As part of J309- Data Storytelling, we had to understand how data plays an essential role in journalism. As we progressed through the course,, we were tasked with creating, importing, and accessing a variety of data sets. From there, we learned how to determine the reliability of the data by looking at its sources. Our next step was to learn how to analyze data after we established a dataset’s credibility. As a result, we learned how to make pivot tables using Excel and Google Sheets, as well as how to create formulas, filters, and sorts. As a final step, we learned how to present our data visually with our insights and stories accompanied by our data. The visuals were created using platforms such as Flourish and Tableau.

KU Greek Life Academic Progression from 2018 to 2022

Project Description: Below you will find my data biography which directly correlates with my Data Story below. In the following sections, I describe how the project was completed.

KU Greek Life Academic Progression from 2018 to 2022

By Eva Sidie 

Origin of the Data.

● On the University of Kansas website, you can find the forms of each chapter’s GPAs throughout the years. There is a form for each year from 2018-2022. On the KU website, you go to resources, chapter members & advisers, and then academic reports. Here you can find the forms. The link to take you directly to the records is ttps://kusfl.ku.edu/academic-reports. What makes me confident that my data is accurate is the reports come straight from the university. The grades of the chapters are released to anyone looking at the Univerity of Kansa website. The publication is from a credible source, which ensures its accuracy. This report is also accurate because the University of Kansas determines each individual’s grades and calculates and publishes them.

Spreadsheet.

● For this assignment I decided to work with Microsoft Excel.

● Each row or case in my spreadsheet represents a greek life organization. There are 47 rows in total. Within the rows, there are averages and totals for the greek life organization. The columns represent the years’ GPA, Member total, and ranking for 2018 and 2022. The final collum represents the Gpa percent change from 2018 to 2022. There are seven columns.

Link to Dataset: Data

Transform.

I have made the transformation of the data by entering the information from the 2018

and then ranking them. I organized and restructured the data through labels and

colors. I calculated the percent change in the chapter GPA from 2018 to 2022. The

data is organized by the year’s statistics for each chapter. Other transformations of

the data included entering the formulas to find the average GPAs of all the chapters

combined for each year. I also calculated the total number of members each year. I sorted the data and calculated totals using formulas.

Analyze:

● My analysis included what chapters improved the most, how member numbers affected GPAs, whether chapter rankings changed or remained the same, and whether overall GPAs improved or decreased.

In order to find this information, I researched the academic reports on the KU website concerning chapter and adviser resources. In creating my Visualizations, I used data from the KU website reports to calculate and categorize my insights.

Insights.

● The average GPA for sororities has gone up. 

The average GPA for fraternities has gone down.

Fraternities have a lower average GPA than sororities in both 2018 and 2022.

● The chapter that has held its high ranking includes Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.

The chapter that the ranking has raised the most is Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity.

● Using pivot tables of my data for the years 2018 and 2022, we can see that while GPAs are subject to variation, smaller member counts have lower GPAs.

It is clear from 2018-2022 that every fraternity’s member count decreased.

Consequently, the average GPA of fraternities decreased as well.

It is clear from 2018-2022 that most sortie member counts have increased. 

Consequently, the average GPA of sororities has increased as well. 

● Story: Words

Through interviewing sorority and fraternity members, I was able to connect insights to the individuals within. According to the records of grades and ranking changes, members of houses that consistently rank high in grades are held to a high level of accountability. Academics are highly valued by chapters with high GPAs. During my interviews with members of various Greek houses, I found that one common theme was that Greek houses provided members with resources and support that enabled them to attain their desired GPAs. Several members felt that being part of a house compelled them to be more accountable. Houses require a certain GPA to stay off academic and social probation, creating an incentive to maintain them.

● 

Story: Visualize

● For my visualizations, I used Tableau.  

In my work, I mostly used column charts. As a result, my data was presented in a way that could be most easily interpreted.

Subheadlines:

● Have KU chapter GPAs as a whole gone up or down?

● How does the number of members affect chapter GPAs? 

● Which chapters have maintained their ranking and which have changed?

● Which has maintained a higher GPA sororities or fraternities? 

Main Interview Contacts:

Alex Dinyer 

alexdinyer@ku.edu

(816)-589-1039

Rachel Currie 

rachelncurrie@ku.edu

(913)-325-9200

Luke Rottinghaus 

lukerottinghaus@ku.edu

(816)-809-7656