This past fall semester the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society unanimously accepted the University of Tampa into its organization. Alpha Sigma Lambda recognizes top non-traditional/adult students for their scholastic achievement while balancing family and work.
According to Gary Simon, director of adult and summer academic programs at UT, non-traditional students will have “an extra incentive to achieve distinction and recognition for their high level of academic achievement through UT’s Upsilon Tau chapter.”
Additionally, according to Simon, the acceptance puts UT into the company of other Alpha Sigma Lambda chapters, such as those at Northeastern University, Boston University, Loyola University Chicago, University of Virginia, Northwestern University, Mercer University, Rutgers University and many more.
“I am hopeful that it will help draw more attention over time to the contribution made to our campus community by our non-traditional/adult students and that it will give them an additional reason to be proud of their academic achievement,” Mr. Simon said.
Students do not have to apply to join the organization. However, this spring semester, qualified students will be notified if they meet all necessary criteria to join. Students must have at least 24 credit hours at UT before being eligible for membership into the chapter. That means incoming students will not be immediately qualified due to this criterion.
For those with enough credit hours, GPA and whether or not they have declared an undergraduate major are other criteria that are taken into consideration. Students need to have at least a 3.2 GPA in order to be invited, and they also must have declared an undergraduate major or have a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree. Qualified student candidates will be inducted into the society during the spring 2012 semester when UT holds its first induction ceremony.
Alpha Sigma Lambda comes with many benefits for those who do accept membership into the society. Not only will they be officially recognized on campus for their high academic achievement, but also, according to Simon,
“Membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda is a nationally recognized credential that validates a student/graduate’s achievement with employers and others in the community.”
Simon further explained that students who accept their invitations will be grouped with others that may have similar characteristics and will be provided with social networking forums for them to communicate with each other.
With the spring semester soon to be in full bloom, the Upsilon Tau chapter will have a lot to look forward to at UT. For more information about Alpha Sigma Lambda, contact Gary Simon at gsimon@ut.edu.
Stef Crocco can be reached stefcrocs@yahoo.com.