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Local Chapter • Chapter Activities • Chapter Sponsors • Chapter Officers •Annual Inductions •Outstanding Faculty Awards • Annual Conventions |
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Alpha Chi is a national honor society for college juniors, seniors and graduate students. The purpose of Alpha Chi is to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college students and to honor those who achieve such distinction. As a general honor society, Alpha Chi admits to membership students from all academic disciplines. One of the most elite honors a college student can earn, membership in Alpha Chi is limited to the top 10 percent of the junior and senior classes and graduate students. Among general honor societies, Alpha Chi is distinctive in its commitment to involving undergraduate members in the full range of operation of thesociety. This begins at the local chapter level, where all offices are filled by students, and continues to the regional and national level, where students are elected to sit on governing boards. With chapters in 45 states and Puerto Rico, Alpha Chi is divided into seven regions. The regions meet in convention in the spring of even-numbered years; in odd-numbered years Alpha Chi meets in a national convention in a major city of cultural or historical interest. Since the programs of all these conventions feature scholarly or creative presentations by students, Alpha Chi heavily subsidizes attendance to encourage students to benefit from such an extraordinary opportunity. Alpha Chi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, a group of 67 societies meeting rigorous standards regarding student membership and governance. Most ACHS societies represent specialized disciplines, and a few others focus on leadership. Alpha Chi is one of two major ACHS members based on the scholarly achievement of juniors and seniors from all fields, the other being Phi Kappa Phi. The society also provides tens of thousands of dollars annually in scholarships and fellowships for its members and alumni. The largest stipends are for national awards, but the seven regions and many chapters also sponsor scholarship competitions as well. In recent years the total has been more than $65,000. The gold seal on membership certificates bears the date February 22, 1922. This is Alpha Chi’s birthday, when representatives from five Texas colleges and universities met to organize a society to honor high academic achievement among students. By 1926 the organization had spread to adjacent states, and in 1934 it adopted the name Alpha Chi and expanded into a national society. In 2001, in the academic year of its 80th anniversary, Alpha Chi inducted its 300,000th member. Nationally, there are more than 300 chapters of the society located on college campuses in almost every state and in Puerto Rico. Approximately 11,000 new members are inducted into Alpha Chi every year. The name Alpha Chi is composed of the initial letters of the Greek words for truth and character. The official shield and key for the society bear a lamp of learning and the initials AX in raised letters. The colors are emerald green and sapphire blue, signifying victory and truth. The motto of the organization is "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." For more information on the national organization, please see the national website (www.harding.edu/alphachi).
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Local Chapter • Chapter Activities • Chapter Sponsors • Chapter Officers • Annual Inductions • Outstanding Faculty Awards • Annual Conventions
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