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Golden Key International Honour Society

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Golden Key International Honour Society
FormationNovember 29, 1977
TypeHonor society
HeadquartersAtlanta, Georgia
Location
Membership
Over 1.8 million[1]
John W. Mitchell
Websitehttp://www.goldenkey.org

The Golden Key International Honour Society is an Atlanta, Georgia-based non-profit organization[2] founded in 1977 to recognise academic achievement among college and university students in all disciplines. The Society currently has over 365 chapters at colleges and universities in seven countries: Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and the United States. Golden Key is the world's largest collegiate honor society. Membership into the Society is by invitation only, to the top 15% of college/university sophomores, juniors and seniors, 2nd and 3rd year students (depending on your program) and top performing US graduate students in all fields of study, based solely on the criteria of their academic achievements. [3]

The society offers more than $500,000 annually in scholarships and awards to its members along with a variety of other opportunities, both academic and career.[4]

Leadership

Golden Key is governed by an international Board of Directors [5] Its volunteer advisory structure includes the International Leadership Council, the Council of Advisors [6] and the Council of Student Members[7] The current chief executive officer (CEO) is John W. Mitchell.

Community service

One of Golden Key's core values is community service. Golden Key chapters are involved in a wide variety of volunteer projects in their local communities such as Habitat for Humanity, Terry Fox Run, Make a Difference Day, and various literacy service opportunities [8].

Honorary members

Well-known honorary members of Golden Key include: [9]

History

Golden Key National Honor Society was founded by a group of undergraduate students and faculty members at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 29, 1977. In 2001, the society modified its name to Golden Key International Honour Society to reflect its diversity and global presence. The spelling of “Honour” was utilized to observe the more globally accepted spelling.

Society memberships

Golden Key International Honour Society is an active member of several organizations, including Association of College Honor Societies -- the nation's only certifying agency for college and university honor societies.

Other organizations include[10]:

Membership benefits

Golden Key says their membership go far beyond academic recognition. According to the society, offered benefits include:

  • Academic Recognition
  • Résumé/Graduate Program Assistance
  • Scholarships
  • Career Assistance/Exclusive Opportunities
  • Golden Key online career center (powered by Vault.com)
  • Leadership Opportunities
  • Community Service Opportunities
  • Networking
  • Post-graduate Benefits & Member Discounts

Controversies and debatable practices

Controversies have dogged Golden Key.

Back in 1997, the society claimed to "return 75 percent of each membership as benefits and services to local chapters and their members [while the] other 25 per cent is used for administrative expenses." These statements cannot be verified. Only 15% of membership fees go to the chapter directly. Golden Key continues to offer over $400,000 USD in annual scholarships to its members, but that amount may not necessarily be awarded according to tax records [11].

The University of British Columbia's student newspaper reported that "The organization's submission to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, obtained by the Ubyssey, shows it spent just $289,461 US on scholarships, or less than five per cent of its total expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997." [1]

The most recent 990 Federal Tax form (2006) shows annual membership revenues of over $4 million and total revenue of over $7.4 million. Expenses totaled over $6.2 million (83%). This same tax form shows its CEO received over a quarter of a million dollars in annual compensation, travel consumed $455,239, meals took up another $283,267 and payroll was $1.88 million. Only $278,488 (just 3.8% of revenues) was awarded as scholarships to students. Direct comparison: Phi Kappa Phi's total payroll was $674 thousand of which only $106 thousand was paid to the Executive Director (42% of the remuneration enjoyed by Golden Key's CEO); this was on membership revenue of $2.6 million and total revenue of $3.8 million. PKP also spent pittances on travel and meals compared to Golden Key. PKP awarded 43% more in scholarships than Golden Key: $398 thousand.

The high headquarters administrative costs have called into question where the money goes and why. The Peak, Simon Fraser University's Independent Student Newspaper published this in 2005: "This rate is alarmingly high. Oxfam Canada, one of the country's largest non-profits, working all around the world on development and relief projects has a combined 'Fundraising and Administration' rate of 20 per cent. The [Simon Fraser campus chapter], on the other hand, is run by volunteers, with no staff persons. Granted, the international administration of the GKS would require some money, and they do have to cover the cost of thousands of glossy mail-outs, but spending [so much] on these things ... seems unrealistic." [2]

Golden Key headquarters does not subsidize students unable to pay the $70 membership fee. Some individual chapters can and do so with money from their chapters' operating budgets, however many chapters do not have the capacity to do so. This arguably indirectly leads to discrimination on the basis of social status.

All US Honor Societies also charge a membership fee. However, the Golden Key $70 (US) membership fee is significantly more than some other societies (for example the Mu Alpha Theta [12] mathematics honour society that charges a $5 membership fee). Arguably more prestigious 110-year-old Phi Kappa Phi charges the same $70, while prices are similar at the most prestigious, 230-year old Phi Beta Kappa.

The GPA-based requirements used by Golden Key chapters ensure that all students invited to join Golden Key, regardless of economic status, in fact deserve placement. In effect, a 'rich' stupid student cannot take a 'poor' intelligent student's place because of the constant high GPA requirement. Unfortunately, a moderately intelligent rich student will be able to join over a very intelligent poor student due to the very significant membership fee. The result is that the Honour Society's membership is made up of high GPA achieving students. Golden key says it has 1.8 million members, but that figure apparently includes 30 years worth of alumni and active student members [13].

A restrictive interpretation of the top 15% requirement, taken by most universities, means that a student in the first year of undergraduate study who performs well, but his or her GPA significantly drops out in the second year of study will get in. However, a student who does not perform well in his or her first year, and yet performs well in the second, third and fourth year of study, may not meet the threshold.

References

  1. ^ "Golden Key International Honour Society website FAQ".
  2. ^ http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/search.do?indexOfFirstRow=1000&resultsPerPage=500&deductibility=all&indexOfFirstRow=500&isDescending=false&dispatchMethod=search&country=USA&nameSearchTypeStarts=false&names=golden+key&nameSearchTypeAll=false&state=All...&sortColumn=name&city=
  3. ^ https://www.goldenkey.org/GKIHS/GoldenKeyInDepth/FAQs/
  4. ^ "Scholarships & Awards". Golden Key International Honour Society. 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  5. ^ Board of Directors Golden Key International Honour Society
  6. ^ Council of Advisors Golden Key International Honour Society
  7. ^ Council of Student Members Golden Key International Honour Society
  8. ^ http://www.goldenkey.org/GKIHS/MemberBenefits/LiteracyServiceOpportunities/
  9. ^ "What is Golden Key?". Golden Key International Honour Society. 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
  10. ^ https://www.goldenkey.org/GKIHS/GoldenKeyInDepth/WhatisGoldenKey/
  11. ^ http://www.goldenkey.org/GKIHS/MemberBenefits/ScholarshipsandAwards/
  12. ^ http://www.mualphatheta.org/How_To_Join/ProcedureChapters.aspx
  13. ^ http://www.goldenkey.org/GKIHS/GoldenKeyInDepth/WhyJoinGoldenKey/
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