Association of College Honor Societies
The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) is a predominantly American, voluntary association that serves a number of functions with respect to national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies. ACHS coordinates member organizations, facilitates communications between them, and provides both scholarships and an outlet for publication to members. ACHS member societies undergo periodic audits to validate their adherence to ACHS standards and their qualification for membership and ACHS certification.
ACHS was formed in 1925 to create a network of affiliated societies and promote high standards for scholarship and leadership on campus. The intention of the founding societies was to establish and maintain desirable standards for groups wishing to call themselves honor societies. These standards include criteria for membership, governance and chapter operation.[1] Four organizations were represented at a preliminary meeting held on October 2, 1925. They were Alpha Omega Alpha, the Order of the Coif, Phi Beta Kappa, and Sigma Xi. The six founding organizations on December 30, 1925 were Alpha Omega Alpha, the Order of the Coif, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi and Tau Beta Pi.[2]
While ACHS certifies each of its members as legitimate, credible organizations, not all legitimate honor societies apply for membership in ACHS. The honor society standards set by the Association of College Honor Societies are recognized by the U.S. government's Office of Personnel Management for entry into government employment at GS-7 Level: "Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed... by the Association of College Honor Societies. Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies."[3]
List of member organizations
70 organizations are affiliated with the ACHS:[4]
Society | Discipline | Founded[5] | Joined ACHS[6] | Processional colors[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Beta Gamma | Business | 1970 | 1996 | Red and Gold Medallion on Red and Black Ribbon, Stole: Sapphire Blue with Emblem in Gold. Advisors different. |
Alpha Chi | All Academic Fields | February 22, 1922 | February 1955 | Honor Gold or Blue and Green |
Alpha Epsilon | Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering | May 14, 1959 | 1968 (Assoc), 1970 (Full) | |
Alpha Epsilon Delta | Health | April 28, 1926 | April 22, 1945[8] | Red and Violet |
Alpha Epsilon Rho | Electronic Media | April 30, 1943[9][n 1] | 2009 | Green and Gold |
Alpha Eta Mu Beta | Biomedical Engineering | March 15, 1979 | 2013 | |
Alpha Iota Delta | Decision Sciences and Information Systems | 1971 | 2009 | Green and Gold |
Alpha Kappa Delta | Sociology | November 21, 1920 | 1967 | Teal |
Alpha Kappa Mu | All Academic Fields | November 26, 1937 | 1952 | Royal Blue and White |
Alpha Lambda Delta | Freshman Scholarship | May 31, 1924 | 1939 | Red, Gold, and White |
Alpha Phi Sigma | Criminal Justice | January 1942 | 1981 | Blue and Gold |
Alpha Pi Mu | Industrial Engineering | January 5, 1949 | February 1952 (Assoc), February 1959 (Full)[10] |
White Satin with Gold Logo |
Alpha Sigma Lambda | Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning | 1946 | 2011 | |
Alpha Sigma Mu | Metallurgy and Materials Engineering | January 1932 | 1965 | Silver and Gold |
Alpha Sigma Nu | General Scholarship - Jesuit Institutions of Higher Education | June 4, 1915[n 2] | 1975 | Gold Medallion on Maroon Ribbon |
Beta Gamma Sigma | Business and Management | February 19, 1913 | February 27, 1937 (Readmitted 1990) | Gold Cord, Yale Blue Tassel, Gold Wrap and Yale Blue Cord, Gold Tassel, Yale Blue Wrap |
Beta Kappa Chi | Natural Sciences and Mathematics | January 31, 1923 | 1961 | Royal Blue |
Beta Phi Mu | Library & Information Studies and Information Technology | August 1948 | 1969 | Purple and White |
Chi Epsilon | Civil Engineering | May 20, 1922 | 1953 | Purple and White (and collars) |
Chi Sigma Iota | Professional Counseling | January 1, 1985 | 2001 | Blue and White |
Delta Epsilon Sigma | General Scholarship in Colleges and Universities with a Catholic Tradition | April 13, 1939 | 1967 | Gold and Maroon |
Delta Mu Delta | Business Administration | November 18, 1913 | 1963 | Purple and Gold |
Delta Tau Alpha | Agriculture | March 19, 1960 | 1992 | Hunter Green and Harvest Gold |
Epsilon Pi Phi | Emergency Management | 2006 | 2017 | |
Epsilon Pi Tau | Professions in Technology | March 13, 1929 | 2005 | Blue, Gold, and White |
Gamma Theta Upsilon | Geography | May 15, 1931 | 1976 | Brown, Light Blue, and Gold |
