Becoming a Member of Mortar Board

Each year, recruitment for the next school year's Mortar Board initiates begins in the fall semester. In order to be eligible for membership to Mortar Board, student's must meet certain criteria in each of the three main areas of the honors organization: scholarship, leadership, and service. The criteria for membership to Mortar Board for Fort Hays State University is as follows:

Scholarship

• Must have at least a 3.0 GPA and/or be in the top 35% of his/her class.
• Must display real intellectual curiosity and an interest in new ideas.
• Must display interest in cultural diversity on campus.
• Must have scholarly interests, such as reading, music, drama, etc.
• Must actively support departmental and academic programs on campus.

Leadership

• Must display humility and sincere leadership, rather than leading for the sake of prestige.
• Must show careful deliberation for the causes for which he/she leads, rather than leading to hold power.
• Must show skill in developing the talents of those whom he/she leads.
• Must share credit with group members for group accomplishments.

Service

• Must be cooperative, generous, and responsible.
• Must serve the campus while showing good character and integrity.
• Must seek jobs that need done without regard to gaining publicity and/or prestige.
• Must show sensitivity toward, and work toward fulfilling, the needs of others.

In addition to meeting the above criteria, applicants must receive a vote from 80% of the current members in order to be accepted to the society. To make this process simpler, the FHSU chapter requires that all applicants complete a Fact Sheet which includes information about any honors received and activities the individual has been involved in. In addition to the fact sheet, applicants also take part in a 10-15 minute interview, where a panel of about 3 current members ask them questions pertaining to the ideals of Mortar Board.

Voting is not completed by a closed ballot. Instead, the current members use the process of consensus to select new members. This process takes place in a closed meeting (for current members and advisors only) and often lasts many hours.

If you are interested in becoming a member of Mortar Board, you can always contact any of the advisors, officers, or current members with further questions. Their contact information can be located on the Current Members section of our site. You can also download to our Self-Nomination Form.