University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

 

Alpha Chi is a coeducational society whose purpose is to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students and to honor those who achieve such distinction. As a general honor society, Alpha Chi admits to membership students from all academic disciplines. Membership in Alpha Chi recognizes previous accomplishments and provides opportunity for continued growth and service. As a phrase from its constitution suggests, Alpha Chi seeks to find ways to assist students in “making scholarship effective for good.”

 

 

Among the major general honor societies, Alpha Chi is distinctive in its commitment to involve undergraduate members in the full range of operation of the society. Although faculty sponsors are important for the continuity of the organization, student members are the focus of Alpha Chi’s programs and play major roles in Alpha Chi’s leadership from the local to the national level.

 

At the local chapter level, all offices are filled by students, supported by a faculty sponsor who is appointed by the president of the institution. Chapters not only induct new members but also promote scholarship through sponsoring at least one scholarly or academic activity each year for their college communities.

 

Student involvement is also central at the next organizational level, the regional. Each chapter belongs to one of Alpha Chi’s seven regions, which hold conventions in the spring of even-numbered years. These conventions, which are built around scholarly presentations by students, elect regional officers, including a student representative who serves for two years.

 

 These seven student representatives also sit on the National Council, a 22-member board that meets annually to set policies and oversee administration of the society. These students have full voting rights, participate on committees of the National Council, and fill important responsibilities at the national conventions, which meet in the spring of odd-numbered years. Like the regional conventions, the national convention programs center on student scholarly presentation and each chapter in attendance at the convention has one faculty and one student voting delegate. To encourage student participation in regional and national conventions, Alpha Chi subsidizes chapter attendance.