Department Clubs and Associations
French National Honors Society - Pi Delta Phi
Eta Iota chapter of Pi Delta Phi, National French Honor Society,was founded at Sam Houston in 1972 as the 177th chapter. Pi Delta Phi was founded as a departmental honor society at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1906. At the present time it numbers 316 chapters, this last being Duke University. There are chapters in Paris and Aix-en-Provence.
The society was admitted to membership in the Association of College Honor Societies in 1967; its official publication is the newsletter. The purpose of this Society shall be (1) to recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and its literatures; (2)to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Americans for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world; (3)to stimulate and encourage French and francophone cultural activities.
There are two categories of membership: regular and honorary. REGULAR members include graduate and undergraduate students who shall be nominated in recognition of their academic achievement in at least one semester of upper division French with a minimum GPA of 3.00 in French.
HONORARY members include: the French faculty of the sponsoring institution; members of the faculty at large, diplomats and community leaders who have shown a strong support of French cultures. Each new member receives the official key, a certificate and a card indicating life membership in the organization.
German National Honors Society - Delta Phi Alpha
The Theta Chi chapter of Delta Phi Alpha, the National German Honors Society, has been at Sam Houston State University since May 27, 1975. Delta Phi Alpha "seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and provide an incentive for higher scholarship.”
Students must be nominated by the German faculty adviser to DPA and must show the following qualifications for membership in the society:
- A minimum of two years of college or university German or their equivalent
- A minimum average of B+ (3.3 GPA) or its equivalent in German courses
- A minimum cumulative average of B- (2.7 GPA) or its equivalent
- Indication of continued interest in the study of German language and literature
Spanish Honors Society - Sigma Delta Pi
Sigma Delta Pi honors those who attain excellence in the study of the Spanish language and in the study of the literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking peoples. Membership is limited to students who have demonstrated high scholarship in general and excellence in the academic study of Spanish. To be nominated, a student must meet the following requirements
- Each must have completed three years of study of college-level Spanish (eighteen semester credit hours) or its equivalent, including at least three semester hours of a course in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture and civilization at the junior (third-year) level. A student may be admitted to active membership while still enrolled in the second junior-level course if all other requirements have been met and if the instructor of the course certifies that the student's work is of "B" or "A" quality.
- The candidate for active membership must have a minimal grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale in all Spanish courses taken.
- The candidate must rank in the upper 35% of his/her class--sophomore, junior, or senior--and must have completed at least three semesters college work.
Latinx Graduate Student Organization
Latinx Graduate Student Organization welcomes graduate students and seniors interested in graduate studies across SHSU community that are seeking an interdisciplinary, multilingual, and multicultural approach to professional development. In concert with Sam Houston State University’s (SHSU) mission to foster educational excellence and community engagement, as well as with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ (CHSS) mission to foster understanding among human beings in their diversity, the Latinx Graduate Students Organization seeks to involve the student body in exploring how diversity relates to our worldview and society. The purpose of LXGO:
- Raise awareness of graduate and professional opportunities and to improve academic and professional development in English and Spanish.
- Build bilingual material for professional development, which includes, but is not limited to, application documents for positions in higher education, participating in mock interviews for internship and professional opportunities.
- Conduct chat sessions to professionalize speech in bilingually and biculturally, as well as provide the tools for improving presentation skills. The organization will provide the opportunity to converse in a friendly environment on professional topics related to students’ research and future profession.
- Provide community services in bilingual interpreting and translating.
The Latinx Club of the Department of World Languages and Cultures
The Latinx Club of the Department of World Languages and Cultures offers students the opportunity to explore Latinx Americans' cultural and intellectual history through campus events and activities. Additionally, The Latinx Club encourages exploration, understanding, and recovery of U.S. Latinx intellectual and cultural history.
The purpose of Latinx is to organize students interested in the cultural and intellectual history of Latinos in the United States and provide opportunities for students to learn about Latino Heritage through cultural engagement. Additional goals are:
- To encourage exploration of Latino history
- To inspire a passion for intellectual and cultural history of the Latino World
- To cultivate awareness of United States Latino history All majors are welcome!
LULAC
The purpose of LULAC Collegiate Council 4284 is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States. The Local Collegiate Council is an affiliated unit of the League which operates within a city, township or community under authority of a charter granted by the National Board of Directors upon approval of an Application for LULAC Council Charter.
Ballet Folklorico
SHSU Ballet Folklorico is a dance organization that promotes the beauty and richness of Mexican culture by performing traditional folklore dances. The purpose of Ballet Folklorico is to uphold the Mexican culture by learning Folklorico dances and by performing on campus and in the community.
• To learn traditional Folklorico dances.
• To perform on campus and around the community.
• To hold fundraisers to help purchase the dance costumes, accessories, and equipment for the organization and help pay for dance workshops.
The Spanish Conversation Club
The Spanish Conversation Club is an organization designed to allow students taking Spanish courses or with an interest in the Spanish language an opportunity to build community, improve their speaking skills, participate in real-life activities, and develop a greater appreciation for the language and culture. Students of all levels of Spanish are welcome.