The InterFraternity Council approved a measure last week that will raise the GPA standards for IFC member chapters from 2.3 to 2.7.
On the heels of a controversial fall semester that warranted the dismissal of Pi Kappa Alpha from campus, a Greek Life Task Force was formed to recommend avenues of improvement within the Greek community.
Its final 11-page report did not specifically recommend a stiffening of academic standards, but the IFC decided in its final meeting of the semester that raising the GPA standard was a necessary measure to take.
“There aren’t any high schoolers coming in with 2.3’s anymore,” IFC Vice President David Beisel said. “UT has raised their standards, and there’s no reason that IFC shouldn’t be on that same boat.”
In the spring of 2012, 14 of the 17 IFC participating chapters maintained an average GPA of over 2.7.
Though repercussions for chapters unable to comply won’t be finalized until IFC meetings resume in the fall, Beisel said that chapters would likely get a probationary semester before being subject to punishment.
“The next step, next fall, is going back to the drawing board,” Beisel, a junior in marketing and brother of Delta Tau Delta, said. “And that’s going to be the more difficult part for the IFC president, the ‘what do we do if we don’t meet that standard.'”
There was minimal contention raised about increasing the standard, Beisel said.
“We’ve had a lot of great cooperation this semester,” he said. “A lot of the presidents have really come together, working together and keeping an eye out for each other.”
The Greek Life Task Force’s recommendations included live-in house directors, the adoption of a “Good Samaritan Policy,” among other things including increased education on alcohol.
“The way the task force laid it out is just to increase Greeks doing well on campus and looking at ways that we can hold ourselves to higher standards,” Beisel said. “And we (IFC) came together and kind of laid out our goals at the beginning of the semester, and this one we saw in our bylaws that we could easily change.”
“Historically, UTK Greek organizations have made substantial contributions to the learning experience of student members,” reads the final copy of the Task Force’s report. “In turn, the same students make valuable contributions to the UTK community during their undergraduate years.”
Beisel indicated that UTPD Police Chief Troy Lane, who served on the Task Force, has expressed interest in improving UTPD’s relationship with Greek Life.
“He’s actually looking at setting up a task force this summer with the presidents, a task force in regards to working with UTPD,” Beisel said.
