Gamma Theta Upsilon:Transcending International Boundaries with

Geography’s International Honor Society

James LowryUniversity of New Orleans

Thomas WikleOklahoma State University

Donald ZeiglerOld Dominion University

Tel Aviv, Israel

International Geographical Union

July 15, 2010

http://www.gammathetaupsilon.org/

Local Chapters

Local chapters are chartered by Gamma Theta Upsilon.

Membership

• 3 geography courses• 3 college semesters• 3.3 GPA overall• 3.3 GPA in geography

Inductees must have:

Membership is open to undergraduates and post-graduates.

• Honors Chapters

• Presidential Honors Chapters

• Chapter Anniversary Awards

Chapter Recognition

Chapter Sponsor Recognition

How many faculty members have been chapter sponsors for a continuous 35 years?

2

Dr. Duane Nellis

• President, University of Idaho

• President, Association of American Geographers

• President, National Council for Geographic Education

• President, Gamma Theta Upsilon

“The mission of the Association of College Honor Societies is to build a visibly cohesive community of national and international honor societies, individually and collaboratively exhibiting excellence in scholarship, service, programs, and governance.”

67 member societies, including . . .

Kappa Mu Epsilon Mathematics

Phi Alpha Theta History

Pi Gamma Mu Social Sciences

Psi Chi Psychology

1964 Members of Iota Chapter, Montclair, NJ

Opportunities at the Chapter Level

• Leadership• Activities• Service• Jobs• Academic

Support

The Geographical Bulletin

• Peer reviewed

• 2 issues per year

• Published since 1970

• Student research

• Best Student Article

• EBSCO accessible

GTU Scholarships

• Buzzard Undergraduate Scholarship

• Buzzard Graduate Scholarship

• Maxfield Scholarship

• Richason Scholarship

• Rechlin Scholarship

$1000

Visiting Geographical Scientist Program

Honor Society in Geography

Three Chapters outside the USA:

2 in Canada

1 in Mexico

International? Yes

Global? No

International

Regrettably, all three are dormant.

From . . .

Alpha Chapter at Illinois State UniversityMay 15, 1928

To . . .

Mu Gamma Chapter at University of Texas–DallasMay 5, 2010

282 Chapters

Almost 60,000 Members

Since . . .

August 1, 2009

1159 new members

129 chapters

United States

7 Other Countries

Bosnia, Canada, China, Ghana, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, U.K. During the previous year, we had initiates from Bolivia, India, and Thailand.

GTU is . . . GTU is not . . .

ΓΘϒ

An Honor Society Elitist

Transparent A Secret Society

GoalTo reinvigorate the international dimension of Gamma Theta Upsilon by exploring the possibilities for establishing active Chapters outside the United States.

GTU Vice-Presidents:

Dr. Randy Bertolas RaBerto1@wsc.edu

Dr. Tom Wikle t.wikle@okstate.edu

Abstract: Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) serves as the international honor society in geography. At present, however, all but three chapters are located in the United States. Unlike honor societies in other disciplines, GTU has not focused on international membership; yet, universities anywhere in the world are eligible to form local chapters. The purpose of GTU is to honor outstanding scholarship in geography. Students are typically inducted as undergraduates, but post-graduates are also welcome. Membership is not meant as a mark of elitism, but rather as recognition for high achievement. There are no secret signs, nor are any proceedings closed to public scrutiny. In the United States, 282 chapters of GTU have been established, the first one in 1928. Every year, new universities join the network. Each university chapter receives a charter, and everyone inducted becomes a member for life. Many chapters schedule more than induction ceremonies; they often organize service projects, social activities, and field excursions. Gamma Theta Upsilon is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (along with the honor societies of other disciplines such as engineering, sociology, and literature) and must pass an audit of its membership standards regularly. This presentation will describe the network of GTU chapters that already exists, detail what is needed to establish a new chapter, and make the case for more transborder cooperation in recognizing student achievement. Possibilities for publication in GTU’s research journal will also be discussed.