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Metacognition

Metacognition is an awareness of one's thought processes and an understanding of the patterns behind them. The term comes from the root word meta, meaning "beyond", or "on top of". Metacognition can take many forms, such as reflecting on one's ways of thinking, and knowing when and how oneself and others use particular strategies for problem-solving. There are generally two components of metacognition: (1) cognitive conceptions and (2) cognitive regulation system. Research has shown that both components of metacognition play key roles in metaconceptual knowledge and learning. Metamemory, defined as knowing about memory and mnemonic strategies, is an important aspect of metacognition.

Writings on metacognition date back at least as far as two works by the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC): On the Soul and the Parva Naturalia.

Definitions
This higher-level cognition was given the label metacognition by American developmental psychologist John H. Flavell (1976).

The term metacognition literally means 'above cognition', and is used to indicate cognition about cognition, or more informally, thinking about thinking. Flavell defined metacognition as knowledge about cognition and control of cognition. For example, a person is engaging in metacognition if they notice that they are having more trouble learning A than B, or if it strikes them that they should double-check C before accepting it as fact. J. H. Flavell (1976, p. 232). Andreas Demetriou's theory (one of the neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive development) used the term hyper-cognition to refer to self-monitoring, self-representation, and self-regulation processes, which are regarded as integral components of the human mind. Moreover, with his colleagues, he showed that these processes participate in general intelligence, together with processing efficiency and reasoning, which have traditionally been considered to compose fluid intelligence.

Metacognition also involves thinking about one's own thinking process such as study skills, memory capabilities, and the ability to monitor learning. This concept needs to be explicitly taught along with content instruction.

Metacognition is a general term encompassing the study of memory-monitoring and self-regulation, meta-reasoning, consciousness/awareness and autonoetic consciousness/self-awareness. In practice these capacities are used to regulate one's own cognition, to maximize one's potential to think, learn and to the evaluation of proper ethical/moral rules. It can also lead to a reduction in response time for a given situation as a result of heightened awareness, and potentially reduce the time to complete problems or tasks.

In the domain of experimental psychology, an influential distinction in metacognition (proposed by T. O. Nelson & L. Narens) is between Monitoring—making judgments about the strength of one's memories—and Control—using those judgments to guide behavior (in particular, to guide study choices). Dunlosky, Serra, and Baker (2007) covered this distinction in a review of metamemory research that focused on how findings from this domain can be applied to other areas of applied research.

In the domain of cognitive neuroscience, metacognitive monitoring and control has been viewed as a function of the prefrontal cortex, which receives (monitors) sensory signals from other cortical regions and implements control using feedback loops (see chapters by Schwartz & Bacon and Shimamura, in Dunlosky & Bjork, 2008).

Metacognition is studied in the domain of artificial intelligence and modelling. Therefore, it is the domain of interest of emergent systemics.

Concepts and models
Metacognition has two interacting phenomena's guided by a person's cognitive regulation:

 * 1) Metacognitive knowledge (also called metacognitive awareness) is what individuals know about themselves and others like beliefs about thinking and such, as cognitive processors.
 * 2) Metacognitive experiences are those experiences that have something to do with the current, on-going cognitive endeavor.

Metacognition refers to a level of thinking and metacognitive regulation, the regulation of cognition and subsequent learning experiences that help people enhance their learning through a set of activities. It involves active metacognitive control or attention over the process in learning situations. The skills that aid in regulation involve planning the way to approach a learning task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating progress towards the completion of a task.

Metacognition includes at least three different types of metacognitive awareness when considering metacognitive knowledge:
 * 1) Declarative knowledge: refers to knowledge about oneself as a learner and about what factors can influence one's performance. Declarative knowledge can also be referred to as "world knowledge".
 * 2) Procedural knowledge: refers to knowledge about doing things. This type of knowledge is displayed as heuristics and strategies. A high degree of procedural knowledge can allow individuals to perform tasks more automatically. This is achieved through a large variety of strategies that can be accessed more efficiently.
 * 3) Conditional knowledge: refers to knowing when and why to use declarative and procedural knowledge. It allows students to allocate their resources when using strategies. This in turn allows the strategies to become more effective.

These types of metacognitive knowledge also include: In short, strategic knowledge involves knowing what (factual or declarative knowledge), knowing when and why (conditional or contextual knowledge) and knowing how (procedural or methodological knowledge).
 * Content knowledge (declarative knowledge) which is understanding one's own capabilities, such as a student evaluating their own knowledge of a subject in a class. It is notable that not all metacognition is accurate. Studies have shown that students often mistake lack of effort with understanding in evaluating themselves and their overall knowledge of a concept. Also, greater confidence in having performed well is associated with less accurate metacognitive judgment of the performance.
 * Task knowledge (procedural knowledge), which is how one perceives the difficulty of a task which is the content, length, and the type of assignment. The study mentioned in Content knowledge also deals with a person's ability to evaluate the difficulty of a task related to their overall performance on the task. Again, the accuracy of this knowledge was skewed as students who thought their way was better/easier also seemed to perform worse on evaluations, while students who were rigorously and continually evaluated reported to not be as confident but still did better on initial evaluations.
 * Strategic knowledge (conditional knowledge) is one's own capability for using strategies to learn information. Young children are not particularly good at this; it is not until students are in upper elementary school that they begin to develop an understanding of effective strategies.

Similar to metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive regulation or "regulation of cognition" contains three skills that are essential.
 * 1) Planning: refers to the appropriate selection of strategies and the correct allocation of resources that affect task performance.
 * 2) Monitoring: refers to one's awareness of comprehension and task performance
 * 3) Evaluating: refers to appraising the final product of a task and the efficiency at which the task was performed. This can include re-evaluating strategies that were used.

Metacognitive control is an important skill in cognitive regulation, it is about focusing cognitive resources on relevant information. Similarly, maintaining motivation to see a task to completion is also a metacognitive skill that is closely associated with the attentional control. The ability to become aware of distracting stimuli – both internal and external – and sustain effort over time also involves metacognitive or executive functions. Swanson (1990) found that metacognitive knowledge can compensate for IQ and lack of prior knowledge when comparing fifth and sixth grade students' problem solving. Students with a better metacognition were reported to have used fewer strategies, but solved problems more effectively than students with poor metacognition, regardless of IQ or prior knowledge.

A lack of awareness of one's own knowledge, thoughts, feelings, and adaptive strategies leads to inefficient control over them. Hence, metacognition is a necessary life skill that needs nurturing to improve one's quality of life. Maladaptive use of metacognitive skills in response to stress can strengthen negative psychological states and social responses, potentially leading to psychosocial dysfunction. Examples of maladaptive metacognitive skills include worry based on inaccurate cognitive conceptions, rumination, and hypervigilance. Continuous cycles of negative cognitive conceptions and the associated emotional burden often lead to negative coping strategies such as avoidance and suppression. These can foster pervasive learned helplessness and impair the formation of executive functions, negatively affecting an individual's quality of life.

