Gamma Sigma Alpha (, or GSA) is an American academic Greek

honor society In the United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who rank above a set standard in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. ...

recognizing academic excellence of members of

fraternities and sororities In North America, fraternities and sororities ( and ) are social clubs at colleges and universities. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life or Greek-letter organizations, as well as collegiate fraternities or collegiate sorori ...

. It was established in 1989 at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

History

Gamma Sigma Alpha was founded at the

on November 9, 1989, by Beth K. Saul and a group of scholastic achievers representing various fraternities and sororities dedicated to advancing higher education and academic accomplishment. Gamma Sigma Alpha states that its mission is "to recognize and advance academic excellence as a core value of fraternities and sororities". Unlike the

Order of Omega The Order of Omega is an undergraduate Greek society recognizing "fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-fraternity activities." It functions as an adjunct to traditional fraternal organizations rather ...

, who also reward Greek life academic successes, Gamma Sigma Alpha does not limit the number of members who can be initiated. The society presents an academic scholarship to one of its members. Its national headquarters are at 316 Cherry Hill Boulevard in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Symbols

The badge of Gamma Sigma Alpha, which can be seen within its seal, consists of a white-lit candle with a golden base on a field of Gules (red) with a bend of

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

. Graduating members wear honor cords of red and gold. Its motto is '. Its values or pillars are Academic Engagement, Congruence, Excellence, Inclusion, Knowledge, Recognition, and Relationships.

Membership

Undergraduate students, in their junior or senior year, can apply for membership if they are members of a Greek fraternity or sorority on campus and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale). The society initiates nearly 2,000 members each year.

Chapters

Following are the chapters of Gamma Sigma Alpha, in alphabetical order.

Notable members

Camille Vasquez Camille Vasquez (born July 6, 1984) is an American attorney known for representing actor Johnny Depp in the defamation case that he brought against his ex-wife Amber Heard. Early life and education Vasquez was born in San Francisco, California ...

, lawyer

References