Kappa Omicron Nu () is a college honor society, based in the United States, for students in human sciences. Kappa Omicron Nu chapters are located at colleges and universities that offer a strong human sciences program. Its mission is to promote empowered leaders through excellence in scholarship, leadership, and research in the human sciences. There is also a strong focus on service, and contribution to the local community. As with most college honor societies, most members join as current college students, who are invited after displaying excellence in scholarship. After joining, members remain members for life. Members join local chapters, which communicate with a national office. KON is a non-profit organization, and is accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS).

History

Kappa Omicron Nu was established on February 21, 1990, through consolidation of Omicron Nu and Kappa Omicron Phi. Both groups had been members of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS). The notion of consolidation came from a strategic planning session for the Administrative leadership of the two organizations. Phi Upsilon Omicron was also invited to join in the discussion of forming one Honor Society, but demurred. Consolidation was eased by an initial period of three years where the two groups were managed by a single administrative office. Other suggested names for the consolidated groups were Omicron Society and Sigma Rho Lambda.Consolidation Plan - Home Economics Forum Volume 3, Number 2
/ref> By the time of the merger, the two groups shared the same publication: ''Home Economics FORUM'', now the ''ΚΟΝ Forum''. Omicron Nu, Kappa Omicron Phi, and Phi Upsilon Omicron were all honor societies for specialization in home economics. When Omicron Nu and Kappa Omicron Phi consolidated into Kappa Omicron Nu they too began with a focus on home economics. As the home economics profession evolved, in 1994 the

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is an American professional association that networks professionals in the area of family and consumer science. It was founded in 1908 as the American Home Economics Association by Elle ...

(AAFCS) changed the name of the profession from "home economics" to "family and consumer sciences" to better reflect the changing needs in the United States and the current scope of topics related to this field. After this change Kappa Omicron Nu changed its specialization from "home economics" to "human sciences."

Omicron Nu

Omicron Nu was founded at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) on April 23, 1912. The founders were six faculty members and eleven student members. *Faculty: Agnes Hunt (Cade), Lillian Peppard, Louise Freyhofer, Grace Stevens, Hazel Berg (Layer), Maude Gilchrist *Students: Vera Coffeen, Verna Allen, Fernell Allen, Alida Dearborn, Josephine Hart, Bessie G. Howe, Lillian M. Mullenbach, Helen Louise Norton, Lutie E. Robinson, Helen M. Sheldon, and Philena E. Smith. At the time of the discussion of the merger in 1989, Omicron Nu had 65,000 members, 50 active chapters, five Alumni Chapters and a National Alumni Chapter. Omicron Nu was a founding member of the

Professional Panhellenic Association The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in . Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate (law, me ...

, a predecessor to the PFA. Omicron Nu joined the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) in 1951 and was readmitted in 1968.

Kappa Omicron Phi

Kappa Omicron Phi was founded at Northwest Missouri State College (now Northwest Missouri State University) on December 11, 1922. ACHS Member Directory 2010/2011
The name, Kappa Omicron Phi, was suggested by Mabel Cook, a student in the dietetics class of Hettie Margaret Anthony. Miss Anthony, who was the head of the school's Home Economics department, was a leader in Kappa Omicron Phi for the first 14 years of its existence. At the time of the discussion of the merger in 1989, Omicron Nu had 26,000 members, 79 active chapters, eight Alumni Chapters and an Alumni Chapter-Large.

Eligibility

Undergraduate members are required to: *Have declared a major in one of the human sciences *Have completed 45 semester hours or equivalent *Rank in the top 25% of their class in the unit Graduate members are required to: * Have declared a major in one of the human sciences * Have completed 12 semester hours or equivalent * Have a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Some professionals are offered membership, usually because of active volunteerism or involvement with the organization, however the vast majority of members join as college students. Membership is available to professionals and majors in any of the following or related specialty areas, including: consumer resource management,

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design' ...

exercise science Exercise physiology is the physiology of physical exercise. It is one of the allied health professions, and involves the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to exercise. Exercise physiologists are the highest qualified exercise ...

