College of Arts and Letters gains Pi Gamma Mu as first honor society

In September, the Stevens College of Arts and Letters (CAL) established the New Jersey Theta chapter of Pi Gamma Mu, a social science honor society. Pi Gamma Mu is dedicated to the promotion of scholarship and academic excellence within social science fields of study. There are currently seven Pi Gamma Mu chapters in the state of New Jersey.

The effort to bring a social sciences-based honor society to CAL was a faculty-driven effort. According to the faculty sponsor of the Stevens chapter, Dr. Lindsey Cormack, it provides “a more robust sense of community within CAL.” Having an honor society specifically within CAL will form an organization and provide community for humanities students, whose numbers are fewer than other schools. Pi Gamma Mu will also promote the significance of the CAL fields of study to the broader Stevens community. Additionally, Pi Gamma Mu will allow CAL students a better opportunity to get to know the their professors as well as other students in CAL.

Fifteen students have been inducted into Pi Gamma Mu this year. The majors of these students primarily include humanities majors: mainly Science Communications; Social Sciences; and Science, Technology, and Society. Students who met the admissions requirements of the honor society were formally invited by CAL to be inducted. Students who wish to join Pi Gamma Mu must have completed 20 credits of social science courses, completed 37.5% of their degree credits, and must rank in the top third of their class. Due to these requirements, freshmen are not eligible to join.

One significant standard is that one does not have to be a social science major or a CAL major to join Pi Gamma Mu; as long as one meets the requirements, they are eligible to be inducted. The benefits of being a member of Pi Gamma Mu are similar to the benefits of participating in other honor societies at Stevens. Students will be able to add the experience to their resumes, wear related regalia at graduation, and have a sense of community with students of similar majors. Notably, members of Pi Gamma Mu who become employed by the government may receive an increase in service rating, which in turn may result in a salary increase.

Overall, Pi Gamma Mu benefits the Stevens community by fostering a sense of community within CAL and spreading the values of liberal arts education to the Stevens community. As Pi Gamma Mu continues to gain recognition and influence on campus, CAL students and faculty will attain more representation and appreciation from the university as a whole. As explained by Dr. Kristyn Karl, “Our students are doing interesting work and independent research using a wide range of methodological approaches and they are excelling in the classroom and in the community. An active Pi Gamma Mu chapter will contribute to a broader understanding at Stevens of all the ways in which our students excel.” Overall, Pi Gamma Mu will present an opportunity for students within CAL and other colleges at Stevens to more actively pursue scholarship in the social sciences.