Kappa Mu Epsilon | Mathematics | April 18, 1931 | 1968 | |
Kappa Omicron Nu | Human Sciences | February 21, 1990[n 3] | February 25, 1951[11] | Burgundy and Cream, Medallion: Gold/Burgundy w/ Burgundy Ribbon |
Kappa Tau Alpha | Journalism and Mass Communication | March 10, 1910 | February 25, 1951[11] | Blue and Gold |
Lambda Pi Eta | Communication | 1985 | February 1996[12] | Red, White, and Gold |
Lambda Sigma | Student Leadership, Scholarship and Service | November 7, 1922[n 4] | 1981 | Blue and Gold |
Mortar Board | Scholarship, Leadership and Service | February 15, 1918 | February 27, 1937 | Gold and Silver tassel w/Mortar Board Fob, stole: Gold with Logo, medallion: White Ribbon with Logo |
Mu Kappa Tau | Marketing | 1966 | 1996 | Navy |
National Society of Collegiate Scholars | Scholarship, Leadership & Service | April 30, 1994 | 2004 | Burgundy and Gold |
Omega Chi Epsilon | Chemical Engineering | Spring 1931 | 1967 | Maroon and White |
Omega Rho | Operations Research & Management Science | April 1, 1976 | 1983 (Assoc), 1986 (Full) | Blue and Red |
Omicron Delta Epsilon | Economics | January 1, 1963[9] | 1965 (Readmitted 1981) | Blue and Gold |
Phi Alpha | Social Work | 1962 | January 2019 | |
Phi Alpha Theta | History | March 17, 1921 | April 22, 1945[8] (Left 2011–2012, readmitted 2017) | |
Phi Beta Delta | International Scholars | February 27, 1986[13] | 2013 | |
Phi Eta Sigma | Freshman | March 22, 1923 | February 27, 1937 (Left 2011, readmitted 2018) |
|
Phi Lambda Sigma | Pharmacy | March 1965[14] | 2018 | |
Phi Sigma | Biological Sciences, All Pure and Applied Fields | March 17, 1915 | 1950 | Yellow, Green, and White |
Phi Sigma Iota | Foreign Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, ESL, & Cultures | October 1922 | 1950 | Purple and White |
Phi Sigma Tau | Philosophy | October 21, 1955[9] | 1958 | White and Purple |
Phi Upsilon Omicron | Family and Consumer Sciences | February 10, 1909 | 1979 | Yellow, White, and Purple |
Pi Delta Phi | French | 1906 | 1967 | Blue, White, and Red |
Pi Gamma Mu | Social Sciences | December 1, 1924 | 1953 | Royal Blue and White |
Pi Kappa Lambda | Music | May 17, 1918 | February 24, 1940[8] | |
Pi Omega Pi | Business Education | June 13, 1923 | 1965 | Silver, Royal Blue, and Gold |
Pi Sigma Alpha | Political Science | October 1, 1920 | 1949 | Red, White, and Black |
Pi Tau Sigma | Mechanical Engineering | March 16, 1915 | March 1, 1947 | Murray and Azure |
Pi Theta Epsilon | Occupational Therapy | 1959 | February 1996[15] | Navy and Gold |
Psi Beta | Psychology at Two-Year Colleges | November 5, 1981 | 1994 | Royal Blue and Gold |
Psi Chi | Psychology | September 4, 1929 | 1965 | Navy and Platinum with Navy and Platinum Tassels |
Rho Chi | Pharmacy | May 19, 1922 | March 1, 1947 | Royal Purple and White |
Scabbard and Blade, National Society of | Reserve Officer Training Corps | Fall 1904 | 2010 | |
Sigma Beta Delta | Business, Management, and Administration | January 16, 1994 | 1994 | Hunter Green and Gold |
Sigma Delta Pi | Spanish | November 14, 1919 | 1966 | Red and Yellow Gold |
Sigma Lambda Alpha | Landscape Architecture | September 24, 1977[16] | 1983 (Assoc), 1986 (Full) | Gold and Green |
Sigma Lambda Chi | Construction Management Technology | April 30, 1949 | 1991 | Green and Gold, stole: Silver with Logo, medallion: Green & Gold on Green & White Ribbon |
Sigma Pi Sigma | Physics | December 11, 1921 | 1945 (after April 22)[8] | Forest Green and Ivory |
Sigma Tau Delta | English | December 12, 1922[9] | 1972 | Cardinal and Black (1924) |
Sigma Theta Tau | Nursing | October 4, 1922 | 1959 | Orchid and White |
Tau Alpha Pi | Engineering Technology | 1953 | 2000 | Green and Gold |
Tau Beta Pi | Engineering | June 15, 1885 | December 30, 1925 | Orange and White, stole: White with Orange Bent (trestle symbol) |
Tau Sigma Delta | Architecture and Allied Arts | May 1913 | February 28, 1948[17] | |
Theta Alpha Kappa | Religious Studies / Theology | Fall 1976 | 1985 (Assoc), 1986 (Full) | Scarlet |
Upsilon Pi Epsilon | Computing and Information Disciplines | January 10, 1967[18] | 1997 | Maroon and White, stole: White with Gold ΥΠΕ Logo |
Xi Sigma Pi | Forestry | November 24, 1908 | 1966 (Left 1998–1999, readmitted 2017) | |
- Notes
- Founded as Beta Epsilon Phi on December 1, 1941
- Merged with Gamma Pi Epsilon March 30, 1973
- (Kappa Omicron Nu founded in 1990 through consolidation of Omicron Nu (founded April 1912) and Kappa Omicron Phi (founded December 11, 1922))
(Omicron Nu admitted to ACHS 1951, readmitted 1968, Kappa Omicron Phi admitted 1972) - November 7, 1922 as Cwens, March 6, 1976 as Lambda Sigma
