Honor societies offer a different way to go Greek
Though honor societies may not be the first thing that come to mind when a student thinks Greek, honor societies are nationally and internationally recognized and provide the students involved in them with a large network and experience for future internships, job opportunities and scholarships.
There are about 20 honor society chapters at Utah State University. The qualifications for membership vary. According to the University General Catalog, some are filled from the top 10 or 15 percent of the department and are by invitation only. Others are open to any students, with a 3.0 GPA, who have taken 12 credits of the subject.
The website for The Association of College Honor Societies, an organization which reviews the various societies for legitimacy and value, said honor societies not only increase leadership and involvement in the institution, but the societies also preserve tradition and customs. Leadership is a large part of the societies, with students planning and facilitating activities and other events.
William Furlong, professor of political science and adviser for Pi Sigma Alpha, said the most notable difference between students who have been involved in the political science society and those who haven’t is the “leadership capabilities.” Pi Sigma Alpha, for example, has eight different student positions: president, vice president and six board members. Furlong said these students have an advantage over other students in the major simply because they experience a more personal interaction with the faculty.
One of the oldest honor society chapters on campus is for those in the College of Natural Resources, started in 1939. All juniors and seniors with over a 3.0 GPA are invited to join Xi Sigma Pi, which currently has around 50 members. Unlike many of the other societies, Xi Sigma Pi has an initiation process; new members are required to make some sort of fir tree with the signatures of all other current members.
One of the newest societies to found a chapter on campus was the English society, Sigma Tau Delta. USU’s chapter, Rho Tau, was organized in 1996. According to their website, www.english.org/sigmatd/chapters/index.shtml, the society is international, and through annual conventions that connect the various literature of the world, it allows students to be involved with professors, other members, and professional writers.
The ACHS defines the programs and activities of the honor society as having awards, recognition activities, scholarships, conferences, and publications. Their website says a society is national as soon as chapters are located in two different regions of the United States. With scholarships and awards, conferences and journals, the honor societies allow students to be aware of more than just Utah State events.
Each society has its own special activities and traditions like service events, social activities, and academics. Furlong said one of the biggest advantages of joining an honor society is the increased interaction with the professors. With so many students in each major, knowing the professor personally gives students an added edge in applications for graduate school and in the competitive job market. Instead of being one of the hundred who took one of his classes, Furlong said the members of Pi Sigma Alpha, which he advises, are more familiar faces, particularly those that serve in the leadership positions.
“It has been a lot of fun to get to know people on a personal level,” said Furlong, who has been the adviser for Pi Sigma Alpha for nearly 30 years.
Though most of the societies do focus on the upperclassmen, some of them do embrace younger students. The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is primarily for freshmen and sophomores who have achieved high grades.
–genevieve.draper@aggiemail.usu.edu