Scholastic Societies
Alpha Epsilon Rho. Alpha Epsilon Rho is a broadcasting honorary in the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication. Represented by the National Broadcasting Society, AERho is a nationwide organization made up of the very best students, faculty, and professional communicators in the broadcasting industry. Formed in 1943, it was the first national organization whose primary purpose was to bring communication students and professionals together. The WSU Chapter of AERho is involved in many activities, including sponsoring the end-of-the-year banquet for the School of Communication.

Golden Key. Golden Key National Honor Society was established in 1977 and chartered at WSU in 1987. The society is open to the top 15 percent of the junior and senior classes in all disciplines of study. Qualification is defined at WSU as those students with over 60 credit hours, 30 of which must be from WSU, who have attained a 3.4 cumulative g.p.a. Golden Key offers not only recognition for superior academic achievement, but opportunities for service and leadership. The WSU Golden Key Chapter annually recognizes the two outstanding academic advisers of the year at its annual induction reception.

Mortar Board. Mortar Board is a national honor society of college seniors recognized for their scholarship, outstanding and continual leadership, and dedicated service to the college or university community. It is a member’s willingness to continue to serve that differentiates Mortar Board from an honorary organization. Acceptance of membership indicates the person’s agreement to fulfill the responsibility for active participation in the chapter. Members must have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to be considered for membership. Each spring, the chapter recognizes freshmen who earn at least a 3.5 g.p.a. for the previous fall semester.

Omicron Delta Kappa. Omicron Delta Kappa is the national leadership honor society for juniors, seniors, graduate, and professional students. For eighty years, the society has recognized achievement and leadership in scholarship, athletics, campus and community service, social and religious activities, campus government, journalism, speech and the mass media, and the creative and performing arts. Students of any discipline who are in the top 35 percent academically are invited to apply for lifetime membership.

Phi Beta Kappa. Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest national honorary fraternity in the United States, was established to promote scholarship and friendship among students and graduates of American colleges and universities. The WSU chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, established in 1928, was one of the first chapters founded at a land-grant university. To be considered for selection, students must be majoring in a liberal arts discipline , have 75 percent of their course work in liberal arts including courses in mathematics and a foreign language, and have earned at least 45 of their total credits from WSU with a minimum 3.66 g.p.a. Only about 15 percent of the institutions of higher education in the United States have programs sufficiently strong in the sciences and liberal arts to warrant membership.

Phi Delta Kappa. Phi Delta Kappa is an international professional fraternity for men and women in education. The membership is composed of recognized leaders in the profession and graduate students in education whose leadership potential has been identified. Members include classroom teachers, school administrators, college and university professors, and educational specialists of many types. In Phi Delta Kappa, they find a fellowship based on common interests and ideas devoted to the promotion of free public education. Membership is by chapter invitation.

Phi Kappa Phi. Phi Kappa Phi, the first national scholastic society to recognize superior scholarship in all fields of study, was established in 1897. The WSU chapter was founded in 1919. Students from all disciplines within the university are eligible for membership. Candidates are selected from the upper 10 percent of the senior class and the top 5 percent of the junior class each year. Graduate students are also eligible for membership.

Phi Sigma Iota. Phi Sigma Iota was founded in 1922 to recognize outstanding ability and high standards of excellence in the field of foreign languages. It is an international society, and, as such, promotes international communication and understanding. Candidates are selected from undergraduates majoring or minoring in a foreign language who maintain at least a 3.0 g.p.a. Graduate students are also eligible for membership.

Student Clubs, Organizations, and Honoraries
Participation in departmental clubs and honoraries, service organizations, and campus activities is an important part of student life. More than three-fourths of the student body take part in the activities program. Adequate opportunities are available for every student to pursue extracurricular interests through service, recreation, religious, and other specialized interest groups.

ASWSU and the Campus Involvement (formerly the Office of Student Programs) coordinate and guide existing student organizations and assist new groups in developing sound programs. A professionally trained staff is prepared to help all students in planning well balanced activity programs adapted to their particular needs and interests.

Student Government
Undergraduate students at Washington State University are represented by 18 elected representatives who serve on the Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU) Senate. ASWSU is interested in a wide range of issues relating to the student’s life at WSU and is led by the student body president and vice president. The senate is directly involved in the allocation of ASWSU funds for programming and the establishment of operating procedures. Through the senate, ASWSU has developed a number of student committees and programs in the areas of education, entertainment, and recreation.

Graduate and professional students are members of the Graduate and Professional Students Association (GPSA). Five members of the GPSA represent their constituents on the Faculty Senate.

Student Publications
Student publications provide opportunities for students to express themselves, to serve the university community, and to gain experience in the production of a variety of printed self-supporting publications. The goal of each student publication is to provide information for students, staff, faculty, alumni, and other readers interested in Washington State University.

The Daily Evergreen is issued five times per week on campus during the nine months of the regular academic year. The Summer Evergreen is issued twice a week during summer session. The Web site expands upon materials carried in both publications as well as carrying a variety of original materials. The student staff updates it daily during the academic year.

The Chinook is the university yearbook issued each August to over 9,000 buyers.

-From the 2003-04 WSU Catalog