UNI Psychology Organizations & Honors Psychology Club Social Science Research Conference American Psychological Association and American Psychological Society Psi Chi Graduating with Honors Scholarships & Awards for Undergraduates Organizations Psychology Club The Psychology Club is an official student organization sponsored by the department and recognized by the UNI Student Government. The primary purpose of the Psychology Club is to provide information to students to enrich their time at the University of Northern Iowa. This is accomplished by inviting professors, members of the community, and "expert" students to speak on a variety of issues. Past club meetings have included: (1) a Graduate School Workshop in which students who have applied to graduate schools give their insights and suggestions, (2) a Volunteer Organization Workshop in which representatives from various organizations describe experiences they can offer students, and (3) seminars featuring speakers from both inside and outside the department to discuss various topics. The faculty strongly recommend that serious psychology students get involved with the Psychology Club early in their college career. Being an active member of the Psychology Club will not only provide you with essential information that is often not covered in the classroom, it allows you to socialize with other psychology majors. This will show your involvement and commitment to the department, which will complement any job or graduate school application. Becoming an officer in the Psychology Club would further enhance an application. To be an officer in the Psychology Club, you must be elected to your position. Because the Psychology Club and Psi Chi, the psychology honor society, hold officers in common, you must first be a member of Psi Chi to be eligible for office. The regular officers include the president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. In addition, Psychology Club members can be elected to the office of vice-president of special events. Ordinarily several people simultaneously hold this office. They meet with the other officers on a bi-weekly basis to plan the event of the club. Psi Chi membership is not necessary to hold this office. Social Science Research Conference The Psychology Club, with the help of the faculty, hosts a Social Science Research Conference each spring. The purpose of the conference is to bring students and faculty of UNI together with students and faculty of other universities. The goals are to facilitate research, advance scholarly activities, and promote fellowship among psychologists and others in the social sciences. The conference includes guest speakers, discussion panels, and a poster session to display research papers. This gives students who normally would not get a chance to present their research an opportunity to do so. Students applying for the CSBS Undergraduate Research Award can use this conference to meet the requirement of presenting their research. American Psychological Association (APA) and The American Psychological Society (APS) Both of these organizations are professional societies which consists of faculty, researchers, professionals, and students concerned with advancing psychology as an academic field and a science. Both the APA and the APS publish scholarly journals, hold annual conventions, and help to define the responsibilities of professional psychologists. Becoming a member of these groups as a student is encouraged. Students who are interested should see their advisors about getting an application. Psi Chi Psi Chi is the national honor society in psychology. It is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society and the Association of College Honor Societies. The following description of Psi Chi comes from the Psi Chi organization. The purposes of Psi Chi are to encourage, stimulate, and maintain scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology. To achieve these goals, Psi Chi offers a wide range of programs locally, regionally, and nationally. The UNI Chapter programs are designed to supplement and enhance the regular curriculum, to offer opportunities for members to use their talents in roles that are meaningful, and to promote interaction among fellow members, faculty, and other psychologists. You will find the experience, fellowship, and recognition to be well worth your time and effort. At the regional level, Psi Chi sponsors conventions in conjunction with the Regional Psychological Associations. Psi Chi members are given the opportunity to present their research papers at these conventions and to receive the Psi Chi Certificate of Recognition for their research. The national organization holds a convention in conjunction with the American Psychological Association, sponsors undergraduate and graduate research award programs, and publishes a national quarterly newsletter to keep us informed of Psi Chi's opportunities at all levels. The newsletter is free when picked up at the local chapter, but there is a subscription charge for individual delivery. Membership in Psi Chi offers unique advantages that cannot be found elsewhere. Almost all applications ask for honors, which are difficult to obtain after one leaves school. Membership in Psi Chi is open to you only as a student; one cannot join after graduation. Students must meet the requirements of ranking in the top thirty-five percent of their class with an overall GPA of 3.0. Once accepted, students pay only a one time registration fee