Reasons for Founding a Chapter
On Your Campus
  1. Sigma Delta Pi is the only honor society devoted exclusively to students of Spanish in four-year colleges and universities.
  2. Sigma Delta Pi is not only the largest foreign-language honor society in existence, it is among the elite as attested by its membership since 1966 in the Association of College Honor Societies, the nation's only certifying agency for college and university honor societies.
  3. Bestowal of membership in Sigma Delta Pi is an excellent way to reward outstanding students of Spanish in colleges and universities.
  4. If properly advertised on the campus, a chapter of Sigma Delta Pi can do much to encourage students to remain in the department and to take advanced courses in Spanish. Honor and recognition through election to membership in a renowned national society can be a powerful incentive!
  5. Sigma Delta Pi offers a growing scholarship program exclusively for its active members with annual undergraduate awards (27 to be granted in 2008) for summer study in Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia (locations subject to change) and research grants for graduate students.
  6. Through its partnership with Experience, Inc., Sigma Delta Pi offers its members free career services at its exclusive website: sigmadeltapi.experience.com.
  7. Each active chapter receives hard copies of Entre Nosotros, the Society's official publication.
  8. The local chapters may call upon their regional Vice President for help in planning a program of activities.
  9. The local chapter is authorized to recognize with honorary membership outstanding individuals who are earnest supporters of things Hispanic, in accordance with the Society's constitution. Also, a chapter may nominate especially qualified Hispanophiles for membership in La Orden de los Descubridores and in La Orden de Don Quijote, the Society's highest award.
  10. A chapter may nominate one student per year for the Gabriela Mistral Award, a signal honor for an especially outstanding student.
  11. Membership in Sigma Delta Pi strengthens one's application for a position in any professional field, including business. For example, see the Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions at the website of the United States Office of Personnel Management.
  12. Once every three years, the Premio José Martel is awarded to the outstanding adviser selected from among all chapters in the United States. In addition to a handsome plaque, the winner receives a generous cash award.
  13. Each year, the Premio Minaya Álvar-Fáñez is granted to one chapter adviser for exemplary initiative in encouraging and assisting with chapter activities. The winner receives a plaque and cash award.
  14. By establishing a chapter on its campus, a college or university performs an outstanding service for its students of Spanish by encouraging exeptional academic achievement in Hispanic studies.
  15. In national or international professional associations, such as the AATSP, which publish personal résumés prior to elections, nominees for office include membership Sigma Delta Pi.
  16. Election to Sigma Delta Pi affords the serious Spanish student the opportunity for closer association with students of similar interests and out-of-class association with members of the faculty.
  17. An active chapter promotes many cultural activities on Hispanic themes and students, faculty and visitors from the community are attracted to the Spanish instructional program of the school.
  18. By conducting chapter business properly and by carrying out an enthusiastic Hispanic cultural program, a chapter can be designated an Honor Chapter for excellent work on the part of the advisor and student members. To the the Society's most outstanding chapter, the Ignacio y Sophie Galbis Award is presented annually.
  19. Each year, the Premio Frida Kahlo is presented to a chapter for its exceptional website.
  20. The national offices encourage statewide or regional symposia and meetings where chapters may share ideas and participate in programs.
  21. Each chapter can send delegates to the annual informative session, held in conjunction with the Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, and to each triennial convention, held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the AATSP.
  22. Sigma Delta Pi is affiliated with the AATSP, the Instituto Internacional Sampere in Spain and Ecuador, UNINTER of Cuernavaca, Mexico, and with the Academia Latinoamericana de Español in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.