General Questions

Membership Eligibility

Benefits

Scholarship Information

Honorary Members

General Questions

What is Golden Key?

Golden Key International Honour Society, founded in 1977, is a non-profit academic honors organization that recognizes the top 15% of juniors and seniors in all academic fields. It boasts more than 280 chapters in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Malaysia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Canada. The mission of Golden Key International Honour Society is to recognize and encourage scholastic achievement and excellence in all undergraduate fields of study, to unite with faculty and administrators in developing and maintaining high standards of education, to provide economic assistance to outstanding members by means of both undergraduate and graduate scholarships, and to promote altruistic conduct through voluntary service. The University at Buffalo chapter has been a part of the Society since 1989 and continues to be an active chapter by upholding Golden Key standards and traditions.

What does Golden Key do?

Golden Key International Honour Society focuses on the needs of the student body to get together and supplement their academic experience by being involved in student designed and implemented projects. These projects may include Community Service, which ranges from fundraising for a worthy charity to volunteering at a local soup kitchen, Social Activities, which unite chapter members through fun outings, Workshops and Presentations, which serve the purpose of educating members on topics of their choice, and Coordinated Events, which are large-scale activities, such as the annual Induction Ceremony. Active members supply the ideas for these projects and the executive board does their best to plan and carry out these ideas. Member participation in projects is not mandatory, but it is encouraged.

How does Golden Key work?

Golden Key operates under a hierarchy of teamwork and relationships. The University at Buffalo's chapter works as an integrated unit from the school level, bringing students together to pursue their academic and philanthropic goals. From there, the university's executive board works on a regional level, united to the other chapters in the Northeast region through the Regional Student Representative. On the national level, a liaison to the International Headquarters, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is developed by way of the Northeast Regional Director. The Northeast Regional Director works with other Golden Key Headquarters staff across the nation to be directly responsible to the Council and Executive Director. The Council then reports to the Board of Directors, who are at the top of the hierarchy, overseeing the entire society on an international level. Therefore, it is very important that you get to know your officers, as they are your direct link to getting involved with Golden Key.

Where is the membership fee used?

The one-time application fee is applied towards a number of areas. It funds your benefits and provides you with permanent staff at Headquarters where you will have a lifetime network of support for all your Golden Key needs. Money is used for staff visits, mailings, database maintenance, benefits development, and public relations to secure corporate sponsors. The fee also funds your local chapter for the Induction ceremony and reception, Regional conferences, International conventions, and local academic, service and social activities, all of which are developed to serve you as a member and allow you an opportunity to remain active and informed.

What does the Golden Key crest represent?

The crest is symbolic of the ideals upon which the Society was founded. The components of the crest are an open book, which is at the base of a golden key. The key is mounted in the center of a shield, which is in turn mounted on a scroll. The scroll is supported by a staff. The book represents knowledge attained and knowledge to be attained. The scroll stands for the scholarship which knowledge makes possible, the shield denotes protection of individual goals by using knowledge and scholarship to build potential, and the key opens the door to make goals reality. The staff represents the support international headquarters provides to the chapters and members.