The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) is a national, not-for-profit honor society that recognizes students who excel academically during their first and sophomore years. NSCS is a recognized member of the Association of College Honor Societies, offering scholarship opportunities at undergraduate and graduate levels, and leadership and service opportunities on the local and national levels.
There are well 0ver chapters nationwide. The University of Mary Washington chapter of NSCS was established in 1999, and hundreds of UMW students have become members since then. For the past two years, induction ceremonies have been centralized and virtual to reduce risks for inductees and their families related to the Covid-19 pandemic, but we look forward to returning to on-campus inductions (and greater chapter vibrancy!) as soon as possible!
Our NSCS chapter sponsors leadership, service learning, and social activities. The chapter’s vibrancy depends on its members.
Since the UMW chapter was established, Dr. Raymond Tuttle, Director of Student Conduct and Responsibility, has served as its advisor. Please do not hesitate to contact him at (540) 654-1660 or rtuttle@umw.edu if you have any questions.
If you are looking for general information about NSCS, including the scholarship opportunities that it offers, please consult their website.
Open officer positions for the 2022-2023 academic year are as follows. The only one that MUST be filled is Chapter President, but we need to have a total of five officers (including the Chapter President) to create an Executive Board
CHAPTER PRESIDENT:
Chapter Presidents help set the overall goals and direction of the chapter. They work to maintain a positive
relationship and clear communication between officers, the advisor, the national office, chapter membership and
the greater campus community.
* Organize and facilitate the yearly plan for the chapter’s growth and activity.
* Ensure that the chapter is registered and in good standing with SAE, as well as listed under on-campus organizations.
* Set the agenda and facilitate all virtual officer and general body meetings, thus communicating regularly with
chapter advisor, fellow officers and chapter operations manager.
* Hold chapter leadership accountable for chapter goals and performance, while overseeing the transition
between new and old officers at the end of the year.
* Assist the Chapter Advisor with facilitating the Invitation Approval Process (IAP) in the fall and the Eligible
Membership Information (EMI) in the spring.
* Ensure chapter members are receiving regular email communication via the NSCS portal and social media
updates from the officers on a regular basis.
* Provide NSCS with a record of all chapter activity on a monthly basis using the Star Status Form. The Star
Status Help Guide is helpful for getting ideas and more information about how to use the Star Status Form,
but the Chapter Operations Manager can also be helpful if officers have any questions.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT:
The Executive Vice President collaborates with the Chapter President to ensure the growth and success of the chapter. Executive VPs manage the communication with new members about any welcome events, like a pinning ceremony, new member mixer, a local induction, etc. They may also fulfill the duties of the Chapter President in the
case of their absence and initiate collaboration with other on and off-campus organizations.
VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND RECRUITMENT:
The VP of PR and Recruitment fosters awareness of NSCS and the chapter’s activities among both members and prospective members, campus officials and the community at large. They assist in increasing activity in the chapter through public relations efforts. VPs of PR&R are very well versed in NSCS’ core messages, often in communication with prospective members and their families about NSCS during recruitment season. They may work closely with Vice President of Social Media (if applicable) to execute a public relations plan so that the campus at large is engaged and familiar with the NSCS chapter.
VICE PRESIDENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA:
This officer maintains an online and social media presence for the chapter by creating content worthy of sharing, focused on either the chapter’s activities and events, NSCS related content or overall content about the college student experience. VPs of Social Media research and implement social media activities/interactive strategies to keep
members engaged. They also keep the chapter’s Scholar Central page updated and active with member engagement, events, updates, and photos.
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE:
The Vice President of Community Service connects members with both on campus and local organizations through participation in charity events and projects, strengthening the community and service aspect of the chapter. They create and facilitate community service initiatives and events for the chapter that can be accomplished and highlighted through social media. Additionally, this officer establishes and maintains relationships with local service organizations.
PACE CHAIR:
Planning to Achieve Collegiate Excellence (or PACE) is a program designed to help K-12 students learn information, gain resources, and develop skills associated with being college-ready. The PACE officer may manage a yearlong relationship with a partner school to create and maintain a virtual tutoring/mentor program connecting members to the youth. They might also plan a school supply drive for a classroom in need or plan a virtual (or in-person) assembly to talk about college applications, a day in the life of a college student, etc.
SECRETARY/STAR STATUS COORDINATOR:
This (or these) officer leaders communication between officers and members following meetings and activities, sending out email updates via Scholar Central. They also track the progress of the chapter, ensuring all deadlines are met according to the Star Status Form and all chapter activity is logged as Activity Reports.
TREASURER:
This officer oversees the chapter’s budget, apply for funds from the Chapter Engagement Fund when necessary, and may help to plan out fundraising initiatives for Active Minds and the Alzheimer’s Association.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIR:
The professional development chair will create virtual events and shares opportunities for members to strengthen their professional skills, utilizing resources available online, on campus or through the National Office. They are required to plan at least 1 activity each semester (or 2 per academic year) for the chapter.
SOCIAL CHAIR:
A large percentage of NSCS members join the organization for a sense of community. This officer creates icebreaker opportunities and networking activities during general body meetings or as a stand-alone event so that members get to know each other and feel more connected with the chapter. Interacts regularly on Scholar Central with members to make sure they are able to access the resources they need and feel like a part of the community.
SCHOLARSHIP CHAIR:
The scholarship chair lets members know about upcoming scholarship deadlines and prompts so that they are first to know about them. They may create a spreadsheet of NSCS scholarships, national scholarships available to anyone, and scholarships available to people at the school where the chapter is located.
FUNDRAISING/ACTIVE MINDS/ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION CHAIR:
Fundraising for philanthropic causes is an important activity for our NSCS chapters. A fundraising chair, active minds chair, and/or Alzheimer’s Association chair would research creative ways to do fundraising on-campus and online. They will communicate with chapter members about the importance of fundraising for those important causes and will lead engagement about these topics on Scholar Central.