Honorary Organizations

Aeons
Aeons is the senior men’s honor society. Criteria for membership are scholarship, leadership, and service. The activities are secret and the organization is self-perpetuating.

Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Lambda Delta is the national honor society for first-year scholarship. The purpose of the society is to encourage superior scholastic attainment among students in their first year of college, to promote intelligent living, a continued high standard of learning, and to assist women and men in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their roles in society. Membership is restricted to first-year students who carry twelve or more hours and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or above at the end of their first semester or cumulative at the end of their first year.

Alpha Psi Omega
Alpha Psi Omega is a national honor society for students in dramatics. The purpose of the society is to honor students whose excellence in acting, production skills, and academics is deemed outstanding.

Beta Beta Beta
Beta Beta Beta is the national honor society for students in biology. The purpose of the society is to promote scholarship and to encourage research in the life sciences. Lambda Chapter provides for three classes of student membership, all of which require recommendation by the biology faculty and approval by other members. Provisional membership requires a major interest in biology.

An associate member must have a major interest in biology, have completed zoology, be enrolled in another biology course for a total of eight hours of biology, and have at least a 3.0 grade point average in biology. An active member, a second semester sophomore, must have completed twelve hours of biology with at least a 3.0 average and have an overall grade point average of 2.5.

Delta Mu Delta
Delta Mu Delta is the national honor society for students in business administration. Requirements for membership include a 3.2 overall grade point average, rank in the upper 20 percent of the class, and completion of one-half of the course work required by the accounting, economics, or business administration.

Kappa Mu Epsilon
Kappa Mu Epsilon is the national honor society for students in mathematics. The purpose of the society is to honor outstanding scholastic achievement in mathematics and to encourage further study in the field and its applications. To be eligible for membership, students must have completed at least three semesters of college courses, must rank in the upper 35 percent of their class, must have completed at least three courses in mathematics, including at least one semester of calculus, and must have earned at least a 3.0 average in all mathematics courses. Transfer students must have completed at least one semester at William Jewell College, including at least one mathematics course with a B or above. Selection and initiation into the society is held each spring and is by invitation. A banquet is held in conjunction with the initiation.

Lambda Nu Sigma
Lambda Nu Sigma is a local honor society for students interested in a career in law. The purpose of the society is to provide a forum for the discussion of law-related matters and to honor those who have distinguished themselves academically. To be eligible to apply for membership, students must have completed fourteen hours with a grade point average of 3.25 or above.

Lambda Pi Eta
Lambda Pi Eta is the official communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association. Their mission statement is to recognize and foster outstanding scholastic achievement; to promote and encourage professional development among communication majors; to explore options for graduate study; and to establish and maintain close relationships between faculty and students. To be eligible to apply for membership, students must have completed 60 hours (12 hours in communication) with a grade point average of 3.25 or above.

Mortar Board
Mortar Board is a national senior honor society. The ideals of Mortar Board are leadership, scholarship, and service. It is an active honorary society with monthly meetings and major service projects each semester. Membership selection is made each spring. Eligibility is determined by the top 35% grade point average of each class, and students must show serious leadership, scholarship, and service. Students should have at least 60 credit hours; members are usually accepted only for the year in which they will actually graduate.

Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is the national honor society for students in history. The purpose of the society is to stimulate scholarship in the field of history, to promote historical writing, and to enable its members to become better informed about national and international affairs. Membership is limited to those who have 12 hours in history with an average grade of B+, an average of C+ in two-thirds of their credits, and no F in any course. The William Jewell Beta Gamma chapter was installed in 1947.

Phi Epsilon
A student who maintains a very high scholastic average during four years of college may be chosen for membership in Phi Epsilon, the academic honorary of William Jewell College.

The members of Phi Beta Kappa on the faculty sponsor Phi Epsilon. Members are selected during the second semester of their senior year.

Phi Sigma Tau
Phi Sigma Tau is the national honor society for students in philosophy. The purpose of the society is to honor students with high scholarship and personal interest in philosophy, and to promote student interest in research and advanced study in this field. Membership is open to any student who has completed three semesters of college work, ranks in the upper 35 percent of his or her class, and has at least a 3.0 average in eight hours of philosophy.

Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the national honor society for students of psychology. The purpose of this organization is to recognize outstanding students, encourage excellence in scholarship and to further the science of psychology. Membership is restricted to persons who have declared a major in psychology, rank in the upper 35 percent of their class, have a 3.0 average in all psychology courses, have completed a minimum of nine semester hours of psychology credit, and have high standards of personal behavior.

Sigma Epsilon Pi
Sigma Epsilon Pi is an organization for students who are pursuing a future in some type of ministry (vocational or volunteer). This group is a part of the Church Ministries Practicum, a program designed to expose students to a variety of ministry settings and opportunities, teaching them practical ministry skills, connecting them with local ministers and ministries, and helping them to understand God’s call for their lives. The group has monthly meetings, and regularly travels to churches in the area to lead revivals, youth events, and retreats. The Chaplain’s Office oversees the Church Ministries Practicum as part of its mission to train students in ministry. Scholarships of up to $1800 each academic year are available for students accepted into the program. For more information, see the College Catalog, or visit the Chaplain’s office (in Gano) or the Financial Aid Office.

Sigma Pi Sigma
Sigma Pi Sigma is the national honor society for students in physics. The purpose of the society is to honor students who have scholarship and promise of achievement in physics and to promote students interest in research and the advanced study of the science. Membership is open to juniors and seniors who have earned a 3.0 average in physics and 2.75 average in all courses.

Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta is the national honor society for students in English. Re-chartered at William Jewell College in 2001, this society offers English majors and other lovers of the written word opportunities for stimulating engagement, conferences, and publication in the society’s literary journal.

Sigma Theta Tau
Sigma Theta Tau is the national honor society for students in nursing. The Nursing Honor Society recognizes leadership and academic achievement in students majoring in nursing. The purposes of the society are to foster high professional standards, encourage creative work, and strengthen the commitment to the ideas and purpose of the nursing profession. Membership is by invitation, open to juniors and seniors who have a minimum of 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

Who’s Who
Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities is a published form of national recognition for achievement, scholarship and character of students at more than 700 colleges and universities. A committee of faculty members representative of various activities selects these students on the basis of scholarship, personality, and leadership. The students are accepted into the national organization after submitting a summary of information concerning themselves and their achievements. This is one of the highest honors that a student can attain.