Ceremonies To Mark Start of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society at JMU

Up to 150 students will be inducted as inaugural members of the James Madison University chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, at Wilson Hall. The Phi Beta Kappa chapter will be formally installed at a 3 p.m. ceremony Wednesday in Wilson Hall. 

Phi Beta Kappa is the nation's oldest and most widely known academic honor society. Only about 10 percent of the country's colleges and universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters. JMU was one of four colleges and universities nationwide granted new Phi Beta Kappa chapters in October 2009. 

To be eligible for Phi Beta Kappa, students must be in a major considered liberal arts and sciences, such as English, foreign languages or history. Students who are double majors also may be eligible if one of their majors is in the liberal arts and sciences and they meet other requirements. Another stipulation is that three-quarters of the undergraduate program consist of classes in the liberal arts and sciences. Invitees are required to have taken a foreign language through the intermediate level and completed college-level mathematics.