Student Organizations

Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the International Sociology Honors Society, is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. 

AKD also acts as the unofficial Sociology Club.  One need not be a member of AKD in order to participate in AKD-sponsored events.  AKD meets approximately six times a year in September, October, November, February, March and April.  Meetings involve activities with sociological significance such as participating in the annual Evergreen Cemetery Walk, visiting the McLean County Museum of History, watching and discussing films and attending research presentations.

Dr. Tom Gershick and Dr. Maria Schmeeckle are the AKD faculty advisors.

Alpha Kappa Delta is an integral part of many Sociology programs and is proud to acknowledge that in the past eight decades, over 80,000 scholars have been initiated into the Society. More than 490 chapters have been chartered in the United States, Canada, China, Finland, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Singapore.

 

Membership Requirements

For students classified as undergraduates, the following specific requirements must have been met prior to the time of initiation:

  • Be an officially declared sociology major or demonstrate a serious interest in sociology within an official program of the host institution.
  • Be at least a junior (third year) by standards of the host institution.
  • Have accumulated the equivalent of an overall GPA of 3.0 (by a four point scale where: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) and rank in the top 35% of their class in general scholarship.
  • Have maintained the equivalent of a 3.0 GPA in sociology courses taken at the host institution prior to initiation.
  • Have completed at least four regular courses in sociology prior to initiation (exclusive of extension or courses graded pass/fail).

In late January and/or early February, the department invites Sociology majors and graduate students who meet the requirements to apply for membership.  The initiation ceremony, where membership is conferred, takes place during the Spring Sociology and Anthropology Awards luncheon. The luncheon is typically scheduled for the Friday before Easter.

Membership Benefits

  • Support For Student Travel To Regional Meetings
  • Journal Subscription (Sociological Inquiry)
  • Undergraduate Student Paper Competition
  • Graduate Student Paper Competition
For a full description of Membership Benefits or additional information about Alpha Kappa Delta, please visit the AKD National Organization Web site.