Scholarship Committee

In many chapters, a scholarship committee already exists with few, if any, actual duties. In such chapters, the task of the chapter leadership is to:
  1. Appoint a key chapter member to the position of scholarship chairman and a group of responsible chapter members to the scholarship committee. An attempt should be made to achieve representation of various classes and colleges within the chapter.

  2. Develop a scholarship program for formal adoption by the chapter. This act puts the chapter's approval and acceptance upon the program; the chapter is more likely to cooperate with a program that it has formally adopted. Research has shown that those chapters who have a written scholarship program earn higher grade point averages than those without a program.

The Scholarship Chairman
The scholarship chairman, whether elected or appointed, is one of the most important positions in a chapter. The scholarship chairman should:

  • Be an above-average student. He need not be the Frater with the highest grades, but he should be a good example for the others.

  • Be able to command the respect of all fraters and be able to relate to the other men.

  • Be an upperclassman with some organizational and leadership experience.

  • Believe in the importance and purpose of a chapter scholarship program.

  • Display qualities of perseverance and determination.

The Scholarship Committee
The scholarship committee is composed of a group of responsible chapter members and, whenever possible, should be assisted by a campus or faculty advisor. The duties of the scholarship committee are:

  • Evaluate the chapter scholarship program and modify or improve as necessary.

  • Assist the Hegemon in developing a candidate scholarship program.

  • Arrange for suitable presentation of academic awards.

  • Interview and analyze Fraters who are having scholastic problems and offer suggestions for improvement.

  • Become acquainted with the services of the university or college to which men in need of assistance may be referred.

  • Assist the recruitment committee in examining the scholastic potential of prospects.

  • Maintain a healthy chapter attitude toward scholastic attainment.

  • Assist the chapter officers in establishing and maintaining rules and regulations which provide proper study conditions in the chapter house.

  • Serve as a liaison with members of the faculty, administration and deans.

Tips for Maintaining a Climate for Learning
One of the most important ingredients for a program which leads to a tradition of high scholarship is that of a chapter atmosphere that is conducive to learning. The type of chapter environment where good study habits can develop and be effective involves a consideration of both chapter policy and the physical facilities available:

  • Plan the activities of the chapter so that they do not infringe upon study time. This necessitates planning in advance so that undue demands are not placed upon Fraters in order to meet a deadline, such as Homecoming projects, spring weekends, etc.

  • Consider compensating a graduate student who could serve as a counselor in residence. This man may or may not be an alumni member of the Fraternity. He could render guidance in maintaining an academic atmosphere and providing individual assistance through regularly scheduled office hours..

  • Make the goal of sound scholarship the first emphasis of all chapter publications, including membership recruitment information.

  • Remember that extracurricular activities have meaning for the individual and the chapter only if they are chosen freely by the individual. Forcing individuals into campus activities is inconsistent with the basic objectives of the Fraternity.

  • The chapter scholarship plan should include quiet hours and a means of enforcement. Remember that the chapter should formally adopt this scholarship plan.

  • Minimize the possibility of distracting noises and interruptions of study from television, radio, stereo, card games and bull sessions through a program of rigid enforcement of quiet hours by the members of the scholarship committee. Make changes in the program of quiet hours if they are necessary.

  • Check to be sure that there is adequate lighting in each study room.

  • Designate, if possible, a room or area other than the library where group studying and review may occur. Keep the library separate so that Fraters living out of the house may have a quiet place to study. Alumni and parents clubs might well provide and equip the physical plant with an eye toward making it a better place in which to study.

  • In promoting a chapter library, bear in mind that the chapter library is not to be a replacement for the university or college library, but rather something useful for reference purposes of a brief nature. Such standard books might be an unabridged dictionary, some of the textbooks which have been abandoned by men in the chapter for use in courses, and some well-selected magazine subscriptions. The scholarship committee might well encourage each graduate to give to the chapter the book that he enjoyed most during his college career.

Programs of Scholastic Assistance and Improvement
The precepts of the Fraternity teach that the primary duty to self, family, college, country, and Fraternity, is to do the best job of which we are capable. Part of the value of the Fraternity experience rests in learning to live with and be of service to our fellow man. The scholarship chairman and the scholarship committee can provide an invaluable service to the Frater who requests or is in need of academic assistance through the establishment of a program to aid those who are scholastically deficient in any way.

The following is a brief discussion of a few topics which may be considered in such a program of assistance:

  • Encourage the members to seek assistance from their professors. As the number of college-going students continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important for students to attempt to maintain a close relationship with members of the faculty. The uninterested or uncooperative faculty member is the exception rather than the rule.

  • Be familiar with and utilize the services of the staff of the university's testing and reading centers. Encourage a Frater who is floundering due to vocational indecision or personal problems to seek assistance immediately.

  • Provide a system of tutorial assistance whereby those persons who are more proficient in certain fields may assist other Fraters having difficulty. Outside resources in the form of faculty members or graduate students may also provide help. Conduct reviews before examinations, particularly in the usual survey courses. Post the names of Fraters who will serve as tutors so that those who are deficient may sign up for assistance.

  • Establish a systematic method of securing weekly reports of new members and share this information with their big brothers.

  • Avoid forced study tables; these represent a negative approach to the problem of self-discipline. Too often, forced study tables are noisy, poorly ventilated, and become substitutes for concentrated individual study, and are seen as an opportunity for a good time. Rather, concentrate on a scholarship program which assists the individual in budgeting his time, in learning how to study, and in utilizing his time most effectively in an atmosphere conducive to learning.

  • Curtail the extracurricular participation of Fraters who are experiencing scholastic difficulty. When this action is taken, see to it that efforts are made to assist the individual to correct his deficiency.

  • The scholarship committee and chapter might seek money to assist students whose only deterrent from completing their academic work is financial need. This kind of scholarship program should not be hard to come by if local philanthropists, alumni, and parents are sought for their help.