Linfield College will establish a chapter of the Kappa Tau Alpha (KTA) honor society to recognize academic excellence in journalism and mass communication.  Starting at the 2018 Commencement, the Department of Mass Communication will award KTA honors to graduating seniors in the upper 10 percent of the major. KTA inductees will be recognized in the Commencement program. 

“This is a way to recognize achievement in the department, and that’s important,” said Michael Huntsberger, associate professor of mass communication and department chair. He said that the department will discuss additional ways of honoring KTA students at Commencement, such as medallions or honor cords. 

Students will also be honored at the annual senior awards event, where they will receive their KTA keypins and certificates of membership.  

“I’m delighted that we’ve been selected for the establishment of a KTA chapter at Linfield,” said associate professor Susan Currie Sivek. “KTA has been in existence for over a century, and membership is nationally known in our discipline as a mark of high achievement. I’m excited that we’ll be able to recognize our major’s top students with initiation into this honor society.” 

One of the nation’s oldest honor societies, KTA was founded at the University of Missouri in 1910 at the world’s first school of journalism. The society has 96 chapters and has inducted 75,000 outstanding students since its founding in 1910.  

The emblem of Kappa Tau Alpha is the key, the oldest symbol of knowledge and communication. The Greek letters mean “The Truth Will Prevail.” The letters also suggest three English words: knowledge, truth and accuracy.