Alpha Gamma Chapter of ILA’s Alpha Upsilon Alpha (AUA) Honor Society

Georgia State University
Established: 1985
Instagram: @aua.gsu

What they do

Georgia State University’s AUA chapter recognizes scholarship, promotes leadership, and encourages service in the field of literacy. This includes everything from providing support and encouragement for doctoral students via guest speakers to working together on presentations for conferences to hosting writing retreats during the semester to reading bilingual children’s books with young students. AUA also collaborates with Georgia State’s Middle and Secondary Education (MSE) Doctoral Council to establish forms of support for doctoral students, such as acquiring funding for travel, opening lines of communication with faculty, and providing culturally immersive field experiences.

Why they do it

Concerns surrounding literacy are not new talking points, but these conversations have become heightened following COVID-19. However, shifts and changes in defining literacy occurred prior to the pandemic, especially as the use of artificial intelligence, social media, streaming platforms, etc., shaped the landscape of literacy. Simultaneously, testing culture impacted what literacy looked like with its emphasis on reading excerpts rather than entire works. It is paramount to prepare the next generation of teachers and teacher educators to engage critically and creatively in conversations around literacy. It is also necessary to engage the community in these conversations. AUA helps to support such conversations and community connections.

Who can join

AUA is open to graduate (doctoral and master’s level) students, as well as undergraduate students. The requirements for membership are as follows:

• For graduates: Majoring in reading and/or language arts; nine semester hours completed in reading or related areas of study; 3.5 GPA average
• For undergraduates: At least one course in reading/language arts completed; five semesters of undergraduate studies completed; recommended by reading/language arts faculty

How to join

Visit our website or print this form and mail it in!

Highlights from a recent event

We recently hosted two decolonizing workshops with the Middle and Secondary Education Doctoral Council in preparation for our visit to the Ocmulgee Mounds, an Indigenous site located in Macon, GA. This collaborative and place-based experiential learning helps to highlight our interest in community literacies and critical literacies.

How is the AUA honor society motto (Lege sapere aude/Read, dare to be wise) embodied by your members?

In honor of our Latin motto, we must first pay tribute to Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, the self-made goddess who emerged fully formed from her father’s head. Interestingly, her name is most likely derived from the Indigenous Etruscan goddess Menrva, whose name comes from meminisse, meaning “to remember.” Thus, wisdom, independence, and memory prove central to her character. Likewise, through our literacy pursuits, our members aspire toward the same as we remember and bear witness to the stories that shape us.