The Panhellenic Council will vote at their meeting today on a piece of legislation that proposes to raise the minimum GPA needed for women to go through sorority recruitment. The current requirement is a 2.25, which would be increased to a 2.5 if the legislation passes.

Over the past year, Panhellenic has worked to make the recruitment process easier, especially for first-year women. Other proposals limiting the amount of money spent by the sororities on recruitment and the week’s activities were passed last spring. The GPA increase proposal is another step in the right direction.

The increase has many all-encompassing positive effects. First, it will motivate first-years to keep their grades up and learn academic responsibility while free from the obligations of sorority life. It will also encourage them to balance studying with partying. A 2.5 is a manageable and realistic goal for students. If women wanting to go through recruitment cannot earn a 2.5 GPA, she should spend her second semester on the Hilltop studying and not pledging a house.

Second, while the minimum requirement was a 2.25 to be eligible for recruitment in the spring of 2003, many individual houses GPA requirements were higher. It is possible for potential members to be released from houses because they did not meet that house’s requirement. These women might not even know that was why they were released. By raising the overall standard it will give the potential members a more accurate portrayal of what to expect during recruitment week.

Third, if the legislation passes, it will not only improve the academic standard of the greek community, but also that of the university.

SMU constantly says it is trying to move into the top tier of liberal arts universities. This proposal will improve the grades of the approximately 500 first-year women that go through recruitment. Once these women join a sorority, they are required to maintain their GPA.

This legislation might eliminate some women from the process, but it will ultimately improve the quality of the greek system. By increasing the minimum requirement, Panhellenic is proving to the university that academics are important to the greek community.

The Editorial Board votes yes to this proposal.