Friends Dance Group
Sponsor: Sheldon Mba, 316-295-5408
Friends Dance Group strives to raise appreciation and awareness of dance as a fine art and to involve and inspire newcomers to the fine arts. Activities include fundraising for club events and trips, advertising for the department on and off campus, and sharing the fun and technique of ballet and other dance forms for the general public and prospective undergraduates. Friends Dance Group membership is open to any interested student by interview.
Business Professionals of America (BPA)
Sponsors: Sean Cash, 316-295-5552 and Dr. Jim Long, 316-295-5594
The Division of Business Information and Technology, seeing the need to create a student led organization focusing on the areas of business, technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership, created an official chapter of Business Professionals of America to serve all Friends University students with a primary focus on students seeking a career in business, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Collegiate National Association for Music Education (CNAfME)
Sponsor: Shawn Knopp, 316-295-5535
Composed of pre-service music educators, this organization provides students with opportunities for professional orientation and development in music education. Membership in the collegiate chapter of this national organization is encouraged for all Music Education majors, but open to all students regardless of major. CNAfME is affiliated with The National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Members are automatically members of the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) and receive copies of professional journals, including the Music Educators Journal and Music Review. Activities include attending the KMEA annual convention, the NAfME biannual convention, hosting local clinic sessions of interest, attending the K-COMTEP conference, and participating in service learning activities at Friends University. Dues to CNAfME include national and state dues plus a local assessment.
Concert Choir
Sponsor: Rolaine Hetherington, 316-295-5533
The concert choir, approximately 60 members, presents two major programs on campus: Christmas concert and spring concert. The choir performs for various civic and church organizations throughout Wichita and surrounding areas, and tours in the spring.
Conservation Awareness, Renewability Education, and Sustainability (CARES)
Sponsor: Dr. Ana Jurack-Detter, 316-295-5890
The CARES Club is all about Conservation Awareness, Renewable Resource Education, and Sustainability. The club is open to all students who care about the environment, want to see a change in the Wichita and Friends University communities, and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty! There is an aspect of the club for everyone to appreciate and participate in because caring about the planet isn’t specific to gender, race, major, or any other criteria. Some of our activities include community/river cleanups, creating a new pollinator garden on campus, promoting recycling, environmental education, and much more!
English Club
Sponsor: Dr. Kassia Krone, 316-295-5559
The English Club is open to all students who are interested in promoting literacy, participating in public service in this area and meeting socially with other students interested in creative writing and the life of the mind. The English Club is also the feeder club for admission into the International English Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta. To be eligible for initiation into Sigma Tau Delta, students must have a 3.5 GPA in their English major and meet the service requirement. The English Club provides an opportunity to meet that service requirement.
Friends University Sinfonietta Orchestra (Chamber Orchestra)
Sponsor: Kay Buskirk, 316-295-5567
Friends University Sinfonietta is an ensemble here at Friends that consists of 21 members under the direction of Kay Buskirk. The students prepare all year long to create music for the public to enjoy. In a typical school year, Friends University Sinfonietta puts on two major programs, one in each of the fall and spring semesters.
Guild of Friends
Sponsor: Dr. Russell Fox, 316-295-5827
Guild of Friends welcomes members of the campus community to partake in game nights and social gatherings.
Health Science Club
Sponsor: Dr. Prince Agbedanu, 316-295-5405
The Health Science Club exists to encourage and support Friends University Students who plan to become a medical professional by providing a social framework of like-minded individuals, increasing awareness of current medical issues, publicizing health career opportunities, assisting students with the application process for advanced educational programs, and promoting active involvement in the health and well-being of our community.
Hispanic American Leadership Organization (H.A.L.O.)
Sponsor: Teresa Molina, 316-295-5549
Friends University is pleased to announce a new branch of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO). This organization is dedicated to promoting Hispanic culture and awareness while at the same time helping the Wichita Community and the Friends University community. The organization will also function as a support system for Hispanic students who currently attend or plan to attend Friends.
Kansas Choral Director Association (KCDA)
Sponsor: Rolaine Hetherington, 316-295-5533
The organization is designed to bring music majors together for professional development and enrichment.
