Alpha Gamma Sigma (honor society)
Encyclopedia
Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS), founded in 1926, is the honor society
of the California Community Colleges system
. It was conceived as "an intellectual
stimulus, comparable to that of Phi Beta Kappa in the higher colleges" for what were then called junior colleges in California
.
AGS supports its members in defining and reaching their goals by encouraging achievement and community service, building social and professional network
s, and providing the information and focus needed for success.
Hence the AGS motto: "Add to good character, knowledge and judgment."
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
of the California Community Colleges system
California Community Colleges system
The California Community Colleges System consists of 112 community colleges in 72 community college districts in the U.S. state of California...
. It was conceived as "an intellectual
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
stimulus, comparable to that of Phi Beta Kappa in the higher colleges" for what were then called junior colleges in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
AGS supports its members in defining and reaching their goals by encouraging achievement and community service, building social and professional network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
s, and providing the information and focus needed for success.
Eligibility
- Current enrollment at a California Community College
- Completion, within the past two years, of 12 graded unitsCarnegie Unit and Student HourThe Carnegie Unit and the Student Hour are strictly time-based references for measuring educational attainment used by American universities and colleges; the Carnegie Unit assesses secondary school attainment, and the Student Hour, derived from the Carnegie Unit, assesses collegiate...
, in a maximum of 3 semesterAcademic termAn academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
s or 5 quarters, at any recognized institution of higher education - A grade point average of 3.0 or better from the previous semester and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, or Life Membership in the California Scholarship FederationCalifornia Scholarship FederationThe California Scholarship Federation, or CSF, started in 1921 by Charles F. Seymour, seeks to recognize students living in the state of California who possess high standards in academic scholarship, community service and citizenship....
(the State High School Honor Society) - Transfer from high school to the community college level with a minimum of a 3.5 grade point average (varies with each chapter)
Motto
- Α - AlphaAlpha (letter)Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 1. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Aleph...
: Arête, good character or virtue - Γ - GammaGammaGamma is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 3. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Gimel . Letters that arose from Gamma include the Roman C and G and the Cyrillic letters Ge Г and Ghe Ґ.-Greek:In Ancient Greek, gamma represented a...
: Gnosis, knowledge - Σ - SigmaSigmaSigma is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, and carries the 'S' sound. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 200. When used at the end of a word, and the word is not all upper case, the final form is used, e.g...
: Sophrosyne, good judgment
Hence the AGS motto: "Add to good character, knowledge and judgment."
Campus AGS Chapters
See also
- Campuses in the California Community Colleges System