, family and consumer sciences education,

financial planning In general usage, a financial plan is a comprehensive evaluation of an individual's current pay and future financial state by using current known variables to predict future income, asset values and withdrawal plans. This often includes a bu ...

, food science and human nutrition,

health sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple ac ...

, human environment and housing, individual and family development, institution/hotel/restaurant management,

interior design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordi ...

kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human healt ...

leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

, marital and family therapy, merchandising management, textiles/apparel and clothing.

Chapter listing

Designation of ChaptersKappa Omicron Nu Constitution
/ref>

A chapter, which was formed by the predecessor society Kappa Omicron Phi, shall have the prefix "Kappa" before its Greek-letter chapter name. A chapter, which was formed by the predecessor society Omicron Nu, shall have the prefix "Omicron" before its Greek-letter name. The first collegiate chapter chartered by Kappa Omicron Nu shall be designated Nu Alpha, and the remainder of the chapters shall follow according to the Greek alphabet with the prefix "Nu."

Chartered as Kappa Omicron Phi

*Kappa Alpha - Northwest Missouri State University *Kappa Iota - Texas A&M University-Kingsville *Kappa Pi -

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

*Kappa Chi -

Immaculata University Immaculata University is a private Roman Catholic university in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The university is composed of 1,427 traditional undergraduate and ...

*Kappa Alpha Alpha - Marywood University *Kappa Alpha Gamma - Seton Hill University *Kappa Alpha Theta - Eastern Illinois University *Kappa Alpha Tau -

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. Th ...

*Kappa Alpha Phi - Sam Houston State University *Kappa Beta Alpha - Samford University *Kappa Beta Beta -

University of North Alabama The University of North Alabama (UNA) is a public university in Florence, Alabama. It is the state's oldest public university. Occupying a campus in a residential section of Florence, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes ...

*Kappa Beta Epsilon - Prairie View A&M University *Kappa Beta Eta -

Virginia State University Virginia State University (VSU or Virginia State) is a public historically Black land-grant university in Ettrick, Virginia. Founded on , Virginia State developed as the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of hi ...

*Kappa Beta Theta -

Lamar University Lamar University (Lamar or LU) is a public university in Beaumont, Texas. Lamar has been a member of the Texas State University System since 1995. It was the flagship institution of the former Lamar University System. As of the fall of 2021, t ...

*Kappa Beta Kappa -

Western Illinois University Western Illinois University (WIU) is a public university in Macomb, Illinois. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. History Western Illin ...

*Kappa Beta Mu -

Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Technological University, commonly referred to as Tennessee Tech, is a public research university in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, and before that as University of Dixie ...

*Kappa Beta Xi - Carson-Newman University *Kappa Beta Sigma -

Tennessee State University Tennessee State University (Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tenness ...

*Kappa Beta Phi - Mississippi State University *Kappa Gamma Alpha - Alcorn State University *Kappa Gamma Delta -

Delta State University Delta State University (DSU) is a public university in Cleveland, Mississippi, a city in the Mississippi Delta. History The school was established in 1924 by the State of Mississippi, using the facilities of the former Bolivar County Agricult ...

*Kappa Gamma Epsilon -

North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from ...

*Kappa Gamma Eta -

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment ...

*Kappa Gamma Theta -

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...

*Kappa Gamma Rho - Alabama A & M University *Kappa Gamma Sigma -

South Carolina State University South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only public, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina, is a memb ...

*Kappa Gamma Upsilon - Appalachian State University *Kappa Gamma Phi - Northwestern State University of LA *Kappa Delta Gamma -

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classifie ...

*Kappa Delta Zeta - St. Catherine University *Kappa Delta Mu - North Carolina A & T University *Kappa Delta Xi -

Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known a ...

*Kappa Delta Omicron - Meredith College *Kappa Delta Pi - Nicholls State University *Kappa Delta Rho -

Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) is a private Nazarene university in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Named for its founding location, Olivet, Illinois, ONU was originally established as a grammar school in east-central Illinois in 1907. In the late 1930 ...

*Kappa Delta Upsilon -

University of Maryland-Eastern Shore University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is a public historically black land-grant research university in Princess Anne, Maryland. It is part of the University System of Maryland. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High re ...

