FAQ
What does Sigma Iota Rho stand for?
Sigma stands for "synesis," meaning prudence, iota for "ideodoi," meaning ideals, and "rho" for "rhomi," meaning power.
What are the origins of Sigma Iota Rho ?
Please refer to the Origins tab, under About.
What is the individual membership fee?
National dues are $55 per member for the standard induction kit. This one time fee is to be paid to the National Office in an institutional check, cashier’s check, or money order from the chapter's institution on behalf of all initiated members.
INDUCTION LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP FEES / INDUCTION KITS TYPES
SIR Lifetime Membership Fee with standard regalia: $55; includes certificate, cord, access to electronic journal, and pin.
SIR Lifetime Membership Fee with Stole in lieu of Cord regalia: $68; includes certificate, access to electronic journal, pin, and stole.
SIR Lifetime Membership Fee with Enhanced regalia: $73; includes certificate, cord, access to electronic journal, pin, and stole.
Who do I make the check out to?
The individual member should not send his or her check or cash directly to the National Office, no personal checks or cash will be accepted, but rather the check should come from the chapter's institution in the form of an institutional check, cashier’s check, or money order along with your invoice number. The payment should be made out to "Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies". If it is too long, it can be truncated to "Sigma Iota Rho Hnr Scty fr Int’l Stds". Any incorrect payments made payable to "Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania" will be returned and will need to be reissued to the correct payable name. The only exception is to those physical payments not expired and issued before Saturday, October 8, 2022.
Where do I mail the check to?
Sigma Iota Rho National Headquarters
c/o International Relations Program
Attention: Marisol Arcaya
10000 Lincoln Dr E
Suite 201
Marlton, NJ 08053-3108
Who is the President of Sigma Iota Rho?
Dr. Frank Plantan is the President of Sigma Iota Rho.
How do I get the membership packet to my chapter from the National Office in time for the induction?
In order to assure timely delivery, please contact us at least four weeks before the ceremony. In order to process your request, the national office requires the following materials:
Induction Spreadsheet completed, printed, and preferably included with your payment and emailed to national@sigmaiotarho.org. Click on the following link for the Induction Spreadsheet. Please complete all the columns listed for each member in the induction spreadsheet, it enables us to verify their membership status going forward. For instance, a non .edu email address.
Preferably include SIR Invoice number with payment.
Single institutional check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to the "Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies". If it is too long, it can be truncated to "Sigma Iota Rho Hnr Scty fr Int’l Stds". No cash or personal checks will be accepted, it will be considered a non-payment. We also accept electronic payments trough ZELLE® (similar to Venmo) and via ACH. Any electronic payments issued to "Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania" will be considered a nonpayment and it will be your SIR chapter's accounting department's responsibility to retrieve that payment and reissue it to the correct entity, as indicated below.
ZELLE®: Name: Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies. Email address to use: national@sigmaiotarho.org. Add in the memo field:
SIR Invoice # (This will be provided in our email correspondence.) and Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies. Zelle® is similar to Venmo. You connect your banking account or debit card to it to send money. If you don't have Zelle® available through your bank or credit union, you can still use it. Simply download the Zelle® app in the App Store or Google Play and enroll an eligible Visa® or Mastercard® debit card. For more information, click on the link below. How Zelle worksPlease email national@sigmaiotarho.org for ACH information, if applicable.
SHIPPING ADDRESS: When submitting your Fall, Spring, or Summer induction request please confirm your shipping (non P.O. Box) address. This will need to include the street address along with your building and room number, as applicable. Any shipping rate adjustment due to an inaccurate address will be billed to your SIR chapter.
When ready to send it in, please email information to Marisol Arcaya, Senior National Liaison, via national@sigmaiotarho.org
As a new member, what do I receive?
Upon initiation, new members will receive a certificate of membership, Sigma Iota Rho pin, graduation cord, and an electronic copy of the SIR publication: Journal of International Relations. Furthermore, SIR members will have access to internship and career databases, alumni relations, and membership in one of the world's most preeminent international relations honor societies.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
FOREIGN AFFAIRS:
SIR member ONLY subscription rate. Please check with your chapter’s faculty advisor for more information or email national@sigmaiotarho.org and be prepared to provide information that we can utilize to verify your membership status.
How long does it take to get membership certificates from the national office?
If the previous steps are followed, it should take approximately four weeks to receive the packet.
How do I order Induction Package Enhancement Items?
Please see our Induction Package Enhancement Items Section.
Does Sigma Iota Rho accept credit cards as a method of payment for purchasing merchandise?
As of now, SIR does not accept credit card payments when purchasing merchandise. We do accept institutional checks, cashier’s checks, and/or money orders made payable to "Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies". If it is too long for the physical payment method, it can be truncated to "Sigma Iota Rho Hnr Scty fr Int’l Stds". We also accept electronic payments through ZELLE® (similar to Venmo) and via ACH. Please email national@sigmaiotarho.org for ACH information.
ZELLE® information below:
Name: Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies
Email address to use: national@sigmaiotarho.org
Add in the memo field:
SIR Invoice # (This will be provided in our email correspondence.)
Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies
Zelle® is similar to Venmo. You connect your banking account or debit card to it to send money. If you don't have Zelle® available through your bank or credit union, you can still use it. Simply download the Zelle® app in the App Store or Google Play and enroll an eligible Visa® or Mastercard® debit card. For more information, click on the link below.
How Zelle works