MOUNT VERNON— Brewton-Parker College’s Georgia Xi Chapter of Pi Gamma Mu has been named Star Chapter for the 2015-16 year, announced Vance Rhoades, Faculty Sponsor and Associate Professor of Psychology. According to an official letter from Pi Gamma Mu Executive Director Suzanne Rupp, Brewton-Parker’s chapter increased membership by 20 percent or more compared to the previous academic year. Increasing membership helps Pi Gamma Mu accomplish its mission to encourage and recognize superior scholarship by extending the benefits of membership to more students. In addition, increasing membership also benefits more of the high performing students with opportunities for scholarships, publications, networking, and more.
Pi Gamma Mu membership is a valuable asset and may affect the Civil Service rating at which a person enters the Federal Service sector. Some of the lifetime membership benefits include: automatic advancement in Government Service rating; invitation to regional meetings and triennial conventions; opportunities to work closely with those who share common interests; an opportunity to compete for scholarships for the first and second year in graduate school; unlimited online access to the International Social Science Review; and an email subscription to the Pi Gamma Mu Newsletter.
Rhoades states that BPC’s chapter is currently accepting applications for membership. To be eligible for membership into Pi Gamma Mu, students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or above after taking twenty four semester hours of social science courses. Past service projects have included collecting jackets and socks for kindergarten students, collecting soda tabs for the Ronald McDonald House in Savannah, ministering at the Duncan McRae House in Mount Vernon, and forming a “trash patrol” for the campus. Rhoades also states that this organization allows many varied opportunities for ministry both on and off campus.
Students who are interested in applying for Pi Gamma Mu can contact Rhoades at vrhoades@bpc.edu or stop by his office located in the H. Terry Parker Building.