Membership in a Fraternity or Sorority, Student Engagement, and Educational Outcomes at AAU Public Research Universities

During the past 4 decades, the role of fraternities and sororities on college campuses has come under increasing scrutiny (see Clark, 1962; Jakobsen, 1986; Kuh, Pascarella, & Wechsler, 1996; Maisel, 1990; Winston & Saunders, 1987). Critics of the Greek system have pointed to research showing that membership in a fraternity or sorority is associated with higher levels of alcohol use (Wechsler, Kuh, & Davenport, 1996), lower levels of personal development (Wilder, Hoyt, Doren, Hauck, & Zettle, 1978; Wilder, Hoyt, Surbeck, Wilder, & Carney, 1986), and lower levels of academic achievement (Blimling, 1993; Pike & Askew, 1990). Recently, criticisms of the Greek system have intensified and focused on research results showing that Greek affiliation can have negative effects on students’ learning and intellectual development (Pascarella et al., 1996). Based on results of the National Study of Student Learning (NSSL), Kuh et al. (1996, p. A68) concluded: “Fraternities are indifferent to