WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!

We welcome our members who have joined Pi Gamma Mu this spring.  We are very happy that you have affiliated with our organization.  Your name has been added to our E-mail subscription list, and you will remain on this list as long as you wish to receive our newsletters.  There is information at the bottom of the page to make changes to your subscription when necessary.

FATHER AND SON OVERCOME ALL OBSTACLES

Tony and Robert St. Clair graduated together in May from Radford University in Radford, Va.  Tony, Robert's father, was born with a defective heart valve.  Robert was born with Stargardt's Disease, leaving him legally blind.  They decided to attend college together, each helping the other. 

VIEW FROM THE PODIUM

When I became Pi Gamma Mu's international president last October, I had a "tough act to follow."  Dr. Gordon E. Mercer, who is now a professor emeritus of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N. C., led the society from 2005 to 2011, and his presidency was a truly remarkable period for Pi Gamma Mu. 

MEET YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Susan Kinsella

Hello to all of Pi Gamma Mu and a big welcome to our newest members. I am Susan Kinsella, the newly elected chancellor of the Southeast Region. I’m eager to meet many of our  chapter officers and sponsors in this region.

SHADOW PRESIDENT UPDATE

President Barack Obama now knows who his GOP opponent will be. The president expects stiff opposition from former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. President Obama made history by becoming the first standing president to support same-sex marriage. Obama made this declaration in time for his reelection campaign. Some observers expect that Obama's support of same-sex marriage will win him huge support with gay and lesbian voters at the polls, while Obama will lose support from the African American church, which was pivotal in getting African Americans out to the polls in Obama's historic 2008 campaign.

OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENT PRESENTATION

The National Association of African American Studies and Affiliates (National Association of Hispanic and Latino Studies, National Association of Native American Studies and International Association of Asian Studies) is in the process of preparing for its February 11-16, 2013 National Conference.  The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge, La. 

CHAPTERS IN ACTION

One of the ideals of Pi Gamma Mu is Social Service, and, as the ritual for initiation states, "The pursuit of our ideals requires giving freely, fully, and joyously of our time, talent, and energy. The fruit of our scholarship, science, and idealism is reaped through service to others for the benefit of all humanity, and this, in turn, requires the cooperation, dedication, passion and participation of all people and of all the social sciences."
The members of Pi Gamma Mu are very generous with their time and talents. Look at some of the projects undertaken this past year: You might see one in which your chapter could participate.

This newsletter has news from University of Maryland University College, Southwestern College, Mansfield University, Wayne State College, Evangel University, Kent State University, University of South Florida, Bluefield State College, Huston-Tillotson University, Wheelock College, Western Carolina University, Radford University, Campbell University, Barry University, and Pace University.
 

Pi Gamma Mu members among the winners of the Masterbuilders award at Southwestern College, proudly wear their honor cords.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

News on Lisa Contreras and Amanda Wolcott, former and present student representatives on the Pi Gamma Mu Board of Trustees.

CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER

Congratulations this month to Dr. Yongsheng Wang on his promotion to associate professor, Dr. Claudia Geer on her selection as Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year, and Dr. Cheryl Rude, who was selected as a 2012 Engaged Faculty Fellow by the Kansas Campus Compact.

MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING PROGRAM OPPORTUNITY - University of Chicago

The University of Chicago Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP) is one of the four primary components of the Urban Education Institute along with the Consortium on Chicago School Research, the University of Chicago Charter School and UChicago Impact.

PI GAMMA MU ITEMS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS

Headquarters is selling royal-blue Pi Gamma Mu sweatshirts in sizes M, L, XL, and XXL for $35. We have navy-blue polo shirts, embroidered with the Pi Gamma Mu key design in white, which are always a popular item. We have them in sizes M, L, XL, and XXL for $35. You can order your honor cords any time during the year. They can be worn at graduation, they can be draped around your Pi Gamma Mu membership certificate on the wall, or you can be creative--but be sure to order yours. There is an order form on the merchandise page at www.pigammamu.org. You can also call headquarters and purchase these items with a credit card, and they will be mailed to you immediately. If you would like more items with the Pi Gamma Mu logo, check out the selection from CafePress Storefront. Church Hill Classics offers beautiful Pi Gamma Mu frames that can turn your membership certificate into a spectacular work of art!  Visit the Web page at http://www.pigammamu.org/church-hill-classics-store.html.

