Is Your Chapter Effective?

by Nancy McManus, Administrator

Pi Sigma Alpha National Office

Pi Sigma Alpha’s 700 campus chapters show a wide range of levels and types of activity and involvement. At one end of the range, some chapters only bestow Pi Sigma Alpha membership at graduation time, making the recognition of high academic achievement in the discipline of political science the sole benefit of membership in the honor society. At the other end of the range, some chapters seek out ways to make the honor society experience a valuable co-curricular learning opportunity for students through a variety of leadership and programmatic endeavors. Most chapters fall somewhere in the middle, applying for Chapter Activity Grants from the National Office and carrying out some activities during the academic year.

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) develops standards of effectiveness for many co-curricular aspects of higher education, including honor society chapters. For those Pi Sigma Alpha chapters with an interest in improving their effectiveness as student leadership and learning opportunities, and increasing member satisfaction with their honor society experience, the National Office offers these Chapter Effectiveness and Learning Benchmarks adapted loosely from the CAS standards for honor society chapters.

Chapters are free to use them or not, to the extent allowed by the culture of their institutions, the level of departmental support for the chapter, and the strength of commitment of the student members in any given year. There is no requirement (*) that these standards be met or even considered in chapter organization and planning. They’re offered simply as one framework for Advisors who want to think about whether and how their chapters of the honor society might do more to enhance the members’ educational experience.

Please feel free to share your comments about the Benchmarks with the National Office.

Chapter Effectiveness Benchmarks

1. The chapter is registered with the appropriate student affairs office on campus.

2. The chapter complies with the requirements for recognition (and possible funding) of a student organization on campus.

3. The chapter has bylaws, and all new members receive a copy of the bylaws. *

4. Chapter officers are elected in accordance with bylaws procedures. *

5. The chapter officers participate in any student officer training program offered by the institution.

6. There is an official Pi Sigma Alpha induction ceremony every year or every semester.

7. The members participate in planning the chapter’s activities for the year.

8. The chapter regularly submits a proposal to Pi Sigma Alpha’s Chapter Activity Grants program.

9. Membership in Pi Sigma Alpha appears in the institution’s commencement program or other published list of student honors.

10. The chapter conducts an annual evaluation of its own programs and policies

Learning Benchmarks

1. The chapter plans and carries out activities that enhance members’ academic goals.

2. The chapter regularly submits student papers to the Best Undergraduate Class Paper and Best Undergraduate Honors Thesis competitions.

3. The members submit papers to the Pi Sigma Alpha Undergraduate Journal of Politics.

4. The members are made aware of the Washington Internship scholarships offered by Pi Sigma Alpha and through the Association of College Honor Societies.

5. The chapter advisor names an outstanding chapter member to receive a one-year membership in APSA every year.

6. The chapter provides opportunities for members to learn leadership skills.

7. The chapter considers how each of its activities contributes to members’ personal commitment to social responsibility and/or civic responsibility.

8. Departmental faculty, including the Chapter Advisor, find ways to include members in their own research or other scholarly activities.

* The Pi Sigma Alpha constitution requires that chapters have bylaws and operate in accordance with the bylaws.