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| The '''Golden Key International Honour Society''' (formerly '''Golden Key National Honor Society''') is an ]-based ]<ref>.</ref> founded in 1977 to recognize academic achievement among college and university students. | The '''Golden Key International Honour Society''' (formerly '''Golden Key National Honor Society''') is an ]-based ]<ref>.</ref> founded in 1977 to recognize academic achievement among college and university students. | ||
| Golden Key has chapters at colleges and universities in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenkey.org/members-chapters/locate-a-chapter/ |title=Golden Key International Honour Society website Locate A Chapter}}</ref> Membership into Golden Key is offered to undergraduate and graduate students recognized to be among the top 15% of their class by ].<ref name=wp>Kristen Wyatt, . '']'', April 21, 2002.</ref> Lifetime membership is given to those who pay a one-time fee, which |
Golden Key has chapters at colleges and universities in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenkey.org/members-chapters/locate-a-chapter/ |title=Golden Key International Honour Society website Locate A Chapter}}</ref> Membership into Golden Key is offered to undergraduate and graduate students recognized to be among the top 15% of their class by ].<ref name=wp>Kristen Wyatt, . '']'', April 21, 2002.</ref> Lifetime membership is given to those who pay a one-time fee, which was US$60 in 2002<ref name=wp/> and {{asof|2017|lc=y}} is US$95 in the United States. | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| ⚫ | Golden Key National Honor Society was founded by James W. Lewis at ] in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977.<ref name=che>Andrew Brownstein, "Dishonor Society". '']''. March 22, 2002.</ref> The original intent of the society was to create a new academic honor organization that was the equal of longstanding ] such as ], but which did not carry the same perceived ] of older institutions, operating more strictly on ] standards (by accepting students in the top 15% of their college classes, and permitting part-time and transfer students who excelled academically).<ref name=che/> The society expanded over the course of the 1980s on a minimal budget, increasing the number of schools at which it had chapters and membership at those chapters.<ref name=che/> Lewis moved the institution's headquarters to a former ] building in the ] area of Atlanta in 1984.<ref name=che/> In the late 1980s, the society began attracting corporate sponsorships, providing data about its students to its sponsors, and holding large sponsored networking events, arguing that the strategy increased students' competitiveness in the job market.<ref name=che/> It expanded to Australia in the mid-1990s,<ref name=honisoit/> and in 2000 changed its name to Golden Key International Honour Society in order "to reflect international presence".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenkey.org/about-us/history/ |title=Golden Key International Honour Society website Our History}}</ref> | ||
| Lewis, who by the late 1990s was making more than $300,000 as chairman of the organization, stepped down in January 2000 after being pressured by his board, and was replaced by Carl Patton.<ref name=che/> Patton resigned in 2002<ref name=wp/> after a round of negative press coverage about the society.<ref name=studlife>Paige Shamsi, . '']'', April 18, 2002.</ref> By 2002, the society was "one of the largest collegiate honor societies in the world", with an annual budget of ]10.9 million and over 120,000 inductees annually.<ref name=che/> | |||
| ⚫ | Golden Key National Honor Society was founded at ] in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977.<ref name=che>Andrew Brownstein, "Dishonor Society". '']''. March 22, 2002.</ref> The original intent of the society was to create a new academic honor organization that was the equal of longstanding ] such as ], but which did not carry the same perceived ] of older institutions, operating more strictly on ] standards (by accepting students in the top 15% of their college classes, and permitting part-time and transfer students who excelled academically).<ref name=che/> The society expanded over the course of the 1980s on a minimal budget, increasing the number of schools at which it had chapters and membership at those chapters.<ref name=che/> In the late 1980s, the society began attracting corporate sponsorships and holding large sponsored networking events, arguing that the strategy increased students' competitiveness in the job market.<ref name=che/> It expanded to Australia in the mid-1990s,<ref name=honisoit |
