About ABK
History
The National Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society was officially established in 1977. The purpose of the society is to help schools, colleges, institutes, and their students and alumni, through the encouragement and recognition of superior academic work and shop, studio, and laboratory training in honorable fields of endeavor. The Alpha Beta Kappa National Honor Society seeks to promote and reward personal integrity and excellence in mental and physical work and skills without regard to race, color, sex, creed or national origin. The qualifications for membership are: excellence in classroom, shop, studio, and laboratory work; leadership and service in class, school, and community activities; and personal integrity and good moral character. Membership is limited to those students with a CGPA of 3.5 or better who complete the chapter requirements. Each member receives a personalized Certificate of Membership and the Alpha Beta Kappa Gold Key of Distinction. Professionally die struck; sandblasted and polished, each Gold Key bears the Greek letters A.B.K., a five-pointed star, laurel branches, and two of the finest words in any language -- Integrity and Excellence. Each honor student also receives a special congratulatory letter from Alpha Beta Kappa, a narrative that describes the society, and upon request a letter of reference to use when seeking employment or other opportunities. Alpha Beta Kappa membership is a lifetime association.
The Meaning Behind The Letters
- ALPHA, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, stands for Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and patroness of the arts, crafts, and sciences. She bespeaks the spirit of truth and is armed with a spear of lightening. Alpha also means the first of anything and it is the name of the brightest star in a constellation.
- BETA, the second Greek letter, represents Brasidas, a distinguished Spartan General who fought with courage and gave his life in the fourth century B.C. He planned, organized and followed through in his cause. His life reminds us of our opportunity and duty to fight the good fight.
- KAPPA, the tenth Greek letter, stands for Kudos, meaning glory, credit and praise. Accordingly, A.B.K. means recognition and praise for those who have worked valiantly and successfully in one or more fields of the applied arts and sciences.
Chapter Requirements
- You must graduate with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.5 or better. You should strive to maintain this grade point average during your involvement with the chapter. Should you fall below a CGPA of 3.5 for more than two quarters, you will be dismissed from the chapter without opportunity to re-apply.
- You must maintain at least 80% involvement in the chapter meetings. Meetings will be held once a week, weeks 1-10 (no week 11 meetings due to finals). This means that you must attend at least 8 out of the 10 meetings per quarter. You may have one flex quarter where your involvement may drop below 80%, but must stay above 50%. If you do not maintain 80% activity in the chapter (excluding the flex quarter), you will be dismissed from the chapter without opportunity to re-apply.
- You must participate in one chapter sponsored community or school oriented event per quarter. The event and the event details will be determined by the chapter members during the quarter. In order to maintain your membership, you must attend the quarterly events unless there is an extenuating circumstance. Proof of an extenuating circumstance must be in a form of documentation (i.e. funeral announcement, doctor’s note, etc.).
- You must register for at least 12 credits per quarter. During your last three quarters, you can be enrolled in less than 12 credit hours pending approval from your academic director and completion of the appropriate paperwork.
- You must maintain your academic integrity and attendance. If you are terminated or suspended at any point while a member of the chapter, you will be dismissed without opportunity to re-apply.
- You may have one “free” quarter with extenuating circumstances as necessary. Proof of an extenuating circumstance must be in a form of documentation (i.e. funeral announcement, doctor’s note, etc.).
- Violations of the student conduct policy may also impact your membership. This will be handled on a case by case basis.
Joining The Chapter
- All persons interested in joining the chapter must first complete the application. Applications can only be submitted once. Please plan appropriately as you will not be allowed to reapply if you do not meet the above criteria.
- You must have completed at least two quarters and be more than three quarters from graduation. This ensures that you are not rushing into the commitment or rushing out before adequately fulfilling your chapter requirements.
Benefits
- Upon completion of the chapter requirements, The Art Institute of California – San Francisco will sponsor your Alpha Beta Kappa membership fees. You will not be an Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society member until that point. You will, however, be a chapter member while you are still in school
- Alpha Beta Kappa members will receive their membership certificate, letters, and Alpha Beta Kappa gold key during the graduation ceremony. Your name will be announced as graduating with honors (based on your CGPA) and as an Alpha Beta Kappa member.
- There will be opportunities for off-site excursions sponsored by The Art Institute of California – San Francisco that will be limited to chapter members. These excursions can include educational activities, artistic activities, community activities, etc. The chapter members may also elect to use an excursion opportunity to prepare for the quarterly event.
- There will be an optional social for graduating chapter members and their families. This will be based upon the number of members graduating and their level of interest in the social.