The theory of metacognition plays a critical role in successful learning, and it's important for both students and teachers to demonstrate understanding of it. Students who underwent metacognitive training including pretesting, self evaluation, and creating study plans performed better on exams. They are self-regulated learners who utilize the "right tool for the job" and modify learning strategies and skills based on their awareness of effectiveness. Individuals with a high level of metacognitive knowledge and skill identify blocks to learning as early as possible and change "tools" or strategies to ensure goal attainment. A broader repertoire of "tools" also assists in goal attainment. When "tools" are general, generic, and context independent, they are more likely to be useful in different types of learning needs. In one study examining students who received text messages during college lectures, it was suggested that students with higher metacognitive self-regulation were less likely than other students to have their learning affected by keeping mobile phones switched on in classes.

Finally, there is no distinction between domain-general and domain-specific metacognitive skills. This means that metacognitive skills are domain-general in nature and there are no specific skills for certain subject areas. The metacognitive skills that are used to review an essay are the same as those that are used to verify an answer to a math question.

Related concepts
A number of theorists have proposed a common mechanism behind theory of mind, the ability to model and understand the mental states of others, and metacognition, which involves a theory of one's own mind's function. Direct evidence for this link is limited.

Several researchers have related mindfulness to metacognition. Mindfulness includes at least two mental processes: a stream of mental events and a higher level awareness of the flow of events. Mindfulness can be distinguished from some metacognition processes in that it is a conscious process.

Social metacognition
Although metacognition has thus far been discussed in relation to the self, recent research in the field has suggested that this view is overly restrictive. Instead, it is argued that metacognition research should also include beliefs about others' mental processes, the influence of culture on those beliefs, and on beliefs about ourselves. This "expansionist view" proposes that it is impossible to fully understand metacognition without considering the situational norms and cultural expectations that influence those same conceptions. This combination of social psychology and metacognition is referred to as social metacognition.

Social metacognition can include ideas and perceptions that relate to social cognition. Additionally, social metacognition can include judging the cognition of others, such as judging the perceptions and emotional states of others. This is in part because the process of judging others is similar to judging the self. However, individuals have less information about the people they are judging; therefore, judging others tends to be more inaccurate; an effect called the fundamental attribution error. Having similar cognitions can buffer against this inaccuracy and can be helpful for teams or organizations, as well as interpersonal relationships.

Social metacognition and the self concept
An example of the interaction between social metacognition and self-concept can be found in examining implicit theories about the self. Implicit theories can cover a wide range of constructs about how the self operates, but two are especially relevant here; entity theory and incrementalist theory. Entity theory proposes that an individual's self-attributes and abilities are fixed and stable, while incrementalist theory proposes that these same constructs can be changed through effort and experience. Entity theorists are susceptible to learned helplessness because they may feel that circumstances are outside their control (i.e. there's nothing that could have been done to make things better), thus they may give up easily. Incremental theorists react differently when faced with failure: they desire to master challenges, and therefore adopt a mastery-oriented pattern. They immediately began to consider various ways that they could approach the task differently, and they increase their efforts. Cultural beliefs can act on this as well. For example, a person who has accepted a cultural belief that memory loss is an unavoidable consequence of old age may avoid cognitively demanding tasks as they age, thus accelerating cognitive decline. Similarly, a woman who is aware of the stereotype that purports that women are not good at mathematics may perform worse on tests of mathematical ability or avoid mathematics altogether. These examples demonstrate that the metacognitive beliefs people hold about the self - which may be socially or culturally transmitted - can have important effects on persistence, performance, and motivation.

Attitudes as a function of social metacognition
The way that individuals think about attitude greatly affects the way that they behave. Metacognitions about attitudes influence how individuals act, and especially how they interact with others.

Some metacognitive characteristics of attitudes include importance, certainty, and perceived knowledge, and they influence behavior in different ways. Attitude importance is the strongest predictor of behavior and can predict information seeking behaviors in individuals. Attitude importance is also more likely to influence behavior than certainty of the attitude. When considering a social behavior like voting a person may hold high importance but low certainty. This means that they will likely vote, even if they are unsure whom to vote for. Meanwhile, a person who is very certain of who they want to vote for, may not actually vote if it is of low importance to them. This also applies to interpersonal relationships. A person might hold a lot of favorable knowledge about their family, but they may not maintain close relations with their family if it is of low importance.

Metacognitive characteristics of attitudes may be key to understanding how attitudes change. Research shows that the frequency of positive or negative thoughts is the biggest factor in attitude change. A person may believe that climate change is occurring but have negative thoughts toward it such as "If I accept the responsibilities of climate change, I must change my lifestyle". These individuals would not likely change their behavior compared to someone that thinks positively about the same issue such as "By using less electricity, I will be helping the planet".

Another way to increase the likelihood of behavior change is by influencing the source of the attitude. An individual's personal thoughts and ideas have a much greater impact on the attitude compared to ideas of others. Therefore, when people view lifestyle changes as coming from themselves, the effects are more powerful than if the changes were coming from a friend or family member. These thoughts can be re-framed in a way that emphasizes personal importance, such as "I want to stop smoking because it is important to me" rather than "quitting smoking is important to my family". More research needs to be conducted on culture differences and importance of group ideology, which may alter these results.

Social metacognition and stereotypes
People have secondary cognitions about the appropriateness, justifiability, and social judgability of their own stereotypic beliefs. People know that it is typically unacceptable to make stereotypical judgments and make conscious efforts not to do so. Subtle social cues can influence these conscious efforts. For example, when given a false sense of confidence about their ability to judge others, people will return to relying on social stereotypes. Cultural backgrounds influence social metacognitive assumptions, including stereotypes. For example, cultures without the stereotype that memory declines with old age display no age differences in memory performance.

When it comes to making judgments about other people, implicit theories about the stability versus malleability of human characteristics predict differences in social stereotyping as well. Holding an entity theory of traits increases the tendency for people to see similarity among group members and utilize stereotyped judgments. For example, compared to those holding incremental beliefs, people who hold entity beliefs of traits use more stereotypical trait judgments of ethnic and occupational groups as well as form more extreme trait judgments of new groups. When an individual's assumptions about a group combine with their implicit theories, more stereotypical judgments may be formed. Stereotypes that one believes others hold about them are called metastereotypes.

Chimpanzees
Beran, Smith, and Perdue (2013) found that chimpanzees showed metacognitive monitoring in the information-seeking task. In their studies, three language-trained chimpanzees were asked to use the keyboard to name the food item in order to get the food. The food in the container was either visible to them or they had to move toward the container to see its contents. Studies shown that chimpanzees were more often to check what was in the container first if the food in the container was hidden. But when the food was visible to them, the chimpanzees were more likely to directly approach the keyboard and reported the identity of the food without looking again in the container. Their results suggested that chimpanzees know what they have seen and show effective information-seeking behavior when information is incomplete.

Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)
Morgan et al. (2014) investigated whether rhesus macaques can make both retrospective and prospective metacognitive judgments on the same memory task. Risk choices were introduced to assess the monkey's confidence about their memories. Two male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were trained in a computerized token economy task first in which they can accumulate tokens to exchange food rewards. Monkeys were presented with multiple images of common objects simultaneously and then a moving border appearing on the screen indicating the target. Immediately following the presentation, the target images and some distractors were shown in the test. During the training phase, monkeys received immediate feedback after they made responses. They can earn two tokens if they make correct choices but lost two tokens if they were wrong.

