Academic Honor Societies
Chi Alpha Sigma
Chi Alpha Sigma is the first national scholar-athlete society to honor those collegiate student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and in athletic competition. Chi Alpha Sigma recognizes college students who receive a varsity letter in their sport while maintaining a 3.4 or higher cumulative GPA throughout their junior and/or senior years. Rockford University is 1 of 284 national members and is 1 of 17 member institutions in the state of Illinois.
The governing board represents all levels of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Its purposes are as follows:
- To encourage and reward high academic scholarship of college athletes at four-year accredited colleges and universities;
- To recognize outstanding academic achievement by intercollegiate varsity letter winners;
- To encourage good citizenship, moral character, and friendship among the high academic achievers in college athletics;
- To recognize and honor the individual athlete, his/her team, sport, athletic department, and college or university;
- To mentor and to provide leadership to other athletes.
Omicron Delta Epsilon
The Rockford University chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international Economics honorary society, was installed in 1975. The society is dedicated to recognizing outstanding scholastic achievement in economics, and encouraging closer ties between students and faculty within the discipline.
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta International Honor Society in History installed a chapter at Rockford University in 1987. The society is dedicated to the recognition of outstanding achievement in history. Membership requires at least 12 semester hours of history with a grade point average greater than 3.0, and a minimum 3.0 grade point average overall. More information is available from the chapter’s advisor, Dr. Catherine Forslund, e-mail: cforslund@rockford.edu or at https://www.rockford.edu/academics/departments/history/phialphatheta/
Phi Beta Kappa
The Eta of Illinois chapter of Phi Beta Kappa (PBK), a national scholastic honor society, was installed at Rockford University in 1953. It is one of only 11 PBK chapters in the state of Illinois. Election to PBK is the highest academic honor an undergraduate student can receive. Each year during the spring semester, faculty and staff members of PBK review the work of those students eligible for consideration. Election into the society is based on grade point average, good character, and course work demonstrating a clear commitment to the liberal arts. In order to be a member, a student must have taken courses in the areas of literature, history or classical civilization, natural sciences and mathematics, philosophy or social sciences, foreign language, and history or theory of an art form. Senior candidates for all degrees who meet the above criteria and have been in residence at the university for at least four semesters are eligible for election. For details, see the University website at https://www.rockford.edu/academics/pbk/
Phi Sigma Iota
The Beta Epsilon chapter of Phi Sigma Iota, a national honorary foreign language society, was installed at Rockford University in 1991. Membership is open to students of modern and classical languages and literature who meet the criteria of the national constitution and local bylaws.
Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the international honor society in psychology. The purpose of Psi Chi is to encourage, stimulate and maintain excellence in scholarship and advance the science of psychology. http://www.rockford.edu/academics/departments/psychology/psichi/
Sigma Beta Delta
Sigma Beta Delta is a national honor society in business, management, and administration. The purpose of Sigma Beta Delta is to encourage and promote personal and professional improvement and a life distinguished by honorable service to humankind. Business students of the junior, senior, or master’s class ranked in the upper 20 percent of the class are eligible to be invited to membership by the faculty officers.
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi is the honor society of research scientists and engineers. It is an international, multidisciplinary society whose programs and activities promote the health of the scientific enterprise, reward excellence in scientific research and encourage a sense of companionship and cooperation among scientists in all fields.