EVERY year University students are targeted by honor societies that offer membership based on supposed academic excellence in exchange for a fee. Many students join these societies, but many also are skeptical that these societies are nothing more than a scam. The controversy over the Golden Key International Honour Society shows that students should think twice before throwing away their money.
The most practical reason not to join an honor society is because it costs money. Students are paying someone to recognize them - there is nothing prestigious about that at all. It is similar to the Who's Who books in high school, which would put people's names in for their supposed accomplishments in the hope that the families of the honorees would buy them.
If you decide to spend money to join an honor society, the next step is to figure out where the money goes. Golden Key, currently under fire for a number of issues, was paying its founder and chairman James W. Lewis almost $300,000 a year. Three of his top aides made over $100,000 each. Other honor societies also pay their executives well. The Phi Beta Kappa president got $103,950, while the Phi Kappa Phi director got $103,790 in 1999.Andrew Brownstein of The Chronicle of Higher Education refers to these as salaries "that are the envy of the nonprofit world"("Dishonor society," March 22).
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Instead of the $30-$60 that most honor societies charge, you are better off heading to Fashion Square Mall rather than padding the pockets of the executives of these organizations.
Most people join these honor societies because they feel it will help them and look good on their resume. In a phone interview, Ladd Flock, Director of CLAS Career Services at University Career Services says that being a member of an honor society can help, especially if the employer belonged to the same society.
When asked if a student who is a member of two honor societies with a 3.5 GPA is any different from a student with a 3.5 GPA not in an honor society, Flock did not think an employer would differentiate unless he or she had been in one of the societies. He did note that employers are subjective, and there is no one answer across the board.
But while Flock points out that being in an honor society might help, this is not enough of a reason for students to actually spend their money to join them.
Some honor societies, such as Golden Key, are under fire for their corporate partnerships, where they make deals with large corporations to be able to solicit from their database with special offers. If someone wants discounts, join Triple A; at least you can get your car towed. Honor societies are more like a business, and not the organizations of academic excellence and service that they should be.
Another issue is which honor society to join. In terms of actual societies on Grounds, some of the most prominent ones include Golden Key, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Phi Beta Kappa. Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa carries the highest admission standards of the three and is generally regarded as one of the most prestigious honor societies in the country.
The Golden Key honor society, however, has been mired in controversy for its lack of enforcement of standards, high executive salaries, use of professional recruiters, corporate partnerships and grade inflation. It has been continually rejected from the Association of College Honor Societies for its lack of accountability at the top.
Golden Key University chapter president Douglas J. Myers said in an e-mail interview, "Despite allegations of wrongdoing at the top levels of the Golden Key International Headquarters, the chapter at U.Va. maintains the highest standards when selecting its members and pursues its goals with integrity." These goals include community service, career placement and scholarships. The National Society of Collegiate Scholars was formed by a former advisor for Golden Key and its national founder even admits that it is a very similar society to Golden Key.
All honor societies are not bad. Like many other organizations, many honor societies do need money from their members in order to pursue legitimate goals. But the next time you get an envelope telling you of your acceptance into an honor society, do a little research. What you find may discourage you.
(Harris Freier's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at hfreier@cavalierdaily.com.)
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