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FAQs for Current Students
If I am doing honors in my major, does that make me
a member of the Honors Program?
If I am double majoring, do I have to complete Honors
in both departments?
Does the Honors Program have any student groups or activities?
How can I judge the credibility of an Honors Society?
Q: If I am doing honors in my major, does that make me a member of the Honors Program?
A: YES! Students who are completing Honors requirements in their major are in a track known as Departmental Honors - the University Honors Program is made up of BOTH College Honors students and Departmental Honors students. As a Departmental Honors student, you have access to all of the resources provided by the Honors Program. Once your departmental adviser notifies us of your acceptance, you should begin receiving weekly announcements and other communication from us, in order to keep you up to date with the latest news.
Q: If I am double majoring, do I have to complete Honors in both departments?
A: No, when double majoring, you only need to complete Honors requirements in one of your majors to earn your degree "With College Honors" or "With Distinction". However, if you are pursuing a double degree, you will only earn your degree with Honors from the departments that you complete the Honors requirements in. It is possible to earn a double degree where one degree has Honors and the other does not, and it is also possible to earn a double degree where both degrees have Honors.
Q: Does the Honors Program have any student groups or activities?
A: Definitely! Honors plans a variety of activities for its students throughout the year, including quarterly parties. In addition, Honors currently boasts four registered student organizations: the RRC student social group, the Honors Student Advisory Panel, the Honors Croquet League, and Students Serving Humanity. Students also have an opportunity to work with prospective and incoming students as part of the Peer Mentoring Program. We encourage all of our students to participate in these groups and to become more active in the Honors community.
Q: How can I judge the credibility of an Honors Society?
A: At the courtesy of Boston State University:
Okay, you've been invited: do you join? This question is asked of us dozens of times each year. We have no good, single reference for you to make this decision, nor do we always know a great deal about any one of these organizations, unless they are long-standing and nationally prominent, like Phi Kappa Phi. Even then, we may not be familiar with the specific organization you have been invited to join. But the check-points below should help.
The Association of College Honor Societies certifies certain Honor societies and maintains a list of those who participate in this process on its web site. For more information, see the ACHS Web site at www.achsnatl.org. These are, however, mainly, Honor societies with "Greek" alphabetical names (like Phi Kappa Phi). If an Honor society has not been certified as meeting the high standards of the Association of College Honor Societies, examine the following criteria:
- Minimum scholastic criteria
- Undergraduate (Specialized and Leadership) - Rank in the upper third of the class. That rank converts to a 3.2 or 3.3 GPA in most cases - 3.0 is likely too low. Honor societies that advertise a minimum 3.0 are probably more appropriately labeled Recognition Societies (a definition that has been generally accepted since 1925).
- Undergraduate (General) - Rank in the upper 20% of the class.
- These criteria are minima; many societies have higher standards.
- Governance
- Membership participation in setting authority for control of the affairs of the organization.
- Governance by officers/board members elected by the membership.
- Membership participation in approving and amending bylaws. o Full financial disclosure.
- Campus Chapters
- Formal chartering of each campus chapter by institution and college/department petition, approved by official action of the governing body of the national organization.
- Candidate selection by the campus chapter.
- Membership invitation by an official chapter.
- Chapter representation in national governance.
- On-campus contacts whom you can ask about the society.
- Web Site - the following items should be accessible by the general public:
- National Officers and Headquarters Staff
- National Office mailing, telephone, fax, and e-mail addresses
- Criteria for membership
- Benefits of membership
- Membership / initiation fee
- Bylaws
- Chapter charter policies and procedures
If you are still in doubt, contact the University of Washington campus representative of that Honor society (who should be named in your letter of invitation). Next, weigh the stated present and future benefits and the "honor" you will receive against the cost of initiation (and annual membership).
Last Updated: Thursday, January 3, 2008