Honorary societies can be a great way to get involved on campus, but with the thousands of other opportunities available, students are left wondering if there’s a benefit.

There are 35 honor societies on campus, and each offers students something other than just a good-looking résumé topper. Most are founded on the principles of leadership and service and provide students a way to gain leadership experience while giving back to the surrounding Tuscaloosa community.

A.J. Collins, vice president of the Coordinating Council of Honor Societies, said that the organizations are all about bringing different leaders together.

“They focus on recognizing the leaders on campus and giving them a chance to network and collaborate,” Collins said. “It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded people.”

Ben Langsam, president of Sigma Alpha Lambda, a national honor society with a focus on service for sophomores and up, also said that opportunities for members extend outside of the résumé.

“The benefits of being a member of SAL are numerous,” Langsam said. “Even though participation is voluntary, many students attend our meetings and service projects because it’s beneficial to their lives and others. From service projects, you can accumulate community service hours, if needed, as well as feel good about helping others around your community. In our meetings, I talk about applying for SAL scholarships and often bring in speakers on various service projects and leadership and internship opportunities around the Tuscaloosa area.”

In addition to general societies, there are also honors organizations for many specific majors and programs, such as Alpha Epsilon Delta for pre-health students, Tau Beta Pi for engineers, Sigma Tau Delta for English majors and Nu Delta Alpha for dance majors. According to The Source, almost half of the honor societies on campus are tied to a particular area of study or degree program.

Other honors societies are organized by specific class standings, such as the Mortar Board, Anderson Society, Blue Key and Omicron Delta Kappa, which are reserved only for seniors.

While the honors society system is not related to the University of Alabama Honors College, most national societies require that members maintain a high grade point average and are academically focused. Dr. Richard Livingston, advisor for the Blue Key National Honor Society, said that membership is highly selective.

“Typically several hundred students apply,” Livingston said, “and only the top 45 are accepted.”

The selection processes of most honor societies reflect the prestigious nature of the organizations. According to A.J. Collins, honor societies can be seen as recognition for those who have proven that they are dedicated to the University.

“Honor societies are a way to give students the honor that comes with being a good leader,” Collins said.

For more information on specific honor societies, visit “The Source” at thesource.ua.edu.