Residence halls across campus are following a trend of decreasing grade point averages, with many residence halls below the university average.

The total GPA for all residence halls in fall 2004 was 2.81, a decrease of .05 from 2.86 in fall 2003, according to the Department of Residence Research Office. The university average GPA in fall 2004 was 2.83.

Low GPAs can be attributed to the first-year residents who live in the dorms, said Don Whalen, research analyst for residence halls.

“Some buildings have more freshmen who tend not to do well,” he said.

If a residence hall has a low GPA and a high percentage of first-year students, it is safe to say these students play a large part in the dorm’s GPA, he said. Since junior and senior students are usually better off academically, first-year students could notably lower the dorm’s GPA, Whalen said.

Residence halls that maintain steady GPAs do so because third or fourth-year students living in those dorms even out the low GPAs of incoming first-year students and increase the building’s average, he said.

Maple Hall and Upper Friley Hall’s GPAs slightly increased, dodging the university trend. The Union Drive Association also increased in average GPA.

Despite the fact that a majority of Maple residents in 2004 were first-year students, the dorm managed to slightly increase its GPA by .02, to 2.95, according to the department research office.

The Union Drive Association, including Friley, Eaton and Martin Halls, also increased its GPA by .02, to 2.89 in 2004. Fifty-nine percent of 2004 UDA residents were first-year students.

Wilson Hall’s GPA remained at a constant 2.59 in 2003 and 2004.

Fresh Start program dorms saw a .04 increase in their GPA, bringing it to 2.88 in 2004. Non-Fresh Start dorms’ GPA decreased from 2.80 to 2.70 in the same time period, according to the office.

Ginny Arthur, associate director of residence life, said definite causes for increased or decreased grade averages cannot be pinpointed on specific effects. The Fresh Start communities however, offer a different environment than other dorms and might be influential in the students’ academic success, she said.

“The alcohol policy is different, the visitation policy is different, and the program encourages students to get involved in the community,” Arthur said. “The purpose [of Fresh Start] was to help first-year students make successful transitions from high school to college and making them feel that they belong. This might have an effect on students doing better academically.”

The Fresh Start program provides students with academic resources and encourages them to get involved in the ISU community. All Fresh Start halls are substance-free, and guests of the opposite sex are not permitted between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m., according to the Fresh Start Web site.

Fresh Start residents also have access to academic resource coordinators and community advisers. These students provide academic programming and make sure residents are aware of their resources, said Heather Phillips, residence life coordinator.

Because of budget cuts, the academic resource coordinator positions will be cut for the 2005-06 academic year.

“It is important to continue to emphasize academic success,” Phillips said.

GPA facts

• During the 2003-04 school year, residence hall women’s GPA increased while the men’s average stayed the same, according to the Department of Residence Spring 2004 Summary Grade Report.

• The GPAs of non-minority students were higher than those of minority students. The 2004 non-minority students’ GPA is 2.87 compared to the minority GPA of 2.63, according to the report.

• Don Whalen, research analyst for residence halls, said students living in temporary housing also have significantly lower GPAs than students in permanent housing.

— Ina Kadic