In Experiment 1, the confidence rating was introduced after they completed their responses in order to test the retrospective metamemory judgments. After each response, a high-risk and a low-risk choice were provided to the monkeys. They could earn one token regardless of their accuracy if they choose the low-risk option. When they chose high-risk, they were rewarded with three tokens if their memory response was correct on that trial but lost three tokens if they made incorrect responses. Morgan and colleagues (2014) found a significant positive correlation between memory accuracy and risk choice in two rhesus monkeys. That is, they were more likely to select the high-risk option if they answered correctly in the working memory task but select the low-risk option if they were failed in the memory task.

Then Morgan et al. (2014) examine monkeys’ prospective metacognitive monitoring skills in Experiment 2. This study employed the same design except that two monkeys were asked to make low-risk or high-risk confidence judgment before they make actual responses to measure their judgments about future events. Similarly, the monkeys were more often to choose high-risk confidence judgment before answering correctly in working memory task and tended to choose the low-risk option before providing an incorrect response. These two studies indicated that rhesus monkeys can accurately monitor their performance and provided evidence of metacognitive abilities in monkeys.

In rats
In addition to nonhuman primates, other animals are also shown metacognition. Foote and Crystal (2007) provided the first evidence that rats have the knowledge of what they know in a perceptual discrimination task. Rats were required to classify brief noises as short or long. Some noises with intermediate durations were difficult to discriminate as short or long. Rats were provided with an option to decline to take the test on some trials but were forced to make responses on other trials. If they chose to take the test and respond correctly, they would receive a high reward but no reward if their classification of noises was incorrect. But if the rats decline to take the test, they would be guaranteed a smaller reward. The results showed that rats were more likely to decline to take the test when the difficulty of noise discrimination increased, suggesting rats knew they do not have the correct answers and declined to take the test to receive the reward. Another finding is that the performance was better when they had chosen to take the test compared with if the rats were forced to make responses, proving that some uncertain trials were declined to improve the accuracy.

These responses pattern might be attributed to actively monitor their own mental states. Alternatively, external cues such as environmental cue associations could be used to explain their behaviors in the discrimination task. Rats might have learned the association between intermediate stimuli and the decline option over time. Longer response latencies or some features inherent to stimuli can serve as discriminative cues to decline tests. Therefore, Templer, Lee, and Preston (2017) utilized an olfactory-based delayed match to sample (DMTS) memory task to assess whether rats were capable of metacognitive responding adaptively. Rats were exposed to sample odor first and chose to either decline or take the four-choice memory test after a delay. The correct choices of odor were associated with high reward and incorrect choices have no reward. The decline options were accompanied by a small reward.

In experiment 2, some “no-sample” trials were added in the memory test in which no odor was provided before the test. They hypothesized that rats would decline more often when there was no sample odor presented compared with odor presented if rats could internally assess the memory strength. Alternatively, if the decline option was motivated by external environmental cues, the rats would be less likely to decline the test because no available external cues were presented. The results showed that rats were more likely to decline the test in no-sample trials relative to normal sample trials, supporting the notion that rats can track their internal memory strength.

To rule out other potential possibilities, they also manipulated memory strength by providing the sampled odor twice and varying the retention interval between the learning and the test. Templer and colleagues (2017) found rats were less likely to decline the test if they had been exposed to the sample twice, suggesting that their memory strength for these samples was increased. Longer delayed sample test was more often declined than short delayed test because their memory was better after the short delay. Overall, their series of studies demonstrated that rats could distinguish between remembering and forgetting and rule out the possibilities that decline use was modulated by the external cues such as environmental cue associations.

In pigeons
Research on metacognition of pigeons has shown limited success. Inman and Shettleworth (1999) employed the delayed match to sample (DMTS) procedure to test pigeons’ metacognition. Pigeons were presented with one of three sample shapes (a triangle, a square, or a star) and then they were required to peck the matched sample when three stimuli simultaneously appeared on the screen at the end of the retention interval. A safe key was also presented in some trials next to three sample stimuli which allow them to decline that trial. Pigeons received a high reward for pecking correct stimuli, a middle-level reward for pecking the safe key, and nothing if they pecked the wrong stimuli. Inman and Shettleworth's (1999) first experiment found that pigeons’ accuracies were lower and they were more likely to choose the safe key as the retention interval between presentation of stimuli and test increased. However, in Experiment 2, when pigeons were presented with the option to escape or take the test before the test phase, there was no relationship between choosing the safe key and longer retention interval. Adams and Santi (2011) also employed the DMTS procedure in a perceptual discrimination task during which pigeons were trained to discriminate between durations of illumination. Pigeons did not choose the escape option more often as the retention interval increased during initial testing. After extended training, they learned to escape the difficult trials. However, these patterns might be attributed to the possibility that pigeons learned the association between escape responses and longer retention delay.

In addition to DMTS paradigm, Castro and Wasserman (2013) proved that pigeons can exhibit adaptive and efficient information-seeking behavior in the same-different discrimination task. Two arrays of items were presented simultaneously in which the two sets of items were either identical or different from one another. Pigeons were required to distinguish between the two arrays of items in which the level of difficulty was varied. Pigeons were provided with an “Information” button and a “Go” button on some trials that they could increase the number of items in the arrays to make the discrimination easier or they can prompt to make responses by pecking the Go button. Castro and Wasserman found that the more difficult the task, the more often pigeons chose the information button to solve the discrimination task. This behavioral pattern indicated that pigeons could evaluate the difficulty of the task internally and actively search for information when is necessary.

In dogs
Dogs have shown a certain level of metacognition that they are sensitive to information they have acquired or not. Belger & Bräuer (2018) examined whether dogs could seek additional information when facing uncertain situations. The experimenter put the reward behind one of the two fences in which dogs can see or cannot see where the reward was hidden. After that, dogs were encouraged to find the reward by walking around one fence. The dogs checked more frequently before selecting the fence when they did not see the baiting process compared with when they saw where the reward was hidden. However, contrary to apes, dogs did not show more checking behaviors when the delay between baiting the reward and selecting the fence was longer. Their findings suggested that dogs have some aspect of information-searching behaviors but less flexibly compared to apes.

In dolphins
Smith et al. (1995) evaluated whether dolphins have the ability of metacognitive monitoring in an auditory threshold paradigm. A bottlenosed dolphin was trained to discriminate between high-frequency tones and low-frequency tones. An escape option was available on some trials associated with a small reward. Their studies showed that dolphins could appropriately use the uncertain response when the trials were difficult to discriminate.

Debate
There is consensus that nonhuman primates, especially great apes and rhesus monkeys, exhibit metacognitive control and monitoring behaviors. But less convergent evidence was found in other animals such as rats and pigeons. Some researchers criticized these methods and posited that these performances might be accounted for by low-level conditioning mechanisms. Animals learned the association between reward and external stimuli through simple reinforcement models. However, many studies have demonstrated that the reinforcement model alone cannot explain animals’ behavioral patterns. Animals have shown adaptive metacognitive behavior even with the absence of concrete reward.

Strategies
Metacognitive-like processes are especially ubiquitous when it comes to the discussion of self-regulated learning. Self-regulation requires metacognition by looking at one's awareness of their learning and planning further learning methodology. Attentive metacognition is a salient feature of good self-regulated learners, but does not guarantee automatic application. Reinforcing collective discussion of metacognition is a salient feature of self-critical and self-regulating social groups. The activities of strategy selection and application include those concerned with an ongoing attempt to plan, check, monitor, select, revise, evaluate, etc.

