Eligibility

Membership in Chi Sigma Iota, as specified in the CSI Bylaws, is by chapter invitation to both students and graduates of the chapters' counselor education program who meet the membership eligibility criteria specified in the Society's bylaws.

Students must have completed at least one semester of full-time graduate coursework in a counselor education degree program, have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 system, and be recommended for membership by the chapter, including promise for a capacity to represent the best about professional counseling through appropriate professional behavior, ethical judgment, emotional maturity, and attitudes conducive to working to advocate for wellness and human dignity for all. Faculty and alumni of the program shall have met the overall G.P.A. requirement as graduates of a counselor education program 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.

While CSI Headquarters will acknowledge receipt of the application and payment with a welcoming notice, full-fledged membership into the Society takes place at a formal oath taking initiation ceremony that is arranged by the chapter. Certificates of membership and recognition pins are sent to Chapter Faculty Advisors (CFAs) to be distributed during the formal initiation ceremony.

Online Application Process

Individuals who receive a letter of invitation to membership from their chapter may complete the online New Member Application and submit payment online. (Note: The New Member Application and payment must be submitted at the same time. New Member Applications submitted without payment are not able to be processed or saved.)

Applicants should ensure that names and other information (i.e., chapter name and institution) are spelled and/or selected correctly within the New Member Application to ensure that membership profiles, certificates, and other information are accurate. Please note, information that appears in a member profile, on a membership certificate, etc. is verbatim what is entered by applicants within the New Member Application.

Applicants should notify their Chapter Faculty Advisor (CFA) or appropriate chapter officer when they submit their application and payment. Applications are processed by CSI Headquarters when a CFA approves an applicant for membership. After an application is approved by a CFA, the member may access member benefits, including the online CSI Store.

If you have applied for CSI membership through the CSI website and have not yet been approved or declined for membership by your CFA, please contact your advisor directly since CSI Headquarters does not control this chapter-specific process.

Initiation Certificates

All new members will receive a membership certificate during their chapter initiation ceremony. Participation in the initiation ceremony and taking the CSI Oath oath during the initiation ceremony are required for full membership into Chi Sigma Iota (i.e., eligibility for all benefits such as awards, research grants, contest entries, poster sessions). Membership certificates are sent directly to the Chapter Faculty Advisor (CFA) to be distributed during the initiation ceremony.

If you never received your membership certificate from your chapter, please contact the CFA to see if they still have it. Chapters may hold the certificate until the next chapter initiation if you were unable to attend the first initiation ceremony for which you were eligible. If your membership certificate cannot be found or you lost your certificate, you may order an individual replacement initiation certificate through our online store to be mailed to you.

Membership Dues

CSI International New Member Dues (paid to CSI International): $50

CSI International Renewal Dues (paid to CSI International): $40 for one year, $75 for two years (save $5), $110 for three years (save $10)

CSI must apply an additional $25 fee to cover bank charges incurred by the Society for any returned check.

CSI chapters may charge chapter dues, payable directly to the chapter. CSI policy requires that chapter dues for new members may not exceed 50% of dues for CSI International.

Renewal Requests

Renewals may be completed online by logging into your CSI Member Profile. If you have previously been an approved and initiated member of CSI but let your membership expire, you may renew your membership by logging into your CSI Member Profile.

For assistance, you may contact info@csi-net.org.

Professionalism

CSI values high standards in the relatively young and emerging field of counseling. Along with credentialing, standards, and graduate school accreditation, CSI is striving to define and unify the counseling profession. One way we do this is through active, service oriented university based chapters composed of neophyte and experienced professional counselors.

Recognition

Recognition for the pursuit of personal excellence is a fundamental purpose of the Society. It is through the efforts of individual members that the collective influence of the Society is realized. As a consequence, the Society seeks to identify and encourage all those who have made a commitment to excel in all that they do. From the time of their first invitation to join the Society and throughout their professional careers, CSI strives to support and promote the activities of its members and chapters. In addition to the membership frameable certificate and recognition pin, members are encouraged to display honor regalia in their offices and to wear them at official functions as both a sign of their accomplishments and their continuing commitment to excellence.

Professional Development

Members are able to attend one-hour webinars for free and obtain free CE clock hours. Topics include leadership, professional and client advocacy, and professional issues.

Annual Conventions - During the Spring of each year, CSI meets concurrently with the American Counseling Association (ACA). The annual meeting serves as an ideal time to network with other counseling professionals and students, attend exciting workshops, and recognize outstanding academic and professional achievement. CSI also provides leadership training and related programs at the convention. ACA allocates 20 free conference registrations to CSI student members as well poster session

Resources

The Professional Member Committee has developed a brochure about CSI member benefits that chapters can download to share with their alumni and professional members.

Counselors' Bookshelf - CSI has developed a new interactive forum for CSI members to post reviews of books and other helpful resources. Reviews can be read by other counselors and responses can be posted by CSI members.

Exemplar - The CSI Exemplar is distributed three times a year to all CSI members, and is the main communication for informing members on a variety of professional topics and issues as well as activities of the Society. Its content encourages a commitment to and enthusiasm for academic and professional excellence in counseling. Periodically an additional issue is published on special topics such as social justice or mentoring and passageways to the profession. All past issues of the Exemplar are available on this web site.

Journal of Counselor Leadership & Advocacy - JCLA provides professional counselors, counselor educators, and counseling students with research and evidence-based recommendations in topics that promote scholarship, research, professionalism, leadership, advocacy, and excellence in counseling. Two issues of the journal are published annually.

