Honors society likely to come

by R. Anthony Thurman
Staff Writer

The University of La Verne could join the ranks of many other prestigious colleges if they are granted the first year national honors society chapter next 2002 fall semester.

The objective of a first year honor society program is to acknowledge first-year students in their for their academic achievements and encourage them to continue to achieve.

Approximately four years ago professor of music history, Kathleen Lamkin; assistant vice president of academic affairs, Alfred Clark and French professor, Gerard Lavatori were interested in the idea of starting a first year national honors society at ULV.

Lamkin, a member of the national honors society at Baylor University in Texas, knew the importance of establishing a first year national honors chapter at ULV.

"A goal of the University of La Verne is to achieve excellence in all areas," said Lamkin. "And that national honors society of Alpha Lambda Delta is an appropriate arena for recognizing the academic excellence of our first year students."

Still intrigued Clark, Lamkin and Lavatori contacted Alpha Lambda Delta, the national honors society, to find out what was needed to establish a first year national honors society chapter at ULV.

In order to qualify for the first year national honors society, ULV had to first establish a local first year honor society with student induction's for at least three years.

Subsequently, with Clark, Lamkin and Lavatori serving as the head sponsors, ULV started Alpha Delta, the local first year honors society chapter with student induction's in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

School of business and global studies administrator, Dr. Barbara Jefferson, was the first to originally sponsor Alpha Delta along with principal sponsors Linda Gordon, school of business and global studies professor and English professor, Dr. Dorena Wright.

First year students with an accumulative grade point average of at least a 3.50 or above qualify for the Alpha Delta honor society, however, students must be invited in order to participate.

There is also an honors society for juniors and seniors called Alpha Chi. And much like Alpha Delta, only students with an accumulative GPA of at least 3.50 or above are eligible to be invited.The national honors society was founded in 1924 at the University of Illinois, it was to honor excellent academic achievements by students.Currently Alpha Lambda Delta has more than 200 chapters nationwide and this time next year ULV could join that number if accepted to the national honors society.

Besides students being praised for their academic achievements, another good aspect about the honors society is there is only a one-time induction for its students.

Meaning, once students are inducted into the honors society chapter there is no termination from that chapter even if the student's GPA plummets.

With a bright group of student inductees and with Alpha Delta established for three years now, head sponsors Lamkin, Clark and Lavatori are currently in the process of petitioning to the national honors society of Alpha Lambda Delta to establish a chapter at ULV

Assisting with the petitioning process is Alpha Delta president, Ann Earnest.

Earnest's responsibility is to have students that were inducted into Alpha Delta sign a petition that states they are willing to be a member of Alpha Lambda Delta.

"The national recognition of Alpha Lambda Delta will bring much to the university. Most importantly it will bring recognition to those students who have excelled at the University," said Earnest.

"National recognition will allow these excellent students a chance to make important contacts in the world and thus one day become contacts themselves to future University scholars. This will also bring prestige and recognition to the campus itself."

Along with Lamkin, Clark and Lavatori, original principal sponsors Gordon and Wright will continue to sponsor the ULV honors society.

If ULV is fortunate enough to be accepted to the national honors society of Alpha Lambda Delta, then the induction of the first charter members will take place next year.