Metacognition is 'stable' in that learners' initial decisions derive from the pertinent facts about their cognition through years of learning experience. Simultaneously, it is also 'situated' in the sense that it depends on learners' familiarity with the task, motivation, emotion, and so forth. Individuals need to regulate their thoughts about the strategy they are using and adjust it based on the situation to which the strategy is being applied. At a professional level, this has led to emphasis on the development of reflective practice, particularly in the education and health-care professions.

Recently, the notion has been applied to the study of second language learners in the field of TESOL and applied linguistics in general (e.g., Wenden, 1987; Zhang, 2001, 2010). This new development has been much related to Flavell (1979), where the notion of metacognition is elaborated within a tripartite theoretical framework. Learner metacognition is defined and investigated by examining their person knowledge, task knowledge and strategy knowledge.

Wenden (1991) has proposed and used this framework and Zhang (2001) has adopted this approach and investigated second language learners' metacognition or metacognitive knowledge. In addition to exploring the relationships between learner metacognition and performance, researchers are also interested in the effects of metacognitively-oriented strategic instruction on reading comprehension (e.g., Garner, 1994, in first language contexts, and Chamot, 2005; Zhang, 2010). The efforts are aimed at developing learner autonomy, interdependence and self-regulation.

Metacognition helps people to perform many cognitive tasks more effectively. Strategies for promoting metacognition include self-questioning (e.g. "What do I already know about this topic? How have I solved problems like this before?"), thinking aloud while performing a task, and making graphic representations (e.g. concept maps, flow charts, semantic webs) of one's thoughts and knowledge. Carr, 2002, argues that the physical act of writing plays a large part in the development of metacognitive skills.

Strategy Evaluation matrices (SEM) can help to improve the knowledge of cognition component of metacognition. The SEM works by identifying the declarative (Column 1), procedural (Column 2) and conditional (Column 3 and 4) knowledge about specific strategies. The SEM can help individuals identify the strength and weaknesses about certain strategies as well as introduce them to new strategies that they can add to their repertoire.

A regulation checklist (RC) is a useful strategy for improving the regulation of cognition aspect of one's metacognition. RCs help individuals to implement a sequence of thoughts that allow them to go over their own metacognition. King (1991) found that fifth-grade students who used a regulation checklist outperformed control students when looking at a variety of questions including written problem solving, asking strategic questions, and elaborating information.

Examples of strategies that can be taught to students are word analysis skills, active reading strategies, listening skills, organizational skills and creating mnemonic devices.

Walker and Walker have developed a model of metacognition in school learning termed Steering Cognition, which describes the capacity of the mind to exert conscious control over its reasoning and processing strategies in relation to the external learning task. Studies have shown that pupils with an ability to exert metacognitive regulation over their attentional and reasoning strategies used when engaged in maths, and then shift those strategies when engaged in science or then English literature learning, associate with higher academic outcomes at secondary school.

Metastrategic knowledge
"Metastrategic knowledge" (MSK) is a sub-component of metacognition that is defined as general knowledge about higher order thinking strategies. MSK had been defined as "general knowledge about the cognitive procedures that are being manipulated". The knowledge involved in MSK consists of "making generalizations and drawing rules regarding a thinking strategy" and of "naming" the thinking strategy.

The important conscious act of a metastrategic strategy is the "conscious" awareness that one is performing a form of higher order thinking. MSK is an awareness of the type of thinking strategies being used in specific instances and it consists of the following abilities: making generalizations and drawing rules regarding a thinking strategy, naming the thinking strategy, explaining when, why and how such a thinking strategy should be used, when it should not be used, what are the disadvantages of not using appropriate strategies, and what task characteristics call for the use of the strategy.

MSK deals with the broader picture of the conceptual problem. It creates rules to describe and understand the physical world around the people who utilize these processes called higher-order thinking. This is the capability of the individual to take apart complex problems in order to understand the components in problem. These are the building blocks to understanding the "big picture" (of the main problem) through reflection and problem solving.

Action
Both social and cognitive dimensions of sporting expertise can be adequately explained from a metacognitive perspective according to recent research. The potential of metacognitive inferences and domain-general skills including psychological skills training are integral to the genesis of expert performance. Moreover, the contribution of both mental imagery (e.g., mental practice) and attentional strategies (e.g., routines) to our understanding of expertise and metacognition is noteworthy. The potential of metacognition to illuminate our understanding of action was first highlighted by Aidan Moran who discussed the role of meta-attention in 1996. A recent research initiative, a research seminar series called META funded by the BPS, is exploring the role of the related constructs of meta-motivation, meta-emotion, and thinking and action (metacognition).

Sparks of interest
In the context of mental health, metacognition can be loosely defined as the process that "reinforces one's subjective sense of being a self and allows for becoming aware that some of one's thoughts and feelings are symptoms of an illness". The interest in metacognition emerged from a concern for an individual's ability to understand their own mental status compared to others as well as the ability to cope with the source of their distress. These insights into an individual's mental health status can have a profound effect on overall prognosis and recovery. Metacognition brings many unique insights into the normal daily functioning of a human being. It also demonstrates that a lack of these insights compromises 'normal' functioning. This leads to less healthy functioning. In the autism spectrum, it is speculated that there is a profound deficit in theory of mind. In people who identify as alcoholics, there is a belief that the need to control cognition is an independent predictor of alcohol use over anxiety. Alcohol may be used as a coping strategy for controlling unwanted thoughts and emotions formed by negative perceptions. This is sometimes referred to as self medication.

Implications
Adrian Wells' and Gerald Matthews' theory proposes that when faced with an undesired choice, an individual can operate in two distinct modes: "object" and "metacognitive". Object mode interprets perceived stimuli as truth, where metacognitive mode understands thoughts as cues that have to be weighted and evaluated. They are not as easily trusted. There are targeted interventions unique of each patient, that gives rise to the belief that assistance in increasing metacognition in people diagnosed with schizophrenia is possible through tailored psychotherapy. With a customized therapy in place, clients then have the potential to develop greater ability to engage in complex self-reflection. This can ultimately be pivotal in the patient's recovery process. In the obsessive–compulsive spectrum, cognitive formulations have greater attention to intrusive thoughts related to the disorder. "Cognitive self-consciousness" are the tendencies to focus attention on thought. Patients with OCD exemplify varying degrees of these "intrusive thoughts". Patients also with generalized anxiety disorder also show negative thought process in their cognition.

Cognitive-attentional syndrome (CAS) characterizes a metacognitive model of emotion disorder (CAS is consistent with the attention strategy of excessively focusing on the source of a threat). This ultimately develops through the client's own beliefs. Metacognitive therapy attempts to correct this change in the CAS. One of the techniques in this model is called attention training (ATT). It was designed to diminish the worry and anxiety by a sense of control and cognitive awareness. ATT also trains clients to detect threats and test how controllable reality appears to be.

Following the work of Asher Koriat, who regards confidence as central aspect of metacognition, metacognitive training for psychosis aims at decreasing overconfidence in patients with schizophrenia and raising awareness of cognitive biases. According to a meta-analysis, this type of intervention improves delusions and hallucinations.

