Scholarship Program
Purpose: To improve the scholastic standing of its members, and the general chapter by
providing a practical, efficient means of increasing the importance of academic success and to
fulfill the chapter's goals of making better men academically as well as socially.
Introduction: The scholarship program, when implemented through ratification, will provide the
means and organization lo assist the candidates and actives of Alpha Alpha Alpha in attaining
better academic standing.
GENERAL
Goals and Motivation: At the beginning of each semester academic goal sheets will be filled
out by all members of the chapter and returned to the scholarship chair. This will focus the
individuals of the chapter, and provide information for the scholarship chair to set a realistic goal
for overall semester GPA of the chapter as a whole. Scholarship will be promoted at all chapter
meetings and candidate meetings. At these meetings, incentives, recognition, and motivation will
all be expressed in an enthusiastic manner by the scholarship chair, and or our faculty advisor,
John Smith.
Scholarship Committee: A committee must be formed at the beginning of the academic year by
the scholarship chair. This committee will be composed of at least four active members of
varying ages, who all have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Responsibilities of the committee
include: being conscious of individual member's academic concerns and presenting them to the
scholarship chair, helping the chapter focus on recruiting students committed to academic
excellence during recruitment, and organizing test and study files while the scholarship chair is
focusing on the candidates during their candidacy
Study Aids:
1. A chapter major list will be updated at the beginning of each semester and posted in the
scholarship room to assist chapter members.
2. Test and study files will be updated at the end of each semester by the scholarship chair and
his committee.
3. Teacher evaluations will be filled out by the chapter at the end of each semester, to assist
members when registering for classes. These evaluations are organized and placed in a binder
found in the scholarship room.
4. The chapter room and the scholarship room are used as quiet study rooms on week nights from
10:00 p.m. until the next morning. The doors to these rooms are to be kept shut during these
times.
5. Every night from Sunday through Thursday quiet hours are enforced from 10:00 p.m. to 10:00
a.m. On exam week there is a 24 hour quiet rule.
6. The scholarship chair is to meet with Dr. Deborah Fischer, Director of the Center for Learning
Assistance at the beginning of each semester. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss any new
or unused resources that could be made available to the chapter, and to have Dr. Fischer review
our written scholarship program at the beginning of the year. Resources that must be updated are
referral forms, semester time management sheets, and tutoring times for all subjects to be posted
in me scholarship room.
Incentives: Incentives are a vital part of the program because they motivate those who do not
receive them and reinforce those who do. Our main incentive program is a free scholarship
dinner at an upscale restaurants in the Peoria area, for those who have achieved a GPA of 3.5 or
better. This dinner and those attending is announced at chapter to insure recognition of those
attending and to show the candidates our chapter's strong emphasis on academics. Also,
certificates are presented each semester at chapter for best pledge father/son GPA, most
improved GPA, and highest class GPA. Candidates are further pushed to obtain a high GPA,
because they know that the main contributing factor for the active chapter assigning their badge
numbers is grades. Further incentives vary from year to year, and are determined by creativity
and any leftover budget in the scholarship fund.
CANDIDATE PROGRAM
Requirements:
All freshman candidates shall be required to achieve a 2.5 GPA with 9 hours of credit at Bradley
to become an active member of Alpha Alpha Alpha Fraternity. Additionally, if at the end of a
candidacy semester the candidate (already having completed 9 hours of credit at Bradley before
pledging) has fulfilled 9 hours of credit in the current semester with a minimum GPA of 2.0 and
maintains a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater may become an active member.
Candidates shall have a maximum of two semesters to make the 2.5 GPA required to become an
active member of the chapter, Because of the current differences between Bradley's and chapter’s
standards, a candidate still in good standing with the University after two semesters may petition
the chapter for another semester to achieve the 2.5 GPA. The chapter shall decide by a two thirds
vote whether the candidate may return for a third semester. A candidate below Bradley standards
after two semesters shall no longer be able to become an active member of the Chapter. He
therefore relinquishes all of his privileges as a candidate and may not attend any organized
chapter functions for members only.
Active Study Helpers: Each candidate is paired with an active member with the same major.