Former members
Former members of the Association of College Honor Societies:[19]
Society | Discipline | Founded | Joined ACHS | Left ACHS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Delta Mu | Social Work | Fall 1976[20] | 1983 (Assoc), 1986 (Full) | February 9, 2007 Terminated[21] |
Alpha Omega Alpha | Medical | August 25, 1902[9] | December 30, 1925 | 1977 - 1998 |
Delta Phi Delta | Art | January 10, 1909[9][n1 1] | 1961 | 1977 - 1988 |
Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha | Forensics | August 18, 1963[n1 2] | February 27, 1937-ΤΚΑ ; February 1955-ΔΣΡ | November 2013 |
Eta Kappa Nu | Electrical and Computer Engineering | October 28, 1904 | March 1, 1947 | 2008 |
Golden Key | General | November 29, 1977 | 2005 | December 31, 2013 resigned[22] |
Iota Sigma Pi | Women in the sciences, especially chemistry | 1900[9] or 1902[23] | February 1955 | 1957 - 1963 |
Kappa Delta Pi | Education | March 8, 1911 | 1974 | 2008 |
Lambda Iota Tau | Literature of all Languages | December 3, 1953 | 1965 | 2015 (Closed, merged with Sigma Tau Delta) |
National Collegiate Players/Pi Epsilon Delta | Theatre Honors | June 8, 1919 | 1963 | 1977 - 1988 |
Omicron Nu | Human Sciences | April 23, 1912 | February 25, 1951 , readmitted 1968 | 1990 (Prior to or at merger into ΚΟΝ) |
Omicron Delta Kappa | Leadership & Scholarship | December 3, 1914 | March 3, 1930 | 2005 |
Order of the Coif | Law | 1902 | December 30, 1925 | 1940 - 1957 |
Phi Beta Kappa | Liberal Arts | December 5, 1776 | December 30, 1925 | December 15, 1937 Resigned[8] |
Phi Kappa Phi | All Fields | March 15, 1897 | December 30, 1925 | 2006 - 2007 |
Pi Alpha Alpha | Public Affairs and Administration | 1974 | 1983 (Assoc), 1984 (Full) | 2017 |
Sigma Gamma Tau | Aerospace Engineering | February 28, 1953 | February 27, 1965[24] | 2000 - 2001 |
Sigma Tau | Engineering | February 24, 1904[9][n1 3] | March 3, 1930 | 1963 - 1974 (prior to merger with Tau Beta Pi) |
Sigma Xi | Scientific Research | November 1886[9] | December 30, 1925 | 1933 |
- Notes
- Founded as Pallet Club at U of Kansas on January 10, 1909. On May 28, 1912, plans for a national organization were completed, Delta Phi Delta adapted as name
- , merger of Delta Sigma Rho (April 13, 1906), and Tau Kappa Alpha (May 13, 1908)
- Merged with Tau Beta Pi in 1974
References
- "Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education". cas.edu. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- Anchora of Delta Gamma January 1929
- "General Schedule Qualifications". Office of Personnel Management. U.S. Government. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ACHS Quick-links to Member Honor Societies, accessed 8 July 2019
- From individual organizations of https://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp
- 1957 Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities
- Cord colors from ACHS honor cord registry, accessed 10 June 2014
- Maurice L. Moore. "Historical Information".
- William Raimond Baird (1991). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. Baird's Manual Foundation, Incorporated.
- About Alpha Pi Mu
- The Biologist. Phi Sigma Society. 1950. p. 135.
- Sample Induction Ceremony for Honors Membership in Lambda Pi Eta
- Oswego - Phi Beta Delta
- "Fifty years of leadership". www.pharmacist.com. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- Pi Theta Membership Handbook
- An Historical Summary of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture by Michael Richard Hodges and Miriam Easton Rutz, Landscape Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Spring 1997), pp. 108-114
- Tau Sigma Delta Mss.0345 Records of the Grand Chapter Recorder
- Upsilon Pi Epsilon Initiation Ceremony
- John Warren. "PRELUDE TO THE NEW MILLENIUM [sic]. PROMOTING HONOR FOR SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS".
- "Alpha Delta Mu Social Work National Honor Society - North Carolina A&T State University". Archived from the original on 2017-09-23. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
- "Executive Director Reports 2003-2010".
- http://www.achsnatl.org/news/2014/02/the-plan-for-aiming-higher.html
- Iota Sigma Pi -About
- University of Texas - Cactus Yearbook 1968 p 302
External links
- Association of College Honor Societies website
- Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education - The Role of College Honor Societies, CAS Standards Contextual Statement
- Qualifying for U.S. Government GS-7 under Superior Academic Achievement through Honor Society Membership
- Searchable database of ACHS member society chapters
- ACHS member Honor Cord Registry