TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 3, 2018) – The ±«Óătv has been awarded a chapter of the , the oldest and most prestigious national honor organization in America. ±«Óătv was voted in this afternoon during a PBK meeting in Boston.
Founded in 1776, PBK only awards a limited number of new chapters every three years and only 36 percent of its member institutions are public. The average founding date of PBK institutions is 1860, nearly a century before ±«Óătv’s formation in 1956. PBK graduates include 17 U.S. Presidents, 40 Supreme Court Justices and more than 140 Nobel Laureates.
“Being home to a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa validates ±«Óătv’s growing national reputation. It gives our students and faculty access to a prestigious network of peers across the country, which will serve them now and well into the future,” said ±«Óătv President Judy Genshaft.
The three-year application process was a rigorous, multi-step review of the university’s students, faculty, academics, campus life, financial stability, administration and governance. The application effort was led by ±«Óătv Honors College Dean Charles Adams and a ±«Óătv committee of PBK faculty.
By becoming a PBK member, ±«Óătv’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of The Arts will now be able to offer new, unique opportunities to high-achieving students. Student inductees, referred to as key holders, will be eligible for merit-based scholarships and gain access to a national network of distinguished professionals. Each year, PBK will send distinguished guest lecturers to campus through its Visiting Scholars Program.
The chapter also further positions ±«Óătv for future membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU). Every AAU member in the U.S. has a chapter of PBK.
The new PBK chapter at ±«Óătv will have a formal installation ceremony this fall and the first group of students will be inducted in spring 2019.