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Scholarship Spotlight: Kayla Aprile
Gamma Sigma Alpha was pleased to continue the tradition of awarding scholarships to undergraduate members pursuing advanced degrees for the 2011-2012 academic year. We were able to recognize four outstanding students with scholarships to assist them as they pursue advanced degrees. Each recipient will be highlighted individually throughout this academic year.
Kayla Aprile is one of four scholarship recipients for the 2011-2012 academic year
The first student we would like to spotlight is Kayla Aprile, a 2009 Gamma Sigma Alpha initiate from the Chi chapter at Albion College. Aprile graduated in May with a major in Biochemistry and was accepted into medical school at the University of Michigan where she is currently in her first year of the program. During her time at Albion College, she excelled in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. She was a leader within her Alpha Xi Delta sorority chapter, worked at the campus library and volunteered at the local elementary school and with Habitat for Humanity all while achieving high academic honors.
Aprile’s former fraternity/sorority advisor said this about her:
Kayla has a high level of moral reasoning and has exemplified her own standards for personal conduct in a consistent way. Kayla leads with integrity in everything she does and serves as a great role model for the entire Albion College campus community.
Aprile served as President of the Gamma Sigma Alpha chapter during her senior year. With the goals of increasing the chapter’s visibility on campus and raising membership numbers, she had her work cut out for her. She was able to exceed her own goals and triple membership in Gamma Sigma Alpha!
The Gamma Sigma Alpha Board of Directors and staff wishes Kayla Aprile much success as she pursues her medical degree! Congratulations on your accomplishments!
Posted: October 11th, 2011 in Scholarship Spotlights | No Comments »
75 Ways to Enrich the Academic Community on Your Campus
By the Fraternity/Sorority Campus Office
1. Publish grades
2. Conduct assessment with university research office
3. Assign interns, graduate students, or practicum students to work on academic projects or initiatives
4. Help fraternity/sorority community showcase their academic achievements to the university community
5. Obtain budget incentives from tutoring companies
6. Begin to impose initiatives
7. Reach out to headquarters
8. Email grade reports to the chapters
9. Create resource packets on academics for chapters
10. Contact NPHC chapter advisors if members/chapters are below 2.5
11. Ask Counseling Center to assist with academic support
12. Put grade report on website
13. Provide chapters with academic workshops
14. Set community wide academic goals
15. Share the Fraternity/Sorority Community academic report card with all chapters
16. Empower the student leaders in this area
17. Provide job descriptions and resources for faculty advisors
18. Talk with chapters about their academic profile and performance
19. Show students how to hold their peers accountable academically
20. Meet regularly with all chapters about scholarship
21. More incentive based plans
22. Hold academic integrity conversations
23. Work with schools/departments to recruit/designate chapter faulty advisors
24. Publicly “brag” on exceptional chapter/student academic achievement (newspaper, facebook, twitter, etc)
By the Councils
25. Host special event for scholarship chairs whose chapters met or exceeded the respective all-campus GPA
26. Chapter challenges for grades/grade improvement
27. Have stakeholder discussions
28. Have an academic aspect of recruitment
29. Post chapter GPA’s during orientation and/or recruitment
30. Co-host fraternity/sorority awards and faculty appreciation dinner
31. Talk with chapters about their academic programs
32. More faculty recognition programs, especially for influential faculty
33. Hold scholarship banquets
34. Select a faculty member of the month
35. Set an academic goal together
36. Improve Council academic programs
37. Voluntary round tables at Starbucks or other on-campus location
38. Re-allocate budget for scholarships
39. Establish chapter standards and requirements
40. Skills workshops for scholarship chairs
41. Take officers on tour of campus resources
42. Faculty/staff advisor recognition
43. Council to council contests
44. Establish peer expectations
45. Raise standards by council
By the Chapters
46. Allocate a percentage of the budget on academic enrichment
47. Put academics into recruitment conversations and expectations
48. Recruit new members with high GPA’s
49. Ask for input from the student leaders on new member programs and what is working and what is not
50. Make sure new members achieve good grades during new member period
51. Assess chapter time spent on academics as related to time available, budget and values
52. Elicit ideas from members
53. Develop an individual member academic probation period, have those members file an action plan with scholarship chair
54. Enforce quiet hours in the house—all semester or during exam periods
All Constituencies
55. Help every chapter maintain or raise its GPA
56. Help chapters with academic achievement awards
57. Give faculty recognition
58. Assessment of academics/academic achievement to peer averages
59. Training for chapter scholarship chairs
60. Reach out to faculty advisors
61. Budget for academic programming
62. Start/support a Gamma Sigma Alpha chapter
63. Strengthen the faculty/staff programs; create relationships
64. Improve cultural aspects
65. Share academic research with chapters
66. Share honor society information
67. Support fraternity/sorority campus office on what they are trying to do
68. Parity in message about academics is important
69. Create a list of faculty and staff with their fraternity/sorority affiliations
70. Appreciation baskets to colleges/departments/faculty
71. Photo opportunities with deans and/or senior administration
72. Academic excellence dinners
73. Develop individualized chapter plans—one size do not fit all
74. Create point systems & incentives
75. Use the Academic Achievement Report Card to evaluate & improve (Available: HERE)