for lifetime membership. The membership cards are preserved at the Psi Chi National Office. When you are inducted into membership, you will receive a membership card, and you will be eligible to wear and display Psi Chi emblems. Induction ceremonies are typically held each April. At this ceremony each new initiate will be individually recognized and welcomed to membership by the chapter advisor and a representative of the American Psychological Association or the American Psychological Society, Psi Chi's parent organizations. Initiates may invite guests to the ceremony. Graduating with Honors Departmental Honors A student can earn departmental honors if he or she has an overall GPA of 3.5 and completes an independent research project deemed worthy of honors by the department. The independent research project is reviewed by three faculty members. College Honors A student may graduate with honors from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences by enrolling in the CSBS Honors Program. Current UNI students may enroll with a 3.30 GPA at UNI and a major in or intention to major in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Incoming students may enroll with either a high school GPA of 3.65 or better or an ACT score of 27 or better or by graduating in the top 20% of their high school class. Students must complete 15 credit hours of honors courses, including a senior honors thesis. Graduation from the CSBS Honors program will be noted on the student's transcript. For more information or applications, please contact the CSBS Honors Coordinator in 117 Sabin Hall or at tan@uni.edu. University Honors Honors are also available at the university level. Upon graduation if a student has an overall 3.25 GPA, he or she receives honors. A GPA of 3.5 is recognized as high honors, and a 3.75 GPA earns the distinction of highest honors. Also, each semester a student earns a GPA of 3.5 or better qualifies that student for the Dean's List in the college of one's perspective or declared major. Undergraduate Scholarships Irene Thompson Award The Irene M. Thompson Endowment Fund appropriates money for scholarships in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The size of the scholarship is contingent on the earning from the fund each year. The scholarship is awarded to an outstanding student in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The student must be nominated. The principal criterion is academic performance, and a secondary criterion for selection is involvement in university activities. Financial need may be taken into account if academic and activity records are similar. Some years the award is divided between two students. McElroy Fellowship On a yearly basis, two McElroy fellowships are granted to graduates of the ten liberal arts colleges in Northwest Iowa in which UNI is included. The purpose of the Fellowship is to encourage the pursuit of challenging academic careers, and to provide financial assistance to candidates with outstanding graduate school potential. Selection for this award is based largely on applicant's academic record and extracurricular activities that give evidence of initiative, commitment, and discipline. Graduates and graduating seniors in liberal arts programs who intend to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy Degree at an accredited university are eligible for this award. An initial stipend of $7,500 may be renewed for two additional years ($22,500 total) if the grantee provides evidence of satisfactory progress toward the doctorate. Each candidate must submit his or her application in duplicate to the Associate Dean for Student Services, Graduate College in late January. Specific dates may vary from year to year. One application will be chosen by the University Awards Competition Coordinating Committee. After receiving an institutional recommendation from the President of the University, the application will be sent to the McElroy Fellowship Review Committee for final selection. This process will include a personal interview with the committee. The announcement of the awards will be made within two weeks of the interviews. CSBS Undergraduate Research Award The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers a number of small grants to promote the research activities of undergraduate students. Applicants are reviewed periodically during the academic year, usually twice per semester. Applications and deadline information are available from departmental offices and the CSBS Dean's Office in Sabin 117. Funds may be requested for research related expenses such as supplies, equipment, photocopying, printing, mailing costs, or clerical assistance. In addition, funds may be used for travel to conferences or meetings where the student will be presenting the results of their research. Research should be completed during the semester the award is received. Awardees are expected to present their research at the Social Science Research Conference to be held in April of each year. An applicant should include the following information:   A brief description of the research project. An itemized budget, specifying the amount required for each expense category. An estimate of the expected completion date. A summary of specific plans to publish, present, or exhibit the results of the research activity. A signature from the Applicant, Faculty supervising the project, Department Head, and College Dean. Applications and more information may be requested by your research supervisor.