Works of art as metacognitive artifacts
The concept of metacognition has also been applied to reader-response criticism. Narrative works of art, including novels, movies and musical compositions, can be characterized as metacognitive artifacts which are designed by the artist to anticipate and regulate the beliefs and cognitive processes of the recipient, for instance, how and in which order events and their causes and identities are revealed to the reader of a detective story. As Menakhem Perry has pointed out, mere order has profound effects on the aesthetical meaning of a text. Narrative works of art contain a representation of their own ideal reception process. They are something of a tool with which the creators of the work wish to attain certain aesthetical and even moral effects.

Mind wandering
There is an intimate, dynamic interplay between mind wandering and metacognition. Metacognition serves to correct the wandering mind, suppressing spontaneous thoughts and bringing attention back to more "worthwhile" tasks.

Organizational metacognition
The concept of metacognition has also been applied to collective teams and organizations in general, termed organizational metacognition.

title: Metacognition


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Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (ΔΣΘ) is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta was founded on 1913-01-13 by twenty-two women at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Membership is open to any woman, regardless of religion, race, or nationality. Women may apply to join through undergraduate chapters at a college or university or through an alumnae chapter after earning a college degree.

The sorority currently has over 350,000 members and over 1,000 chapters located in the Bahamas, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bermuda, Canada, England, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, West Africa and South Africa, South Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States. Delta Sigma Theta is also a member of the umbrella organization National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) – an organization of nine international Black Greek-letter sororities and fraternities. The current (28th) International President and CEO is Elsie Cooke-Holmes.

The first public act of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was some of its members marched as students of Howard University, in the collegiate section in the Women's Suffrage March in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 1913. Delta Sigma Theta has created programming to improve political, education, and social and economic conditions, particularly within black communities. The sorority is most known for its collaboration with community organizations and corporations to further its programming goals. The sorority reached a centennial year and became the first Black Greek-lettered organization to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, on January 1, 2013, with a float entitled "Transforming Communities through Sisterhood and Service".

Creation
On January 13, 1913, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated was founded by twenty-two women at Howard University. Some of the founders were former members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority who wanted to change the sorority's name, color, and symbols. In 1912, they proposed a vote to change the organization's name. This new name was to reflect the group's desire to change the visual image of the name of the group to look less like Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

The 22 founders of Delta Sigma Theta sorority are: • Osceola Macarthy Adams

• Marguerite Young Alexander

• Winona Cargile Alexander

• Ethel Cuff Black

• Bertha Pitts Campbell

• Zephyr Chisom Carter

• Mary Edna Brown Coleman

• Jessie McGuire Dent

• Frederica Chase Dodd

• Myra Davis Hemmings

• Olive Claire Jones

• Jimmie Bugg Middleton

• Pauline Oberdorfer Minor

• Vashti Turley Murphy

• Naomi Sewell Richardson

• Mammie Reddy Rose

• Eliza Pearl Shippen

• Florence Letcher Toms

• Ethel Carr Watson

• Wertie Blackwell Weaver

• Madree Penn White

• Edith Motte Young

According to Delta Sigma Theta's historian, Paula Giddings, the 22 founders were believed that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority did not have a charter, they believed they had no "legal entity". The young women believed that no charter meant there was no authority to form other chapters, thus limiting their ability to expand the scope of their activities. During the meeting where the changes were discussed, the past president from a few months prior, Nellie Quander, disagreed with the proposed changes and got the women to table the discussion until the entire membership had been polled.

On January 13, 1913, the women named the sorority Delta Sigma Theta and decided to reorganize and incorporate at that meeting. The new sorority's Alpha chapter was incorporated on February 18, 1913. On January 20, 1930, the organization's Grand Chapter was nationally incorporated. This incorporation allowed them to have authority over all of their chapters.

Development of infrastructure and programming: 1914–1930
Immediately following the founding, Delta Sigma Theta members quickly mobilized to build and develop infrastructure and implement programming. One of the first orders of business was to have an oath, which was written by Mary Church Terrell in 1914. In the early years, individual chapters would implement various programs to meet the needs of their local communities. The 1920s began a decade of significant development within Delta Sigma Theta. The organization began to develop uniformity in programming and communication between the chapters of the sorority. In 1920, May Week was developed to encourage Black women to attend college, and the Official Publication of the Sorority was established as "The Delta". Also in 1920, the Omega Chapter was established to recognize deceased Sorors, and Sadie T.M. Alexander was voted the first Honorary Grand President of Delta Sigma Theta. The official Delta Sigma Theta Hymn, written by Florence Cole Talbert and Alice Dunbar Nelson, was adopted in 1924. Regions were established in 1925, and the Jabberwock was established as the scholarship fundraiser. The scholarship and standards committee was established in 1929. Under the threat of losing its name, the sorority sought national incorporation. On January 20, 1930, the Grand Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was incorporated as a perpetual body, which eliminated the need for each chapter to seek its charter.

Program expansion: 1931–1955
The incorporation of the Sorority in 1930 allowed Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to legally continue its expansion of chapters. Before the establishment of perpetual bodies, new chapters had to apply for separate charters within their respective localities. However, with the national organization incorporated, chartering chapters became easier for regional leadership. The National Library Project was established in 1937 to provide access to books for Blacks in rural areas of the South where either no libraries were located, or they were not accessible to Blacks. They were able to loan books to some of the communities in at least 2 counties in the states of North Carolina and Georgia. The National Victory Book Drive occurred in 1943 to provide books to servicemen. In 1945, Delta Sigma Theta donated its first $1,000 to the United Negro College Fund. Also in 1945, Delta Sigma Theta, along with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Zeta Phi Beta, and Sigma Gamma Rho establish the American Council on Human Rights which had the goal to "mobilize the influence and resources of its members in the struggle for justice and equal opportunity for all U.S. Citizens." While there were many struggles for minorities and women within the United States, Delta leadership also realized the great struggle others of African descent faced around the world, which led to the establishment of the first foreign chapter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1950. Given the great expansion of programming, and the increasing number of chapters and members, Delta Sigma Theta leadership realized there needed to be one central location in which all properties and records could be housed, and in 1953, Delta had the dedication of its first National Headquarters. In continuing to assist persons in need abroad, Delta established the Maternity Ward at Thika Memorial Hospital in 1955.

Women's and civil rights: 1956–1970
Delta had previously moved toward having some uniformity of programming among chapters, with two international programs abroad. As it began its fifth decade of existence, the organization wanted to ensure that all chapters would focus their programming around one national centralized theme. Thus, the Five Point Thrust was implemented in 1956 by the 10th National President Dorothy Height. The five-point thrust is the five areas under which all Delta programming falls; the thrust is Educational Development, Economic Development, Physical and Mental Health, Political Awareness and Involvement, and International Awareness and Involvement. In 1960, Delta co-sponsored the National Organization of Women for Equality in Education conference. In 1963, while celebrating its 50th anniversary, Delta participated in the March on Washington and established the Social Action Commission at the 27th National Convention. In 1966, Delta Teen Lift was established and the Delta Sigma Theta Executive Board was received in the White House by President Lyndon B. Johnson to discuss community issues and concerns in 1967. In 1968, the Unwed Mothers program was established, and in 1970 Delta sponsored the East African International Women's Seminar in Nairobi, Kenya.

