Sigma Tau Delta

Infobox_Societies
university =
name = Sigma Tau Delta


established = May, 1924
incorporated =
type = Honor Society
president =
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state =
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members = 8,500 annually
employees =
volunteers =
website = www.english.org

Sigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 750 active chapters located in Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States, with more than 1,000 faculty sponsors. The organization inducts over 8,500 new members annually.

Sigma Tau Delta's purpose, as an honorary society, is to promote literature, writing, and to advance the study of the written word. Members gather annually in the spring at the international convention to present papers, share experiences and ideas within the English discipline; The Society offers a number of scholarships, internships and awards, as well as publication opportunities in its journals, "The Rectangle" and "The Sigma Tau Delta Review".

Sigma Tau Delta is also the proud sponsor of The National English Honor Society (NEHS). NEHS, a program of Sigma Tau Delta, serves students and faculty in high schools throughout the country and provides an outreach to thousands of students and faculty who share a commitment to excellence in English language arts.

The central office of Sigma Tau Delta is located at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.

Organization

The Society is divided into six regions: Eastern, Far Western, High Plains, Midwestern, Southern, and Southwestern. Each region has three elected regional officials: a Regent, a student representative, and an associate student representative.

The Regents are voting members of the Board of Directors, which also includes the society president, immediate past president, vice-president/president-elect, historian, treasurer, and student advisors.

Serving the Board of Directors in a non-voting capacity are the executive director, publications' director, director of communications and chapter development, an alumni representative, and the NEHS director.

The organization is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies.

Membership

Student membership is available to students currently enrolled in four-year colleges and universities that have active chapters. Membership in Sigma Tau Delta is by invitation, extended through a local chapter on behalf of the international organization. Students who meet the qualifications for membership must apply through the chapter on their campus.Candidates for undergraduate membership must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college work and a minimum of two college courses in English language or literature beyond the usual requirements in freshman English. They must also have a minimum of a B or equivalent grade point average in English, and rank at least in the highest 35 percent of their class in general scholarship. (Local chapters may raise, but not lower, these criteria.)Candidates for graduate membership must be enrolled in a graduate program in English, or one of its specializations, have completed six semester hours of graduate work or the equivalent, and have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

History

Sigma Tau Delta was founded by Judson Q. Owen at Dakota Wesleyan University and was officially recognized by its Greek initials on May 1 1924.Recent international conventions have been held in Cincinnati, Ohio (2003), Daytona Beach, Florida (2004), Kansas City, Missouri (2005), Portland, Oregon (2006), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (2007). The 2008 convention will be held in Louisville, Kentucky.

ymbols

*The official colors of the society are red and black.
*The official flower is the red rose.
*The society's motto is "Sincerity, Truth, Design."
*The seal of Sigma Tau Delta is a crossed torch and pen with the Greek letters Sigma, Tau, and Delta surrounding the two and a golden star below them. The motto "Sincerity, Truth, Design" and the founding year (1924) are embossed on the circle that surrounds the crossed torch and pen. (see above)

External links

* [http://www.english.org/ Sigma Tau Delta: The International English Honor Society]

* [http://www.achsnatl.org/society.asp?society=std Association of College Honor Societies: Sigma Tau Delta]