A national honor society offering scholarships to undergraduates is experiencing problems locating potential members due to a recent software conversion.

Alpha Lambda Delta membership is available to students who achieve a minimum 3.5 GPA their first year on campus; however, following OU’s 2009 switch to oZONE, members of the society have reported difficulties accessing the information of eligible students.

Alpha Lambda Delta’s membership has dropped 43 percent since 2009, and the group could face loss of scholarships if the trend continues, faculty adviser Alice Lanning said.

“We depend on the university to supply us with the information for whether or not students qualify,” Lanning said. “With the change in student information systems from [a customer information control system] to oZONE it’s difficult accessing that information.”

The switch has caused decreases in enrollment for the honor society, but leaders aren’t upset with the system, Alpha Lambda Delta President Jordan Naylor said.

“This is one of those things that you are going to have to deal with when you develop a new system,” Naylor said.

The Alpha Lambda Delta National Council claims an endowment of more than $3 million that provides undergraduate scholarships of up to $3,000 to more than 260 member institutions, according to its website.

Naylor said the OU chapter awarded $6,000 in scholarships last year.

“In the past, we have sent letters to the students and a copy to their parents, and typically we get a lot of responses,” Lanning said. “The national organization allows us to apply for national scholarships based on how many new members we have each year.”

Alpha Lambda Delta will accept spring membership applications until Feb. 16.

By the numbers
2008 enrollment — 515 students
2009 enrollment — 285 students*
2010 enrollment — 360 students

*Year OU implemented oZONE

— Source: Jordan Naylor, Alpha Lambda Delta president