Best Practices of Honor Societies Steve E. Watkins1 and Nancy M. Ostin2 1Missouri University of Science and Technology Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Rolla, Missouri 65409 USA 2IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 USA E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected] Abstract service learning initiatives, and general engagement for Academic honor societies are widely available within positive impacts across the university community. For university communities. These student organizations can chapters to go beyond their first function of student fill valuable roles within engineering departments. The recognition, best practices of effective chapters need to be inception of engineering-related honor societies followed shared. the establishment of engineering education within This paper addresses academic honor societies for American universities. Honor societies with their student engineering education. These student organizations were focus grew as complementary organizations to the developed to recognize student excellence to the benefit of professional societies for engineering disciplines. The both its member students and its host departments and national or international structure of honor societies schools. Engineering honor societies have a common generally provides considerable resources for professional history and common characteristics, as well as a variety of education, leadership training, and service activity. For potential roles within higher education. Best practices are departments, an honor society chapter can provide discussed regarding effective honor society chapters. engagement with students, alumni, community, etc. Specific examples from the operation of IEEE-Eta Kappa However, the existence of an honor society chapter at an Nu (IEEE-HKN), the honor society of the Institute of institution does not necessarily mean that the chapter is Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), are given. effectively serving the host department(s) and its engineering students. This paper describes commonalities 2. Engineering Honor Societies among engineering honor societies, the possible roles of an 2.1 History of American Honor Societies honor society within an engineering department, and some The industrial revolutions prior to 1900 led to the growth best practices for effective honor society chapters. Specific of engineering careers. Various professional societies in examples from the operation of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu engineering were formed to serve these disciplines. Higher (IEEE-HKN), the honor society of the Institute of Electrical education responded as well with the development and and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), are given. specialization of engineering degree programs1,2. Engineering professional societies supported engineering Keywords education with outreach and student chapters, but the Honor Societies, Profession, Student Life profession saw value for separate organizations that recognized high academic achievement among students 1. Introduction preparing for the engineer profession and that created a Engineering honor societies have a historic place within community among those so recognized. The primary focus engineering education at American institutions and they are of the professional societies is promoting the profession in expanding internationally. These student organizations general; the primary focus of the honor societies is have collegiate chapters that are supported by international promoting the profession through excellence in education. and national structures and they complement the (This focus does not preclude activities or membership educational activities of professional engineering societies. opportunities for working members of the profession.) Honor societies focus on the development of their member Tau Beta Pi, the second oldest honor society, was students and on excellence in engineering education. Their founded in 1885 for engineering students3,4; Phi Beta chapters are most effective when the recognition Kappa, founded 1776, had evolved into an honor society component is combined with student peer communities, for liberal arts and sciences. Other honor societies were Proceedings of the 2018 ASEE Gulf-Southwest Section Annual Conference The University of Texas at Austin April 4-6, 2018 organized for academic recognition in engineering and non- meetings (seminars, workshops, and conferences) and engineering specialties as well as recognition for research, publications. leadership, etc. These honor societies have been popular Table 1 shows the founding year and ACHS membership among students and have become common features within status of Tau Beta Pi and some of the prominent honor American higher education. As new disciplines developed, societies for specific engineering disciplines4-9. All of these new honor societies were formed or existing honor honor societies support the standards of ACHS and all were societies integrated. For instance, aerospace engineering formed during the early growth years of engineering has Sigma Gamma Tau (formed 1953) and computer educational programs. A common characteristic is engineering became affiliated with the honor society for academic recognition, but other commonalities are electrical engineering (Eta Kappa Nu). While most honor community and service. Note the similar themes found in societies have predominantly American student chapters, the ways these honor societies describe themselves. many honor societies are expanding internationally. • Tau Beta Pi: “Integrity and Excellence in An early concern was to have a uniform definition of the Engineering” (Motto) honor society concept. In 1925, several honor societies • IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu: “Scholarship, Character, and created the Association of College Honor Societies Attitude” (Ideals) (ACHS) to develop standards for membership eligibility, • Pi Tau Sigma: “Integrity, Service, and Leadership” 5 governance, and chapter operations . ACHS membership (Core Values) is offered to organizations that adhere to its standards. Tau • Chi Epsilon: “Scholarship, Character, Practicality, Beta Pi was a founding member of ACHS. and Sociability” (Pillars) 2.2 Characteristics of Engineering Honor Societies • Omega Chi Epsilon: “Recognition, Investigation, ACHS provides clear requirements for its member honor Service, Comradeship, and Professionalism” societies. Hence, membership is a certification that (Objectives) promotes the integrity of the concept of an honor society. A common characteristic of engineering honor societies The intent is to have a clear contrast between legitimate is close cooperation with associated professional societies. 5 honor societies and illegitimate ones. ACHS defines an For the prior list, electrical and computer engineering has honor society as “an association of primarily collegiate the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) chapters whose purposes are to recognize and encourage and HKN, mechanical engineering has the American high scholarship and/or leadership achievement in some Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Pi Tau broad or specialized field of study.” It further lists Sigma, civil engineering has the American Society of Civil minimum eligibility criteria for scholastic excellence and Engineers (ASCE) and Chi Epsilon, and chemical member-center work of honor societies. Typical activities engineering has the American Institute of Chemical and programs are given as awards, recognition, support Engineers (AIChE) and Omega Chi Epsilon. (For IEEE (scholarships, fellowships and grants), program initiatives, and HKN the relationship is formal with HKN being a unit Table 1. Some Engineering Honor Societies ACHS Discipline Honor Society Founding Year Membership Engineering (General) Tau Beta PI (TBP) 1885 Yes Electrical & Computer Eng. Eta Kappa Nu (HKN)* 1904 Pending Mechanical Eng. Pi Tau Sigma (PTS) 1915 Yes Civil Eng. Chi Epsilon 1923 Yes Chemical Eng. Omega Chi Epsilon (OXE) 1931 Yes * Since 2010, HKN is under the umbrella of IEEE as IEEE-HKN Proceedings of the 2018 ASEE Gulf-Southwest Section Annual Conference The University of Texas at Austin April 4-6, 2018 within IEEE10.) The specific honor society and Consequently, employers often look for some professional society serve the same professional organizational experience on resumes and in interviews. community. Many of the leaders of the professional Discipline-specific organizations offer additional society have honor society membership and often honor benefits. Student branches of professional societies, society activities are targeted at developing leadership chapters of honor societies, and design teams are example skills among its student members. For the college organizations. These groups typically have enhanced environment, many engineering departments have student opportunities for networking with engineering faculty and chapters of the honor society and the professional society. working professionals such as formal mentoring programs These chapters frequently have joint activities. or regular networking activities. Common activities also Honor societies of other disciplines that are closely allied directly address skills and knowledge related to the with engineering disciplines share much. For instance, profession. While professional society chapters and design 11 Sigma Pi Sigma is the honor society for physics. It was teams tend to focus on technical and career issues, honor founded in the same time period (in 1921), it is a member