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Three Chapter Charters Granted
Gamma Sigma Alpha continues to grow this semester, adding three new chapters in the last few weeks.
Southern Connecticut State University, located in New Haven, Connecticut, will charter the Theta Xi chapter of Gamma Sigma Alpha in early December.
Valparaiso University, located in Northern Indiana chartered the Theta Nu chapter of Gamma Sigma Alpha when they initiated 20 members in November.
Jacksonville State University became the seventh Gamma Sigma Alpha chapter in Alabama and recieved the chapter letters Theta Omicron.
We welcome all the new initiates of these chapters and the Board of Directors extends a warm thank-you to the students and staff who assisted in getting these new chapters off the ground. We wish you the very best as you begin this new tradition on your campus.
Gamma Sigma Alpha turns 20 today!
- Then & Now….students at the University of Southern California pose with the previous Executive Director, Beth Saul during their Spring 2009 Initiation.
“The concept of a national academic honor society for Greek undergraduates is attributed to Beth K. Saul (Alpha Epsilon Phi), then Assistant Director of Greek Life at the University of Southern California. Seeing the need for such an organization, she began gathering interest and ideas from the members who comprised the Row Academic Success Committee. On November 9th 1989 they succeeded in establishing Gamma Sigma Alpha as a local Greek academic honor society. With the Society established locally, the founding members were not content in merely having this society recognize outstanding undergraduate Greek scholars at the University of Southern California. Therefore, they decided to expand the Society to other Greek communities. ” (Gamma Sigma Alpha Ritual, 2009)
Posted: November 9th, 2009 in GSA News | No Comments »
Recruitment Tips
Brenau University's new initiates from Spring 2009
Many of our chapters are working on recruitment for their fall initiations now and we wanted to share some cool ideas we’ve heard chapters are doing to recruit the best and the brightest students. Here are a few of our favorites:
- “Nomination” e-mails sent from academic grade reports. Students feel honored to qualify for membership and you can reach a lot of people without spending a lot of time.
- Choose chapter ambassadors to help spread the word to their individual chapters. You can target scholarship chairs, a student who is a previous initiate of GSA or simply a leader in the chapter. Ask these students to encourage membership, even consider hosting a small competition to see which chapter can bring in the most new members. This brings a diverse group of students into the organization and hopefully all of your chapters are represented!
- Charge initiates a small “local dues” on top of the $25 national dues. Use this additional money to sponsor book scholarships for new members. A possible monetary incentive for students will increase interest.
- Run names of qualifying students in an ad in the student newspaper, congratulating them on their academic achievement and outlining steps to get involved in Gamma Sigma Alpha. The public recognition is great for students and gives visibility to the organization.
- Ask the Deans office to promote membership when sending out congratulatory letters to students who qualify for the Dean’s list. This allows campus administration to support the cause and adds credibility to the organization.
- Set recruitment goals surpassing the number of initiates your group brought in last year. Set up a contest to see which previous GSA initiate can recruit the most number of new initiates, offer a small incentive to that student. This idea empowers the current membership to recruit and sometimes yields the best results.
Does your chapter have a unique recruitment idea? If so, leave a comment or contact us here. Good luck and let us know how we can help you achieve your recruitment goals!
Posted: October 13th, 2009 in Recruitment tips | No Comments »
Kristine Campbell
Kristine Campbell is one of six scholarship winners for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Kristine Campbell graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham last May with a degree in Biology and high hopes to attend medical school this fall. Gamma Sigma Alpha helped her achieve her goal by awarding her one of the six scholarship designated this year. Campbell was initiated into Gamma Sigma Alpha in 2007 and served as Treasurer and President of the local chapter. In addition to Gamma Sigma Alpha, Campbell was involved in Alpha Omicron Pi, the Student Alumni Society, Catholic Student Ministries…the list could continue.
A recommendation letter was written to support Campbell’s scholarship application. Her reference said, “(Kristine has the) ability to formulate innovative solutions to problem. She was also known as a self starter, able to seize upon a problem, analyze its components and execute a solution with minimal supervision. There is no doubt she has the intellectual capacity and power to make her mark in medicine.”
Campbell felt honored to be a part of Gamma Sigma Alpha and felt it allowed her to work closely with leaders in her organization and around campus. She said, “Gamma Sigma Alpha has shown me that others value academic success of college students and this organization has helped to refine my leadership skills and become more involved on campus.”
Gamma Sigma Alpha wishes Kristine Campbell all the success she can ask for during her first year of medical school at the University of Alabama. She is just one example of the outstanding students the organization initiates every year and we are confident she will make a difference in the world.
National Recognition from Various Headquarters
Each year Gamma Sigma Alpha sends notification to the various national groups represented in our over 2000 students who we initiate during the course of the academic year. Within the 2008-2009 academic year, the two groups most represented included Alpha Delta Phi and Delta Gamma, both having over 100 members initiated into our honor society. These groups should be very proud of this accomplishment!