Education: 1971–1975
While many strides had been made in the fifties and sixties to outlaw de jure segregation and discriminatory practices in schooling and public accommodations, many de facto discriminatory practices persisted. Delta understood the importance of education, and how educating communities would be essential in eradicating discrimination. In 1971, Delta and the Congressional Black Caucus co-sponsored National Policy Conferences on Education for Blacks, which focused on disparities and deficiencies in schools with high Black populations. The right-to-read program was established in 1973 to help the functionally illiterate. In 1975, Delta established life development centers to focus on issues placed by individuals from early childhood to senior citizens.

Support of women and mothers: 1976–1999
In 1979, the Fortitude sculpture was unveiled on the campus of Howard University. "Fortitude" was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture survey in 1993. The sculpture depicts a figure of a woman cut from a thin piece of metal. She "wears" a sleeveless dress, and high heels and has short, straight hair. She is walking; with her proper left arm swinging above her head and her proper right arm back behind her. The sculpture was unveiled on April 28, 1979, at 3:15 p.m. by members of Delta Sigma Theta, to honor the founders of the service sorority. The sculpture is described as symbolizing "the attributes of strength, courage, hope, wisdom, beauty and femininity as depicted by the 22 founders of Delta Sigma Theta".

In the early 1980s, the sorority began holding "Summits" which focused on various issues within the African American Community. Delta felt the need to bring attention to issues that affect minorities and women that remained largely ignored in the United States. In 1981, Delta held Summit I which focused on issues affecting American women. Summit II, a call to action in support of single parenting, was held in 1984. The Delta Research and Education Foundation sponsored an international conference in Nassau, Bahamas entitled, "Woman to Woman: Single Parenting from a Global Perspective" in 1987. In 1989, the School America program was established.

National and international programming: 1990–2002
With significant scope and depth in the existing programming, Delta members felt the need to establish programming that enlarged the scope and reach of sorority activity. The First Delta Days in the nation's Capital was held in 1990 in Washington, D.C. At the event, Delta members met with congressional members to discuss policies that affected minorities and women. In 1992, Delta Sigma Theta became the first African American organization to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity and has built hundreds of houses for those in need. Delta held its Summit III, preparing young men for manhood, in 1993, in response to alarming dropout and incarceration rates among young men. In 1996, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, Delta traveled to Ghana and built 40 homes. Delta adopted the Adelaide Tambo School for the Physically Disabled in South Africa. In that same year, Delta received $1.6 million from NSF for project SEE [Science and Everyday Experiences], and traveled to Swaziland in southern Africa, to break ground for the Delta house that would be housing for children who became orphans due to their parents dying from HIV/AIDS, and dedicated the computer training center in Lesotho. In 2002, Delta was the second African American organization, after NCNW, to receive Special Consultative NGO status with the United Nations.

Symbols
Delta Sigma Theta's colors are crimson and cream. Its symbols are the pyramid, fortitude, and the Delta torch. Its flower is the African violet.

Chapters
The sorority initially expanded with Beta chapter, established at Wilberforce University on February 5, 1914. Gamma chapter was established in 1918 at the University of Pennsylvania. Soon after, the Delta chapter was established on April 4, 1919 at the University of Iowa and ''Epsilon chapter at The Ohio State University on November 19, 1919.

The women also quickly realized that membership continued beyond undergraduate years and responded to the need for alumnae chapters. The first graduate chapters were authorized in 1920 at the Second National Convention for graduate members in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Delta Sigma Theta expanded west of the Rocky Mountains with the chartering of the Kappa chapter at the University of California in February 1921; however, its members weren't initiated until September 1922.

Many Delta members continue to be active in alumnae chapters after graduating from college, and many join at the alumnae level. Delta Sigma Theta has more than 1,000 chapters, located in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, England, Germany, Korea, Japan, Bermuda, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, West Africa, South Africa and Bahamas.

Membership
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is the largest African American Women's organization in the world and has a membership of over 350,000 college-educated women around the world. During the membership intake period, initiates are members of the Pyramid Club. The term soror, Latin for sister, is used among members of the sorority when referring to and addressing each other.

Many members have been recognized as leaders in community activism, athletics, business, education and scholarship, entertainment, media, and literature, as well as in government.

National Headquarters
In 1953, Delta Sigma Theta purchased a national headquarters site located at 1814 M St. NW in Washington, D.C. In 1972 the Sorority moved its headquarters to New Hampshire Ave. NW in Dupont Circle. The sorority headquarters is currently located at the property located at 1701, 1703, 1705, 1707, and 1709 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. in the historic Dupont Circle neighborhood. In addition to serving as the national headquarters, the buildings house the Delta Research and Education Foundation (DREF), national staff and records, and equipment systems necessary to conduct Delta Sigma Theta's business.

National presidents
• Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander 1919–1923

• Dorothy Pelham Beckley 1923–1926

• Ethel Lamay Calimese, 1926–1929

• Anna Johnson Julian, 1929–1931

• Gladys Byram Shepperd, 1931–1933

• Jeannette Tripplett Jones, 1933–1935

• Vivian Osborne Marsh, 1935–1939

• Helen Elsie Austin, 1939–1944

• Mae Wright Downs Allen Peck Williams, 1944–1947

• Dorothy Irene Height, 1947–1956

• Dorothy Penman Harrison, 1956–1958

• Jeanne Laveta Noble, 1958–1963

• Geraldine Pittman Woods, 1963–1967

• Frankie Muse Freeman, 1967–1971

• Lillian Pierce Benbow, 1971–1975

• Thelma Thomas Daley, 1975–1979

• Mona Humphries Bailey, 1979–1983

• Elizabeth Hortense Golden Canady, 1983–1988

• Yvonne Kennedy, 1988–1992

• Bertha Maxwell Roddey, 1992–1996

• Marcia Louise Fudge, 1996–2000

• Gwendolyn Elizabeth Boyd, 2000–2004

• Louise Allen Rice, 2004–2008

• Cynthia Marie Antoinette Butler-McIntyre, 2008–2013

• Paulette Camille Walker, 2013–2017

• Beverly Evans Smith, 2017–2021

• Cheryl Adrienne Hickmon, 2021–2022

• Elsie Cooke-Holmes, 2022-Present

Regions
In 1925, the sorority began to organize its chapters into geographical regions. Initially, it created four regions: Eastern, Midwest, Far West, and Southern. Seven years later, the Central Region was established. In 1960, the Mid-Atlantic region was created. North and South Carolina left the Southern Region to become part of the new South Atlantic Region.

Each of the seven regions is led by a regional director and a collegiate regional representative, who provides a voice for the sorority's college-based members. Regional conferences are held biennially, alternating with the years in which National Conventions are held.

Programs
Delta Sigma Theta has provided assistance to address the challenges faced by people in the United States and internationally as well. Over the years, the sorority has established programs to provide and improve education, health care, and international development, and strengthen the African-American family.

Five-Point Thrust
Delta Sigma Theta provides public service initiatives through the Five-Point Program Thrust. Delta Sigma Theta uses the Five-Point Programmatic Thrust as an organizing structure as it creates programs to benefit the African-American community. The Five-Point Programmatic Thrust was established in 1955.

 * 1) Economic Development;
 * 2) Educational Development;
 * 3) International Awareness and Involvement;
 * 4) Physical and Mental Health; and
 * 5) Political Awareness and Involvement.

