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About the Honor Society
Welcome to our home page for the ASLHS - FSU Chapter. Here, you can find information about the organization and requirements.
The ASL Honors program is designed to recognize students who have truly dedicated themselves to ASL beyond the classroom, with a lifetime commitment to supporting the Deaf community. Students who demonstrate those sentiments and meet nationally-established requirements alongside FSU’s specific requirements are recognized upon their graduation with induction into the National ASL Honor Society. It is not designed as a series of checkpoints to be completed primarily for the purposes of receiving recognition. As such these requirements are truly the minimum, and Honors students are expected to remain actively involved in ASL during their time at FSU. Acceptance into the volunteer program and associated coursework, including ASL 4 and SPA 3801, is competitive, based on dedicated academic performance, signing skills, professional demeanor and the number/types of placements available each semester.
Only upon graduation and having completed the ASL Honors requirements are students inducted into the National ASL Honor Society. Students must meet the requirements set in place during their specific graduation year.
Updated April 2025 for December 2026 and May 2027 Graduations
Requirements to be inducted into the National ASL Honor Society and achieve the Alice Cogswell Medal:
- Completion of ASL 1-3 (ASL 1140, 2150, 2160) at FSU with a grade of B or better
- Completion of Deaf Culture (ASL 2510) at FSU with a grade of B or better
- Two semesters/two credits of SPA 3801-ASL with volunteer placements as Lab Assistant or Educational Outreach Leader
- 15 service hours benefiting the Deaf and hard of hearing community
- Overall GPA of 3.5
Requirements to be inducted into the National ASL Honor Society and achieve the Laurent Clerc Medal with Distinguished Honors:
- All requirements for the traditional honors (above), plus:
- Completion of "ASL 4" (SPA 4905-ASL) at FSU with a grade of B or better
- an additional semester of SPA 3801-ASL with volunteer placements as Lab Assistant or Educational Outreach Leader
- or a semester of official involvement in research for the ASL/DHH program
- 5 additional service hours benefiting the Deaf and hard of hearing community (20 total)
Beginning Fall 2026, students who have been approved to begin working towards ASL Honors will be provided with an individualized tracking sheet/contract. Upon completion of all requirements, students should submit a PDF copy of their tracking sheet, along with the $30 fee, by 5pm the first Friday in March for Spring or Summer graduation. For students graduating in December, the application must be submitted by October 15th.
The $30 fee covers the graduation materials, the annual chapter fee, shipping and associated costs. T-shirts are available for an additional cost. The ceremony itself is provided by Dr. Kristen Guynes, who is the Director of the ASLHS program for FSU.
Official Pledge of the American Sign Language Honor Society
As a student of ASL, I understand that language can be a powerful connection between peoples of different cultures and backgrounds, bringing them together. Henceforth, I am proud to commit to being a steadfast ally of the Deaf community. I pledge to encourage Deaf and Hearing peoples to come together in unity throughout the world. Lastly, I will reflect the ideals of the American Sign Language Honor Society in scholarship, community service, and personal excellence.