As spring 2014 commencement draws near, the “MTSU On the Record” radio program presented a graduate-to-be with some interesting information about student success rates.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Wes Routon aired earlier this month  on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org ). You can listen to their conversation here.

Wes Routon

With Dr. Jay Walker of Niagara University, Routon conducted a study that found four-year graduation rates are notably higher for members of Greek organizations than nonmembers.

“Greek membership is found to increase the desire to pursue a graduate degree and increase the likelihood of graduating on time,” states the research.

“I think it has to do with the fact that they have an added incentive to stay enrolled every semester to continue being in the Greek organization,” Routon said.

“They can’t take gap semesters or gap years like non-Greek students. Also, a lot of these organizations have a mandatory minimum GPA their students have to keep to stay in the organization.”

The report, which was published in the Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, is based on a survey of more than 103,000 students at 463 institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Routon, a Paris, Tenn., native who will graduate from MTSU Saturday, May 10, with a doctorate in economics, is headed for a professorship at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Ga., in the fall.

To listen to previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to the “Audio Clips” archives here and here.

For more information about “MTSU On the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

You also can watch a video excerpt from the interview below.