The active member will serve as the candidate’s academic mentor until he goes active. The
candidate is required to set up meetings with his active at least once a week. These meetings and
their contents are logged into the candidate’s binder and checked by an active member at study
tables. The active study helper is given an expectations sheet when they are paired with their
pledgeStudy Tables: Study tables are conducted by the executive board every week during the
evening. All candidates are required to attend study tables. The first thirty minutes of study
tables may be utilized by the Scholarship or Membership Education Chairmen to reinforce
lessons learned in study skills sessions.
Library Hours: All candidates are required to log ten library hours in the library every week.
Candidate Review Board: The candidate review board is composed of elected members of the
active chapter, including the scholarship chair. Aside from other aspects of their candidacy, the
board addresses the candidate's academic standing. This is an excellent scholarship tool because
the candidate will either be praised or reprimanded by the board.
“Semester on one page” Time Management: Copies of the Time Management calendar
provided by the Center for Learning Assistance will provided to candidates. Candidates will be
instructed to pencil in all quiz, exam, and paper and project due dates. The sheets will provide
candidates with a clear cut schedule of when their tests and dues dates are throughout the
semester.
Candidate Study Skills Session: This program will be above and beyond study tables and focus
on teaching candidates skills useful to academic success. This program will be organized by the
scholarship chair, candidate marshal, and other members of the executive board. Ideas for the
session include, but are not limited to time management, study tips for midterms/finals,
discovering your learning style, how to calculate your GPA, test taking skills, how to take notes,
how to avoid cramming, communicating with professors, and how to study better.
ACTIVE PROGRAM
Requirements:
Any active member receiving a semester GPA of lower than a 2.50 will be placed on academic
probation for a period of one semester. If at the end of that semester, the member receives a
semester GPA greater than 2.50, he will be returned to normal active status. If, however, the
member receives a GPA lower than 2.50 for the second semester in a row, he will be placed on
academic suspension.
Semester GPA's for active members will be based on those given to the scholarship chair by
Bradley University. A Member will be able to change his semester GPA by enrolling in either a
Bradley University January interim class or a Bradley University May/summer interim class. It
will be the responsibility of the member to provide proof of his improved grades. However the
change of a semester GPA will only move a member form the status of academic suspension to
the status of academic probation, rather, he cannot be taken off academic probation by receiving
an improved from an interim class.
CONCLUSION
The scholarship chair is an executive office in the Alpha Alpha Alpha Fraternity and this has
shown to improve the overall academic status of the house. The scholarship program was
compiled of ideas of the current scholarship chair, previous chairs, other chapters, fraternities
and scholarship guideline books. The main emphasis of this program is providing all brothers
with the resources to excel academically. The only way this program will work is if the chapter
supports the scholarship chairman, and Alpha Alpha Alpha has definitely proven this
requirement attainable.
Section 4 -
SCHOLASTIC EXPECTATIONS
Any Brother receiving a semester GPA below a 2.50 will be placed on academic probation for one semester. If the
said Brother receives a GPA above a 2.50 the following semester, he will be returned to Active Status; however, if
he receives a GPA below a 2.50 for the second consecutive semester, he will be placed on academic suspension.
4.1
SEMESTER GPA. The change of a Brother’s GPA as a result of an interim course will allow him
to move from academic suspension to academic probation as a result of improved grades;
however, a Brother may not be taken off academic probation for an improved GPA resulting from
an interim course.
4.2
ACADEMIC PROBATION. A Brother on academic probation shall maintain the same rights and
privileges associated with the Active status; however, he will be required to complete the
following:
A. 10 study hours per week. Study hours with a tutor from the Center for Learning Assistance
will count as double hours.
B. Volunteer to be sober monitor at two social events of choice.
C. Meet with Scholarship Committee at beginning of semester.
4.3
ACADEMIC SUSPENSION. A Brother on academic suspension must meet the following
criteria:
A. Minimum of 10 logged study hours per week. Study hours with a tutor from the Center for
Learning Assistance will count as double hours.
B. Volunteer to be sober monitor at two social events of choice.
C. Meet with Scholarship Committee at beginning of semester.
D. Must be sober Sunday through Thursday
E. Limited to one major social function in given semester
F. Cannot participate in intramural or IFC athletics