Career Center - Chi Sigma Iota Job Links provides a listing of common websites that professional counselors can use when searching for a job. The websites are grouped by those that offer jobs specific to the profession of counseling, more general job related sites, and websites that provide information beneficial to the job search. CSI members may post job openings or search for job openings through our Job Links Forum. Instructions are included in the Forum to allow you to request an e-mail when new positions are posted in your area.

Leadership Development

Developing leaders for the Society as well as the profession is a part of the CSI mission. The CSI officers and Academy of Leaders for Excellence are a rich source for a variety of leadership development activities. These include occasional papers, articles and workshops focused on leadership. In addition to annual leadership training at the Spring conference, CSI leaders conduct leadership training at the chapter level. These activities augment the fellowship and intern programs of the Society. Combining rebates, grants, fellowships and internships, CSI funds approximately $80,000 for these purposes in the current year.

Awards

Awards - CSI chapters and members are always encouraged to strive for excellence and high achievement. Annual awards and fellowships are given during conventions to further compel students, faculty, and professionals to work for outstanding scholarship and professionalism.

CACREP Accreditation Standards

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Guiding Principles for the 2016 Faculty Standards, specifically for Standard I.X, call attention to the fact that "maintaining memberships...and engaging in service activities with organizations such as...Chi Sigma Iota (both at the chapter level and national level)... are considered clear indicators of professional counselor identity and can be used to demonstrate involvement in the counseling profession and its professional organizations.”

CACREP teams and Board members also have affirmed the co-curricular nature of CSI chapter activities toward meeting various accreditation standards.

NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider Status

Counselor education programs that have an active CSI chapter may take advantage of certain benefits in applying to be and serving as a National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP).

Historically, Chi Sigma Iota chapters had been able to offer professional development opportunities for National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) approved continuing education credit in partnership with their Counselor Education programs that held NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP) status.

Currently, NBCC policy requires ACEP status for all continuing education providers. As a demonstration of NBCC’s value and support of CSI International and its chapters, in 2016 NBCC made special accommodations just for CSI chapters to continue to offer NBCC-approved credit without chapters having to apply for and maintain ACEP status separate from their Counselor Education programs. These accommodations are specific to:

1. CSI Chapters In Counselor Education Programs With Active ACEP Status

   Active CSI chapters housed within Counselor Education programs that maintain active ACEP status may use the Counselor Education program’s ACEP number to co-sponsor (with the Counselor Education program) qualified professional development programs for NBCC credit.

2. CSI Chapters Within Counselor Education Programs Without Active ACEP Status

   A CSI chapter may not offer professional development programs for NBCC credit if its Counselor Education program does not have ACEP status or has allowed its ACEP status to lapse.

   A Counselor Education program that has never had ACEP status but that has an active CSI chapter can apply for NBCC ACEP status for free (waived application fee). The Counselor Education program Chairperson may submit the NBCC University Counselor Education Department Application directly to NBCC.

   A Counselor Education program that has a lapsed ACEP status may reinstate the ACEP status for a discounted fee.

ACEP annual maintenance fees are discounted for Counselor Education programs that maintain active CSI chapters.

Each CSI chapter must work directly with the ACEP administrator within their Counselor Education program to comply with the NBCC Continuing Education Provider Policy, including:

• verifying that the professional development program qualifies for NBCC credit;
• advertising the program consistent with NBCC policy;
• confirming that presenters are qualified;
• ensuring that certificates and evaluations meet NBCC standards; and
• maintaining required records.

ACEP administrators of Counselor Education programs should contact NBCC’s Continuing Education Department at continuinged@nbcc.org or 336-547-0607 with questions about ACEP status or NBCC policy requirements. (CSI Headquarters cannot provide assistance regarding NBCC ACEP questions or concerns.)

We encourage CSI chapters to use this special member benefit to continue to offer quality professional development opportunities and NBCC-approved continuing education credit to their members and communities!

Chapter Change Form

Member Status Change Form

To honor the contributions that members have made to the Society, the CSI Executive Council has approved the Acknowledging the Death of CSI Members Policy.

Acknowledging the Death of CSI Members Policy (2009; 2018)

• The Exemplar will acknowledge the death of CSI International Presidents and Academy of Leaders and Distinguished Scholars with an announcement of 400-450 words. This will highlight the deceased's career accomplishments, professional leadership, and CSI involvement.
• For all other CSI members, a memoriam of no more than 250 words can be submitted by the Chapter Faculty Advisor or Chapter President highlighting the deceased's career accomplishments, professional leadership, and CSI involvement. A picture may also be posted. This memoriam will be posted on the CSI website and remain on the web for two years.

Consistent with this policy, this page has been created for chapters and members to honor friends and colleagues who have been active in CSI through the Memorial to Members Forum. A Chapter Faculty Advisor or Chapter President may submit to CSI Headquarters (office@csi-net.org) a memoriam of no more than 250 words in which the deceased member's career accomplishments, professional leadership, and CSI involvement are highlighted and ask for the memorium to be published within the Memorial to Members Forum. A photo, links to websites with pictures, vita, etc. also may be submitted to complement the memorium posting.

Additionally, any active CSI member may contribute responses within a memorium.

As with all CSI publications, CSI reserves the right to edit or otherwise determine the suitability of material submitted as it relates to CSI policies and Bylaws.