war, fraternity grades went as low as a 69.8 average, due very probably
to the changing conditions and to the return from life in the trenches.

Averages for the year 1923-24 follow:

Average

Entire University 74.5
All Fraternities and Sororities 74.4
All Independents 73.8
All Men 73.3
All Women » 77.7
All Fraternities 74.6
All Independent Men 72.6
General Fraternities 72.9
Professional Fraternities 77.6
All Sororities 78.9
All Independent Women 78.1
General Sororities 78.9
Professional Sorority 79.1

The fraternity and sorority grades show a higher average than those
of independent women, and higher than that of the entire university. Pro-
fessional organizations lead general fraternities and sororities by a small
margin. Sorority averages in every year are above those of fraternities.

Elcusis of Chi Omega.