On Greek Row: Diversity, Socially Responsible Leadership and Fraternity and Sorority Membership

This study uses the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education to examine the relationship between diversity experiences and socially responsible leadership among college fraternity and sorority members. Results suggest that college diversity experiences are positively associated with socially responsible leadership for these student groups

The Effects of Fraternity/Sorority Membership on College Experiences and Outcomes: A Portrait of Complexity

This study estimated the effects of fraternity/sorority membership on a wide range of college experiences and outcomes for first-year and senior college students at a large, public, Midwestern university. The findings suggest a complex portrait of the relationships between affiliation, engagement, and learning outcomes. Fraternity/sorority membership appeared to facilitate social involvement during college but may have limited the diversity of relationships. It was associated with higher levels of community service, but also increased the odds of excessive alcohol use. In the presence of controls for important, confounding influences, being a fraternity/sorority member had little consistent influence on grades or perceived impact of college. There was little support for gender differences in the impact of affiliation. Finally, implications for student affairs professionals in their work with undergraduate fraternity/sorority leaders and members were considered

Research Revisited: Cognitive Effects of Greek Affiliation in College: Additional Evidence

Previous research found broad based negative effects of fraternity/sorority affiliation on standardized measures of cognitive development after one year of college. Following the same sample, and employing essentially the same research design and analytic model, the present study found that the negative effects of fraternity/sorority affiliation were much less pronounced during the second or third years of college

The Effects of Fraternity/Sorority Membership on College Experiences and Outcomes: A Portrait of Complexity

This study estimated the effects of fraternity/sorority membership on a wide range of college experiences and outcomes for first-year and senior college students at a large, public, Midwestern university. The findings suggest a complex portrait of the relationships between affiliation, engagement, and learning outcomes. Fraternity/sorority membership appeared to facilitate social involvement during college but may have limited the diversity of relationships. It was associated with higher levels of community service, but also increased the odds of excessive alcohol use. In the presence of controls for important, confounding influences, being a fraternity/sorority member had little consistent influence on grades or perceived impact of college. There was little support for gender differences in the impact of affiliation. Finally, implications for student affairs professionals in their work with undergraduate fraternity/sorority leaders and members were considered

The Benefits of Good Teaching Extend Beyond Course Achievement

This paper synthesizes research from the Wabash National Study on Liberal Arts Education, the National Study on Student Learning, and the Research on Iowa Student Experiences study that estimates the influence of certain effective instructional practices on a range of student outcomes. Student perceptions of two specific teacher behaviors – instructor clarity and instructor organization – are associated with gains in a number of important student outcomes including critical thinking, propensity for lifelong learning, academic motivation, persistence to the second year of college, graduate degree plans, likelihood of obtaining a bachelor's degree, and student use of deep approaches to learning

The Estimated Effects of Participation in Service-Learning on Liberal Arts Outcomes

This study used data from a longitudinal, national study of recent college students to examine the estimated effects of students’ participation in service-learning on six liberal arts outcomes.  Findings indicate that service-learning was a positive, significant predictor for students’ political and social involvement.  Service-learning did not have a significant effect on students’ growth regarding critical thinking, moral reasoning, inclination to inquire and lifelong learn, intercultural effectiveness, or psychological well-being. 

On Student Development in College: Evidence from the National Study of Student Learning

This paper summarizes some of the major findings of the National Study of Student Learning, a longitudinal investigation of the factors influencing student intellectual development at 23 diverse colleges and universities in 16 states. Findings from the following analyses are presented: effects of perceived teacher behaviors on general cognitive skills and internal locus of attribution; influences on critical thinking; cognitive effects of two- and four-year colleges; cognitive effects of historically Black and predominantly White colleges; and cognitive effects of Greek affiliation