Candidate Qualifications

To qualify for membership in Mortar Board, a candidate must possess a distinguished ability and achievement in scholarship, leadership and service.  The following descriptions of the Mortar Board ideals are intended to provide a starting point for self-assessment about the ideals and are not exhaustive.  This is not meant to serve as a checklist.

Scholarship

• Do you possess a real intellectual curiosity and interest in ideas?
• Do you take classes to widen your perspective?
• Do you actively support departmental and other academic programs?
• Do attitudes of genuine scholarship extend to areas beyond the classroom to campus concerns and societal issues? 
• Have you presented or attended professional or scholarly conferences?
• Have you published any research papers?
• Have you worked with professors on research or independently?
• Have you gone above and beyond what is required of you and committed to university or departmental honors?
• Have you pursued study abroad opportunities, interdisciplinary majors, double majors, or minors along with your primary program of study?

Leadership

• Do you offer an example for others by displaying humility and sincere leadership – not just for the sake of prestige? 
• Are you discriminating in the cause for which you lead, or do you just lead in order to be at the head of something?
• Do you effectively use the talents of others to enhance the leadership experience of the group?
• Do you exemplify loyalty and trustworthiness to the causes you lead?
• Are you recognized by the campus as a capable leader and sought for special jobs?
• Are you able to question your actions objectively?
• Do you share credit for group accomplishments with the group?

Service

• Do you serve the campus/community by being an example of character and integrity?
• Do you seek jobs that need doing, whether or not you will gain publicity?
• Do you carry through on things you undertake?
• Are you sensitive to the needs of the campus and active in trying to do something about them?
• Are you positive in your attitude towards your school, faculty, living unit, in campus organizations, in the performing arts, in student government, in service projects, in campus programs and sports, in discussions for campus betterment, in student/faculty committees, in campus relations and in the community?