Mortar Board Membership Planning

1. Mortar Board Membership Planning It’s everyone’s job!

2. Where to start? • Elect a membership chair and appoint a committee. Plan ahead! Start early! • Find last year’s Membership Recruitment & Selection Plan (MRSP). Use it along with the timeline in the Membership Selection Handbook as a guide. • Make sure your selections dates don’t conflict with important university dates, and always allow more time than you think you need. • Talk to advisors and alumni to find out what has worked well in the past • Thoroughly read through the Membership Selection Handbook

3. Purpose of Mortar Board • Preamble to the Constitution • Recognize students for their commitment to the ideals of scholarship, leadership, and service • Provide opportunity for students to give back to the community

4. How do we find new members? • Lots of publicity on-campus – make sure every eligible student has a chance to find out about Mortar Board • Work to get the word out to student organizations, both ones you’re in and ones no current MB members belong to (build diversity!) • Ask for nominations from deans, student affairs personnel, professors, advisors, etc. • Leave application/ nomination forms in your student union, library, or other visible place

5. Publicizing your chapter • Visibility of Mortar Board is a job for the entire chapter, and is an YEAR-LONG process. • Wear MB t-shirts and other merchandise as part of your normal routine (shop at the merchandise booth here at the conference) • Utilize Mortar Board Week to promote your chapter and membership selections • Use other advertising techniques like tabling, chalking, newspaper ads, fliers, e-mails, Web announcements, presentations to other student organizations, and more!

6. Recruitment and Selection Principles • Each chapter must follow principles in order for selection process to be valid • Must follow all principles • Foundation of what Mortar Board represents • Share with all members, officers, and advisors • Cornerstone of entire recruitment and selection process

7. Minimum of 15 members or 10 percent of the junior class, whichever is smaller Maximum of 50 members or 1.5 percent of the junior class, whichever is greater How many can we select? Maximize your membership! Make sure your chapter thoroughly evaluates all candidates and grants membership to everyone who is deserving.

8. Who is qualified for MB? • The MB governing documents specify who can be potential members. • Minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or the upper 35% of the junior class, whichever is HIGHER (get this figure from your registrar’s office). • Leaders on your campus • See the Membership Selection Handbook for discussion guidelines on how to evaluate scholarship, leadership, and service

9. Scholarship, Leadership, and Service • When doing selections, consider not using the GPA as a determining factor, other than establishing initial eligibility. • Leadership roles on campus and in life outside campus are important! • Service to others can come in many different forms

10. Selection Procedures • Membership committee works with the chapter to develop a selection plan which must be approved by the National Office (MRSP) • Plan must adhere to the Recruitment and Selection Principles

11. Membership Committee • Led by Membership Chair • Encourage chapter members to be involved • Not a screening committee – all chapter members need to be involved in the selection process • Responsible for organization of recruitment and selection process

12. When should things happen? • Check your Mortar Board Governing Documents: • Initiation must occur no later than four weeks before the last day of classes • Tapping should occur no sooner than 6 weeks after the end of the fall term and no later than 6 weeks before the end of the spring term

13. Getting ready • Take time at a chapter meeting to practice your selection method • Remember that your entire chapter and at least one chapter advisor must be present • Be sure those filling out forms are aware of requirements – active participation, $60 membership fee. • Make sure your membership committee thoroughly prepares for the selections meeting and trains all chapter members

14. What’s an honorary member? • Individuals who were not initiated into Mortar Board in college but have made contributions toward the goals and purposes of Mortar Board. • Expected to also meet standards of scholarship, leadership, and service • You can select up to three each year; consider: • University administrators and spouses • Deans, professors, advisors • Government officials and community leaders • Only $15 – the chapter pays this when sending new student member fees. • It’s good PR and honors worthy individuals

15. National Office and selections • The National Office verifies that each candidate submitted on the Official Membership Report (OMR) meets national standards • The National Office checks to see that all candidates are eligible and that all pertinent information is included, including permanent address (not campus). • Chapters must wait to tap new members until they have received approval from the National Office • The National Office notifies the chapter of approval or problems, produces membership certificates and pins, and then sends all initiation materials to the advisor.

16. How can I remember this? What are my resources? • A membership selection timeline appears in the Membership Selection Handbook, advising you on all necessary dates • These PowerPoint slides will appear on the post-conference Web site • Utilize the Membership Selection Handbook, Officer and Advisor Handbook, MB governing documents, other resources from our Web site, your section coordinator, the National Office