Phi Alpha Honor Society

A National Honor Society for Social Work Students

“Through Knowledge – The Challenge to Serve”

The Phi Alpha Honor Society is a national honor society for social work that fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work.

The Delta Xi Chapter of the Phi Alpha Honor Society at Florida Atlantic University welcomes all BSW and MSW students, as well as full time social work faculty, who have demonstrated academic excellence and who are willing to recognize the value of community involvement.

The purposes of Phi Alpha Honor Society are to provide a closer bond among students of social work and promote humanitarian goals and ideals.

Phi Alpha is a national honor society for BSW students who have maintained a 3.25 GPA or above in their last 45 credits of coursework and MSW students with a 3.5 GPA or higher from at least one term of their program. Other requirements can be found on the application form. MSW students who were already Phi Alpha Members during their BSW program at FAU continue to be members when they start their MSW program.

The advantages of joining Phi Alpha include:

Becoming a member of Social Work’s largest national honor society that supports academic excellence and values community service.
Participating in scholarly activities, community service and social action events.
Working together with student colleagues and professors on social issues and creating a scholarly environment at the School of Social Work.
Identification in your curriculum vitae as a Phi Alpha Honor Society member, ensuring acknowledgement of academic excellence and opening doors for professional success.
National presentation opportunities
Lifetime membership
Membership certificate & lapel pin

Membership Application Process

If you meet the following criteria, you may be eligible for consideration as a member of Phi Alpha:

#1: Meet Major, Credits, and GPA requirements.

Undergraduate Students are eligible for active membership after achieving the following National minimum requirements and meeting local Chapter requirements:

Member must be and remain a declared social work major
Achieved sophomore status.
Completed 9 semester hours of required social work courses.
Achieved an overall FAU grade point average of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale.
Achieved a minimum 3.25 grade point average in the last 45 credits.

Graduate Students are eligible for active membership after achieving the following National minimum requirements and meeting local Chapter requirements:

Completing one term of course work with the minimum number of six social work credits.
Achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.5 based on a 4.0 scale.

#2: Submit a completed, signed 2021-22 membership application and an attached copy of your DARS Degree Audit Report (with your overall GPA and Social Work courses highlighted).

Applications and DARS reports will be accepted at the end of all general body meetings and online to at fauphialpha@gmail.com. Applications and transcripts are due no later than Monday, March 28th, 2022 by 4PM.

Phi Alpha Executive board members will review your application and transcripts to determine your eligibility. The board will notify applicants within two weeks from the date of application received whether or not you meet the GPA and transcript requirements.

#3: Submit Lifetime Membership Fee of $67. If you meet the GPA and transcript requirements, you will be invited to submit your fee for membership by Monday, April 5, 2022. Please enclose a check/money order (no cash) made payable to Phi Alpha/ FAU or submit payment via cash app ($FAUPhiAlpha). This fee includes $30.00 for National Honor Society Dues, $12.00 for honor society cords, and $25.00 for Chapter Dues. Refunds will not be issued for individuals who submit their payments but fail to meet the 10-point event requirement before induction.

#4: Complete at least 10 points worth of Phi Alpha Activities within the academic year. This is the final requirement for Spring 2022 induction. We highly recommend you complete all 10 points by April 15th, 2022. The official events list and associated point values will be emailed out in October (Fall Events) and December (Spring Events). Please note that all pledges are required to attend at least two general body meetings as a condition of induction.

Social work students who do not meet the required GPA and coursework may be admitted as “Pledges” for one academic term. Pledges will be inducted as full Phi Alpha members only upon meeting the Phi Alpha national and chapter standards. Pledges must adhere to all regulations and laws required by FAU and the national Phi Alpha Honor Society.

Each chapter may select two persons each year for honorary membership. This recognition is available to persons outside the program who have made a significant contribution to the program and/or society. Membership is also available to all full-time social work faculty.

Phi Alpha Faculty Advisor

Keith Platt

New Officers for 2021/2022

Deanna Bryant – President
TBA – Vice President
TBA – Secretary
TBA – Treasurer

Minimum Requirements for Maintaining Annual Membership:

Attendance at any 2 meetings or events of Phi Alpha per semester.

Affirmative Action Statement:

Membership shall be available to all eligible persons without regard to age, gender, color, race, creed, ethnic or national origin, political or sexual orientation, or special needs.

Feel free to email Phi Alpha at FauPhiAlpha@gmail.com. We will be more than happy to answer any questions. You may also contact the Phi Alpha Advisor, Keith Platt at kplatt@xuanyuzg.com.

For more information or to apply, you can print out a copy of the following application or contact any of the officers by email at FauPhiAlpha@gmail.com

EVENTS

Labyrinth Walk 11-07-16 Pictures

SUICIDE PREVENTION WALK 2017

The Suicide Prevention Walk was a success!! We had 3x the number of registered walkers participate (around 600) and raised nearly twice as much money, compared to last year’s walk. The numbers are still rolling in, but as of yesterday we’ve raised around $18,000 for suicide prevention, research, advocacy, and programming. It’s truly unbelievable to see the way that our school and community were able to come together for this shared cause. The FAU School of Social Work ended up being the top team, both in participation and fundraising, and we got to hold the banner as we walked around the route. Phi Alpha’s Positive Affirmation Stand turned out amazing as well.

Several community agencies came out to show support and provide walkers with information, education, and resources, including: NASW, NAMI, the Alliance for ED Awareness, Palm Beach 2-1-1, Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence, Jewish Family Services, and Al-Anon.

Click here to view a video from the event.
To view some pictures from the event please visit our Social Work Facebook page.

TOMORROW’S RAINBOW

In February 2017, Phi Alpha went to visit Tomorrow’s Rainbow in Coconut Creek to learn more about the amazing grief support services they provide to children and families in south Florida. Abby Mosher and the staff at Tomorrow’s Rainbow were extremely informative about the work that they do, and were so gracious to allow our students to visit with the ponies after the tour. Pictures from the event: Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, Picture 4, Picture 5.