Discusses approaches to relations with college/university alumni members of fraternities and sororities in the context of widely reported incidents of serious accidents, hazing, and alcohol abuse. Offers examples of ways to reach out to Greek alumni from Hamilton College (New York), Bowdoin College (Maine), Dartmouth College (New Hampshire),…

Study comparing self-reported alcohol-use patterns and the personal beliefs and expectancies about alcohol use of 385 fraternity and sorority members and 1,518 non-Greek-affiliated college students found alcohol use higher among Greek-affiliated students and highest at private parties. Peer norms and perceived benefits predicted use levels. (EMK)

States that if Greek-letter organizations are to be effective learning communities, they must meet the challenges associated with recruiting and retaining members of underrepresented populations, as well as educating all members about diversity issues. Includes a list of questions that provide a framework for self-assessment by Greek-letter…

Reports on a decline in fraternity membership, which is ascribed to changing demographics, bad publicity about alcohol abuse and hazing incidents, and changing student values. Graphs illustrate fraternity membership trends at six universities, including 10-year comparisons in membership, academic performance, and pledges; and average number of men…

Individual semester-by-semester undergraduate grade point average for each of the eight semesters of the collegiate academic life cycle for five entire student cohorts for the classes of 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 at a large, private university in the northeast (N = 12,663) reveal a "check-mark" pattern: students' grades fell in…

Because of the discriminatory practices and lack of appeal of many predominantly White Greek-letter organizations, students of color sought the development of their own. Alpha Phi Alpha, Rho Psi, MALIK Sigma Psi, Lambda Theta Phi, and Alpha Pi Omega set the stage for later African American, Asian, African, Latino and American Indian Greek-letter…

After reviewing institutional records for more than 3,000 students, the authors consider how new members of Greek organizations at a Midwestern university performed academically when compared to non-Greeks, in terms of their predicted versus actual grade point averages and whether joining during the first or second semester made a difference in…

The purpose of this study was to compare data collected from 508 Greek members at a large, northeastern land grant university in 1994 and 2000, examining both alcohol use and its consequences. This study supports past research findings showing a high incidence of alcohol consumption among fraternity and sorority members. However, by comparing the…

The relative importance of a number of predictors of binge drinking and of high- versus low-frequency binge drinking among undergraduate students was studied. Findings demonstrated that race, class, fraternity or sorority membership, use of other drugs in the past 30 days, positive alcohol expectancies, perception of minimal risk, perception that…

In this article, the authors investigated academic dishonesty and how business students stand on the issue as compared with other college students. They found in their study that nonbusiness students are more likely to cheat than are business students. In general, students who are members of Greek social organizations, undergraduates, male, and…

While studies by Stanley Milgram have shown that obedience to authority influences subjects' willingness to engage in behavior potentially harmful to others, Drout and Vandler (1992) found that observers consider an authority figure who harms or commands another person to harm someone more responsible and punishable than the obedient subordinate.…

An ad hoc committee assessed the level and type of drug usage on the Middle Tennessee State University campus. The sample of almost 1600 undergraduates was consistent with the total student body profile. Greek membership tended to depress drug usage but to increase alcohol consumption, particularly for males. Students who lived off-campus were…

A survey of 941 randomly selected students on the Twin Cities campuses of the University of Minnesota indicated that 72 percent or an estimated 28,800 students lived or would consider living near the campuses. Of the 28,800 students it was estimated that 11,000 students did not live in the university area but would consider doing so. Both single…

Black fraternities decline to participate in interfraternity councils because other members don't understand the traditions of the black organizations, say the officers of eight black national organizations at a conference at Michigan State University. The purpose of the conference was to improve communications between university administrators…

A Colorado Supreme Court ruling rejecting a student's liability claim for an injury sustained in a fraternity house is the second this year in which a court found no special university responsibility to protect student safety in private activities. (MSE)