Psychology Club
Sponsor: Dr. Josh Halonen
The organization is designed to bring Psychology majors together for professional development and enrichment. This club provides social gatherings, off-campus trips to graduate schools, professional meetings and applied learning situations. Our retreats, dinners and parties also allow for faculty-student interaction outside of the classroom.
Singing Quakers
Sponsor: Dr. Rayvon TJ Moore, 316-295-5553
The Singing Quakers have gained an enviable reputation as one of the most distinguished choral organizations in the country. They are an auditioned choir consisting of music majors and non-majors who have had significant choral experience. The purpose of the Singing Quakers is to present the finest choral music in a variety of styles to audiences in Wichita and throughout the United States and internationally.
Spanish Club
Sponsor: Dr. Jerry Smartt, 316-295-5564
Membership in the Spanish Club is open to all students who are interested in community projects related to Spanish-speaking communities. The Spanish Club also supports and participates in all of the campus activities chosen by the Honor Society, Sigma Delta Pi.
University Band
Sponsor: Shawn Knopp, 316-295-5535
The band meets three times a week. Non-majors are welcome, and scholarship opportunities are available.
Zoo Science Club
Sponsor: Dr. Patrick Mathews, 316-295-5608
This club is primarily comprised of Zoo Science and Biology-related majors but is open to anyone interested in the future of the natural world. The purpose of the club is to have fun while gaining hands-on experience and professional skills outside the school curriculum.
Academic Honor Societies
Alpha Chi College Honor Society
Sponsor: Tor Wynn, 316-295-5451
The Alpha Chi National Honor Society promotes academic excellence and exemplary character in students of all majors in the College of Business, Arts, Sciences and Education. Students are eligible for membership if they have completed at least 62 credit hours and rank in the top 5% of the junior and senior classes. Members are encouraged to participate in regional and national academic conferences and engage in community-based service learning. They are recognized at graduation and wear blue and green honor cords.
Alpha Sigma Lambda
Sponsors: Sean Cash, 316-295-5552
Alpha Sigma Lambda’s aim is to recognize the special achievements of adults who accomplish academic excellence while facing the competing interests of home and work. The top 20 percent of students in the College of Adult and Professional Studies (with a minimum GPA of 3.5) who have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours at Friends are eligible. At least twelve credit hours of students’ total credits should be earned in courses in Liberal Arts/Sciences.
Delta Kappa Honor Society
Sponsor: Dr. Michelle Robertson, 316-295-5609
Delta Kappa exists to mentor individuals into leadership positions in the marriage and family therapy profession, to organize scholarly opportunities for marriage and family therapy professionals to engage and apply cutting-edge research and theory to their practice, and to recognize and promote the achievements of marriage and family therapy professionals.
Mu Phi Epsilon Music Fraternity
Sponsors: Rolaine Hetherington, 316-295-5533 and Cindy Blasdel, 316-295-5543
Mu Phi Epsilon is an International Professional Music Fraternity, whose purpose is the advancement of music throughout the world, the promotion of musicianship and scholarship, loyalty to the Alma Mater, and the development of a true bond of friendship. Students may be selected for membership, and annual dues are required.
Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology
Sponsor: Dr. Josh Halonen, 316-295-5663
The mission of Psi Chi is to encourage, stimulate and maintain excellence in scholarship and to advance the science of psychology. Membership is limited and is by invitation only.
Sigma Delta Pi National Collegiate Spanish Honor Society
Sponsor: Dr. Jerry Smartt, 316-295-5564
Sigma Delta Pi is the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society. Its purpose is to provide students opportunities to practice speaking in Spanish and interact with other students of Spanish through community learning service projects. The Sigma Delta Pi Chapter at Friends University has received the outstanding national chapter award twelve times for exemplary participation in activities on campus and in the community.
Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society
Sponsor: Vicki Ronn, 316-295-5563
Sigma Tau Delta is the International English Honor Society that promotes literacy through service, encourages interest in literature on campus, and honors high achievement in English language and literature. Eligibility for Sigma Tau Delta requires a 3.5 GPA in an English major, membership in the English Club and completion of the service learning requirement. All students, regardless of major, may join the English Club if they love literature or creative writing.