The national fraternity/sorority headquarters recognize their members for this honor in a variety of different ways. Lambda Chi Alpha and Pi Kappa Alpha members initiated into Gamma Sigma Alpha were sent letters from their national organization and will be recognized in an upcoming issue of Cross & Crescent and Shield and Diamond (their internal publications) respectively. Alpha Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Sigma also recognized their members with congratulatory letters. Phi Kappa Tau honored their members by listing names and university affiliation on their website, click here to view.
Thank you to all the national organizations that encourage membership in honor societies, we value our relationship with you. Let’s see if your numbers from this past year can be surpassed in 2009-2010!
Posted: August 30th, 2009 in GSA News | No Comments »
Tarheel Country
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is best known for basketball, but the fraternity/sorority community has a lot to brag about too. Home to 54 fraternity and sorority organizations, they are committed to high academic achievement and consistently report higher greek GPA scores compared to their non-greek counterparts.
The Gamma Alpha chapter of Gamma Sigma Alpha was chartered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995 and continues to be one of our largest chapters nationwide, initiating more than 150 students each year. Current membership is almost 400 members. How does the chapter recruit so many members? Tactics include:
- Current Gamma Sigma Alpha members visit chapter meetings to discuss the organization and encourage qualified members to apply
- Two new member scholarships are offered to Gamma Sigma Alpha initiates
- Membership selection is all completed online
In addition to recognizing academic achievement, the Gamma Sigma Alpha chapter at UNC at Chapel Hill also strives to complete 1-2 service projects each semester. For more information about UNC’s Fraternity/Sorority community, you can visit: www.greeks.unc.edu. Thanks for being a shining example for Gamma Sigma Alpha, keep up the great work!
Posted: July 22nd, 2009 in Chapter highlights | 2 Comments »
Bo Nasmyth Loy
Bo is one of the six 2009 scholarship recipients we will highlight on this site over the course of the year.
Gamma Sigma Alpha was pleased to continue the tradition of awarding scholarships to undergraduate members pursuing advanced degrees for the 2009-2010 academic year. Bo Nasmyth Loy, graduated with a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2005. He will continue his studies at the same institution, enrolling in the Keck School of Medicine with aspirations of becoming a doctor.
Loy was not a typical student leader at USC. He served as President of the Delta Chi chapter, Executive Vice-President of Judicial Affairs for the Interfraternity Council and a leader within the Gamma Sigma Alpha chapter. In addition to these formal responsibilities, he has authored books to help kids suffering with childhood diabetes including, “487 Really Cool Tips for Kids with Diabetes,” and “Getting a Grip on Diabetes.” If that wasn’t enough Loy has traveled to Hong Kong and Beijing on a research grant and is now assisting on a health study working to prevent type II diabetes in the underserved Latino youth of East Los Angeles.
When asked about the value his Gamma Sigma Alpha membership had on him, he stated, “The Greek system at USC, and particularly the Gamma Sigma Alpha Greek Honor Society, introduced me to some of the most influential people in my educational career; for that I will be forever grateful.” Gamma Sigma Alpha is grateful to call Bo Nasmyth Loy a member and we are honored to assist him financially in his post undergraduate studies. Congratulations Bo and good luck!
Endowed Scholarship
Gamma Sigma Alpha is pleased to announce the Beth Saul Gamma Sigma Alpha Endowment through the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) Foundation. This $10,000 fund will grant professionals who previously would not be able to attend the Annual AFA Conference the ability to do so. The award was created to allow a lasting legacy for a woman who has dedicated so much during her years of service to higher education. Saul was the advisor to the founding chapter of Gamma Sigma Alpha at the University of Southern California and served as the organization’s Executive Director of almost 20 years. She led the growth of the organization from a single chartered chapter to over 200 chapters nationwide.
Surprised by the honor at the AFA Annual Meeting last winter, Saul said, “The Gamma Sigma Alpha Endowment is a shining example of what the vision of dedicated volunteer leaders can accomplish…I am delighted that my passion for outstanding Greek academic achievement could be a catalyst for the benefits that this endowment will bring to the profession of sorority and fraternity advising for decades to come.”
Saul continues to serve the University of Southern California as the Director for Fraternity and Sorority Leadership Development and Parent Programs. She also continues to serve on the National Board of Directors for Gamma Sigma Alpha.
Indianapolis or Bust
Gamma Sigma Alpha's Central Office is now located in the Harris Bank Building at 86th and Michigan Road in Indianapolis
Gamma Sigma Alpha, the nation’s premier academic Greek honorary has been busy! It was this time last year, that we moved our headquarters. Previously, the organization was housed where it was founded, on the campus of the University of Southern California. After tremendous growth over the last 20 years, a move was necessary. The headquarters is now located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the suites within the National Interfraternity Conference (NIC) offices. Indianapolis is home to over 30 national fraternity and sorority offices as well as the NIC, the Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors (AFA) and the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), so it was a logical choice for the relocation.
As our Indiana base of chapters grow, I’d love to attend chapter initiations or chartering ceremonies within driving distance of Indianapolis. Contact the central office if this is something your chapter is interested in doing!