Faculty Advisor Fall Mailing 2013
September 3, 2013
Dear Faculty Advisor:
Welcome back! I hope this year will be a good one for you, your chapter, and for students of German. In this Fall Mailing, I would like to remind you of upcoming events and share information with you.
1. Scholarship information and applications for this year’s competition can be found on the Delta Phi Alpha website (www.deltaphialpha.org). Please be aware that the absolute deadline for receipt of applications in the office of the National Secretary-Treasurer is November 1st. We set this deadline so that applications in the senior category can be processed and the winner and runner-up can be contacted and have time to apply for a DAAD annual scholarship (deadline for these scholarships is Nov. 15th). NB: Applications for this year’s competitions should be sent to Professor Michael Shaughnessy at Washington & Jefferson College, 60 South Lincoln St., Washington, PA 15301. In the winter or early spring, faculty advisors who recommended candidates will be notified of the outcome of the competition. All student applicants are automatically notified.
2. Annual Meeting: This year the annual meeting of the Society will be held in November during the conference of the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) in Orlando. On Friday, Nov. 22nd, a reception will be held from 7:30-9:30 at the Westin Hotel to welcome the new officers to the National Council and to say farewell to the departing current President, Dr. Ron Horwege, and the National Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. John Reynolds. I hope that many of you will be able to attend.
3. Bulletin: The next issue of the Delta Phi Alpha Bulletin, sent to all new members upon initiation, will be printed for the years 2014-2015 this spring. If your chapter should need additional copies, they may be requested from the National Secretary-Treasurer. Also please report any errors or misspellings in the Bulletin so that they can be corrected in the next printing.
4. Faculty Advisors: New faculty advisors should contact the office of the National Secretary-Treasurer and send in their correct title and academic address. This information will be added to the list of faculty advisors on the Delta Phi Alpha website and will insure prompt receipt of all communications.
5. Certificates: Please type the names of new student members and send the list to the office of the National Secretary-Treasurer with ONE check for the total amount of the fees (still $20 per member) made out to Delta Phi Alpha. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. You may send the list of initiates to the National Secretary-Treasurer ahead of payment of the initiation fees, however certificates cannot be sent until payment has been received.
6. Jewelry: The office of the National Secretary-Treasurer offers honor cords to members of Delta Phi Alpha for a modest fee. Pins are also available from this office. To view pictures of the cords and pins online, please go to the Delta Phi Alpha website.
7. Honorary Members: Each chapter of Delta Phi Alpha may initiate honorary members. Approval of such members must be granted by the National Council. A brief biographical sketch of each honorary member should be sent to the National Secretary-Treasurer. Initiation fees for honorary members are the same as for regular initiates and are normally paid by the chapter which recommends these members. Each honorary member receives a membership certificate.
8. Website: The Delta Phi Alpha website has been reconstructed. All pertinent information concerning the Society can be found on the site. Chapters continue to be able to post information on chapter events and include photos of such events on the Photo Gallery. The current webmaster is Dr. Brett Martz at Longwood University ([email protected]).
9. Committees: The National Council seeks the assistance of faculty advisors to fill positions on a number of Society committees each year. The committees in question are: Scholarship, Incentive Grants, and Nominating committees. Any faculty advisor interested in working on one of these committees should contact the National Secretary-Treasurer’s office.
10. Farewell: At the ACTFL conference in November, I will turn over the duties of National Secretary-Treasurer to my successor, Professor Michael Shaughnessy, at Washington & Jefferson College. It has been a pleasure serving you over the past 20 years and I will miss the contacts I have had with you. I wish you all the best as you continue to work for the profession and for Delta Phi Alpha. During these past two decades, thanks to your efforts, we have been able to maintain a strong membership averaging over 900 new student initiates nationwide each year. Funds for scholarships and incentive grants remain intact. And we are grateful to the AATG and the DAAD for their continuing much appreciated support of the Society.
Sincerely,
John F. Reynolds, Delta Phi Alpha
National Secretary-Treasurer