FAQ for Administrators and Advisers
What administrative support is needed to establish an NEHS chapter?
- A minimum of three staff members are required to assist in the operation of the chapter. The principal of the school retains final and full authority on all aspects of the chapter and its activities. A faculty adviser, appointed by the principal, will handle the administration of the chapter.
- A Faculty Council of a minimum of two additional faculty members appointed by the principal assists in the development of chapter guidelines, selection of members, and chapter discipline as needed (the Faculty Council may not consist of support personnel, parents, or volunteers).
What is the principal’s role in an NEHS chapter?
- The principal retains final authority over all actions and decisions of the NEHS chapter, but the day-to-day administrative responsibilities are assigned to the chapter adviser. Principals may not serve as chapter adviser or as a member of the Faculty Council.
- The principal also hears appeals of decisions reached by the Faculty Council.
- As the educational leader on campus, the principal encourages the growth and development of the chapter and provides support for the activities planned and implemented by the chapter. The full range of duties are outlined in the National Constitution and explained in the NEHS National Handbook.
Must a principal be a member of NAESP or NASSP to establish a chapter of NEHS?
No. There is no requirement for principals to belong to either professional organization when establishing or maintaining a chapter. Principals who are not members are encouraged to visit www.naesp.org or www.nassp.org to learn how these two important educational associations support the best possible leadership for your school.
Who can serve as the chapter adviser for the NEHS chapter?
- Any member of the school’s professional staff (including teachers, guidance counselors, media center directors, etc.) can be appointed by the principal to serve as the chapter adviser.
- More than one faculty member can serve as chapter co-advisers, although for the national database, one of these individuals will need to be identified as the chapter’s official contact.
- Non-certified or support staff (e.g., cooks, custodians, secretaries, substitutes) and parents are not eligible to be chapter adviser. The principal or assistant principal may not be chapter adviser as explained in the NEHS National Handbook.
What roles do the faculty members play in running a chapter of NEHS?
- The principal appoints a chapter adviser to administer the chapter and its activities. The adviser also facilitates Faculty Council meetings. This individual has a variety of duties currently outlined in the National Constitution.(link)
- The Faculty Council is responsible for the selection of and any disciplinary decisions regarding chapter members.
- Remaining members of the faculty may be asked to voluntarily evaluate candidates during the selection process and to support activities of the chapter during the year.
How does the chapter adviser, stay up-to-date with the development of NEHS?
As with any professional responsibility, being chapter adviser requires ongoing attention. NEHS advisers are asked to keep up with three key resources from the national office designed to help them undertake their work as chapter adviser for NEHS.
- The first is the NEHS National Handbook. It provides the primary source of information regarding all policies, procedures, and programs of NEHS
- Second, the national Web site, www.nehs.org, particularly in the Adviser Zone where we are regularly adding materials and resources to assist you and your chapter
- Finally, communications from the national office including the NEHS Newsletter (September, December, March, and May) and the e-news that arrives via email during the months between the printed publications.
We hope you will keep these resources and pass them on to your successor.
Where do I find the governing documents containing guidelines and policies for our new NEHS chapter to follow?
The national guidelines for NEHS are found on the Web site and in the NEHS National Handbook. Clarification regarding any of the provisions of these guidelines can be obtained by emailing the staff at the National Office, nehs@nehs.org.
We already have an honor roll on our campus. Can those students become NEHS members?
NEHS is designed to be more than just an honor roll of all-A or A-B students; it uses a cumulative approach when calculating academic performance averages. The honor roll approach may exclude any student who makes a C or below. NEHS seeks to include more students than the traditional honor roll. However, NEHS can be a vehicle for extending recognition of students who earn positions on the honor roll.
What are the selection criteria for NEHS?
The four criteria (the requirements for membership) are: Scholarship, Responsibility, Leadership, and Service. Please see the extended discussion regarding each of these in the Student Membership section of this site.
Additional selection procedure questions covered in the Student Membership section include:
- How are schools expected to calculate the cumulative grade point average to determine student eligibility?
- Our school doesn’t calculate a cumulative GPA for students. How are we to identify candidates?
- What grades or courses should be considered when calculating the Scholarship criterion?
- Why are chapters being allowed to set their own Scholarship standard above the National standard?