Although Black commuter students are disadvantaged when it comes to higher education, research on the success of Black commuter students in college is very rare. Existing research on Black and commuter students primarily concentrate on negative statistics such as stagnant college completion rates, departure, and lack of engagement. The purpose of…

Discusses previous research that found broad-based negative effects of Greek affiliation on standardized measures of cognitive development after one year of college. Following the same sample, the present study found that the negative effects of Greek affiliation were much less pronounced during the second or third years of college. (Contains 32…

Discusses the perceived lack of readiness among sorority and fraternity members to reduce their drinking. Reports on a survey of 106 at-risk Greek students in which 25% report moving into stages that involve thinking about change or action to reduce their alcohol consumption. Proposes that research should assess the extent to which high-risk…

The National Study of Student Learning indicated that membership in Greek organizations can have negative effects on students' cognitive development, particularly during freshman year. In contrast, this study at a midwestern research university found Greek students had higher levels of involvement and gains in general abilities than non-Greek…

Using student development theory and Robert Kegan's work on the mental demands of modern life, explores new ways to advise college Greek organizations. Encourages advisers to listen closely to how students are interpreting the school's expectations. Outlines a way to foster students' understanding and adherence to risk management policies. (RJM)

Study of Greek-letter social group members (n=321) at midwestern university found significant correlations between members' levels of involvement and their psychosocial development as measured by Student Development Task and Lifestyle Inventory. Differences in the relationship between involvement and psychosocial development were established by…

Greek-letter organizations can and should be vehicles for their members' ethical development. If fraternities and sororities examine the ethical challenges they face, they can enhance their contribution to the campus learning community. (Author)

Explores whether involvement in Greek organizations enhances student development. Discusses areas of student development, such as academic, social, and moral and ethical development, and reviews studies examining the correlation between Greek organizations and student development. Studies show no conclusive evidence of Greek involvement leading to…

This study compared the levels of student engagement between fraternity and sorority members and other undergraduate students. After controls, Greek members appeared to be equally and sometimes more engaged in academically challenging tasks, active learning, student-faculty interaction, community service, diversity, satisfaction, and on learning…

To address the persistent challenge of Greek alcohol abuse, campus administrators must work with Greek letter organizations to establish effective alcohol policies and programs that promote alcohol awareness and responsible use. Provides examples of programs already in place. (MKA)

Explored the impact of sorority and fraternity affiliation. Studied college freshmen at the beginning and end of the school year. Found no significant differences between affiliated and nonaffiliated students, suggesting that the Greek system might reassess its philosophy and pledge education programs. (Author/JAC)

Examined moral reasoning and identity development of Greek and non-Greek men and women. Controlling for entering first-year levels, Greek men scored lower in Confidence component of identity development than did Greek women and non-Greeks. Covarying for entering first-year students' moral reasoning scores, sophomore non-Greek women scored higher…

Responds to the results of Wilder et al. on Greek affiliation and attitude change in college students by: (1) examining goals for the educated person; (2) providing an overview of epigenesis; (3) giving possible developmental explanations of Wilder's findings; and (4) discussing ramifications of the results and suggestions for further research.…

Supporting Greek life has been an important educational initiative for many colleges and universities. Although Greek students are typically involved with the college and community, there are other aspects of Greek culture, such as hazing and alcohol abuse, which are troublesome to university administrators. This document discusses standards, set…

Compares fraternity (N=446) and sorority (N=325) members' perceptions of their house environment. Indicated significant differences on five of the 10 subscales of the University Residence Environment Scale. Data indicated fraternity members perceived their houses as higher on competitiveness, self-governance, and innovation but lower on…