Phi Alpha Honor Society
IMPORTANT LINKS
CHAPTER CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
APPLICATION FOR NATIONAL PROGRAMS
PURPOSE
Students and faculty involved in Social Work education at Eastern Kentucky University resolve to sponsor a chapter of Phi Alpha National Honor Society for Social Work. This chapter aims to foster high standards of educational achievement in the Social Work program. Students who have attained excellence of scholarship and distinction of achievement will be invited into membership of this chapter. The intention of this chapter is to create a personal connection among students and faculty who are dedicated to the promotion of humanitarian goals.
HISTORY
The concept of a national social work honor society came from a group of undergraduate social work students at Michigan State University in 1960. Investigation revealed that local chapters existed at three schools. Those three schools along with a few other schools formed a National Honor Society Committee in November of 1960. For more than a year, this committee worked on the constitution and other administrative matters. The name Phi Alpha was adopter from the local chapter existing at Florida State University.
The constitution and formal organization were completed in 1962, and six chapters qualified to become "charter chapters." The charter chapters were Florida State University, Michigan State University, Ohio North University, Central State College, University of Dayton, and the University of Tennessee. Over 450 chapters are now in existence, and the addition of new chapters is continuing.
Phi Alpha offers membership to social work students, faculty and practitioners. Each chapter is free to develop a program to meet local needs. The National Council of Phi Alpha, the organization's policy making body, meets once a year at the Council of Social Work Education's (CSWE's) annual program meeting conference. Each chapter has one voting representative on The National Council.
