Psi Chi psychology honors fraternity is working to get reinstated. Photo courtesy of psichi.org.
OLIVIA KLAFTA | STAFF REPORTER | oklafta@butler.edu
Psi Chi, the international psychology honors fraternity, has begun their reinstatement process at Butler University. The fraternity is thought to have last operated on campus during the 2016-17 academic year after it gradually went inactive due to lack of interest. Psi Chi hopes to be fully reinstated for recruitment and induction in Spring 2020.
Three students lead Psi Chi’s reinstatement. They redid Psi Chi’s bylaws and constitution and completed SGA’s new student organization application. Once their application goes through, the students will need to set up a meeting with representatives from the Student Involvement and Leadership office and the student organization committee of Student Senate. They will then present Psi Chi at a Student Senate general body meeting.
Cassidy Tiberi, a junior psychology and German major, is one of three students working to reinstate the organization. Tiberi said the next and final step in the process is to get Psi Chi endorsed by student senate.
At the chapter level, Psi Chi at Butler hopes to provide sessions on graduate school options, networking, mentorship opportunities and philanthropy events.
“We were discussing different opportunities,” Tiberi said, “but we want to have philanthropy events and help promote mental health related causes, potentially pairing with other student organizations that have similarly aligning values.”
Internationally, membership in Psi Chi includes many benefits, such as grants, scholarships and the ability to attend research conferences.
Brian Day, assistant professor of psychology, is the faculty sponsor for Psi Chi. Day applied through Psi Chi’s national organization to have Butler’s chapter reinstated and has curated applications for the fraternity.
“There are a whole bunch of resources through Psi Chi that allow you, as an individual psychology student, to further your passion and further your interest and see what’s out there,” Day said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for people in the world of psychology. Our numbers are growing in terms of majors and minors.”
Bailey Wendt, a sophomore psychology, criminology and Spanish triple major, is working with Tiberi to reinstate Psi Chi. Wendt said once reinstated, the fraternity will focus its first meetings on what direction to take the group. But for now, their hope is to get the word out on campus about Psi Chi.
“We want to get the word out that we will hopefully be a thing,” Wendt said. “That way, should we get reinstated, we have a lot of people interested when we go to do applications and induction in the spring. We really want to grow this organization as much as possible and increase the reach.”
Junior biology major Haylie Moehlenkamp, the third student involved in reinstating the fraternity, outlined the application requirements for Psi Chi in an email to The Butler Collegian.
To apply to Psi Chi, you must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a psychology major or minor. Applicants must have nine semester hours of psychology coursework completed and at least three semesters of college coursework completed. Students must have a minimum of a 3.0 psychology course GPA and a cumulative GPA that ranks in the upper 35% of their class.
