Chapter sponsors, (sometimes called moderators or facilitators) are responsible for helping members run their chapter of Mu Alpha Theta. They provide oversight and guidance to student officers of the club, including financial responsibility for club funds. Often a sponsor will set up a Mu Alpha Theta account with their school bookkeeper or treasurer in which they deposit all club monies collected. This provides school oversight of funds. Sponsors provide a supervised meeting space for the club and act as liaison, when necessary, to the school administration and member's parents. Along with club officers, sponsors should plan periodic meetings, at least monthly, where a math talk or activity is planned. Some chapters invite speakers from a local college, university, or industry to speak. Some meetings may be devoted to taking mathematical tests for competitions, practice sessions for competitions, working on math research topics for student members to give "chalk talks" at a future meeting, playing math-related games, etc. See Section VIII in this book for other suggestions for chapter activities. Sponsors accompany students to mathematical competitions or events away from their school and arrange for chaperones, transportation, permission forms, and other details of such field trips. It is the sponsor's duty to update school information online, by email, or by calling the National Office with changes, should they occur. It is especially important that a current email address for each sponsor is available.
It is the sponsor's responsibility to alert math teachers at their school of the chapter and its mission, ask for names of qualified students for membership, check grades to insure eligibility, and present these names to the Admission Committee of the club. Alternatively, student officers can post notices and posters explaining the mission of Mu Alpha Theta and ask eligible students to apply for membership. In this case, students are asked to fill out a form showing their eligibility. Some forms include questions about the student's interest in mathematics or ask them to provide other information about their qualifications, besides their math grades. Sponsors should still check that an applicant's grades meet the chapter's minimum requirement for membership, before the Admission Committee decides on new members. No student shall be recommended for consideration that does not meet the minimum qualifications. Individual chapters may impose additional requirements; however, no student will be denied membership on account of race, religion, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual preference and/or physical disability.
Some clubs have attendance or service requirements for continued membership. This depends on the school's Constitution. Sponsors should make sure applicants are aware of all requirements and understand how members will be chosen and how they maintain their membership, when they apply. It should be noted that Mu Alpha Theta was not specifically set up as a service organization but that many chapters have added math tutoring or service activities to round out their yearly calendar of events.
Once members are chosen, it is the sponsor's responsibility to submit those names to the National Office within one month of their initiation into the chapter. This can be done by submitting names by mail, email, or by entering them into the Online System accessible from our website at www.mualphatheta.org . The Certificate Order form can be found online under Chapter Resources > Certificates. The present form is included in Appendix E, but sponsors should check online incase the form has been updated. Instructions for using the Online System are explained in Section VI, but may change as the system is updated and refined.
Sponsors should be aware that once a student's name has been entered into the National database, it remains there forever, unless it was placed there by mistake. There is no requirement for continued membership at the National level. The student's name will be moved from the school's current member table to a graduated student's table, when the student graduates. Sponsors should alert the National Office if their current membership list, available online, does not agree with their records.
Sponsors may ask the Chapter Secretary to enter names or be responsible for typing them to be sent. However, it is the sponsor's responsibility to approve each new member and confirm their eligibility before turning the names over to a student officer. Sponsors should also be sure that each student submitted for National membership really wishes to participate. It is hoped that chosen members will realize Mu Alpha Theta is more than just an Honor Society and will strive to provide them with stimulating mathematical activities to further their understanding of mathematics.
Prior to submitting names to the National Office, sponsors should make sure new members have paid their initiation fee that must be sent to have their name added to the Mu Alpha Theta database. Only Full members pay the one-time registration fee. Many schools choose to pay the fee for their students. Fees should be paid with a single check or credit card purchase. It is best to set a deadline for new members and then wait until all have paid before submitting names for certificates. Names are accepted year-round. There is a $2 reprint fee per certificate, if a name is submitted incorrectly. We will reprint and send corrected certificates free of charge, if we make an error on any certificate. Sponsors should notify the office by email or phone as soon as errors are discovered, so we can send a replacement certificate. For their $5 fee, at the present time, each student receives a certificate suitable for framing, a membership card and a decal.
Sponsors or a student officer may enter the names of Associate members by mail, email, or online at any time. Associate members are defined as high school students with the minimum GPA for membership in their math classes, and who have completed at least two semesters of math and are in at least their third semester. This usually means they have completed Algebra I and are in Geometry. Sponsors are not required to notify the National Office of Associate member names. They should be entered online or sent in only if the student wishes to compete in National Competitions, such as our Log 1 Contest or at our summer convention. Sponsors should notify the National Office to remove Associate member names if they do not become Full members.
Mu Alpha Theta will also accept a school purchase order for orders, as long as the invoice is paid within a two month period. Sponsors are responsible for making sure that the bill is paid and that the National Office receives a copy of the purchase order, should special instructions need to be followed. We will send a receipt notifying the sponsor that the school has paid the bill, once a check arrives. Our fax number is 405 - 325- 7184.
Sponsors are in charge of ordering insignia merchandise and honor cords for their members, if desired. Students or parents should not request merchandise by separate check. The current order form and price list can be found online at www.mualphatheta.org under Chapter Resources > Merchandise. Pictures of merchandise are viewable there and in the Online System. A copy of the present order form and price list is included in Appendix E. It is best to check online to insure current prices are used when ordering. Only active chapters that have enrolled members during the past two years may purchase merchandise. Please restrict the wearing of Mu Alpha Theta t-shirts or insignia merchandise to Full, Associate, or former members of the club. Sponsors or proud parents may also wish to purchase t-shirts to wear. The National Office reserves the right to refuse the sale of insignia materials to non-members or chapters without enough members to warrant the amount of materials ordered. An honor cord is sent when a $5 donation is made to the Mu Alpha Theta Educational Foundation. Donations go to support awards, grants and scholarships for deserving members, sponsors, or chapters and to support other educational activities of Mu Alpha Theta.
Mu Alpha Theta has a number of special awards and grants that it presents to outstanding members, sponsors, and chapters. Descriptions of these awards, along with applications, are available online under "Awards" and are described in Section XII. Sponsors and students should submit the names of those worthy of one of these awards. Clubs may choose to have a selection committee that nominates students for some awards, since some only allow one student to be submitted per chapter.
Each fall and spring, a Newsletter is posted at our website, www.mualphatheta.org and will be emailed or mailed to chapter sponsors. Sponsors should read the Newsletter thoroughly and copy the Student Pages and activities for their members. Grant and scholarship opportunities are highlighted in the newsletter, as soon as they become available. Sponsors should watch for this information and share it with their members. Or, remind members to read the Newsletter online. The Newsletter includes important information about policy changes, award and grant deadlines, Governing Council decisions, news of National and Regional competitions, news from the National Office, and articles of interest on math.
Another way that sponsors can remain up to date with news is by joining the Mu Alpha Theta listserve. Go to mualphatheta-subscribe@topica.com to sign up. Important information for sponsors will be posted to the listserve during the year.
Elections of officers to the Governing Council - our Board of Directors - are held in the spring during years ending with an even number. It is the responsibility of chapter sponsors to be aware of national issues and vote in national elections. Constitutional changes to the National Constitution are usually sent out with the spring ballot. Voting can be done online, by mail, or by email. Each active chapter has one vote. Sponsors are encouraged to run for national office or work on a national committee to help Mu Alpha Theta grow and remain a positive influence on students.
Sponsors are encouraged to call or email Kay Weiss at the National Office for answers to any questions they may have. 405-325-4489 or matheta@ou.edu.