Omicron Delta Kappa

Applications to the Alpha Upsilon Circle of ODK will be accepted through 11:59PM on Sunday, March 31st. 

To be considered, please complete the Omicron Delta Kappa Membership Application. Upon selecting the University of Georgia and your initiation class in the application, you be able to view the short essay questions on the form.

Applicants will be notified of their status in early April and initiation will take place in late April.

• Demonstrated leadership in one of the Five Pillars of Campus Life and embrace the ODK Leadership Values.
• Sophomores, juniors, or seniors in the top 35% academically.
• Graduate/professional students with at least a 3.6 GPA.
• All students must have been enrolled at UGA for at least one semester.
• New initiates will pay a one-time Lifetime Membership Fee of $94 to Omicron Delta Kappa. A limited number of fee waivers and gifted memberships are available. 

In addition to ongoing leadership development, ODK members are eligible for national scholarships and members in good standing receive with honor cords to wear with their graduation regalia. Additional membership benefits are listed at https://odk.org/members/benefits-membership/. 

Once an individual is initiated into Omicron Delta Kappa and is no longer enrolled at institution that hosts their circle of initiation, they are considered a lifetime member of our Society.

OΔK is a member of the Honor Society Caucus, a consortium of the most prestigious honor societies in the country.

Nationally, 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.

Founded on April 29th, 1935, the University of Georgia Alpha Upsilon circle of Omicron Delta Kappa unites students and faculty who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in the five phases of campus life in the interest of the development of the University through commitment to service, integrity, excellence, and friendship. The circle was founded by 12 students and four faculty members and included UGA President S.V. Sanford and Dean William Tate among its early members. In his ODK files, Dean Tate described the society as “the most respected organization of this nature on the campus” of UGA. 

Throughout its history, ODK has talked of ambitious undertakings, including the establishment of a Student Government Association; enactment of an honor code; establishment of a president’s club for the presidents of student organizations; and regularly hosted student leader banquets, often times in collaboration with Mortar Board. 

In fall 2009, the Alpha Upsilon circle was on the verge of disbandment. With only two active students remaining, Barrett Brooks and Mason McFalls were charged with convening a group of outstanding student leaders to reimagine ODK’s role at UGA. This committed group invested a year determining the new and unique role ODK could play at UGA – a true testament to the transformational power of a small community of committed leaders. 

Since ODK’s re-establishment, the organization has created a positive press publication, called The Chapel Bell; petitioned to have a flagpole placed in the center of campus; facilitated a campus-wide September 11^th memorial service; and served as a founding member on the steering committee for the first ever TEDxUGA Conference.

• Collaboration – to work together to achieve a defined and common purpose
• Inclusivity – to actively seek, embrace, and advance a diverse group of individuals
• Integrity – to align one’s values and beliefs with behaviors and speech
• Scholarship – to strive for excellence in academics and pursue lifelong learning
• Service – to answer the call for action from one’s community or country

• Academics and Research
• Athletics
• Service to Campus and Community
• Communications
• Creative and Performing Arts

• Leadership Mixer – an annual event promoting collaboration among leaders across campus.
• Leadership Panel – an annual program exploring leadership topics. Open to all UGA students, faculty, and staff.
• Service – ODK members engage in service together each semester.