Move to Digital Certificates

On January 1, 2024, Sigma Tau Delta moved to providing secure digital membership certificates to students (the Central Office will continue to mail pins to Chapter Advisors as they enroll new members). The decision to make this change has not been taken lightly. However, the following factors have influenced our decision-making process:

USPS is notoriously slow, meaning that printed membership certificates often do not arrive on time for induction ceremonies. Similarly, many certificates either never arrive or arrive damaged, resulting in reprinting of the certificates, repeated mailings, and more students and Chapter Advisors waiting.
Sigma Tau Delta inducts approximately 6,900 new student members each year. This means that we send out 6,900 printed certificates across the United States. The production of our certificates, their packaging, and their mailing make a small but, nonetheless unnecessary, contribution to the on-going global environmental and global warming crises.
The production and shipping of printed certificates is a significant, and constantly-increasing, cost for Sigma Tau Delta. We do not want to pass this cost on to students and chapters by increasing membership fees.
We have successfully trialed digital membership certificates for international chapters of our high school program, NEHS, throughout 2023.

Benefits of Moving to Digital Certificates

A quick turn-around time. You will have access to your certificates within 72 hours of student membership payments being authorized. No more lost or damaged certificates!
If you need to change the spelling of a student’s name, this can be done very quickly, and the updated certificate sent to you within minutes of the change being approved.
Similarly, if you ever need a copy of your students’ certificates, you will be able to get them quickly and easily.
Students can make easy use of digital membership certificates for university applications or professional portfolios.
The environmental cost of the digital certificates is negligible in comparison with printed certificates.
They will remain free of charge for all student members

If you have any questions about our transition to digital certificates, please contact Matt Hlinak, Sigma Tau Delta Executive Director.