Section I Responsibility to Self Click Once

Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity offers its brothers an opportunity for learning and living that provides for the academic and social enhancement of the college experience. It also provides for the holistic development of one’s character, life skills, and the attainment of wisdom. The Fraternity can and should assist its members to become better students; after all, “to foster education…to encourage culture, and to encourage high scholarship” is one of our Reasons for Being. As the primary reason students attend a college or university, academic excellence must come first! The rewards of chapter academic scholarship, both as a collective and as individuals, are numerous. Good scholarship enriches the lives of all members of the Greek community, stimulates the interest and approval of parents and alumni, attracts new members that are academically focused, and ensures the chapter’s future on campus. Those chapters who have a solid commitment to academic excellence also are committed to excellence in all other areas of chapter operations. Most importantly, a commitment to academic excellence on an individual basis will ensure that every Alpha Sig Brother will leave his chapter and his college or university with a healthy attitude toward life-long learning, with solid life skills, human understanding and compassion, and with the professional skills that will guarantee his career will be more successful and his life more personally satisfying. In emphasizing its commitment to academic excellence, the Fraternity provided the lead gift of $25,000 in 1997 to fund the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC)/National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) research initiative that examined the impact fraternities and sororities have had on the college experience. ___________________________________________ ____________________________________ Click Once ___________________________________________________________ ___________ Click Once

Developing an Individual and Chapter Commitment to Academics For a chapter to succeed academically, it must have a formal, functioning scholarship program. While certain officers are the chapter’s scholarship program, attainment of academic excellence in the chapter is possible only when there is widespread involvement. The responsibility of the chapter in scholarship is relatively simple: to have every member achieving at a level consistent with his abilities. This is no easy task. Even the individual student has difficulty in matching performance against ability. It would seem that the only real measure of a chapter’s effectiveness in scholarship programming is its reply to the following question: Is everything possible being done to insure that every member is not only afforded full opportunity by the chapter’s scholarship program, but also the full support of the entire membership? An effective academic program is likely to be geared toward: A better look at potential members The development of an attitude/expectation The maintenance of an academic atmosphere Click Once ____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ Click Once

The chapter can also develop incentive programs to encourage a commitment to academic excellence. The following are just a few specific suggestions that, if employed, could significantly improve chapter members’ grades and attitude toward academics: Remind your chapter of all university academic deadlines for the week during chapter meetings. Prominently display academic awards earned by the chapter and its members, including putting an ad of congratulations in the student newspaper for those who made the Dean’s list. Create an annual financial scholarship for chapter members. This doesn’t have to be a large amount, but simply an amount that recognizes extraordinary commitment to academics. Send letters to parents discussing the chapter’s academic programs and encourage them to take an active role in their sons’ academic success Create a scholarship for incoming freshmen males. This provides an excellent way for the chapter to connect early with potential members, while at the same time creating a positive image in the minds of new freshman that Alpha Sigma Phi is serious about academics from the start! Have older members write down some of their best study tips or habits. Pass them out to new members at the beginning of the semester so they can utilize them as they are developing their own study skills Encourage members to apply for Alpha Sig national scholarships and chapter and national Scholar of the Year Programs, and to other Greek academic honoraries such as Phi Beta Kappa, Order of Omega, Gamma Sigma Alpha, and Rho Lambda, which recognize a student’s commitment to both leadership and academic excellence.

Lifelong Learning Upon graduation, members will discover many additional ways of learning. Through professional associations and journals; attending seminars, workshops or advanced degree classes; and, participating in community events, graduates will continue the lifelong learning process as well as to fulfilling one of the Fraternity’s primary reasons for being: to foster education. Alpha Sigs are committed to a lifetime of learning. Click Once ________________ __________________________________ Click Once