Phi Sigma Iota, the International Foreign Language Honors Society, was founded in 1922 to recognize outstanding ability and attainments in the study of foreign languages, and to foster the learning of foreign languages and the spirit of liberal culture. The crest at left reads, Philotês, Spoudê, Idiôma, "Friendship, Scholarship, Language" and its motto is "To understand others is to understand oneself, one's culture, and one's heritage." Phi Sigma Iota awards scholarships, fellowships, and grants to students and faculty to complete scholarly programs in foreign languages, literatures, and cultures.
Induction into ECU's Sigma Upsilon Chapter, established in 1969, represents our highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages. Students must be juniors or seniors majoring or minoring in a foreign language discipline, possess a minimum 3.0 GPA in foreign language courses and 3.0 overall.
Membership: Initiation into the Sigma Upsilon chapter is $45. The fee includes a three-year membership in the international honor society as well as six issues of the society's journal, The Forum. Additional benefits of membership and details are available on the Phi Sigma Iota Homepage. New members are inducted in the spring at the departmental awards ceremony. For more information, contact Dr. Frédéric Fladenmuller (fladenmullerf@mail.ecu.edu).