Whittier operates local chapters of national honorary academic and leadership societies. Members of these organizations are selected based on criteria such as grade point average, and, in general, exhibit a keen dedication to scholarship, service, and leadership.
Pi Delta Phi - French National Honor Society
Whittier College has been home to the Zeta Tau chapter of Pi Delta Phi. Since 1972 we have been honoring students who have shown exceptional skill in and affinity for French language and culture. Candidates for inclusion in Pi Delta Phi must be French majors with at least 24 credits in French and with at least a 3.0 GPA. Members of Pi Delta Phi may wear the honorary bleu, blanc and rouge cords during graduation ceremony.
For more information on joining Pi Delta Phi, please contact faculty advisor Andrew Wallis at awallis@whittier.edu.
Upsilon Pi - National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society
Upsilon Pi is Whittier College’s Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society (La Sociedad Nacional Honoraria Hispánica). The Society hosts two induction ceremonies per year and honors those who attain excellence in the study of the Spanish language and in the study of the literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking peoples and those who have made the Hispanic contributions to modern culture better known in the English-speaking world. The Society encourages college and university students to acquire a greater interest in and a deeper understanding of Hispanic culture and to foster friendly relations and mutual respect between the nations of Hispanic speech and those of English speech.
Candidates must meet the following requirements: completion of three years of study of college-level Spanish (eighteen semester credit hours) or the equivalent thereof, including at least three semester hours of a course in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture and civilization at the junior (third-year) level; a minimal grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale in all Spanish courses taken ; and the candidate must rank in the upper 35% of his/her class — sophomore, junior, or senior — and must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college work. Members may apply for summer scholarships to a variety of programs in Spain and Latin America.
Fellowships Available to Upsilon Pi Members: The national office of Sigma delta Pi offers the Graduate Research Fellowship, which provides $2,000 for postgraduate studies abroad in Latin America or in Spain. Summer Scholarships are also available for undergraduate students for many schools in Spain. Eligible applicants must be a Hispanic Studies major as well as an active member. Candidates should have a superior academic record, with at least 6 semesters of graduate Spanish courses, be enrolled as a full-time graduate student at the time of application, nominated in writing by the chapter advisor, and submit five copies of the completed application form along with all required documentation. Deadline is Feb.1st, and notice is given by April 1st.
For information on joining Upsilon Pi, contact the faculty advisor, Doreen O'Connor-Gòmez, at doconnor@whittier.edu.