Each program's development and implementation operates cooperatively, coordinated by committees, the national executive board, and national headquarters staff. Leaders belonging to the Program Planning and Development Committee, Social Action Commission, Commission on Arts and Letters, Information and Communications Committee, Membership Services Committee, and Regional Officers also participate in developing programming to meet the Five-Point Programmatic Thrust.

Delta Sigma Theta Jabberwock
Jabberwock, an annual variety show consisting of cultural expression and talent – such as music, skits, and dance – was initiated by Marion Conover-Hope in 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts. Locally produced Jabberwock shows served as fundraisers for many chapters of the sorority. Funds from the programs support scholarships for youths and other public service projects. The program encourages and assists in the development of young individual talents. On December 28, 1947, the Delta Jabberwock was formally adopted and copyrighted by Delta Sigma Theta.

May Week
May Week was created at the second national convention in 1920 at Wilberforce University. Local chapters began to observe it beginning in 1921. The purpose of May Week is to emphasize the importance of higher education in the community, especially for black women. The slogan "Invest in Education" was adopted. A week in May is set aside for programs highlighting academic and professional achievement.

National Library Project
The sorority's first nationwide effort to provide library services in the rural South was the National Library Project, which it authorized in 1937. The program was implemented in 1945, to establish a traveling library in the South, where library services were not generally available for blacks, both because of segregation and because so many blacks lived in rural areas, which had fewer services. The project arose from concerns that few adequate resources were available, outside of those provided by segregated school systems. In 1939, only 94 out of 774 public libraries in the South served blacks. Additionally, only 5% of rural blacks had access to any public institution at all. The first traveling library was based in Franklin County, North Carolina, where 23 book baskets, with 33 books, were circulated.

Job Analysis and Opportunity Project
The Job Analysis and Opportunity Project began in 1941. It was to provide career, employment counseling, and job exposure for black women. The sorority created the program to address concerns that black women were limited in their choices of occupations and that they lacked training because of the economy and World War II. Some of the project's goals were to improve working conditions and to improve black women's opportunities to acquire a job.

Delta Challenge: Delta Homeownership Initiative
In 2003, the "Delta Challenge: DST Homeownership Initiative" was created to assist sorority members, family, friends, and the general public with owning their homes and investing in homeownership. The program is a resource for individuals seeking information about homeownership; wishing to locate a loan representative who partners with the Delta Challenge; information about mortgage insurance or other benefits; or who has questions regarding real estate or related financial topics. In three years, the program has helped more than 400 families purchase homes. The DST Homeownership Initiative is a partnership between Delta Sigma Theta's 950 chapters, Chase Bank, and Genworth Financial.

The national directors of the DST Homeownership Initiative are Lori Jones Gibbs and Lynn Richardson. Gibbs is the Genworth Financial's Vice-President of Affordable Housing and Industry Affairs, and Richardson is Chase Bank's Vice President of National Strategic Partnerships.

The Delta Challenge offers mortgage loans, insurance, and other home buyers' discounts through The Delta Chase Initiative. The Delta Chase Initiative resulted in more than 100,000 consumer touch points worldwide and $35 million in closings for Chase, a staggering 389% increase over those closed over the previous three years.

Delta Sigma Theta and Habitat for Humanity
Delta Sigma Theta was the first national African-American organization to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity International in 1992, during National President Bertha Roddey's administration. Habitat for Humanity builds and rehabilitates homes with the help of selected homeowners, volunteer labor, management expertise, and tax-deductible donations of money and materials. Houses are sold to families without profit, and no-interest mortgages are issued over a fixed period. Between 1992–1994, Delta Sigma Theta and Habitat for Humanity built twenty-two homes throughout the United States. In 1996, sorority members and supporters traveled to Ghana, where they built forty Delta Habitat for Humanity homes.

Financial Fortitude
Financial Fortitude was designed to help sorority members and local communities attain personal wealth and financial security. Financial Fortitude was established as a result of increasing unemployment, Social Security debts, and the widening gap between wealth and poverty. Financial Fortitude helps participants to set and define goals, to develop a financial plan to achieve goals, and to put their plan into action. Workshops are focused on topics such as debt management and reduction, retirement, financing for college, investing, insurance, estate and home ownership, savings, and entrepreneurship.

Delta Towers I
In 1979, Delta Sigma Theta's Washington D.C. Alumnae chapter and Delta's Housing Corporation planned and constructed Delta Towers as a multimillion-dollar, ten-story building. Delta Towers opened for occupancy in 1980. Delta Sigma Theta established Delta Towers in the northeast area of Washington, D.C. Delta Towers is an apartment building for elderly and disabled individuals. Delta Towers was the first retirement center founded by any of the African-American sororities or fraternities in the United States. While many African-American sororities and fraternities subsequently established, or have plans to establish, retirement centers, Delta Sigma Theta, once again, remains a leader in setting the standard for others to follow. Delta Towers currently has 150 independent-living residential apartments. Because of the success of Delta Towers, the chapter and housing corporation is constructing a second apartment building, Delta Towers II, near the first.

Delta Towers II
The Washington D.C. Alumnae chapter's Delta Housing Corporation is planning to construct Delta Towers II. Delta Towers II will provide 150 additional safe and affordable apartments for low to moderate-income senior citizens. Delta Towers II will be designed to provide a senior citizen wellness center, ground level commercial office and retail services, and a community room. Together, Delta Towers I and Delta Towers II will offer 300 affordable apartments for senior housing (affordable to households earning 60% or less of the area's median income). Construction on Delta Towers II began in March 2009.

Delta and Hurricane Katrina
The Sorority established the Delta Hurricane Katrina Relief Task Force to facilitate the needs of Gulf Coast residents affected by the national disaster. The Hurricane Relief Task Force is responsible for creating strategies to address the numerous difficulties impacting persons displaced by Hurricane Katrina as it relates to housing, health and wellness, and emotional and financial needs. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. made a major commitment to three Historically Black Colleges and Universities that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Collectively $700,000 was awarded to Dillard, Xavier, and Southern Universities over four years and a total of more than $1.2 million was committed to agencies, organizations, members, and other residents of the affected Gulf areas.

Delta Academy
Dr. Betty Shabazz's Delta Academy ("Catching the Dreams of Tomorrow, Preparing Young Women For the 21st Century") is designed for girls ages 11 to 14, who have an interest in developing leadership skills. The program is named in honor of sorority member, the late Dr. Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X. It is for girls who demonstrate the potential for success, but may not have support systems or access to financial resources. Participants are exposed to math, science, technology, and non-traditional careers. The Delta Academy sessions may also include service learning activities, field trips, and book clubs.

Delta Academy's symbol is the dream catcher. In Native American culture, the dream catcher possesses the power to capture bad dreams and entangle them into a web. The good dreams pass through the dream hoop's open center into the person.

Delta GEMS
Delta GEMS is an outgrowth and continuation of the Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy Program. Delta GEMS was created to assist in facilitating the dreams and goals of at-risk, adolescent African-American girls, aged 14–18. Goals for Delta GEMS are:

 * 1) To instill academic excellence
 * 2) To provide tools permitting the girls to sharpen and enhance their skills to achieve academic success
 * 3) To assist girls in setting and planning proper goals for their futures in high school and beyond
 * 4) To create compassionate, caring, and community-minded young women by active involvement in community service opportunities.

