The Three S's

Beta Sigma Psi emphasizes three key values, which we believe to be equally important to the development of our members. These values are Spiritual, Scholastic, and Social. They are our "Three S's", and they are a big focus of our Associate Membership program.

Spiritual
One thing that sets Beta Sigma Psi apart from other fraternities, is that most of our members are connected through the Lutheran faith. While this is a common bond between most of our members, being officially part of the Lutheran faith is not required to become a member of Beta Sigma Psi. There are several Christian denominations represented within our members, and even a few who do not take claim to any particular faith.

Our members take an active interest in church and other spiritual growth opportunities. Once a month, Immanuel Lutheran Church (who's pastor is our pastoral advisor) has a "BetaSig Sunday" where members of the fraternity do the greeting, ushering, and reading. No one is forced to ever do any of these positions, but many members in the house are glad to serve on these special Sundays. Furthermore, there is a Thursday night bible study at the Lutheran Student Center that our members are encouraged to go to. We gather for an hour of singing and reading as we study the Bible.

Scholastic
Beta Sigma Psi has had the top GPA among the male fraternities for the past ten semesters - that's right, for five straight years we have held the top spot for grades among men in the fraternity system. We even have a nice trophy from IFC in our Chapter Room, officially recognizing our excellence in academic achievement. You can also view each semester's grade breakdown on the Student Life Academic Records page.

Of course, a reputation like that does not come naturally. Our study system keeps track of who is falling behind academically, and tries to fix the problem before it is too late. Every semester and at the mid-term of each semester each member's GPA is re-evaluated, which determines how many study hours he is on for the next half of a semester. We realize that being a student really is your "job" while in college, and we take it seriously.

Freshmen in house are required to study four hours per night for the first semester. Since many people did not need to study much in high school, they see the four study hours as way more than they could possibly need. However, once they experience the amount of homework and studying that is required in college to succeed, they realize that four hours is really not that bad (wait until you spend two of it on one physics assignment). Most freshmen will tell you that our study system has helped them maintain their grades and get off to a positive start in college.

One of the ways we facilitate this study system is through the "Big Brother" program. Each incoming freshmen is put in a room with an older member in house, rather than all the freshmen being put together. The Big Brother helps encourage good study habits and helps younger members out with difficulty in harder classes. Remember, we've all been through most of the same classes, and can offer good advice about what teachers to try to get, or what classes to take - or not take - in the same semester.

Social
As human beings, we are social creatures. We strive for friendship and acceptance among our peers and classmates. Beta Sigma Psi encourages its members to introduce themselves to people they haven't met yet. This helps build connections with sororities and other fraternities on campus, as well as with group members in classes.

Throughout the semester, we hold socials with sororities to help houses bond with each other. We have done ice cream socials and movie socials, and have even made our own play-dough with another sorority. Usually one house will purchase the ice cream and the other will purchase supplies needed for the games or activities. This helps to keep the cost even between the houses, as well as give each the opportunity to come up with new ideas and ways to do things.

While having fun with other houses is important, Beta Sigma Psi also wants its members to be socially acceptable in a formal atmosphere. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we have formal dinners (minus the suit and tie). We set places for everyone eating, including silverware, cups, etc. Each formal dinner has dinner waiters that set the tables before-hand, then wait on everyone who is eating. This provides an opportunity for everyone to get more familiar with being in a formal dinner setting. On top of this, we follow customary formal dinner rules, like not wearing hats to dinner and not answering your cell phone while at the table. Through doing this, we hope each member of the fraternity will know how to be more socially proper in formal settings such as job interviews or meetings with groups in classes.

We hope that our "Three S's" help each BetaSig to be a more well rounded person. Through practicing each of the S's, we know each person can graduate and leave college better off then when they entered Beta Sigma Psi.