Texas State receives Phi Kappa Phi chapter

Posted by University News Service
May 10, 2013

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi has announced approval of a new chapter to be installed at Texas State University. Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

With its new chapter, Texas State will join more than 300 Phi Kappa Phi chapters in North America and the Philippines. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni.

“The commitment to excellence at Texas State University is evidenced by the university’s superior academic environment, highly motivated student population, strong honors college presence, and exceptional faculty and staff,” said Society President Diane G. Smathers, Ed.D. “We are confident Texas State’s commitment to recognizing and honoring academic excellence will benefit both the university and Phi Kappa Phi, and we look forward to developing a strong working relationship with the chapter.”

Eugene Bourgeois, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Texas State, said, “We are honored that the Board of Directors of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi has approved a chapter for Texas State University, allowing Texas State to join the select colleges and universities with chapters. It is an endorsement of the culture of academic excellence at Texas State.”

Universities approved for a Phi Kappa Phi chapter meet a variety of standards including a demonstrated reputation of academic excellence, a diverse offering of degree programs in liberal and applied disciplines, and an exemplary commitment to scholarship among other requirements. Texas State was approved to establish a chapter by the Society’s board of directors in March 2013.

Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students, along with faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

For more information, please contact the Honors College at honors@txstate.edu.

About Phi Kappa Phi

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts annually approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.

Since its founding, more than 1 million members have been initiated. Some of the organization’s more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist David Baldacci and YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley. The Society has awarded approximately $14 million since the inception of its awards program in 1932. Today, $1 million is awarded each biennium to qualifying students and members through graduate fellowships, undergraduate study abroad scholarships, member and chapter awards and grants for local and national literacy initiatives. The Society’s mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”