The International Honour Society in Psychology (Psi Chi)

The University of Victoria Chapter of Psi Chi is the first chapter of Psi Chi in Canada, as well as the first non-US chapter of Psi Chi to exist.
The University of Victoria Chapter of Psi Chi is the first chapter of Psi Chi in Canada, as well as the first non-US chapter of Psi Chi to exist.

The International Honour Society in Psychology (Psi Chi) was founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. Psi Chi is a member of the Association of College Honour Societies and is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Psychological Society (APS). Psi Chi's sister honour society is Psi Beta, the national honour society in psychology for community and junior colleges.

Under the leadership of faculty member, Dr. Steve Lindsay, UVic established the first Psi Chi chapter in Canada in 2003. The chapter's mandate is to provide members with opportunities to earn grants and awards, connect with others who are involved in the psychological community, and gain support and resources to study better and be successful in applying to graduate school.

Psi Chi also offers a variety of support for undergraduate psychology students. They hold orientation sessions in September for students new to the department, and offer a Psychology Graduate School Information Session in the Spring semester for students to learn more and ask questions about graduate school. Peer Mentoring is a new collaborative and ongoing initiative headed by UVic's Psi Chi and PUGS, the psychology club.

Upper-level psychology students volunteer their time and hold drop-in office hours throughout the week in the Psi Chi/PUGS office (COR A171). During this time, psychology students may come with questions and/or concerns about their classes or program. Peer mentors will be able to provide referrals to resources on campus as well as guidance for students exploring the field here at UVic.

For example, some students may be nervous about visiting a professor or TA during office hours; a peer mentor can be an effective stepping stone. Likewise, students may have questions about the program or wish to discuss or brainstorm options. In such cases a peer mentor can be an excellent sounding board.

For further information about peer mentoring email Psi Chi at . For more information about Psi Chi in general, visit the Psi Chi website.