ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE HONOR SOCIETIES

Honor Societies have existed as a part of the higher education tradition since 1885.  In 1925 the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) was established to help colleges and universities assess the value and credibility of these organizations.  Pi Gamma Mu has been an accredited member of the ACHS since 1953.  This link lists all member honor societies that are certified and meet the standards of the ACHS:
https://www.achshonor.org/certified-societies-member-directory-#/

Over the past few years there have been several groups that have emerged that are calling themselves honor societies but do not meet the standards to be certified by the Association of College Honor Societies.  Based on the calls and questions that come to the ACHS office, these organizations are marketing themselves as honor societies and possibly creating confusion for students.   

In order to help students and administrators make more informed decisions, the ACHS has asked us to share with you basic questions to ask or assess before determining any organization to be an honor society:

• Does the organization require minimum scholastic criteria?
• Does the organization provide transparent governance?
• Does the organization have campus chapters?
• Are they a recognized 501c3 non-profit organization?
• Does the organization have a website that includes: membership criteria; fees and benefits; Bylaws; headquarters staff with contact information; national elected officers?
• Are members of the organization involved in governing the organization?

You can find more information about how to judge the credibility of honor societies at https://www.achshonor.org/judging-credibility
Please help us share this with individuals on your campus who can help students make better informed decisions.

Thank you for making a difference with Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences.