Many years ago, Christopher Columbus High School opened a chapter of Rho Kappa, the Social Studies Honor Society developed through the Florida Council for the Social Studies (FCSS). As department chair and member of FCSS, the author was thrilled to be able to offer their students opportunities in the Honor Society for the Social Studies. They…

Hazing is the beast in academe's basement, often lurking unseen and unreported, only to rise again and again despite countless rules and zero-tolerance policies. It takes many forms, some physically violent, some emotionally cruel, some booze-soaked, some silly. Since 1970, colleges have seen at least one hazing-related fatality each year, and the…

Winter had set in, and the local charity had already run out of warm coats. Students sprang into action. They made calls, rang doorbells, announced the need daily at school. Working together, they collected 87 coats--each with a hat, glove, and scarf set--with jeans, sweaters, shoes, and new toys thrown in as an additional gift. The students--all…

The political science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha, has chapters in nearly 700 institutions across the United States. The organization sponsors many programs that can contribute a great deal to students of political science; however, many students are unaware of these opportunities. This article encourages chapter advisors to make use of these…

When President Obama gave his commencement address at the University of Notre Dame last month, he lightened the mood with a joke about honorary degrees. "So far I'm only one for two as president," Mr. Obama said. "Father Hesburgh is 150 for 150." He was referring to the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, former Notre Dame president, who just turned 92.…

When his department chair asked him a few years ago to take over as faculty advisor to their university's chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society, the author readily accepted. Not only would it provide a great opportunity to get to know some of their best students better, it would also help a junior faculty member like himself fulfill…

As an "international" honor society in education, Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) recognizes the importance of encouraging and promoting education internationally in the 21st century. The challenge shared by educators in many countries is to achieve higher levels of learning for all students. Committed educators around the globe are already working…

Celebrating its 350th anniversary as a scholarly association devoted to scientific pursuits, the Royal Society (UK), in March 2010, published "The Scientific Century: Securing Our Future Prosperity." In its report, the Royal Society argues against both the notion of withdrawing public investment from its world-class universities and the…

In 1795 America's preeminent scholarly organization sponsored a contest for the best essay on education. The two winners have been canonized in the scholarship on early American educational thought. This essay refocuses attention on the great contest itself, not only seeking understanding of the works that it produced but also analyzing its…

The annual K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award--bestowed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities--recognizes graduate students who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education, with strong commitments to teaching and learning; to academic and civic responsibility; and to the development of others as leaders,…

Discusses why Phi Beta Kappa remains a remote influence at historically Black institutions and on Black students at predominantly White college campuses. (EV)

Profiles several African American men who were black electees to the Phi Beta Kappa honorary society in the 19th century (no women were elected during this period), including George Washington Henderson, a former slave, who was the first African American elected. A sidebar describes the first African American woman elected to Phi Beta Kappa in…

Explores why, although Golden Key has gained a large membership, many other honor societies question its mission. Its founder has been ousted amid charges of lax standards and improper encounters with students. (EV)

Discusses the role of the honor fraternity, Phi Theta Kappa, in recognizing student achievement and motivating student leadership and service at Burlington County College. Reviews the relationship of the college to the society and student responses. (DMM)

This article provides a brief history of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). The CIES, initially the Comparative Education Society (CES), evolved from annual conferences at New York University begun in 1954 by William W. Brickman. CES was founded at the close of a subsequent conference (April 27, 1956), with Brickman as…