69th Joint Meeting (March 23-25, 2012)
See www.nisbkxmeeting.org for complete conference informationHost Institutions: Tennessee State University and Fisk University, Nashville, TN
Why should we start a Chapter of BKX? Honor, Legacy and Opportunity are three reasons why you should consider starting a Chapter of Beta Kappa Chi.
- History - Beta Kappa Chi started in 1921 at Lincoln University (PA) to provide a venue for minority scientist, who had achieved academic excellence but were not allowed to become members of other national honor societies.
- Legacy - In 1921, when BKX was conceived, greater than 87% of minority trained scientist attended a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) or Minority Serving Institution (MSI). Currently, this statistic is virtually unchanged.
- Opportunity - BKX provides a network of >20,000 members who are working to implement the organizational motto, "Science holds the key to the royal palace of knowledge".
What is needed to begin the process? To begin the process, first send an e-mail or letter of intent to petition for a Chapter Charter from a sponsoring faculty member(s)* to: Dr. Camellia Moses Okpodu (cmokpodu@nsu.edu).
*If the sponsoring faculty is not a previous member, they must meet eligibility requirements for membership.
After receiving the letter of intent, you will be asked to provide the Charter Membership Committee the following information:
- Brief description of the sponsoring institution's mission and how it relates to promoting, training and preparing students in the sciences.
- Letters of support from the dean, highest chief academicofficial and institutional president and/or chancellor.
- Description of the research environment. Supporting documentation (e.g., brochures and catalogues) that will show the status of research at your campus.
IMPORTANT - To avoid delays, please do not send supporting documentation until you have been notified by a charter membership coordinator.
How is the petition reviewed? Following receipt of all supporting documentation, the charter membership coordinator (the regional director for the region that the prospective charter has been assigned) will contact the sponsoring faculty and a site visit may be requested. At the next annual meeting, the charter membership committee will make a recommendation to the Beta Kappa Chi executive council. The charter will be voted upon at the annual meeting. If the charter is approved, the executive secretary will notify the faculty sponsor and will send all membership information for the initiation of new members. The faculty sponsor will notify the charter membership coordinator as to the date and time of the induction. If possible, representatives from the national office will participate in the induction ceremony.