ACADEMIC POLICY AND INFORMATION 31 Academic Awards At Honors Day Convocation and in department award ceremonies the College bestows academic awards and other recognitions upon students of distinction. At the Honoring Scholarship Conference held in conjunction with Honors Day, students present their scholarly research and musical and artistic works. Honor Societies Alpha Epsilon Delta recognizes excellence in pre-medical scholarship. Alpha Lambda Delta is a scholarship honorary for first-year students. Beta Beta Beta is an honorary society whose members are biology majors with above- average scholastic records. Kappa Delta Epsilon, a national education honorary, recognizes outstanding work in the field of education. Kappa Mu Epsilon recognizes excellence in the field of mathematics. Mortar Board, an honorary society for senior women and men, recognizes eminence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Omicron Delta Kappa elects its members from men and women in the junior and senior classes, recognizes leadership in scholarship, athletics, student government, social and religious affairs, publications, music, speech, and dramatic arts. Order of Omega recognizes fraternity and sorority members who have attained a high standard of leadership. Open to any member of a Birmingham-Southern College fraternity or sorority who is at least a junior or senior, has at least an overall grade point average equivalent to the all-fraternity or all-sorority average, and has held leadership positions on campus. Phi Alpha Theta, international honor society in history, elects members on the basis of outstanding scholarship achievement in the study of history and the maintenance of a distinguished overall scholastic record. Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society, was founded in 1776. The Beta of Alabama Chapter at Birmingham-Southern College was founded in 1937. Election to Phi Beta Kappa is based on scholarly achievement in a broad program of intellectual interest within the context of a liberal education. High grades alone, particularly if earned in a narrowly conceived vocational or pre-professional program, are not sufficient reason for election. Students are elected by the resident members of Phi Beta Kappa after a careful analysis of grades and course distribution. Candidates for election must be pursuing a liberal arts degree of adequate breadth; candidates for Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2016-2017 .