Pi Kappa Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau

Chapter History

On May 15, 1996, Dr. Kathryn Schweer, Dean of Academic Affairs at Allen College, convened a small group of people interested in establishing a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International at Allen College. The guidelines for establishing a chapter were reviewed, and the group enthusiastically decided to become a Steering Committee for the Allen College Nursing Honor Society. (ACNHS)

Allen College Nursing Honor Society held four induction ceremonies, inducting a total of one hundred thirty-five persons composed of the student body, alumni, community leaders and faculty members.

The Allen College Nursing Honor Society completed the work necessary for submission of charter application in September 1998. This was followed by an evaluation visit by Dr. Ruth Marcott from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing in April 1999. Following Dr. Marcott's visit and recommendation, Allen College Nursing Honor Society was approved by Sigma Theta Tau International Board of Directors for presentation of our petition for charter to the House of Delegates.

The petition for charter was approved by the House of Delegates at the Sigma Theta Tau International Biennial Convention November 6-10, 1999. Presenting the petition was Mary Thoms, President, and Mary Brown, President-Elect. Allen College's honor society conducted a chartering ceremony on March 27, 2000. The honor society was officially chartered as Pi Kappa #392 Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International on March 27, 2000.

Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing, is dedicated to improving the health of people worldwide through increasing the scientific base of nursing practice.

• More than 405,000 members have been inducted worldwide.

• The honor society has more than 130,000 active members.

• Members reside in 86 countries.

• 46 percent of active members hold master's and/or doctoral degrees; 26 percent are staff nurse/clinicians; 21 percent are nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, or clinical specialists; 18 percent are administrators or supervisors; and 22 percent are educators or researchers.
• There are 469 chapters on college campuses in Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Wales, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Students identified as attaining academic excellence and leadership will receive lifetime induction into the Society. Membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students, who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, and to community leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing. Undergraduate eligibility consists of having a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and being in the top 35% of the class. Graduate students must have a GPA of 3.5 or above. Community members are inducted as nurse leaders, who are registered nurses, legally recognized to practice in their country with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent in any field, and have demonstrated achievement in nursing. As of March 10, 2010, Pi Kappa Chapter has inducted over 500 persons into the Honor Society.

Do you know a colleague who may be eligible for Sigma Theta Tau membership? If so, you can nominate him or her as a community member in Pi Kappa. Candidates must meet specific criteria. The criteria varies depending on whether or not the candidate is an Allen College nursing student or a professional from within the nursing community.

Community Membership

Criteria

1. Registered Nurse - Licensed for 5 or more years.
2. Bachelors Degree (need not be in nursing).
3. Marked achievement in nursing education, practice, research, administration, or publication.

Student Membership Criteria

Undergraduates must:

1. Have completed ½ of the curriculum at Allen College.
2. Have a GPA of > 3.0.
3. Rank in the upper 35% of their graduating class.

In addition to the above criteria, RN students must have completed 12 credit hours at Allen College. Graduate students must have completed ¼ of the nursing curriculum and have a GPA of > 3.5 (Masters).

An individual may hold membership in one or more chapters (dual membership) or can transfer from a previous chapter to Pi Kappa. Send or call nominees' names to one of our chapter counselors: Kris Jasper at (319) 226-2095 or Kristen.Jasper2@allencollege.edu.

Interested in joining Pi Kappa? Please contact one of our counselors for more information.