Pinnacle | Spire

Pinnacle FAQ

How many chapters of Pinnacle are currently in existence?

Pinnacle is a relatively young honor society having been founded in 1989; however, growth has been rapid and continuous. Today over 140 colleges and universities from coast to coast, teaching classes at over 175 campus sites, have become Chartered Institutions.

Can we use Pinnacle solely as a recognition program similar to, say, Who's Who?

Of course. As with most honoraries, the degree of activity is left up to the individual schools and the campus membership. In fact, Pinnacle specifically offers two levels of institutional involvement. The school can choose to sponsor a local chapter of Pinnacle or it can simply choose to nominate students for membership in the National Chapter and forego the formality of a local chapter.

Are only students attending four year institutions eligible for membership in Pinnacle?

Spire, an honor society for non-traditional students in two-year programs and colleges was created.

Who is eligible for membership?

Adult students and other non-traditional students who have achieved at least junior status (preference is given to seniors on most campuses), have at least a 3.0 GPA (3.4 for graduate students), and at least three (3) campus/community activities are eligible for membership.

What is the membership fee?

The induction fee is a one-time fee of just twenty dollars ($20). There are no additional charges to the members, unless local chapters choose to adopt a small annual dues structure. There are no fees charged to institutions which establish chapters on their campuses.

What will the selectees receive in return for their membership fee?

Beyond the obvious benefits of being selected to membership in a national honorary exclusively for outstanding nontraditional students, each inductee will receive a Pinnacle lapel pin, a "suitable for framing" membership certificate, and a diploma seal which can be placed either on the certificate or on the student's diploma. And remember, members' names will not be sold to list brokers nor will any membership volumes, jewel-encrusted pins or other jewelry, T-shirts, caps, or anything else ever be sold to honorees.

Who defines the selection standards?

Each campus establishes a committee to select new members. It is the responsibility of the campus selection committees to make selections which are in keeping with the letter and the spirit of the Standards For Membership.

What happens after we send in our completed institutional application form?

You will receive a letter of acknowledgment, an institutional charter, a brief set of selection process instructions, and your first List of Honorees form which you complete and return to headquarters whenever you are ready to do so.

Is there a formal induction process for new members?

In keeping with the nontraditional nature of the organization, there is no prescribed induction process. However, induction ceremonies are highly encouraged. If a campus sends all its inductees' personal data sheets and application fees to Pinnacle together, we will send the pins, certificates, and seals in a package for distribution at a locally devised ceremony, luncheon, dinner, etc.

Spire FAQ

How do we begin the process of inaugurating a chapter of SPIRE on our campus?

Complete the Application for Charter and send it to SPIRE headquarters. There is no cost to the institution to become a member.

Can we use SPIRE solely as a recognition program similar to, say, Who's Who?

Of course. As with most honoraries, the degree of activity is left up to the individual schools and the campus membership. In fact, SPIRE specifically offers two levels of institutional involvement. The school can either choose to sponsor a local chapter of SPIRE or it can choose to nominate students for membership in the National Chapter and forgo the formality of the local chapter.

Are only students attending two year institutions eligible for membership in SPIRE?

Yes, but in recognition of the large number of nontraditional students attending four year institutions, PINNACLE, an honorary for nontraditional students in four year institutions, began operations in 1989 and already has over 85 participating institutions.

What is the membership fee?

The induction fee for new honorees is a one-time fee of just twenty dollars ($20). There are no additional charges to the members, unless local chapters choose to adopt a small annual dues structure.

What will the selectees receive in return for their membership fee?

Beyond the obvious benefits of being selected to membership in a national honorary exclusively for outstanding nontraditional students, each inductee will receive a beautiful SPIRE pin and a "suitable for framing" membership certificate. And remember, members' names will not be sold to list brokers nor will any annual bibliographic membership volumes be sold to our members.

Who defines the selection standards?

Each campus will establish a committee to select new members. It will be the responsibility of the campus selection committee to make selections which are in keeping with the letter and the spirit of the Standards for Chartering a chapter of SPIRE.

What happens after we send in our completed application form?

You will receive a letter of acknowledgment, a chapter charter, a brief set of selection process instructions, and your first List of Honorees which you complete and return to headquarters whenever you are ready to do so.

Is there a formal induction process for new members?

In keeping with the nontraditional nature of the organization, there is no prescribed induction ceremony. Each campus is free to develop a recognition process which best meets the needs of the honorees and the institution.