Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society

Theta at Large Chapter

Our Chapter began 51 years ago when it was chartered as only the seventh Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. In 1953, a group of nurses attending Boston University set out to establish an organization that would represent the best of what nursing offered in this part of the world. Boston University would stand tall for the ensuing 37 years, as the "institution of record" for our Chapter, until in 1990 when we were re-chartered to include Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts and Simmons College in Boston - thereby establishing our "at-large" distinction.

Today, we have over 650 active members linked among three unique institutions. Theta at Large has many reasons to be proud as we forge into the new millennium. We are active in supporting local nursing scholars through our ongoing research and academic awards program. Our fall and spring programs offer members an opportunity connect with each other and engage in scholarly educational discourse. We are thrilled to routinely send members to destinations around this country and abroad, to leadership conferences, academic events, member forums and the biennial convention during which representatives from all chapters from around the world gather.

Membership Criteria

• Satellite campuses and at-large chapters are allowed to invite students in the upper 35% of their class from each campus.
• RN students in baccalaureate programs may be considered as a separate class when a generic program has an RN track. Therefore, you may invite the upper 35% of the RN class and the upper 35% of the generic class. Prospects from both groups must still meet the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement and have completed one-half of the nursing curriculum. If your RN class is particularly small, you may find it better to include them with the generic BSN class.
• A class is interpreted to mean the group that is anticipated to graduate together at that same time (i.e. at completion of fall semester, spring semester, summer classes, etc.).
• If the lowest GPA in the upper 35% of the class is 3.8, for example, only those with GPAs of 3.8 and higher would be eligible.
• If the lowest GPA of the upper 35% of the class falls below 3.0, only those with a 3.0 and higher can be invited to join.
• Chapters cannot go back and invite other students who did not fall into the upper 35% of their class if some prospects within the upper 35% of the class decline the membership invitation.
• Students who attain the same GPA should not be counted as "one" when determining the top 35% of the class. (i.e. if ten students have a 4.0 GPA, each student should be counted as part of the top 35%). However, if there are multiple students holding the "cutoff" GPA, each student should be considered for membership (i.e. if 3.20 is the cutoff GPA, and three students have attained this, each should be invited to membership).

To be considered for membership under the Exception Rule, students:

• May have a cumulative GPA below 3.0 or a GPA that is below the upper 35%;
• Shall have a nursing major GPA of 3.0 or higher;
• Shall otherwise meet the criteria for membership (1/2 of the nursing curriculum completed, expectation of academic integrity)