Membership Guide 2011

The 2011 Membership Guide can be downloaded here in Adobe Acrobat format.

Background:

Mission
The mission of the Presidential Honors Society is to bring together a dynamic group of already successful students within the University to promote academic excellence, personal and professional development, and on-going service to the campus and the community.

Goal
PHS was founded as an opportunity to assemble the best and brightest students at the University. As such, even today the Society’s central goal remains the same—community service on campus and within the Albany area. Simultaneously, PHS furthers the academic excellence of its members by providing opportunities for the students to thrive within the academic community on campus.

History
The Presidential Honors Society was founded in 1991 by Kevin McIntyre and Brian Kerr, both juniors at the University at Albany, with the support of Professor Sung Bok Kim, past Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Since its founding, the Society has expanded in both size and scope, inducting more new members each year and expanding the already phenomenal service opportunities for those members. In the past, PHS members have even worked with nationally recognized organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the Ronald McDonald House.

The Presidential Honors Society receives strong support from the President’s Office, the Provost’s office, and many other departments and offices throughout campus.

The Society is widely recognized as the largest and most prestigious honor society and community service organization on campus. PHS members distinguish themselves academically through internships, awards and/or research and are regularly featured in UAlbany print and internet publications as outstanding students and members of the campus community. These achievements are largely due to the fact that the majority of our members hold active roles in other campus organizations in addition to their membership in PHS.

Structure
The Presidential Honors Society is an organization structured on the creative development and collaboration of its members. The executive officers are elected annually at the end of each academic year. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer are elected to serve the members and further the goals of the society. In addition, the core of the Society’s leadership lies in Project Coordinators, who organize volunteer projects for the students, based on a cause they personally believe in. Anyone can be a Project Coordinator and everyone is encouraged to bring forward any ideas regarding service projects. The elected officers, any appointed officers, and the Project Coordinators collectively are the executive board (e-board for short).