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| By 2002, the society was "one of the largest collegiate honor societies in the world", with an annual budget of ]10.9 million and over 120,000 inductees annually.<ref name=che/> | |||
| ==Membership and activities== | ==Membership and activities== | ||
| ⚫ | Golden Key's main office is in Atlanta, Georgia, with regional offices in ] and ].<ref name=gcn>Brian Carr, . Georgia Center for Nonprofits, May 2015.</ref> It manages approximately 400 campus chapters worldwide.<ref name=gcn/> In its early years, Golden Key anticipated ] drives on college campuses by organizing community service efforts, such as working in ]s, reading to children at libraries, and doing ] help for low-income and immigrant populations.<ref name=wp/> Since chapters are not centrally managed, charity and volunteer efforts are now fostered through a system called SPARK a Change, which allows chapters to determine the causes they support and the level of involvement of students.<ref name=gcn/> Golden Key offers résumé and graduate program assistance, career planning and opportunities, leadership opportunities in local chapters, and networking events. It also offers scholarships, awards, research grants, travel support for academic conference attendance, and ] debt relief to its members.<ref name=gcn/> | ||
| Some members (merit or honorary) include ], ], ], ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vsuspectator.com/2012/02/02/golden-key-recognizes-new-members/ |title=Golden Key recognizes new members}}</ref> ], ], ], ],<ref>. University of Connecticut, November 30, 1998.</ref> ], ],<ref>. University of Houston, March 9, 2012.</ref> ],<ref>, MSNBC, July 20, 2012. ( at the ])</ref> and ].<ref>. University of New Orleans, July 2, 2013.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | In its early years, Golden Key anticipated ] drives on college campuses by organizing community service efforts, such as working in ]s, reading to children at libraries, and doing ] help for low-income and immigrant populations.<ref name=wp/> Since chapters are not centrally managed, charity and volunteer efforts are now fostered through a system called SPARK a Change, which allows chapters to determine the causes they support and the level of involvement of students.<ref name=gcn |
||
| Golden Key maintains offices in Australia, South Africa and the United States.<ref>https://www.gcn.org/articles/Golden-key-International-Honour-Society Golden Key International Honour Society: A Georgia original, recognizing young leaders worldwide</ref>. Its operations in these three countries as well as in Canada and New Zealand are audited annually. These audits are performed by independent accounting firms and are performed to ensure that the Society properly files all required information and tax returns in the several jurisdictions in which the Society operates. Information from these audits is included in the Society’s annual report which can be | |||
| accessed online at . | |||
| The Society also publishes a complete listing of the recipients of its scholarships and awards annually. The Golden Key | |||
| Annual Scholarship Report can also be found at . | |||
| In The United States Golden Key operates as a not for profit and has been grated 501 ( c ) 3 status by the Internal Revenue | |||
| Service. This status is reserved for Charitable, Religious or Educational not for profits. Golden Key’s status as a 501 ( c ) 3 | |||
| organization means that donations to the Society are deductible on donors’ U.S. federal income tax returns. | |||
| The organization operates as a non-profit under section ] of the U.S. ]. Golden Key sought and was denied acceptance to the ] in 1984 and 1997.<ref name=che/> Golden Key was accepted by the ACHS in 2005<!--February 18th apparently-->.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenkey.org/GKweb/PublicationsAndSocietyNews/RecentPressReleases/GoldenKeyBecomesMemberofACHS.htm|title=Golden Key Becomes Member of ACHS|date=6 August 2005|publisher=|deadurl=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050806074750/http://www.goldenkey.org/GKweb/PublicationsAndSocietyNews/RecentPressReleases/GoldenKeyBecomesMemberofACHS.htm|archivedate=6 August 2005|df=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.studentorg.vcu.edu/goldenkey/newsleters/nl033105.pdf|title=Golden Key is Now an ACHS Member!|publisher=}}</ref> Golden Key resigned from the ] in December 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.achsnatl.org/news/2014/02/the-plan-for-aiming-higher.html|title=ACHS News|website=www.achsnatl.org}}</ref> after what the ACHS indicated was "a series of on-going discussions and correspondence." | |||
