Students in the Fresno Pacific University chapter of Alpha Chi National College Honor Society are again among the organization’s elite, having been selected as a Star Chapter.
The 2020-21 academic year is the 16th consecutive time FPU’s California Zeta Chapter (Region VII) has earned this honor, which was granted to only 12 of the Alpha Chi’s nearly 300 chapters nationwide. The award honors chapters who demonstrate vitality by inducting new members, sending at least one faculty member and one student to the annual convention, having at least one student present on the convention program, nominating at least one student for a national Alpha Chi fellowship or scholarship, sponsoring at least one on-campus program in promotion of scholarship and nominating one worthy individual for honorary membership in Alpha Chi. “In an academic year that presented even more challenges than the previous, these chapters displayed impressive perseverance and dedication to Alpha Chi,” the national organization stated in its release naming the winners.
“We push our highest-achieving scholars to do significant work in their areas of interest, and year after year they have proven up to the challenge. We were especially amazed last year, when our chapter won every national award for which our members were in the running!” said W. Marshall Johnston, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the history program as well as coordinator of the FPU University Scholars program.
Other Star Chapter schools are: Abilene Christian University, Texas Psi, Region I; California State University, Bakersfield, California, Region VII; Carson-Newman University, Tennessee Delta, Region III; Chowan University, North Carolina Phi, Region III; Harding University, Arkansas Eta, Region II; Huntington University, Indiana Beta, Region V; Lindenwood University, Missouri Pi, Region IV; Missouri Western State University, Missouri Lambda, Region IV; Texas Lutheran University, Texas Alpha Delta, Region I; Texas State University, Texas Iota, Region I; and the University of Texas at Tyler, Texas Alpha Xi, Region II.
Alpha Chi National College Honor Society is open to juniors, seniors and graduate students from all disciplines in the top 10% of their classes and inducts approximately 10,000 students annually. Alpha Chi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, the only national accrediting body for collegiate honor societies. Since Alpha Chi’s founding in 1922—the 100th anniversary convention will be in Austin in spring 2022—members charged with upholding the tenets of truth and character have dedicated themselves to “making scholarship effective for good” (alphachihonor.org/).