Student Attitudes towards Graduation: A Comparison of Motivation Factors for Greek Life and Non-Greek Life Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Greek life is an activity that is part of student involvement on a college or university campus. Student involvement allows students to increase their knowledge outside of the classroom through interaction with their peers and faculty, which will hopefully lead to graduation. The creation of Greek life engaged students in activities outside of the classroom. Unfortunately, Greek life has carried negative references and has been associated with morally wrong activities. Colleges and universities received negative impacts from such activities and behaviors. Most research about Greek life conveyed dedication to focusing on hazing, academics, and graduation rates. Revealing the motivational influences of Greek life could lead to more positive references. The purpose of this qualitative study concentrates on comparing the motivational factors of Greek life students and non-Greek life students, as they seek their bachelor’s degrees, based on theoretical frameworks of student involvement and motivational theories. Greek life students and non-Greek life students from a private Midwest university surveyed and made a comparison showing that Greek life needed to provide connection to the campus and peers. Another finding showed non-Greek life students can benefit from extracurricular and co-curriculum activities to provide connections with the campus and peers also. Finally, colleges and universities can benefit from social interactions on campuses to increase student retention and eventually graduation.