| Golden Key International Honour Society is governed by an independently elected Board of Directors. The board consists of | |||
| highly regarded individuals from universities, businesses and not for profits. These voluntary board members receive no | |||
| compensation and are legally responsible for ensuring that the Society operates within its charter and in accordance with | |||
| the various laws and regulations within the jurisdictions where Golden Key operates. | |||
| ==Criticism== | |||
| Golden Key has awarded almost 15 Million dollars in scholarships and awards <ref>https://www.gcn.org/articles/Golden-Key-International-Honour-Society</ref> to the members. Thanks to support from corporate partners such as Bank of America, GEICO, AT&T, South African Breweries, Bank of Montreal and many others, Golden Key routinely spends more on | |||
| A 1999 article in the ] student newspaper, ''The ]'', examined the society's finances and scholarship practices after it established a chapter on campus in 1998.<ref name=ubyssey>Irfan Dhalla, "Students Getting Bamboozled?". '']'', January 12, 1999. Archived at </ref> ''Ubyssey'' obtained the organization's IRS filings for 1997 and noted "Golden Key spent just $289,461(US dollars) on scholarships, less than 5 per cent of their total expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997."<ref name=ubyssey/> Golden Key reported on its own website in 2009 that it had increased scholarship disbursals to over $500,000 annually,<ref name=nebraskan>. '']'', February 10, 2009.</ref> but a later report indicated that spending on member events and scholarships in 2014 were less than $200,000.<ref name=honisoit/> A 2002 report by '']'' reported that there were conflicts within the society's administration over the lowering of academic standards required for admission and inflated recruitment numbers from local university chapters.<ref name=che/> The society's aggressive marketing techniques toward eligible members were criticized in 2002 by the president of the ].<ref name=ajc/> | |||
| programming than it collects in membership fees. The Society’s audit reveals that in 2015, Golden Key spent $1.25 USD on programs for every $1.00 USD it collected in dues. Almost 2.5 million high achieving students have joined Golden Key. Many of the members are Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars. Golden Key members are routinely found in leadership roles | |||
| across all professions and career paths. Two Governor Generals of Australia, a former Canadian Prime Minister, astronauts, University Presidents and other notables such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] have proudly accepted honorary membership into the Society. | |||
| The business practices of Golden Key also attracted the ''Chronicle''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s notice, as well as that of the '']''. Sponsoring corporations, who paid a minimum of $55,000 a year (2002) to access Golden Key's membership lists, sent students "mass mailings for such products as credit cards and auto insurance."<ref name=wp/> Golden Key responded to these criticisms by stating that it was standard practice among alumni groups and honor societies.<ref name=wp/> The ''Chronicle'' quoted former employees who thought the institution's expenditures on parties and upper executive salaries, as well as its maintenance of the Druid Hills headquarters, were lavish and inconsistent with the former ideal of "a student-centered, nonprofit organization."<ref name=che/> The '']'' reported poor accounting practices under Lewis's tenure in the late 1990s, and investigators were unable to determine exactly how much he was paid due to bookkeeping discrepancies.<ref name=ajc>John McCosh, "Golden Key founder loses luster". '']'', April 6, 2002.</ref> A 2016 investigation by Australian student newspaper '']'' found that Golden Key continued to release data about students, without their consent, to corporate sponsors.<ref name=honisoit>Tom Joyner, . '']'', May 31, 2016.</ref> | |||
| Golden Key maintains membership in:<p><p> | |||
| • AACRAO: American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers<p> | |||
| • AAGE: Australian Association of Graduate Employers<p> | |||
| • ACE: American Council on Education<p> | |||
| • ACPA: American College Personnel Association<p> | |||
| • AFP: Association of Fundraising Professionals<p> | |||
| • GCN: Georgia Center for Nonprofits<p> | |||
| • IEASA: International Education Association of South Africa,p> | |||
| • NACADA: National Academic Advising Association<p> | |||
| • NAFSA: National Association of International Educators<p> | |||
| • NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education<p> | |||
| • NCHC: National Collegiate Honors Council<p> | |||
