We are a honor society committed to leadership, scholarship, service, and the Florida State community.
Omicron Delta Kappa is a unique honor society, because it recognizes and encourages excellence beyond academics by including extracurricular activities. The members of Omicron Delta Kappa are some of the strongest leaders at The Florida State University. Our membership includes juniors, seniors, graduate students, faculty and staff, alumni, and honorary members who emphasize the "ODK idea" of exemplary conduct, unselfish service and success achieved in worthy undertakings.
Some of our past activities have included: Grads-Made-Good Homecoming Breakfast, 7:50am Breakfast Club, and special guest speakers at general body meetings.
Membership in Omicron Delta Kappa is a high mark of distinction. As a Circle on Florida State's campus since 1950, the Seminole Circle has been dedicated to bringing together leaders from the five areas of:
To foster the ideals of leadership, scholarship, and service to the Florida State University and the city of Tallahassee.
Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University, by fifteen students and faculty leaders. They felt that there was a need to recognize leadership and bring together faculty and students from the various phases of college life in the tradition of the idealism of George Washington and Robert E. Lee. They believed that through the sharing of opportunities and experience both the members of the society and the institution would benefit.
There were three principal founders of Omicron Delta Kappa: J. Carl Fisher, who was Business Manager of the Student Magazine; Rupert Nelson Latture, President of the YMCA; and, William Mosely Brown, Phi Beta Kappa. Together with three faculty members, including the President of the University and the Dean of Engineering, these men gradually selected nine additional men to affiliate with them. When there were fifteen members, the first public announcement of the establishment of Omicron Delta Kappa was made in the student newspaper on January 12, 1915. With the passage of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, the first woman was elected to OΔK in 1973.Prior to that; women were selected for Mortar Board and men for OΔK.
Omicron Delta Kappa functioned in a most admirable way from the very outset. At first there was no thought of immediate extension to other institutions, but it was apparent that Omicron Delta Kappa, if properly conducted, would prove beneficial to any college campus where it might be established. Almost spontaneously requests for charters were received from local groups at The Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Davidson College. By I917 there were four circles of Omicron Delta Kappa. These groups, impressed with The OΔK idea, together formed the National Society.
It is a significant fact that Omicron Delta Kappa was the first college honor society of a national scope to accord recognition and honor for meritorious leadership and service in extracurricular activities and to encourage the development of general campus citizenship. It is to be noted that the Society has always had a strong secondary membership requirement of scholarship, although its prime requisites for membership are character and meritorious attainments in all-around leadership in college and university life.
Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, was founded December 3, 1914 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia by 15 student and faculty leaders. The founders formulated the idea that leadership of exceptional quality and versatility in college should be recognized, that representatives in all phases of college life should cooperate in worthwhile endeavors, and that outstanding students, faculty, and administrators should meet on a basis of mutual interest, understanding, and helpfulness. OΔK® was the first college honor society of a national scope to give recognition and honor for meritorious leadership and service in extracurricular activities and to encourage development of general campus citizenship. Since its founding, Omicron Delta Kappa has initiated over 300,000 members.
The Society recognizes achievement in the following five areas:
* Scholarship
* Athletics
* Campus/ Community Service, Social/Religious Activities, and Campus Government
* Journalism, Speech and the Mass Media
* Creative and Performing Arts
The ΟΔΚ Idea
The Purpose of The Omicron Delta Kappa Society is Threefold:
First, to recognize those who have attained a high standard of efficiency in collegiate activities and to inspire others to strive for conspicuous attainments along similar lines;
Second, to bring together the most representative students in all phases of collegiate life and thus to create an organization which will help to mold the sentiment of the institution on questions of local and intercollegiate interest;
Third, to bring together members of the faculty and student body of the institution, as well as other Omicron Delta Kappa members, on a basis of mutual interest, understanding, and helpfulness.
Five Major Phases of Campus Life: Omicron Delta Kappa recognizes and encourages achievement in scholarship; athletics; campus or community service, social and religious activities, and campus government; journalism, speech, and the mass media; creative and performing arts.
Omicron Delta Kappa places emphasis upon the development of the whole person, both as a present member of his/her college community and as a prospective contributor to a better society. The Society believes that while good scholarship and intellectual development are the chief objectives of college years, the life of the mind is not the only life students will have to cope with as the result of their college experience. It is not enough to be merely a “scholar;” other indispensable qualities have to be cultivated also. Students and faculty members have to understand more clearly that the self is truly a composite of the hand, the heart, and the spirit as well as the mind. Omicron Delta Kappa believes that the real search for the truth, the promotion of good will, the development of consideration and understanding, good taste, and a sense of honor, learning how to get along and cooperate with others, and the assumption of duty and responsibility, are important lessons and personal qualities which one learns and develops through an integrated program of academic and extracurricular education.
The Society further believes that progressive and intelligent development in campus citizenship requires the opportunity and freedom to engage in purposeful activities carried on by students with friendly counsel and association of faculty members.
Five Indispensable Qualifications for Membership: Exemplary character, responsible leadership and service in campus or community life, superior scholarship, genuine fellowship, and consecration to democratic ideals.
Membership in Omicron Delta Kappa is awarded to undergraduate junior and senior students, to students of graduate and professional schools and colleges of the institution, to members of the faculty and administration, and to alumni. Election to membership is on the basis of merit, is irrespective of a person’s affiliation with other organizations, and is without solicitation or propaganda, such as rushing or social pressure, to insure acceptance of the invitation to membership. Membership is as much an obligation and responsibility in citizenship as it is a mark of highest distinction and honor.
Diversity Statement: The ΟΔΚ Idea affirms and promotes openness and inclusiveness among all people. Membership selection shall be free of bias so that all qualified will be considered equitably for membership.
Five Point Program for Every College Campus: Inculcation of The ΟΔΚ Idea into every field of campus life; provision of intellectual leadership to campus movements; coordination of constructive movements; preservation of worthwhile traditions and customs; and improvement of the general welfare of the student body.
Omicron Delta Kappa is to be active in the molding of campus opinion, in rendering genuine service to Alma Mater, and in marshalling the constructive forces in the college or university for the upholding of those social, cultural and moral values in which every institution believes itself to be rich. Even more important than this is the Society’s goal of translating these values and ideals into terms of everyday campus and community living instead of leaving them as so many theoretical platitudes.
As a means of achieving this objective, Omicron Delta Kappa provides a clearinghouse for students, faculty and administration officers from all schools, colleges and departments of the institution, and undertakes to assist the college or university in carrying out important work, thus providing a basis for mutual confidence and understanding which is invaluable in the successful conduct of any institution.
Faculty Participation: Active participation of faculty and administration members of the Society in the Circle’s activities and their hearty cooperation with student members is a feature of great importance in Omicron Delta Kappa. Their active and continuous affiliation with the Circles increases the stability and effectiveness of the Society.
Circles of Omicron Delta Kappa, with the approval of the Board of Directors of the Society, may elect an additional number (up to eight) of Honorary Members when the Circles or their sheltering institutions observe such important occasions as the fiftieth, seventy-fifth, centennial, sesquicentennial, and bicentennial anniversaries.
