Phi Tau Alpha Honor Society

The Phi Tau Alpha Honor Society recognizes physical therapist assistant students who have not only demonstrated high academic standards, but have embodied the core values of the physical therapy profession. Students meeting the requirements outlined below should contact their program faculty to determine the next steps for applying for possible induction into the honor society.

REQUIREMENTS:

Nominations to the honor society are only open to students in programs in which at least one member of the faculty is a current member of the Academy of Education.

Applicants must complete and provide proof of ALL items on Applicant Checklist, including:

• GPA - 3.5 minimum for all applicants (This GPA calculation is limited to PTA coursework ONLY)
• Recommendation Form:
  • Students must have two Recommendation Forms submitted to be considered for the PTA Honor Society. To be considered for the Honor Society, all ratings should be in the "Exemplary" or "Superior" categories. All recommendation forms must be from a PTA Program Stakeholder, including clinical or academic stakeholders. Examples include:
    
    • Clinical Instructor during a full-time clinical experience
    • Clinical partner who held primary responsibility for assessing the student applicant
    • Full time or part time faculty
    • Adjunct instructor
    • Lab assistant or adjunct clinical proctor
    • PTA club advisor
    • PTA program Advisory Committee Member

NOMINATIONS PROCESS:

• Institutions will determine when students can apply for the PTA honor society at their individual institutions. It is recommended that this be after a full-time clinical experience to allow for clinical partners to participate in the recommendation process.
• Applicants will retrieve all required forms from the APTA Academy of Education website and then will submit all required forms to their institutional selection committee.
  • Applicant Checklist
  • Recommendation Form
• Each institution will be responsible for nominating, reviewing, selecting, and honoring inductees. To nominate students to the honor society, at least one faculty member of the institution must be a current member of the APTA Academy of Education.
  • Institutions shall either create a specific internal committee, or utilize a current selection committee, to receive and review all applications for the PTA National Honor Society. Institutions are encouraged to utilize the PTA Honor Society applicant checklist in their selection process to ensure consistency of selecting candidates.
  • Each institution is responsible for screening and ensuring that all applicants have completed all items in each category of the application checklist.
  • Each institution may notify the inductees in whatever manner deemed appropriate.
• The faculty member (holding a current membership to the APTA Academy of Education) will submit the names of the students to be inducted into the APTA Academy of Education PTA Honor Society. To do this, please complete a submission form for each student who the faculty member determines meets the minimum requirements. To coincide with graduations, due dates for applications each year are as follows:
  • March 1
  • June 1
  • October 1
• The APTA Academy of Education will send out certificates of membership to the Honor Society and lapel pins to each institution for distribution to student honorees.
• Graduation honor cords can be purchased for student members to wear at their respective graduation ceremonies.  Cords may be purchased from any site, but should be teal and gold colors combined into one cord.