Membership Guide 2010

The 2010 Membership Guide can be downloaded here in Adobe Acrobat format.

Member Handbook 2008

Background:

Mission
The mission of the Presidential Honors Society is to bring together a dynamic group of already successful students within the University to promote academic excellence, personal and professional development, and on-going service to the campus and the community.

Goal
PHS was founded as an opportunity to assemble the best and brightest students at the University. As such, even today the Society’s central goal remains the same—community service on campus and within the Albany area. Simultaneously, PHS furthers the academic excellence of its members by providing opportunities for the students to thrive within the academic community on campus.

History
The Presidential Honors Society was founded in 1991 by Kevin McIntyre and Brian Kerr, both juniors at the University at Albany, with the support of Professor Sung Bok Kim, past Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Since its founding, the Society has expanded in both size and scope, inducting more new members each year and expanding the already phenomenal service opportunities for those members. In the past, PHS members have even worked with nationally recognized organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the Ronald McDonald House.

The Presidential Honors Society receives strong support from the President’s Office, the Provost’s office, and many other departments and offices throughout campus.

The Society is widely recognized as the largest and most prestigious honor society and community service organization on campus. PHS members distinguish themselves academically through internships, awards and/or research and are regularly featured in UAlbany print and internet publications as outstanding students and members of the campus community. These achievements are largely due to the fact that the majority of our members hold active roles in other campus organizations in addition to their membership in PHS.

Structure
The Presidential Honors Society is an organization structured on the creative development and collaboration of its members. The executive officers are elected annually at the end of each academic year. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer are elected to serve the members and further the goals of the society. In addition, the core of the Society’s leadership lies in Project Coordinators, who organize volunteer projects for the students, based on a cause they personally believe in. Anyone can be a Project Coordinator and everyone is encouraged to bring forward any ideas regarding service projects. The elected officers, any appointed officers, and the Project Coordinators collectively are the executive board (e-board for short).

Membership:

How do I become a member?
In order to become a member of PHS you must first be invited. Any student that receives at least a 3.75 cumulative GPA will receive an invitation letter following any semester that this cumulative GPA is achieved. This means that you may receive a letter after each semester that you have at least a 3.75 cumulative GPA.

If you receive a letter of invitation you should attend the next PHS mass meeting to learn more about the organization. You’ll also need to subscribe to the listserv (directions are online) and pay dues in the PHS office (LC 31). From that point on, you’re a member of the Presidential Honors Society.

What do dues go towards? Why is it $10 a semester? Dues are the major source of income for our organization. The money is used for projects that PHS organizes, our meetings, workshops, and administrative supplies. In addition, we provide each new dues paying member with a PHS t-shirt to wear on projects.

What if I can't afford dues? If you can’t afford dues, please set up an appointment to meet with the President by emailing him or her and we may be able to help you.

How do I stay a member? In order to maintain your status as a member of PHS you must pay dues, maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher, complete 15 hours of community service per semester, and attend all of the projects that you sign up to participate in. If you sign up for a project, and do not show up, or let the Project Coordinator know that you can no longer attend, you will be warned, and removed from PHS if it happens again. The PHS constitution allows a one semester grace period (if your GPA drops below a 3.5, if you don’t pay dues, or if you don’t complete your hours) to remedy this discrepancy.

How do I obtain an elected position? Elected offices, including President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer are voted on by the PHS members after you deliver a speech detailing your intentions for the next semester. Any PHS member can run for office.

Elections will be held at our April meeting, and information will be sent out via the listserv.