Participation in the oldest honor society in the nation, Phi Beta Kappa, is facing competition from newer honor organizations and is struggling with a lack of familiarity that is inhibiting membership at some public universities.
The organization, which boasts 17,000 members among 270 chapters according to Phi Beta Kappa's national Secretary John Churchill, is launching a campaign to connect local chapters with the national body. Chapters located at some larger state universities, particularly in the west, are struggling with lower acceptance rate among prospective initiates, according to Churchill.
Traditionally Phi Beta Kappa has been the most elite of national honor's accessible to liberal arts undergraduates. The University chapter formed in 1907 and includes University President John T. Casteen, III. Nationally, Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and actress Sela Ward, among other notables, are also members. Churchill says this has made Phi Beta Kappa a name associated with distinction more broadly.
"When I hear a sportscaster say on television that Derek Jeter is Phi Beta Kappa at shortstop, what that says to me is that in the culture at large Phi Beta Kappa is a byword for excellence," said Churchill.
Still, in light of a more crowded field Phi Beta Kappa has a harder time standing out even among those who familiar with honor societies, including the president of the University chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Milena Arciszewski. The NSCS was cited in a Nov. 4 Wall Street Journal article as a competitor of Phi Beta Kappa.
"It is not the case that there is massive disinterest in Phi Beta Kappa," said Churchill. "It is a very highly sought after and widely recognized honor."
At the University, between 100 and 140 students are offered the opportunity to join, according to Richard Handler, University Phi Beta Kappa president. Usually 120 to 130 accept. Administrators run the chapter; Handler is also the associate dean of academic programs in the College. Every year the top fourth years, and a few exemplary third years are invited into the organization. To qualify for the honor, students must be within the top 12 percent of their class which means most inductees average about a 3.6 GPA. The group currently has 1,177 active members.
Even such stellar grades don't assure admission. To be eligible students must also display what Handler describes as a "breadth and depth" in the liberal arts. Students must have taken a challenging full course load, a lighter semester for a student carrying the minimum for full time students of 12 credits often disqualifies applicants, Handler said. Students are also expected to have taken courses among various disciplines including sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
The organization "is the most prestigious honor organization in the country," said Handler, "Everyone recognizes it. It means something to say I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from U.Va."
Other Phi Beta Kappa members seem to agree.
"I was an undergrad at U.C. Berkeley in 1969 and I was elected, and it was a big honor and I was proud of it," said Spanish Prof. Alison Weber, "I went to grad school, and I think when people look at my CV [curriculum vitae] and see Phi Beta Kappa and they are impressed."
Some students don't join the society because they are unaware of it, Handler speculated. Churchill said this was a problem nationally.
"At a big place like U.Va. kids don't get an e-mail or aren't interested," said Handler, "Anybody that knows about it wants to join, but a lot of people don't know."
While Handler says that the University's membership numbers have held steady, national membership may be decreasing due to the emergence of newer honor organizations boasting similar opportunities as Phi Beta Kappa.
NSCS arrived on Grounds five years ago, but in actual fact only became active within the last two years.
"Member involvement has gone up dramatically," said Arciszweski, who said she feels that the increase is due to innovative community service projects the group engages in. "Most [groups] do the token 5k and fundraising, we did a book dive for textbooks for Afghanistan."
Another group to open its doors at the University is Golden Key, which arrived in 1987. Casteen is also a member of the Golden Key, said chapter President David No.
The group consists of third and fourth year students in the top 15 percent of their class and currently has 500 members at the University.
No says that the group, like NSCS, offers various career opportunities, achievement recognition, and access to internships, as well as, full time positions.
"To be honest a lot of people join just because it sounds good," said No. "It is good to have it on your resume and make a lot of people interested, but at the same time, a lot of members join but don't really become a part of it."
No, like Arciszweski, admits that he joined initially, because he thought it would look good on his resume, and then later became interested in the leadership opportunities available through the organization.
While the jury may still be out as to how newer organizations compare with the "prestige" of the old, it is up to students and their parents to distinguish between valid organizations and what Handler describes as "rip off honor organizations."
"There are all kinds of new organizations that have sprung up, some of which are useful and some of which that are just trying to [get students to] sign up for money," Handler said.
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