Honor society

"Honor Societies", illustration from the 1909 Tyee (yearbook of the University of Washington)

In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America. Chiefly, the term refers to scholastic honor societies, those that recognize students who excel academically or as leaders among their peers, often within a specific academic discipline.

Many honor societies invite students to become members based on the scholastic rank (the top x% of a class) and/or grade point averages of those students, either overall, or for classes taken within the discipline for which the honor society provides recognition. In cases where academic achievement would not be an appropriate criterion for membership, other standards are usually required for membership (such as completion of a particular ceremony or training program). It is also common for a scholastic honor society to add a criterion relating to the character of the student. Some honor societies are invitation only while others allow unsolicited applications. Finally, membership in an honor society might be considered exclusive, i.e., a member of such an organization cannot join other honor societies representing the same field.

Academic robes and regalia identifying by color the degree, school and other distinction, are controlled under rules of a voluntary Intercollegiate Code. In addition, various colored devices such as stoles, scarfs, cords, tassels, and medallions are used to indicate membership in a student's honor society. Of these, cords and mortarboard tassels are most often used to indicate membership. Most institutions allow honor cords, tassels and/or medallions for honor society members. Stoles are less common, but they are available for a few honor societies. Virtually all, if not all honor societies have chosen such colors, and may sell these items of accessory regalia as a service or fundraiser.

Many fraternities and sororities are referred to by their membership or by non-members as honor societies, and vice versa, though this is not always the case. Honor societies exist at the high school, collegiate/university, and postgraduate levels, although university honor societies are by far the most prevalent. In America, the oldest academic society, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded as a social and literary fraternity in 1776 at the College of William and Mary and later organized as an honor society in 1898, following the establishment of the honor societies Tau Beta Pi for Engineering (1885), Sigma Xi for Scientific Research (1886), and Phi Kappa Phi for all disciplines (1897). February 15, 1918 the first national honor society for senior women was established, Mortar Board, with chapters at four institutions Cornell University, The University of Michigan, The Ohio State University and Swarthmore College, later the society became coed.

The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) is a predominantly American, voluntary association of national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies. ACHS was formed in 1925 to establish and maintain desirable standards for honor societies. While ACHS membership is a certification that the member societies meet these standards, not all legitimate honor societies apply for membership in ACHS.

List of scholastic examples[edit]

Notable national and international honor societies based in or at schools include the following:

Colleges and universities[edit]

General scholastic honor societies[edit]

Alpha Chi, ΑΧ (all academic fields), colors: Emerald Green and Sapphire blue
Alpha Kappa Mu, ΑΚΜ (all academic fields)
Alpha Lambda Delta, ΑΛΔ (freshman scholarship)
Alpha Sigma Lambda, ΑΣΛ (non-traditional students)
Alpha Sigma Nu, ΑΣΝ (Scholarship, Loyalty and Service at Jesuit institutions of higher education), colors: Maroon and Gold
Delta Epsilon Sigma, ΔΕΣ (all academic fields at traditionally Catholic colleges and universities)
Delta Epsilon Tau, ΔΕΤ (Distance Education Accrediting Commission institutions)
Golden Key International Honour Society (academics)
Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Mortar Board (Scholars chosen for Leadership united to Serve)
National Society of Collegiate Scholars, NSCS (scholarship/leadership/service), colors: Burgundy and Gold
Phi Eta Sigma, ΦΗΣ (freshman scholarship)
Phi Kappa Phi, ΦΚΦ (all academic fields)
Phi Sigma Pi, ΦΣΠ (all academic fields), colors: Purple and Gold
Phi Tau Phi, ΦΤΦ (all academic fields)
Tau Sigma, ΤΣ (transfer students)
Lambda Sigma, ΛΣ (student leadership, scholarship, and service)
Order of Omega (fraternities and sororities)
Sigma Alpha Lambda, ΣΑΛ (all academic fields)

Discipline-specific scholastic honor societies[edit]

Eta Sigma Delta (International Hospitality Management Honor Society, ICHRIE)^[1]

Leadership[edit]

Order of The Key Honor Society^[10] (leadership)
Mortar Board (leadership), colors: Gold and Silver
National Residence Hall Honorary, NRHH (Residence hall leadership/service)
Omicron Delta Kappa, ΟΔΚ (leadership and academic; juniors, seniors, graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff, honorary)
Sigma Alpha Lambda, ΣΑΛ (leadership)
Phi Kappa Alpha, ΦΚΑ (leadership)

Military[edit]

Other[edit]

Beta Phi Mu, ΒΦΜ (library science/information science/information technology)
Chi Epsilon Pi, ΧΕΠ (meteorology)
Chi Sigma Iota, ΧΣΙ (counseling)
Epsilon Pi Tau, ΕΠΤ (technology)
Epsilon Tau Pi, ΕΤΠ (Eagle Scouts)
Gamma Nu Eta, ΓΝΗ (information technology)
Nu Rho Psi, ΝΡΨ (neuroscience)
Order of the Sword & Shield, ΟΣΣ (homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, and all protective studies)^[11]
Phi Tau Sigma, ΦΤΣ (Food Science and Technology)
Phi Upsilon Omicron, ΦΥΟ (Family and consumer science), colors: Violet, Gold and Cream
Pi Alpha Alpha, ΠΑΑ (public administration)
Pi Epsilon, ΠΕ (environmental sciences)
Pi Theta Epsilon, ΠΘΕ (occupational therapy)
Sigma Gamma Epsilon, ΣΓΕ (geology/Earth sciences)
Sigma Iota Rho, ΣΙΡ (international relations)
Sigma Lambda Alpha, ΣΛΑ (landscape architecture), colors: Gold and Green
Sigma Lambda Chi, ΣΛΧ (construction management technology)
Sigma Phi Omega, ΣΦΩ, (Gerontology)^[12]
Theta Alpha Kappa, ΘΑΚ, (Religious Studies/theology)
Xi Sigma Pi, ΞΣΠ (forestry), colors: Green and Gray

Independent societies[edit]

Some universities have their own independent, open honor societies, which are not affiliated with any national or international organization. Such organizations typically recognize students who have succeeded academically irrespective of their field of study. These include: