ASL Honor Society

The ASL Honor Society is a program offered by American Sign Language Teacher Association (ASLTA), the national organization for ASL teachers.

Eligibility

• Student must be an ITP major in the Interpreting Training Program with a goal of earning an AAS degree or ASL Skills certificate.
• Students must be enrolled in nine (9) semester hours or more of TJC courses per semester and have completed 15 hours of ASL-related coursework.
• Students must possess a 3.0 overall GPA average in all courses at TJC.
• Students must supply a copy of their transcript to Laura Hill, sponsor of TJC ASLHS.
• Students may not be on disciplinary probation as a result of a violation of the TJC Student Code of Conduct.
• Students must follow TJC ITP policy and pay the $20 annual dues. This will cover our chapter dues and other expenses necessary to run the honor society.

Once you have completed 15 hours of ASL-related coursework, you can download the application and apply to join the ASL Honor Society.

Graduation Honors

You will be eligible to receive a medal to wear during your graduation ceremony. There are two different types of medals:

1. Alice Cogswell Medal – this medal may be worn at graduation if the student meets these eligibility requirements:
   1. is a student at a community college or a 4-year college/university;
   2. has studied ASL for at least two years;
   3. possesses an overall grade point average of 3.5/B+ in his/her ASL coursework;
   4. possesses an overall grade point average of 3.2/B in all other subjects;
   5. completion of at least five (5) hours of community service that benefits the Deaf community.
2. Laurent Clerc Medal – this medal is the only ASLHS honor open to ASL students at both the high school and college levels if the following eligibility requirements are met:
   1. is a high school or college student;
   2. has studied ASL for at least three years;
   3. possesses an overall grade point average of 3.7/A- in his/her ASL coursework;
   4. possesses an overall grade point average of 3.5/B+ in all other subjects;
   5. completion of at least ten (10) hours of community service that benefits the Deaf community.

You will also receive an ASLHS pin to wear during the graduation ceremony.

Probationary Status

• If a student's grade point average drops below 3.0 at the end of any semester, a member will automatically be placed on probationary status for one semester.
• While on probation, a member will continue to have all rights and privileges of full membership.
• At the end of the semester, full membership will be restored if a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average is achieved.

Removal of Membership

• A probationary member failing to restore a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average at the end of the probationary semester will be dropped from the chapter and national membership rolls. A dropped member will not be eligible to wear the membership pin or stole at graduation.
• A member who violates the TJC Student Code of Conduct may lose membership status, depending on the seriousness of the offense. A committee consisting of the locally elected officers and the chapter advisors will handle each case individually.

You are also eligible to apply for scholarships to continue your education at the community college or university level. You can visit the ASL Honor Society website to get more information about scholarships available.

Currently, the ASL Honor Society does not have a sponsor. Please contact the department chair for an update.