Frequently Asked Questions
New chapters of Chi Sigma Iota may be established in nationally accredited counselor education training programs or those that have administrative approval to pursue and achieve national accreditation (CACREP or CORE) within the next five years. In addition, in order to establish a chapter, there must be at least two members of the regular full time counseling program faculty who are doctoral counselor education graduates (CACREP preferably) and who are CSI members or eligible and willing to be members and serve as CFA as needed. Chapter Faculty Advisors must be active members of CSI or eligible to be a member. Such faculty applying for membership shall have their highest degree from a counselor education program and hold as their primary identity that of professional counselor.
Visit our CSI store at www.csistore.org and click on Awards and Recognition. You can order a replacement through PROforma Crescent (www.csistore.org) and we will get it to you immediately. Or you can call them at 1-800-816-7246. Give them your full name as it would appear in our database, your current mailing address, your member number (if you know it), and your chapter along with a check or credit card for payment.
You may obtain it with your CSI Chapter Faculty Advisor(s) approval. CSI Headquarters maintains each chapter's database. A chapter downloadable database attachment is sent to the Chapter Faculty Advisor. In September and January of each fiscal year. Please contact your advisor for your chapter's database.
Honor cords, stoles and other graduation regalia can be ordered from PROCrescent ProMotions (www.csistore.org). Their number is: 1-800-816-7246. To view CSI merchandise, please visit the CSI Store.
To change your chapter affiliation, visit our webpage at www.csi-net.org and complete the on-line Membership Transfer Form. We will change your chapter, send a letter to the CSI chapter faculty advisor(s) of the new chapter.
To inquire about CSI speakers for chapter initiations, you will need to download the Speaker Request Form from our webpage. It contains a letter of explanation along with a list of available speakers. Fill out the form and submit it to the Headquarters' office for approval. Our Executive Director will make the necessary contacts for you and contact you regarding your speaker. This should be done as early as possible but no later than two months from the expected date of the initiation. Our list of speakers are among the most sought after speakers in the profession. If you can be a little flexible on your dates, it may be to your advantage in getting the speaker you desire.
If you never received your membership certificate from your chapter, please contact the Chapter Faculty Advisor to see if they still have it. There should have been a new member chapter initiation conducted at which certificates and pins were awarded. Chapters may hold the certificate until the next initiation if you were unable to attend. If you are unsuccessful in your efforts, let us know by email or snail mail and we will look into it as well. Please share any relevant information concerning your efforts. If you need to contact Headquarters, please provide your full name (as you would want it on the certificate), address including email and member number. We will see that you receive a certificate and we regret any delay or inconvenience in the meantime.
In order to re-activate a chapter, there must be at least two members of the regular full time counseling program faculty who are doctoral counselor education graduates (CACREP preferably) and who are active CSI members or eligible and willing to be members and serve as Chapter Faculty Advisor as needed.
Chapter Start Up Materials: Reactivating chapters also must be located in nationally accredited programs or those who have administrative approval to pursue and achieve national accreditation (CACREP and/or CORE) within the next 5 years (see sample letter). If the above conditions are not met within the five years from the date of the re-activation of the chapter, such chapters will be inactive and ineligible to initiate new members or otherwise function as an active chapter. To begin the reactivation process, please fill out the Chapter Re-Activation Form.All active chapters must also meet the following criteria:
A special committee of CSI members have answered that question in depth with our Chapter Fundraising Policies. In addition, chapter tips in the Exemplar address this question periodically. All of our past issues of the Exemplar are on our web site, too.
The comprehensive answer to this question should be found in one's professional orientation class. CACREP Standards define the education for those who call themselves "professional counselors." CSI was established in 1985 to help provide a clearer definition of the profession at a time when accreditation, national and state credentialing, and advocacy for the profession were in their infancy. Entry level is at the Masters degree. Philosophically, we are tied historically to values focused on optimizing human development over the life span. Our identity as professional counselors is unique as a consequence. We don't just counsel. It is who we are as professionals, individually and collectively. For references and further elaboration see the Handbook of Counseling or Leaders and Legacies: Contributions to the Profession of Counseling both of which are available at discounted prices to CSI members. A short article on this topic is also available from the Exemplar, The Counseling Profession and Honor Society Membership.
Chapter Faculty Advisors must be active members of CSI. They must be full time doctoral level Counselor Educators in the program for which they would be CFA. They must be able to physically meet with members and especially officers and committee chairs for mentoring and routine business of the chapter. They are the final endorsing authority for chapter membership and are expected to verify not only grade point average but suitability of individuals for membership in a Society committed to excellence in personal and professional judgment and behavior. Since it is common for faculty teaching in counselor education to include those from other disciplines (e.g., psychology, social work, and marriage and family therapy), it is necessary that a graduate of a CACREP doctoral program or equivalent counselor education program who meets or exceeds the requirements for membership is selected to serve as CFA. Likewise, the second faculty member selected to serve as interim, co-Chapter Faculty Advisor, or alternate in the event of need shall meet the same requirements and be an active or Life Member of CSI.
Membership in Chi Sigma Iota, as specified in the Bylaws, is open to both students and graduates of counselor education programs. Students must have completed at least one semester of full-time graduate coursework in a counseling program, have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 system, and be recommended for membership in CSI by the chapter. Faculty, alumni, and professional members shall have met the overall G.P.A. requirement as graduates of a counseling programs and be recommended to CSI by the chapter. The primary identity of these persons shall be as professional counselors including evidence of a state or national credential as a professional counselor. Individuals invited to membership may complete the New Member Application, The Chapter Faculty Advisor or appropriate chapter officer (e.g., President, Treasurer, or Membership Chair) should be notified that the application has been submitted. Payment for CSI membership may be submitted online or payment can be made to the chapter with any chapter dues as appropriate.
Web presence is becoming more important as members look to the web for information, resources, and connections. If you are interested in creating a CSI approved chapter website, view the Chapter Website Policy . It will explain how to request a free website or template and describe the requirements that you must follow to gain approval. If you would like to establish a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or other social networking site, review the Social Networking Policy. You should also refer to the Chapter Internet Presence & Internet Plagiarism Policy as well. Follow the guidelines in these policies to help you create an attractive and CSI approved chapter web presence!
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