Honorary and Recognition Societies

Honorary and recognition societies at the University of Vermont recognize student contributions to the UVM community and their leadership in campus life.

University-wide honorary societies include the Boulder Society, which acknowledges outstanding senior men; and the Tower Society, which acknowledges outstanding seniors from all groups who have been traditionally marginalized based on their gender identity or expression.

National honorary societies represented on campus are as follows:

The Alpha of Vermont Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was established at the university in 1848 and has the honor of being the first Phi Beta Kappa chapter to initiate women and African Americans to membership, which it did in the 1870s. Membership in Phi Beta Kappa reflects outstanding academic achievement in a broad range of liberal arts disciplines and is typically extended to students in their senior year. The chapter also selects one junior each year to receive the Bogorad Award, which recognizes superlative academic achievement in the liberal arts through the sophomore year.

The Mortar Board is a national society for senior women and men. Although membership in Mortar Board comes as a high honor for a UVM student in recognition of outstanding service, scholarship, and leadership, it is also a challenge for continued unselfish service in the best interests of the college campus.

The Golden Key National Honor Society recognizes the top fifteen percent of juniors and seniors in all fields of study. The society emphasizes scholarship and community service.

The Society of the Sigma Xi, established in 1945, initiates those who have proven their ability to do research in one of the sciences, including students who have a high scholastic standing.

The alpha chapter of Nu Delta Epsilon was established at UVM in 1993. It is the first national honor society to recognize non-degree students who excel academically and exhibit a strong commitment to higher education and personal achievement.

The National Society for Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) recognizes first- and second-year students for outstanding academic achievement.

Other national honorary societies include: Alpha Kappa Delta (sociology), Alpha Omega Alpha (medical), Alpha Zeta (agriculture), Beta Beta Beta (biology), Beta Gamma Sigma (business administration), Chi Epsilon (civil and environmental engineering), Eta Sigma Phi (classical studies), Delta Sigma Rho (debating), Gamma Kappa Alpha (italian), Gamma Theta Upsilon (geography), Kappa Delta Pi (education), Mu Sigma Rho (statistics), Nu Rho Psi (neuroscience), Omicron Delta Epsilon (international economics), Omicron Nu (home economics), Order of Omega (fraternities and sororities), Phi Alpha (social work), Phi Alpha Theta (history), Phi Eta Sigma (first-year students), Pi Delta Phi (french), Pi Sigma Alpha (political science), Psi Chi (psychological science), Sigma Delta Pi (spanish), Sigma Gamma Epsilon (geology), Sigma Pi Sigma (physics), Theta Tau (nursing), Tau Beta Pi (engineering), Triota (Iota Iota Iota, women's studies) and Upsilon Pi Epsilon (computer science).