Student members at Georgia State said they were little bothered by Golden Key's problems at the top, or its sketchy reputation in the academic world. And, hey, I like discounts,' Patton said. Alumni groups and other honor societies send members credit card or discount offers all the time, officials said. Golden Key also defends corporate sponsorships. Holmes said there were only a few chapters that fell below the standard. We do send back applications that we think fall below the GPA for the top 15 percent,' said Kali Boatright, assistant executive director of Golden Key. 'We're talking with our campus advisers to get them into compliance. But some schools do not always let Golden Key know about changing average grades. When average grades change at a school - the average GPA goes up a couple points, for example - Golden Key relies on the school to revise the cutoff for what constitutes the top 15 percent.

Golden Key officials strongly denied inducting unqualified students. 'I encourage the society to continue to be progressive in all of its endeavors.' 'I wish that I could have done more, but it's time to move on,' he said. Lewis and his lawyers did not return phone calls, but he released a statement saying he was proud of his work at Golden Key. Golden Key officials refused to discuss Lewis's departure. The Chronicle reported that founder Jim Lewis was ousted last summer because of an unseemly pursuit of profit and having inappropriate relationships with students in the club. Golden Key has been rejected three times for membership in the Association of College Honor Societies. Mark Herndon, a former director of international development for Golden Key, complained that older honor societies are trying to smear the society. 'This is not a case of pay your money, get your name on a piece of paper and that's it.' 'There are certainly other honor societies that are jealous of Golden Key,' Patton said in an interview before he resigned. It has since challenged such centuries-old Greek-letter honor societies as Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi. The society was founded 25 years ago at Georgia State. Golden Key officials dismiss the criticism as old-guard snobbery. 'I have a real philosophical problem with an organization that functions as a commercial enterprise but presents itself as an honor society,' said Hew Joiner, director of an honors program at Georgia Southern University. Members are tapped for internships and jobs, but they are also subject to mass mailings for such products as credit cards and auto insurance.

Golden Key's sponsorship program - 13 corporate members that gain access to student member lists for $55,000 a year - also has been criticized.

But officials concede some unqualified students may have joined. Only the top 15 percent of college juniors and seniors are supposed to be eligible for Golden Key. Membership in the society costs undergraduates a one-time fee of $60.Įarlier this month, the chairman of the society's board, Georgia State University President Carl Patton, resigned after the criticism reached the Chronicle of Higher Education. Guidestar, an auditing group for nonprofits, put Golden Key's worth at $9.8 million in 2000. Board meetings were held at fancy hotels in Aspen, Colo., and Cancun, Mexico, but board members said changes were made after some grew uncomfortable with the practice. Opponents also take issue with Golden Key's ritzy headquarters - a $2.5 million mansion with marble floors in one of Atlanta's most exclusive neighborhoods. Golden Key has been snubbed by other honor societies, which complain that aggressive marketing has helped it grow from a single chapter at a commuter school 25 years ago into a million-member behemoth. The nation's largest college honor society is under fire from critics who say it acts like a profit-hungry business, opening its doors to anyone who pays - including underqualified students.

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