For each student, let total equal the total number of credit hours passed. Let transfer equal the number of hours of transfer credits from non-binghamton sponsored programs and let exam equal the number of exam hours. Let indep equal the number of credit hours for independent study and let indepexcess equal indep - 8 if indep is greater than 8, 0 if indep is less than or equal to 8. Let ineligible equal the number of credit hours from ineligible courses, which are defined below. Let eligible = total - transfer - exam - indepexcess - ineligible. Let egpa be the grade point average computed from just the eligible credits. If some indep credits are included in eligible, but indepexcess is not equal to 0, then the 8 indep credits included in the egpa calculation should be those with the best grades.
We define juniors to be those students with total between 80 and 107, and seniors to be those with total at least 108. Let seniors and juniors be the total numbers of seniors and juniors, respectively.
- Require that eligible divided by (total-transfer-exam) be at least .75 for students at all levels.
- Require that eligible be at least 60, an absolute minimum.
- Separately rank the juniors and the seniors who pass requirements 1-2 according to their egpa. We have no specific minimum egpa requirement, but we select certain percentages of the best eligible students according to the following method.
- Qualified candidates will be selected twice each year: after fall/winter semester grades are determined, and again after spring/summer semester grades have been recorded. Those selected after the fall will be invited in february to join Phi Beta Kappa. The one-time membership fee of (currently $100) must be paid before the initiation ceremony, which takes place in April or May, before commencement. Members and their families are invited to a reception after the ceremony. Those selected after the spring semester are invited in August or September to join phi beta kappa immediately, and may attend the initiation ceremony and reception in the following year. Since most seniors will graduate in may, letters inviting them to join our chapter may arrive well after they have graduated.
- After each semester we will select from each of the two ranked lists certain percentages of eligible students. Each student has at least four chances to be selected, two as a junior and two as a senior. Once a student has been selected and accepts membership, subsequent grades cannot affect his or her status, but we do expect that most such students will continue to qualify in future semesters. Therefore, the ranked lists will include students already selected. At most the top 10 percent of each graduating class will be selected. The percentages chosen in each semester will reflect this fact.
The following courses are ineligible.
- Developmental courses which are ineligible for fulfillment of all-college distribution requirements (see the bulletin of binghamton university): biol 100; harp 105; math 101,102,103,104; rhet 100, 101; chem 100; phys 100; esl 110,205,210.
- Courses taken with the pass/fail option.
- All physical education courses (pe and penr).
- Courses taken in the professional schools (Watson, Decker School of Nursing, Management, SEHD) and the Off Campus College (OCC).
- Courses in Studio Art (all ARTS), music performance (all MUSP and MUS 141, 142, 143, 243, 343, 443, 427 and 428), filmmaking (cine 251-254, 351, 353, 451, 453, 456, 471), theater performance and dance (all thep and all thea except for thea 101, 102, 206, 304 and 309, which are eligible).
- All internships (including arth 492, 493, 495; geog 485; rhet 495; econ 495; occ 395; psyc 390, 392) and all practica in college teaching (all 391 and 491).
A maximum of eight credits of independent study courses will be eligible. Courses in foreign language study as well as conversation are eligible. Credits taken abroad under binghamton-sponsored overseas programs as indicated in the bulletin, are not considered to be transfer credits.