Alpha Kappa Delta Rating, Reviews and Requirements. Is it worth it?

REQUIREMENTS

Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD) is the International Sociology Honor Society.  AKD was founded in 1920 at the University of Southern California by Dr. Emory S. Bogardus and became affiliated with the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) in 1967. AKD is also affiliated with the American Sociological Association (ASA).

SUMMARY

Alpha Kappa Delta is a non-secret, democratic, international society of scholars dedicated to the ideal of Athropon Katamannthanein Diakonesin or "to investigate humanity for the purpose of service."

Membership is open to undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members from active chapters who meet our minimum standards. Currently, there are more than 130,000 members in Alpha Kappa Delta and over 670 chapters.

There is a governing body of elected sociologists who are Alpha Kappa Delta members and who serve as our Council Members and Regional Representatives. There is also a central Executive Office located in Syracuse, NY where an Executive Director, Finance Officer, and several student employees are employed.

Individual membership in Alpha Kappa Delta, the international sociology honor society, is an honorable achievement. Membership benefits include:

• Membership is for a lifetime. There are no annual dues for members after the initial payment unless one decides to remain a Voting member.
• A certificate of membership and a membership card are given to all new members to recognize the honor of being a part of Alpha Kappa Delta. This also shows evidence of membership
• Free one-year subscription to Sociological Inquiry, the official journal of Alpha Kappa Delta. This is available to members who submit completed activation form.
• Undergraduate and Graduate Student Paper Competitions. AKD sponsors an annual student paper competition for both undergraduate and graduate students. Winners receive a cash prize and travel money to participate in the American Sociological Association (ASA) annual meeting.
• Undergraduate students have the chance to participate in the ASA Honors Program
• First place winners are eligible to have their papers published in Sociological Inquiry
• Student Travel Money. AKD provides grants to undergraduates and graduate students who are AKD members to present at regional sociological meetings.
• Merchandise. Members may purchase an honor cord to wear at their graduation ceremony, lapel pins, t-shirts, and other AKD paraphernalia.
• Mentorship Program. This program provides an opportunity to connect and network with other AKD members and professionals in the sociology field.​
• AKD Members who are Civil Service employees meet one of the requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level (an increase in pay-grade) if they list AKD membership on their applications (providing they enter at the GS-5 level).
• Social Media allows for opportunities to network with other members of the Society and professionals in the sociology field. Join us on our public Facebook and Twitter, and our member-exclusive LinkedIn page.
• Voting members have access to the AKD Newsletter, may participate in Officer elections, and receive a subscription to Sociological Inquiry.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

• AKD chapters are important in the academic, professional, and social lives of student and faculty members. They provide opportunities for initiating and sharing activities in keeping with the purposes of the Society
• Student Travel Money. AKD provides grants to undergraduates and graduate students who are AKD members who are AKD member to present at regional sociological meetings.
• Chapter Representative Travel. AKD provides grants to chapter representatives to assist students presenting at regional sociological meetings.
• Speaker Initiation Grant. AKD provides a grant to bring speakers to induction ceremonies.
• Sociological Research Symposium Grant. AKD prodvies a grant to develop and host a sociological research symposium on campuses.
• Chapter of the Year Award. AKD annually recognizes and rewards chapter achievement in fulfilling the general purposes of Alpha Kappa Delta

MORE BENEFITS

• Teaching and Learning Workshops. Alpha Kappa Delta sponsors Teaching and Learning Workshops at various regional sociology meetings. AKD funds up to five Fellows to attend the workshop.
• Alpha Kappa Delta sponsors a Distinguished Lecture series at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.
• Alpha Kappa Delta contributes $18,000 annually to the American Sociological Association Minority Fellowship Program.

The purpose of Alpha Kappa Delta is to seek to acknowledge and promote excellence in scholarship in the study of sociology, the research of social problems, and such other social and intellectual activities as will lead to improvement in the human condition.

OUR REVIEW  

Observation #1: Alpha Kappa Delta sponsors Teaching and Learning Workshops at various regional sociology meetings. AKD funds up to five Fellows to attend the workshop. Not many societies offer workshops like this, so we found this impressive!

Observation #2: Student Travel Money. AKD provides grants to undergraduates and graduate students who are AKD members to present at regional sociological meetings. This differs from other societies aswell.

Observation #3: They place an emphasis on service, and considering this is a sociological-focused society, we believe this to be an appropriate marketing technique for the society.