New induction instructions for online campuses - COVID-19 update

Updated: March 11, 2021

Greetings Students Eligible for Pi Alpha Alpha:

If you attend a school with an active Pi Alpha Alpha chapter and you meet the eligibility requirements (https://pialphaalpha.org/member-criteria/) please read the following announcment:

    1.  If you were invited to be inducted in the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society earlier this semester by your advisor and you ALREADY PAID your membership dues to your advisor, please contact your advisor as soon as possible to confirm if your induction has been processed.

    2.  If you were invited to be inducted in the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society earlier this semester by your advisor and you HAVE NOT PAID your membership dues to your advisor, please contact your advisor as soon as possible to accept the invitation.  Your advisor will email you instructions on how to submit your personal invitation and pay your membership dues online.  Please note you will not be able to join the honor society nor pay for your dues, unless your advisor confirms your eligibity by notifying the Pi Alpha Alpha fufillment vendor.  

    3.  If you have not been invited to join the Pi Alpha Honor Society, but you believe you should have been, please contact the Pi Alpha Alpha advisor at your school as soon as possible.  Click here to find your advisor:  https://pialphaalpha.org/find-a-chapter/

Greetings Pi Alpha Alpha Chapter Advisors: 

NASPAA and Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA) have been following the developments concerning the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and how it is effecting our member schools.  Many NASPAA schools have already or will soon transition to online/distance/virtual instruction.  We understand how disruptive this transition is on your entire campus community and on the learning process.  In the midst of these rapidly changing developments, we would like to encourage all of you to still keep PAA a priority for your students.  While we realize induction ceremonies and/or commencement activities may have to postponed or amended in some way, we hope they are not cancelled.  Even if a public ceremony is not possible, you are still able offer your eligible students induction into PAA.  We understand that many chapters may not be able to collect PAA dues from eligible students.  Therefore please follow these instructions that will allow your eligible students to order their certificates, pins, and any commencement regalia directly from our vendor Kenneth E. Jernigan & Associates.

1. Identify and communicate to all students who have met the PAA induction requirements (GPA of 3.7 or above (3.67 rounded) and completed over 50% of their coursework) that they are eligible to be inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha.
2. Email a list of all eligible students along with their contact information (preferably in an excel spreadsheet) to Karen St. Claire at Kenneth Jernigan & Associates.  Her email address is orders@kenjernigan.com.
3. The vendor is able to provide the advisor’s and/or chapter president’s signature on the certificates.
4. Email eligible students the following URL to order their certificates, pins, and any commencement regalia:
   1. http://www.kenjernigan.com/Pi-Alpha-Alpha-Chapter-Orders/
   2. The students will enter their name as they would like for it to appear on their certificate.
   3. The students will pay for their order with a debit or credit card.
   4. Orders will be shipped directly to the student (or school, if that is your wish) upon successful credit card payment.
5. We strongly encourage you to give your students a deadline by which to order their certificate and regalia.  Please communicate this deadline along with the date of your ceremony to Karen St. Claire so she is aware.
6. Please allow more time for orders being shipped to students or for orders that have customized signatures.
7. If you are unable to communicate with or induct your eligible students before the end of this semester, you may process their inductions this summer, fall, or winter.  Additionally, you may also induct qualifying alumni at any time.  

If chapter advisors wish to continue to collect dues payment from students and then submit all their orders together as a batch, you may still do that. Finally, if you are no longer the Pi Alpha Advisor please forward this message to the appropriate person and please notify me at marshall@naspaa.org. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Best wishes for a successful semester and stay safe!! 

David Marshall
Director of Membership Development