| • NSPA: National Scholarship Providers Association<p> | |||
| • NZAGE: New Zealand Association of Graduate Employers<p> | |||
| • SAGEA: South African Graduate Employeers Association<p><p> | |||
| Some students reported to student newspaper investigators that they were unsure of the society's benefits<ref>Will McDonald, . '']'', February 8, 2012.</ref> or did not find the society's networking opportunities worth the cost of membership.<ref name=honisoit/> ''Honi Soit'' also noted that society staffers altered the Golden Key International Honour Society ] page to burnish the institution's image.<ref name=honisoit/> | |||
| The Better Business Bureau gives Golden Key an A+ rating as of October 2017.<ref>https://www.bbb.org/atlanta/business-reviews/youth-organizations-and-centers/golden-key-international-honour-society-in-atlanta-ga-4144</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 01:32, 6 November 2017
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| File:Golden Key.jpg | |
| Formation | November 29, 1977 |
|---|---|
| Type | Honor society |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Location | |
| Website | www |
The Golden Key International Honour Society (formerly Golden Key National Honor Society) is an Atlanta, Georgia-based non-profit organization founded in 1977 to recognize academic achievement among college and university students.
Golden Key has chapters at colleges and universities in Australia, The Bahamas, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the United States. Membership into Golden Key is offered to undergraduate and graduate students recognized to be among the top 15% of their class by GPA. Lifetime membership is given to those who pay a one-time fee, which was US$60 in 2002 and as of 2017 is US$95 in the United States.
History
Golden Key National Honor Society was founded by James W. Lewis at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. The original intent of the society was to create a new academic honor organization that was the equal of longstanding honor societies such as Phi Beta Kappa, but which did not carry the same perceived elitism of older institutions, operating more strictly on merit standards (by accepting students in the top 15% of their college classes, and permitting part-time and transfer students who excelled academically). The society expanded over the course of the 1980s on a minimal budget, increasing the number of schools at which it had chapters and membership at those chapters. Lewis moved the institution's headquarters to a former Church of Christ Scientist building in the Druid Hills area of Atlanta in 1984. In the late 1980s, the society began attracting corporate sponsorships, providing data about its students to its sponsors, and holding large sponsored networking events, arguing that the strategy increased students' competitiveness in the job market. It expanded to Australia in the mid-1990s, and in 2000 changed its name to Golden Key International Honour Society in order "to reflect international presence".
Lewis, who by the late 1990s was making more than $300,000 as chairman of the organization, stepped down in January 2000 after being pressured by his board, and was replaced by Carl Patton. Patton resigned in 2002 after a round of negative press coverage about the society. By 2002, the society was "one of the largest collegiate honor societies in the world", with an annual budget of US$10.9 million and over 120,000 inductees annually.
Membership and activities
Golden Key's main office is in Atlanta, Georgia, with regional offices in Sydney, Australia and Pretoria, South Africa. It manages approximately 400 campus chapters worldwide. In its early years, Golden Key anticipated volunteerism drives on college campuses by organizing community service efforts, such as working in soup kitchens, reading to children at libraries, and doing tax preparation help for low-income and immigrant populations. Since chapters are not centrally managed, charity and volunteer efforts are now fostered through a system called SPARK a Change, which allows chapters to determine the causes they support and the level of involvement of students. Golden Key offers résumé and graduate program assistance, career planning and opportunities, leadership opportunities in local chapters, and networking events. It also offers scholarships, awards, research grants, travel support for academic conference attendance, and student loan debt relief to its members.
Some members (merit or honorary) include Dolly Parton, Stephen King, Tim Tebow, Tupac Shakur, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Dole, Elie Wiesel, Bill Cosby, Ian Thorpe, James Holmes, and Desmond Tutu.
