Organization
OMICRON KAPPA UPSILON was established at Northwestern University Dental School in 1914 and was incorporated within the State of Nebraska in 1991. Omicron Kappa Upsilon, INC. has two classes of members:
1. The SUPREME CHAPTER, representative of all the Component Chapters; and
2. COMPONENT CHAPTERS, organized by faculties of dental schools in the United States and Canada.
The Supreme Chapter consists of its officers; the honorary members of the Supreme Chapter; and the active-member delegates or alternates, elected by and representing the component chapters in good standing.
COMPONENT CHAPTERS
The number of component chapters has steadily increased over the years. At the present time there is a component chapter in every dental school in the United States. In addition, three chapters are located in Canada and one in Puerto Rico.
Component chapters consist of charter, alumni, faculty and honorary members.
CHARTER MEMBERS are members of the faculty whose names appear on the charter as founders of the chapter. They shall have all the privileges of active members while remaining a member of the dental school faculty.
ALUMNI MEMBERS shall be elected as follows:
Graduating students. A list containing the names of at least the upper 20% of the graduating class (class-a group that generally began studies together) who rank highest in scholarship for the entire period that they have been in attendance at a dental school shall be submitted by or secured from the Dean or the registrar. From any on this list, a number constituting not more than 12% of the entire class, who, in addition to scholarship, have demonstrated exemplary traits of character and potential qualities of future professional growth and attainments, may be elected to alumni membership by the active members of the component chapter.
The election of such members may be held at the discretion of the active members at any time after the beginning of the last term (quarter or semester) by which at least 80% of the class has the potential to graduate.
The component chapter shall determine the method of balloting. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the active members of the component chapter who participate in the voting shall be necessary to elect a graduating student to alumni membership. If 12% of the class shall be less than three, a maximum of three seniors may be elected.
The following criteria are gathered by the active members of Omega Omega Chapter to assist in evaluating candidates for alumni membership:
a. GPA=43%
b. Clinic Points=20%
c. Committee Interview=5%
d. Faculty Survey=9%
e. Student Profile:
1. Honors while attending RSDM=3%
2. Extra-curricula activity while attending RSDM=3%
3. Research/Publication(s) while attending RSDM=4%
4. Work Experience while attending RSDM=3%
f. Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE)=5%
g. Global Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (Global OSCE)=5%
Alumni members who become members of a dental school faculty are eligible for all the privileges of active members.
FACULTY MEMBERS are the dentists in a dental school faculty who have been elected to membership after service as a full-time teacher for three years or a part-time teacher for six years. Full-time and part-time shall be defined by the administration of each school of dentistry. To be eligible for election, a member of a faculty shall have made outstanding contribution to the art, science or literature of dentistry. (The terms art, science, or literature of dentistry wherever appearing in the By-laws of this Society shall be interpreted as:
(a). The art of dentistry shall imply skill in performance, acquired by experience, study and observation and may be manifested by presentation, before graduate, post-graduate refresher courses or dental meetings not sponsored or financed by a business firm or commercial enterprise, of a method of performing an operation or the development of an instrument, appliance, machine or equipment to facilitate dental operations with no purpose of self-profit.
(b). The science of dentistry shall be interpreted as the introduction of a new theory or suggestion and based upon facts which have been established by study, observation and research, as distinguished from skill in performance.
(c). The literature of dentistry shall imply the publication of a book or the publication in a professionally controlled journal on dentistry or its allied sciences, of a original essay, treatise or thesis.)
A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the active members of the component chapter who participate in the voting shall be necessary to elect to faculty membership. They are eligible for all the privileges of active members.
HONORARY MEMBERS. The component chapter may elect to honorary membership any member of the dental profession who has made outstanding contribution to the art, science, or literature of dentistry, and others not members of the dental profession who have made similar contribution to the advancement of dentistry. At any annual meeting only one (1) person may be elected to such honorary membership. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the active members of the component chapter who participate in the voting will be necessary to elect.
An honorary member of the Supreme Chapter or of a component chapter is entitled to the privileges of active membership. An honorary member of the Supreme Chapter may attend the meetings of any component chapter, and have the privileges of active membership therein, except that of voting if not a member of the school’s faculty.
CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP ACTIVITY
ACTIVE MEMBERS. All charter members are active members while remaining a member of the dental school faculty. All alumni, faculty, and honorary members who are members of the dental school faculty and have been approved by the component chapter are active members. Only active members may vote or be elected to office.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS are all those members of a component chapter who are not active members, but do support the component chapter by payment of dues with a regularity satisfactory to the Executive Committee of the Component Chapter.
INACTIVE MEMBERS are those members of a component chapter who are not active or associate members and do not pay dues. Inactive members may be reinstated as associate or active members upon payment of unpaid dues and the approval of the Executive Committee of the Component Chapter.