Procedures for Election
Phi Beta Kappa Rhode Island Alpha Chapter
Election to Phi Beta Kappa is a high honor. No individual can apply for membership, nor does the Rhode Island Alpha accept letters of nomination or support on behalf of undergraduates. Each chapter of the organization establishes its own rules for election of members. The laws of the Rhode Island Alpha Chapter of ΦΒΚ stipulate that "no more than one-sixth of the undergraduate members of a graduating class shall be elected members. Of these, not more than one-third shall be elected in the junior year." In the recent past the Rhode Island Alpha Chapter has elected less than 10 percent of the graduating class.
The Rhode Island Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa holds elections three times annually:
- in February (to elect Juniors),
- in April (to elect Seniors), and
- in late May (to elect Seniors who transferred to Brown University as Juniors).
Undergraduates elected to the Rhode Island Alpha in their junior year become the constitutionally designated electors in their senior year, when they elect senior and junior class members. Undergraduate electors participate in a training session conducted by the PBK Faculty Secretary, during which they sign a pledge to abide by Chapter rules for the election of new members and to maintain the confidentiality of the election process.
Electors who are present at an election examine transcripts of eligible students, with the names of these students blocked out. The electors review grades received for courses taken at Brown University only; grades received for study at other institutions are not considered in the election process. This rule means that the minimum standards of eligibility vary with the number of semesters a candidate will have completed at the time of graduation. The election of each candidate must be unanimous. A statement of the reasons for an objection to a student’s election must accompany "no" votes. The Faculty Secretary of the Rhode Island Alpha presides at each election, but votes only at the Special Senior Election held in May.
In the election process, the electors consider the following issues: quality and strength of a candidate’s curriculum, particularly after the first two semesters and with special attention to the Humanities, Social Sciences, and/or pure Mathematics beyond the introductory level; informed use of the Brown University curriculum; evidence of superior academic performance; and, in the case of seniors, participation in a concentration Honors program.
After an election, the Associate Dean of the College who chairs the Standing Committee on the Academic Code reviews the names of selected candidates to assure that none has been found guilty of violating the code of academic honesty. Those students chosen by the electors and with records unblemished by code violation will receive invitations to become members of the Rhode Island Alpha of Phi Beta Kappa.
For information on minimum standards of eligibility, contact:
Professor George Borts
Faculty Secretary of the Rhode Island Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, Department of Economics
64 Waterman Street
401-863-2458
George_Borts@Brown.edu