The organization operates as a non-profit under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Golden Key sought and was denied acceptance to the Association of College Honor Societies in 1984 and 1997. Golden Key was accepted by the ACHS in 2005. Golden Key resigned from the Association of College Honor Societies in December 2013 after what the ACHS indicated was "a series of on-going discussions and correspondence."
Criticism
A 1999 article in the University of British Columbia student newspaper, The Ubyssey, examined the society's finances and scholarship practices after it established a chapter on campus in 1998. Ubyssey obtained the organization's IRS filings for 1997 and noted "Golden Key spent just $289,461(US dollars) on scholarships, less than 5 per cent of their total expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997." Golden Key reported on its own website in 2009 that it had increased scholarship disbursals to over $500,000 annually, but a later report indicated that spending on member events and scholarships in 2014 were less than $200,000. A 2002 report by The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that there were conflicts within the society's administration over the lowering of academic standards required for admission and inflated recruitment numbers from local university chapters. The society's aggressive marketing techniques toward eligible members were criticized in 2002 by the president of the National Collegiate Honors Council.
The business practices of Golden Key also attracted the Chronicle's notice, as well as that of the Washington Post. Sponsoring corporations, who paid a minimum of $55,000 a year (2002) to access Golden Key's membership lists, sent students "mass mailings for such products as credit cards and auto insurance." Golden Key responded to these criticisms by stating that it was standard practice among alumni groups and honor societies. The Chronicle quoted former employees who thought the institution's expenditures on parties and upper executive salaries, as well as its maintenance of the Druid Hills headquarters, were lavish and inconsistent with the former ideal of "a student-centered, nonprofit organization." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported poor accounting practices under Lewis's tenure in the late 1990s, and investigators were unable to determine exactly how much he was paid due to bookkeeping discrepancies. A 2016 investigation by Australian student newspaper Honi Soit found that Golden Key continued to release data about students, without their consent, to corporate sponsors.
Some students reported to student newspaper investigators that they were unsure of the society's benefits or did not find the society's networking opportunities worth the cost of membership. Honi Soit also noted that society staffers altered the Golden Key International Honour Society Misplaced Pages page to burnish the institution's image.
References
- IRS Search for Charities.
- "Golden Key International Honour Society website Locate A Chapter".
- ^ Kristen Wyatt, Golden Key Shows Tarnish, Critics Say. Washington Post, April 21, 2002.
- ^ Andrew Brownstein, "Dishonor Society". The Chronicle of Higher Education. March 22, 2002.
- ^ Tom Joyner, The Honour Society. Honi Soit, May 31, 2016.
- "Golden Key International Honour Society website Our History".
- Paige Shamsi, Golden Key Honor Society comes under fire for lowering standards. Student Life, April 18, 2002.
- ^ Brian Carr, Golden Key International Honour Society: A Georgia original, recognizing young leaders worldwide. Georgia Center for Nonprofits, May 2015.
- "Golden Key recognizes new members".
- Golden Key inductees include President Austin. University of Connecticut, November 30, 1998.
- Dr. Snider Receives Honorary Membership in Golden Key International Honour Society. University of Houston, March 9, 2012.
- Aurora suspect James Holmes was buying guns, dropping out of graduate school, MSNBC, July 20, 2012. (Archived copy at the Wayback Machine)
- UNO Chapter of Golden Key International Honor Society Gains Momentum. University of New Orleans, July 2, 2013.
- "Golden Key Becomes Member of ACHS". 6 August 2005. Archived from the original on 6 August 2005.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - "Golden Key is Now an ACHS Member!" (PDF).
- "ACHS News". www.achsnatl.org.
- ^ Irfan Dhalla, "Students Getting Bamboozled?". Ubyssey, January 12, 1999. Archived at
- Students should take caution when picking honor societies. The Daily Nebraskan, February 10, 2009.
- ^ John McCosh, "Golden Key founder loses luster". Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 6, 2002.
- Will McDonald, Golden Key honour society holds national networking summit. Ubyssey, February 8, 2012.