Administrative Gaffe Creates False Hopes of Phi Beta Kappa Honors

Due to a mix-up by the University administration, all 11 senior special concentrators were sent letters of nomination for Phi Beta Kappa, even though only two were eligible for the honor.

Rebbeca Waltman, the staff liaison for Phi Beta Kappa, said she accidentally notified all of the special concentrators because she thought she had received a list of only nominated students.

"I wasn't aware there were only 11 special concentrators," Waltman said.

Before the mistake came to light, many special concentrators who called Phi Beta Kappa to question their own selection were assured it was not an error, Waltman said.

"They called and said, 'I don't think I'm qualified,' and I said, 'Apparently the University thinks so,'" Waltman said. "It was an honest mistake."

The 11 students went about collecting recommendations from professors until Waltman telephoned the incorrectly notified students to inform them of the mistake and apologize.

One senior said he was given a small consolation.

"They said I could keep the letter," he said.

Another special concentrator said he would not have been as hurt if Phi Beta Kappa had rejected him later in the selection process instead of through Waltman's telephone call.

"I think what they should have done is tell us that we didn't get elected, rather than withdrawing our nomination," he said.

Judging special concentrators for Phi Beta Kappa is slightly more complex than judging students in standard concentrations, said Michelle Hewitt, an assistant to the Mather House masters who formerly held Waltman's job.

Typically, students are nominated for Phi Beta Kappa based on their relative performance against other students in their concentration.

Since special concentrators do not belong to a traditional department, Deborah Foster, the head tutor for special concentrators, must recommend a comparable concentration in which students should be judged, Waltman said.

Each special concentrator is then judged like any other student within that concentration.

Phi Beta Kappa is an honor society that recognizes no more than 10 percent of each graduating class based on academic achievement and faculty recommendations.

The first 24 students were elected last spring, and more will be selected this semester and next semester.

Hewitt said the mix-up is completely understandable.

"It's just so complicated I can't even go into it," Hewitt said of the job that Waltman assumed last month.

Foster said that while she deeply regrets the mistake, it needs to be kept in perspective.

"There's war, pestilence, poverty and disease to consider. Am I upset?" said Foster. "It could really hurt some students unnecessarily."