ANNUAL REPORTS DUE BY SEPT. 1

If you are a chapter sponsor, then you should have received an annual-report form in the mail. It is very important that you fill it out and return it to headquarters. The annual-report form is also on our Web site at www.pigammamu.org/chapter-reporting.html , so, if you would prefer to send your report electronically, you have the opportunity.
If you would like to see your chapter’s activities mentioned in the Pi Gamma Mu Newsletter, you must send in your annual report and tell us what your chapter has been doing this year. Even better, send us pictures to put in the newsletter to accompany the activities you sponsored (they can be sent in an E-mail to headquarters). You need to brag about your students and what they are doing. The deadline is September 1 to submit the report to headquarters.
Because of the new IRS tax laws, we require information from every chapter regarding its yearly income. Part of the annual report asks whether your chapter made more than $5000 during the previous fiscal year. We must have this information from each chapter, so please fill out the report and get it back to headquarters.

CHAPTER SPONSORS: PLEASE SEND IN YOUR CHAPTER’S INITIATION FORMS

The fiscal year of Pi Gamma Mu's international board ends on August 31. We solicit submission of pending membership-registration cards before then. Of course, a chapter can send membership-registration forms to headquarters at any time during the year. But, if you are holding on to membership registration cards and initiation fees, now is a great time to mail them to our headquarters so that our staff members can register your new members and credit your initiation activity to our 2011-12 fiscal year.

Our goal is for all chapters to have sent in membership registration cards this year--i.e., by August 31. We will greatly appreciate your attention to this matter.
 

OPPORTUNITY FOR GIVING

Pi Gamma Mu is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and able to accept tax-deductible donations. If you would like to make a donation to our organization in honor / memory of a professor, sponsor, loved one or friend, or to support our scholarship program, you are encouraged to do so. Pi Gamma Mu gives 10 scholarships to students going into a graduate program in social science each year. You can mail your donation to Pi Gamma Mu, 1001 Millington, Suite B, Winfield, KS 67156.
 

A MESSAGE FROM THE WASHINGTON INTERNSHIP INSTITUTE  

$500 Scholarships for all ACHS Students to Spend the Semester in Washington

Summer has arrived and Washington, D. C., is brimming with college students having the experience of a lifetime. From the Capitol Building to DuPont Circle and from Georgetown to Old Town, interns are filling the city with optimism, energy, and new points of view. At the Washington Internship Institute, we are especially reminded of this, as our outstanding young professionals recently arrived for the summer. Our summer interns are working in government, law, journalism, nonprofit management, healthcare, and foreign and domestic policy, and are contributing daily to the life of the city.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Anytime you move, such as after graduation, please notify the Pi Gamma Mu office immediately.  This will prevent your mailings from being interrupted or discontinued.  We would appreciate it if you would mail a change of address card, post card, or letter with your name, old and new address to:  Pi Gamma Mu, 1001 Millington, Suite B, Winfield, KS 67156.  You can also E-mail the information to us at executivedirector@pigammamu.org, or use the Web site form.

When you graduate, please give us a new E-mail address if you have been using your college address to receive your Pi Gamma Mu Newsletter.  At some point (each college is different) your college E-mail address will be eliminated and you will no longer receive the newsletter or other information from Pi Gamma Mu.

OTHER NEWS

Call for Papers	[Read more...]
Ideals of Pi Gamma Mu	[Read more...]
Print Version (PDF)

Read the full newsletter online at www.PiGammaMu.org/newsletter/july2012/frontpage.html
or download the Print Version