When senior Shea Hunter, president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), said he wanted to raise the organization's overall GPA, he meant it.
"I wanted to see some improvements," Hunter said. "Our chapters are always at the bottom of the list when it comes to gradesand GPA."
NPHC is the governing body of Miami University's predominantly black fraternities and sororities.
In order to increase the GPAs of the fraternities and sororities in NPHC, the organization collaborated with the Office of Diversity Affairs to establish daily study tables from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.
"Our executive board got together and came up with an idea that followed along with that goal," Hunter said. "Creating study tables would not only benefit us but also the community of students."
While many Miami University organizations host study tables for their students, this one is specifically designed and sponsored by NPHC as an incentive for them to study and also connect with the student body, since the tables are open to all students.
"We're holding each other accountable," Hunter said. "The goal is to make sure our chapters are involved in it."
The 30 members of NPHC are required by their chapters to log a certain number of hours each week at the study tables, located in the Center for Diverse Student Development in the basement of Warfield Hall.
"The chapter that clocks the most hours there or shows the most improvement will have a book scholarship donated in their name," Hunter said.
For the past three years the NPHC has used money from their funding to give away a $250 book scholarship to one male and one female first-year who have shown scholarly aptitude through an essay contest.
"This year they made it so that the freshmen also have to participate in study table for at least 40 hours during the semester (in order to get the scholarship)," said Tara Hawthorne, adviser to NPHC and assistant director of the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Leadership.
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Hawthorne said they also worked closely with Eloiza Domingo-Snyder, director of diverse student development at Miami, to keep the space open and provide healthy snacks for the students when they come in to study.
"I've seen study tables go either way," Domingo-Snyder said. "But most of the students here now come between classes instead of going to Shriver or back to their residence halls. They get more done and I'm very impressed with the discipline they've shown."
Right now, Domingo-Snyder said a majority of the students are from NPHC or are first-years hoping to join those chapters.
"This is a really great recruitment tool," Domingo-Snyder said. "A lot of people think study tables are just about socializing but here a lot of studying is accomplished."
Hawthorne said there will be more students from other organizations, such as Sigma Lambda Gamma and Sigma Lambda Beta, which are beginning to participate as well.
"Students can come in after work or class and stay through the evening," Hawthorne said. "We're all hoping this will accomplish Shea Hunter's goals of unity and scholarship throughout NPHC and the Miami community."
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