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Academics and grades are the mainstays of college life, and the sororities at Virgnia Tech recognize the importance of integrating scholarship and the sorority experience. At Virginia Tech, the Panhellenic community strives for academic excellence. Each sorority chapter has designated a GPA requirement for Potential New Members as well as for members to remain active. Since scholarship is one of the main foundations of every chapter, academic assistance is provided for members. Sororities understand that its members are students first and therefore provide recognition to those who excel and to members who improve their academic standing. It is important to understand that if your GPA is below a chapter's requirements, your chances of joining will be significantly decreased.
In 2008, the Panhellenic Director of Scholarship started a Virginia Tech chapter of Gamma Sigma Alpha, the premier academic Greek honorary. The society strives to uphold the high ideals of scholastic achievement, and therefore, only students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale) at the start of their junior year or a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in any semester during their junior or senior year are eligible.
The Panhellenic Council has hosted several events dedicated to improving the scholarship and work ethic of the Greek community. In fact, the Panhellenic Council has designated October as the Month of the Scholar, with additional emphasis placed on academic achievement! Events throughout the year have included test-taking workshops, resume and career workshops sponsored by career services, and community challenges, such as encouraging sorority women to visit their professors during office hours. Additionally, Panhellenic places sign-up sheets at various study areas (such as the Math Emporium, where members of sororities can record the hours they have studied. The Panhellenic Council offers academic scholarships each year, as do many of the individual chapters and their national organizations.
Panhellenic also offers "study breaks" during exam weeks, where sorority women can have a brief chance to relax and socialize during stressful periods. Study tips are also frequently offered at Panhellenic meetings and passed on to sorority chapters.
Greek-letter organizations were founded on the principle of successful scholarship. The academic performance of each chapter is tabulated every semester to determine the overall chapter rankings. For the past several years, the Virginia Tech Panhellenic Council has been recognized by the National Panhellenic Conference as having superior scholarship programming. We also have been awarded the prestigious Scholarship Award by the NPC, which acknowledges those schools that consistently raise their all-sorority grade point average.
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