*Kappa Delta Psi -

University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is a public historically black university in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Founded in 1873, it is the second oldest public college or university in the state of Arkansas. UAPB is part of the University of ...

Chartered as Omicron Nu

*Omicron Gamma -

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...

*Omicron Kappa -

Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant uni ...

*Omicron Mu -

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

*Omicron Pi - Florida State University *Omicron Tau - Penn State University *Omicron Theta - Kansas State University *Omicron Alpha Beta -

University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a public land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. It is classifie ...

*Omicron Alpha Gamma -

University of Montevallo The University of Montevallo is a public university in Montevallo, Alabama. Founded on October 12, 1896, the university is Alabama's only public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. The University of M ...

*Omicron Alpha Delta -

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

*Omicron Alpha Iota - Syracuse University *Omicron Alpha Kappa - University of North Carolina-Greensboro *Omicron Alpha Nu - Auburn University *Omicron Alpha Rho -

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

*Omicron Alpha Rho-Hunter - Hunter College *Omicron Alpha Upsilon -

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 ma ...

*Omicron Alpha Psi - CSU-Long Beach *Omicron Alpha Omega -

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

*Omicron Beta Alpha -

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

*Omicron Beta Beta -

Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research acti ...

*Omicron Beta Gamma -

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...

*Omicron Beta Epsilon - CSU-Northridge *Omicron Beta Theta -

Montclair State University Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public university in New ...

Chartered as Kappa Omicron Nu

*National Alumni - Any *National Chapter - Any *Nu Alpha -

Berea College Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. Berea College charges no tuition; every a ...

*Nu Delta - Harding University *Nu Zeta -

Seattle Pacific University Seattle Pacific University (SPU) is a private Christian university in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1891 in conjunction with the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary. It became the Seat ...

*Nu Kappa - Penn State University-Altoona *Nu Mu - Washington State University Vancouver *Nu Nu -

Southern Utah University Southern Utah University (SUU) is a public university in Cedar City, Utah. Founded in 1897 as a normal school, Southern Utah University now graduates over 1,800 students each year with baccalaureate and graduate degrees from its six colleges. ...

*Nu Omicron - California University of Pennsylvania *Nu Pi - CSU-Fullerton *Nu Upsilon - CSU-San Marcos *Nu Phi - University of New Haven *Nu Chi -

University of the Incarnate Word The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is a private, Catholic university with its main campus in San Antonio and Alamo Heights, Texas. Founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the university's main campus is located o ...

*Nu Omega -

Life University Life University is a private university focused on training chiropractors and located in Marietta, Georgia, USA. It was established in 1974 by a chiropractor, Sid E. Williams. History The university was founded in 1974 by Williams as "Life C ...

*Nu Alpha Gamma -

Georgia Gwinnett College Georgia Gwinnett College (Georgia Gwinnett or GGC) is a public college in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is a member of the University System of Georgia. Georgia Gwinnett College opened on August 18, 2006. It has grown rapidly from its original 118 ...

*Nu Alpha Delta - CSU-Sacramento *Nu Alpha Epsilon -

Georgian Court University Georgian Court University (GCU or Georgian Court) is a private Roman Catholic university in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. Founded in 1908 by the Sisters of Mercy, the university has more than 1,600 undergraduates and nearly 600 graduate students ...

*Nu Alpha Zeta -

Elon University Elon University is a private university in Elon, North Carolina. Founded in 1889 as Elon College, Elon is organized into six schools, most of which offer bachelor's degrees and several of which offer master's degrees or professional doctora ...

*Nu Alpha Eta - Stevenson University *Nu Alpha Theta -

New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's ...

*Nu Alpha Iota - Missouri Baptist University *Nu Alpha Kappa -

Molloy College Molloy University is a private Roman Catholic university in Rockville Centre, New York. It provides more than 50 academic undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs for over 5,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. His ...

*Nu Alpha Lambda - Blue Mountain College

References

External links

*
ACHS Kappa Omicron Nu entry

Kappa Omicron Nu chapter list at ACHS
{{Authority control Association of College Honor Societies Honor societies Student organizations established in 1990 1990 establishments in Michigan