FAQs/TIPs
General FAQ's
Membership Benefits
Advantages include the following:
Prestige of membership in a national honor society.
Apply for scholarships and awards.
Vote at all chapter meetings of the society.
Eligibility to serve as a chapter officer.
Attend scholarly presentations and colloquia of the sponsoring academic department.
Represent the local chapter at state, regional, and national conventions.
Receive other benefits, such as publications, of the Society.
Associate with other Sigma Kappa Delta members on local levels and regional levels and with Sigma Kappa Delta and Sigma Tau Delta members on the national level who share your interest in literature, the English language, and fine arts.
Become a member of Sigma Kappa Delta
Your school must have a local chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta.
You should contact the local advisor of the chapter who can explain steps in becoming a member.
Check our Chapter Directory to find out if your school has a chapter and to find your local chapter's advisor.
Find a chapter & become a member
To pursue the advantages of Sigma Kappa Delta membership, contact the chair of your English department for assistance in establishing a chapter or ask an English faculty member if s/he would help you charter a chapter at your school.
Only a full-time faculty member can verify eligibility for membership, so it is imperative that a school first have
a chapter with a faculty advisor.
Also, see Chartering Chapters
Can I lose membership in Sigma Kappa Delta?
No: Once a member, always a member. Dues are for lifetime membership.
Replacing a lost/ruined Membership - Student Answer
Contact your Chapter Advisor to request a replacement certificate. A replacement certificate will be mailed to the Chapter Advisor for a fee of $5.00.
Eligibility for Awards & Scholarships
Sigma Kappa Delta offers various awards and scholarships. You may be eligible for some but not for others. Read the directions/criteria for each award/scholarship carefully. Please see the scholarship/award information on this website for specific information.
Local chapter officer responsibilities
A list of responsibilities of the local chapter officers is in the Chapter Handbook Section 7 (pg 14).
or
Contact
Sigma Kappa Delta National Office
Calhoun Community College
Department of Language and Literature
P.O. Box 2216
Decatur, AL 35609-2216
Advisor FAQ's
Membership eligibility
Active members must meet the following requirements:
Be enrolled in a two-year college with a Sigma Kappa Delta Chapter.
Have completed a minimum of one college course (excluding developmental courses) in English language or literature.
Have no grade lower than a B in English.
Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in general scholarship.
Have completed at least one semester or two quarters of college course work for a cumulative total of twelve semester hours.
Students are not required to be English majors.
Finding a chapter
Go to the Chapter Directory on our website. Chapters are listed alphabetically by school name. If your school has a local chapter, the advisor's name and contact information will be shown on this directory.
The directory will also show Chapters that have become inactive. To re-activate a chapter, see the Petition to Charter page and follow the instructions for reactivation of Chapter.
Starting a chapter
Find a faculty member who will serve as the chapter's advisor.
see Chartering a Chapter
The faculty member should then print a Petition to Charter form. The completed application form includes signatures of 6 interested members (students and faculty) who would support the local chapter's formation on your campus. Mail the completed membership form and associated dues along with other required paperwork to Sigma Kappa Delta; Dr. Sheila Byrd, Executive Director; Calhoun Community College; P.O. Box 2216; Decatur, AL 35609".
The chartering process includes securing a letter from the President of your school, giving permission for Sigma Kappa Delta to be recognized on your campus.
A $50 chartering fee must be included.
What chapters do...
Hold a membership drive. National SKD offers recruiting materials at no charge to chapters. The National Recruiting Drive is held in September in conjunction with International Literacy Day.
Hold a formal induction ceremony. Examples, which may be tailored to your chapter, are located in the Chapter Handbook.
Chapters are encouraged to hold periodic meetings that members are urged to attend
Old and new business is discussed which usually centers on the fun chapter activities
Some chapter activities include the following:
Attending art exhibits, plays, movies, musical concerts, etc.
Holding poetry readings
Various parties such as Shakespeare birthday parties, Christmas parties, come-as-a-literary-character Halloween parties, etc.
Movie nights (or days) on campus
Book discussions
Writers' Conferences
See the Year-End Report results for successful chapter activities by other chapters
Fundraising activity (Examples):
Becoming a vendor and selling items (food, books,) at a local festival
Holding a community yard sale on campus
Hosting a writer on campus
Selling merchandise
See the Year-End Report results for successful chapter fundraisers by other chapters
Replacing lost/ruined membership certificate
Contact your Chapter Advisor to request a replacement certificate. A replacement certificate will be mailed to the Chapter Advisor for a fee of $5.00.
Send request to:
Sigma Kappa Delta National Headquarters
Calhoun Community College
Department of Language and Literature
P.O. Box 2216
Decatur, AL 35609-2216
State the name of the school the student attended.
Induction year (approximately)
Chapter name
The membership lists for that school and year must then be checked to verify membership.
Include a $5 replacement certificate fee.
A replacement membership certificate will then be mailed to your Chapter Advisor. The new certificate will include some blank lines where the chapter advisor and the chapter president must sign.
There is also a line for "date" (your original probably had the induction date for your induction ceremony). In order to get these lines filled in, it will be YOUR responsibility to mail the certificate to the present chapter advisor. Include a note asking the chapter advisor and chapter president to sign the certificate, putting in the "original date" on the line for that information.
Our relationship to Sigma Tau Delta
We consider Sigma Tau Delta our "parent" organization.
We do attend their national convention and are considered a valuable part of their convention activities. However, Sigma Kappa Delta membership does not guarantee membership in Sigma Tau Delta.
Submitting an article for the Hedera Helix, SKD's national journal
You (student) MUST be a member of Sigma Kappa Delta to be considered for publication in our journal.
Look at the Awards and Scholarships page, for criteria and deadlines.
Check out our Publications page.
or
Contact
Sigma Kappa Delta National Office
Calhoun Community College
Department of Language and Literature
P.O. Box 2216
Decatur, AL 35609-2216
Advisor Tips
Refer to the Chapter Handbook for useful information.
There is too much work!
If possible, have a co-advisor (or two) to help divide the duties.
Let SKD members help with the recruitment mailing, induction ceremony, and other tasks.
How do I recruit new members?
Recruit new members once a year by requesting a printout of all eligible students from the Registrar.
Send a prospect list to the national office, and the students will receive an invitation to join.
My Treasury is empty. What do I do?
Set your membership fee higher than the national fee of $30 so that your chapter retains a portion of the dues for local activities and/or attending conference.
How do I get merchandise, news, and conference information?
ShopSKD.com has a wide range of SKD products and merchandise that can be purchased by both the member and the chapter.
Use this website for forms, graphics, and information.
Monthly e-news is sent from the national office to help keep you informed and to encourage sharing ideas.
Your national office is always available to help you in any way. All you have to do is email or call.
Is the student treasurer responsible for the chapter money?
No. The treasurer consults with the advisor on money matters Chapter Handbook Section 7 (pg 14). The advisor should keep all chapter accounts.