Michael Hefelfinger had some trouble studying when he pledged his fraternity last semester.

With a 1.39 grade point average, the Theta Xi brother became part of an academic problem.

"I knew there was a problem the day I got the grade report back," said Chuck Tucker, president of Theta Xi fraternity, 425 Locust Lane. Tucker is also the Interfraternity Council University Relations chairman, which regulates IFC academic standards.

The pledges' cumulative GPA often brings down the overall GPA at Tucker's fraternity -- which finished 52 out of Penn State's 55 fraternities last semester, he said.

And in the past few years, academics haven't boosted the University fraternity system as a whole. The all-independent men's GPA was .02 higher than the all-fraternity GPA of 2.67.

In fact, it has only been above the all-independent men's once in the last decade, said former IFC President Tim Finn.

But IFC is trying to change that.

By raising the current chapter academic standards to a minimum 2.45 GPA, IFC revised the old academic bylaw that required IFC fraternities to maintain a 2.3 minimum cumulative GPA.

Besides the increase in standards, the revised bylaw remains basically the same, said Jordan Robinson, former IFC University Relations chairman.

The past bylaw recommended fraternity presidents whose chapters fell below the cumulative 2.3 GPA to meet with the IFC president, the IFC adviser or the Greek Life coordinator and the University Relations chairman.

"But very few people came in to talk and it wasn't required," Tucker said.

Currently, chapters are required to meet with all three officers within the first three weeks of the following semester. If a fraternity fails to show up, then that chapter will be referred to the Board of Control for disciplinary measures. But the punishment will be minimal -- probably equivalent to missing an IFC meeting, which is usually a fine, Robinson said.

"It's just a cautionary measure to ensure that they meet," he said. IFC's goal is to positively enforce academic standards with minimal punitive action, he added.

IFC's new plan makes fraternity members aware of the resources available at Penn State with minimum IFC involvement.

"It forces them to confront their own problem," Tucker said.

As Theta Xi's president, Tucker said he had to meet with IFC to evaluate his fraternity. He said he devised new study tactics for his fraternity and evaluated the pledges' academic needs more closely.

Hefelfinger said he has noticed a dramatic change in his fraternity from last semester.

"It used to be the whole down floor is the TV room or the common room, but it's emptied out. People are up in their rooms or in the library studying," Hefelfinger said. Since the new program, he has consistently been earning A's and B's this semester, he added.

The general attitude about academics has changed in his fraternity, he said.

Mary Peterson, assistant director of campus programs at the University of Iowa at Iowa City, said "attitude" is key to an organization's academic performance.

"It's not a magical scholarship program," Peterson said. "It's an attitude where it's cool to get an 'A' or a 'B,' not to go out the night before."

Penn State sororities create that positive environment, reinforcing academic excellence, said Becky Friese, Panhellenic Council president.

At the University of Iowa, fraternities generally fall below sororities' GPAs, Peterson added.

The same is true at Penn State.

The sororities' cumulative GPA -- a 2.95 for Fall Semester 1991 -- consistently tops the independent-women's GPA, which was a 2.89. But Panhel's only requirement is a 2.0 minimum GPA for individual women to rush.

"Judging from the past history, we haven't felt a need to pass a bylaw," Friese said.

Panhel sponsors workshops with chapter scholarship chairwomen and jointly sponsors a banquet with IFC to recognize members on the dean's list.

Academic programs and requirements differ from sorority to sorority, Friese said.

She attributes sororities' academic excellence to the emphasis on required study hours during pledging, Friese said.

She added that the required study hours for pledges instill the importance of academics from the beginning, setting a precedent for the rest of a sorority woman's college career.