Providence College approved for Phi Beta Kappa chapter

Providence College awarded chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, most prestigious academic honor society in America

Providence College (PC) has announced that Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society for the liberal arts and sciences in the United States, has granted a charter to the College, and will begin inducting students as members next spring.

PC becomes the third institution in Rhode Island with a chapter – the others being Brown University and the University of Rhode Island – and is now among an elite group of institutions throughout New England with this distinction. 

“This is a historic day for PC, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have Phi Beta Kappa’s stamp of approval on our commitment to delivering the best liberal arts education to students,” said Sean F. Reid, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Their decision to shelter a chapter here puts us in esteemed company. More importantly, our current and future students who are inducted into Phi Beta Kappa will reap its substantial rewards for the rest of their lives.”

Only 290 colleges and universities in the country, about 10 percent of the total, have Phi Beta Kappa chapters. The College’s acceptance followed a rigorous three-year application process, which included a self-study, a site visit by the organization, and even a check on whether the coronavirus pandemic had impacted PC’s commitment to the liberal arts.

The national Phi Beta Kappa Society sponsors campus activities and events, such as public lectures, prizes for writing, book awards, fellowships, and scholarships.

PC will induct its first students into Phi Beta Kappa in the spring of 2022. Juniors and seniors will be eligible. Phi Beta Kappa stipulates that students must excel academically and demonstrate sound moral character. Those admitted are among the top 10 percent academically at their colleges and universities. Once they accept the invitation for admission, they are lifetime members.

The process to establish a chapter at PC began in the fall of 2018 under the former provost, Hugh F. Lena and former president, Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., and was enthusiastically backed by Reid and new College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P.

A report was submitted by the College in the fall of 2019 for review by Phi Beta Kappa’s Committee on Qualifications. Four committee members visited the PC campus in February 2020 and met with about 100 faculty, staff, students, and administrators from across the College. There were three votes on PC’s application, in June 2020, December 2020, and a final vote on Aug. 5, 2021.

The Phi Beta Kappa Society was first established at The College of William and Mary in 1776. Along with PC, Phi Beta Kappa awarded new chapters to Rollins College (Winter Park, Fla.) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.).

Founded in 1917, Providence College is the only college or university in the United States administered by the Dominican Friars. The Catholic, liberal arts college has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,000 students, and offers degrees in 50 academic majors. Since 1997, Providence College consistently has been ranked among the top five regional universities in the North according to U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.”