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Student Membership Criteria

Students interested in attaining membership in the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society must attend a regionally accredited college or university that offers two- or four-year degrees to nontraditional/adult students. This institution must be a member of the Society in order to offer membership to its students. Membership is strictly by invitation to the chapter at the matriculating institution. Currently, membership is limited to undergraduate students seeking their first degree.

Note: Students are inducted into the Society as members of a specific chapter. Membership at-large is not available to students.

The Constitution for Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society spells it out:

Membership shall comprise chapters of colleges and universities which offer undergraduate degrees and which are accredited by the regional associations.*

The National standards for student membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda are as follows:

• Members must be matriculated and have a minimum of 24 graded semester hours or the equivalent** and shall be matriculated students in an undergraduate degree program. These college credits must not include transfer credits. All credits must be taken through and graded at the matriculating institution and must be included in the student's cumulative GPA.
• At least 12 credits of a student's total credits should be earned in courses in Liberal Arts/Sciences. If the student has not earned 12 Liberal Arts/Sciences credits within the 24 credits completed at the matriculating institution, accepted transfer courses may be used to meet this requirement.
• Members shall be selected only from the highest 10 percent of the class who have 24 graded credits and are matriculated in an undergraduate degree program.
• Those selected must have a minimum grade point index of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent. The cumulative scholastic record of the student as interpreted by the institution where membership is to be conferred shall be the basis for computing scholastic eligibility.

Honorary Membership:

Local chapters may elect faculty and administrative officers and staff to membership, provided that the number of such active members at any time shall not exceed twenty members or ten percent of the total membership of the chapter, whichever is larger. Faculty, staff, and administrative personnel shall be exempt from all student membership criteria as outlined in the student membership section of this constitution.

Please note that local chapters may impose higher standards for student membership than those stated in the ASL National Constitution. Students invited to membership must meet the criteria of the local chapter into which they are being inducted.

Since most chapters hold only one formal induction ceremony per year, any student who graduates between ceremonies and who qualified for chapter membership at the time of their graduation, shall be considered an "active" student and eligible for induction at the next induction ceremony.

(*Middle States Association, North Central Association, New England Association, Northwest Association, Southern Association, or Western Association.)

(**Thirty-six quarter hours or an approved number of unit courses equal to twenty-four semester hours.)