Greeks penalized for GPAs

Several fraternities must decide how to respond to disciplinary actions from the University — or they might not be able to recruit first-semester students once fall rush begins Monday.

Seven Greek organizations will be punished under a set of restrictions on fraternity and sorority recruitment known as the performance-based recruitment policy. The policy requires chapters to raise their GPA average to or above the University-wide average for two consecutive semesters by spring 2013 — last semester — said Aaron Bachenheimer, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Community Involvement.

As of spring 2013, the University-wide GPA average was 3.18.

According to the policy that was passed in spring 2011 by the UNC Board of Trustees, if fraternities or sororities do not meet that GPA average, they must forfeit the recruitment of first-semester students until they correct the issue.

But Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp has offered the fraternities an alternative punishment option of social suspension, which four Interfrate rnity Council fraternities might be pursuing.

The other three Greek Alliance fraternities have decided to forgo freshman recruitment this fall, Bachenheimer said.

The four IFC chapters — Phi Gamma Delta, Zeta Psi, Pi Kappa Alpha and Pi Lambda Phi — are still discussing punishment options. The president of Pi Lambda Phi declined to comment while the other presidents could not be reached.

Bachenheimer said the office is still discussing options available to the fraternities.

“It’s not that the groups aren’t making the decision, one of the groups might be making the decision that they want to challenge the policy,” he said.

The option of social suspension was given to the fraternities because their GPAs had improved during the past three semesters.

“If they’re willing to accept a social suspension, we’d allow them to recruit first-year, first-semester students, with the idea that this would help them focus on academics,” Bachenheimer said.

The four fraternities fell just several tenths or hundredths under this requirement. Pi Lambda Phi’s average GPA for spring 2013 was a 3.159 — 0.021 points below the University-wide average.

“While (fraternities) did fall under the requirement, they did show a commitment to academic improvement,” said Peter Blumberg, president of the IFC.

He said he did not know which option the fraternities would choose or what alternative punishments they might pursue.

“I support the decision of these chapters and support the decision to advocate for themselves,” Blumberg said.

In addition, the three Greek Alliance groups — Delta Phi Omega sorority, Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority, and Pi Alpha Phi fraternity — did not meet the GPA requirement and chose to forfeit fall recruitment of first-semester students, Bachenheimer said.

Crisp said the fraternities were informed about the policy and had enough time to raise their GPAs.

Crisp said he was presented with two other punishment options by the fraternities, but turned them down. He said he is still open to discussing alternatives.

“I’ve given the one option I can think of that’s fair to them,” he said.

“And it would have been quite fair simply to execute the policy the way it is written.”

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