The Delta GEMS framework has five major components (Scholarship, Sisterhood, "Show Me the Money", Service, and Infinitely Complete), which form a road map for college and career planning. Topics within the five major components provide interactive lessons and activities that allow opportunities for individual growth. Delta GEMS, like Delta Academy, is implemented by Delta Sigma Theta's chapters.

Delta GEMS Collegiate Challenge
Lawry's Foods partnered with Delta Sigma Theta to create the National Collegiate Public Service Caddy and Grant Recognition Program. The Collegiate Challenge recognizes and rewards a Delta collegiate chapter in each of Delta's regions for the Delta GEMS program's outstanding implementation. Regional winners receive $1,000, and the grand prize winner receives $5,000. In 2006, collegiate chapters were asked to partner with other collegiate chapters, alumnae chapters or community organizations in their municipality.

Maryland Educational Opportunity Center
The Maryland Educational Opportunity Center was established in 1979 and created with a special service grant of $450,000 – the largest grant awarded by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. MEOC is a free program in Baltimore which provides information and counseling services to adults and youths interested attending college or vocational/technical school. Having seven outreach centers, the program is sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta and funded by the federal government. The MEOC is a federal TRIO program and one of 130 Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) in the country. From 1979 to 2006, MEOC has served more than 78,000 individuals. Nearly 20,000 participants were enrolled in postsecondary institutions.

Empowering Males
The EMBODI (Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing Independence) program is designed to refocus the efforts of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., with the support and action of other major organizations, on the plight of African-American males. Both informal and empirical data suggest that the vast majority of African-American males continue to be in crisis and are not reaching their fullest potential educationally, socially, and emotionally. EMBODI is designed to address these issues through dialogue, and recommendations for change and action. EMBODI will include a program format and information template. The delivery options may include a town hall meeting, workshops, and/or teen leadership summits.

Endowed scholarship at Howard University
In honor of the 22 Founders, in January 2003, members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., as a part of the four-day celebration of the Sorority's 90th anniversary, then National President Gwendolyn Boyd, presented Howard University President H. Patrick Swygert with a check for $1 million as an endowed scholarship, completely paid in full.

Distinguished Professor Endowed Chair
The Distinguished Professor Endowed Chair Award, established in 1977 at the 34th National Convention as a perpetual trust fund, confirms and extends the Sorority's longstanding commitment to educational excellence through quality instruction at historically Black colleges and universities. Delta Sigma Theta's purpose is to support and sustain these historical institutions, supply assistance to enable the expansion of educational opportunities, and give long-overdue recognition to distinguished Black instructors and professors. Biennially, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. makes a grant to a historically Black college or university that provides support for a professor of distinction to be in residence.

Total Woman
The Total Woman: Mind, Body, and Spirit Lifestyle Change Initiative impacts the well-being of sorority members and members' families and communities at large. The Lifestyle Change initiative was started in 2004 by the Health Taskforce, providing physical and mental health expertise. Some of the program's goals are to educate on the importance and benefits of lifestyle changes affecting longevity, morbidity, and mortality; to identify organizational alliances that work towards addressing pertinent health issues, and to develop and implement health-focused programs.

Through the Initiative, the sorority is working to combat the high incidence of women's obesity. The program's first component is a challenge to chapter members to achieve and maintain healthier weights.

50 Million Pound Challenge
In 2006, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, in collaboration with Dr. Ian K. Smith and State Farm Insurance, began a partnership, encouraging members to become healthier by exercising and eating properly. Members joined with others in the African-American community to reverse the deadly effects of obesity. At the 2008 National Convention in Orlando, Florida, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was presented with an award for the most weight lost by any sorority or fraternity.

American Heart Association Partnership
Heart disease is the leading killer of women and women of color in the United States. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was the first sorority to join the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign as an organizational alliance working to educate women on heart disease.

Participation in the 1913 Women's Suffrage March
Less than two months after the sorority's founding, some members of Delta Sigma Theta participated in the historic 1913 Women's Suffrage March on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C with other Howard University students as a part of the collegiate contingent on March 3, 1913. Marchers were subjected to racism, not only by people who were opposed to the enfranchisement of women but by march organizers reluctant to advocate suffrage for black women. Since 1890, white Democrats of the southern states of the former Confederacy had ratified new state constitutional amendments and passed legislation that effectively disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites. Black women marching for the right to vote reminded many that black men had also been disenfranchised. Also, in those years, Washington was effectively a segregated city in public areas. Several years later, Terrell confided her feelings about the National American Woman Suffrage Association and suffragist leader Alice Paul to NAACP representative Walter White. Terrell questioned Paul's loyalty to black women's rights, saying, "If [Paul] and other white suffragist leaders could get the Anthony Amendment through without enfranchising African American women, they would do so." Delta Founder, Florence Letcher Toms commented, "We marched that day so that women might come into their own, because we believed that women not only needed an education, but they needed a broader horizon in which they may use that education. And the right to vote would give them that privilege."

Delta Days in the Nation's Capital

In 1989, the National Social Action Commission instituted Delta Days in the Nation's Capital. Delta Days is an annual legislative conference to increase sorority members' involvement in the national public policy-making process. The annual conference includes legislative briefings, issue forums, and developing advocacy skills. Featured speakers include key policy makers, members of the United States Congress, staff members, and national policy experts.

In 2009, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority celebrated the twentieth anniversary of Delta Days in the Nation's Capital. The theme was "Advocacy in Action: Strengthening Our Legacy". Topics included empowering members to be effective social action advocates in the areas of quality education, affordable health care, Census 2010, and economic viability. An orientation for first-time attendees providing "how to's" on navigating the legislative process, legislative letter writing, congressional testimony, resolution writing, and coalition building was provided.

In addition to Delta Days in the Nation's Capital, each state organizes annual events in which members discuss and advocate state and local issues with their state legislative bodies.

Delta Days at the United Nations
On March 27, 2003, Delta Sigma Theta became a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with special consultative status at the United Nations. National President Gwendolyn Boyd accepted the credentials on behalf of the sorority, before 150 UN members from across the world, in a presentation by Hanifa Mezoui, Chief NGO Secretary in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the UN (ECOSOC). Delta Sigma Theta was welcomed to the United Nations by Assistant Secretary-General for External Affairs, Gillian Sorensen, who advised the sorority, "[to] use your NGO status to monitor the status of women and children in the world and bind together with other NGOs to ensure that the UN honors its commitments." Delta Sigma Theta was granted Special Consultative Status as an NGO to the Economic and Social Council of the UN as a result of volunteer services and humanitarian efforts around the world. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is the first African American Sorority and one of only three African-American organizations with the NGO special consultative status with the United Nations, the other two African American organizations with this status are the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. and The Links, Incorporated.

Both other organizations have significant ties to Delta Sigma Theta. National Council of Negro Women, Inc. was founded by Delta member Mary McLeod Bethune, and headed by many Delta members including Delta 10th National President, Dorothy Irene Height for more than five decades, and currently by Delta member Ingrid Saunders Jones. The Links co-founder and first president, Sarah Strickland Scott was a member of Delta Sigma Theta, and several national presidents of the Links are also Delta members including Immediate Past National President Margot James Copeland.

Voting rights
The sorority is committed to creating programs advocating:

 * 1) Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
 * 2) Repeal of Voter Disenfranchisement laws.
 * 3) Repeal of Felony disenfranchisement in the United States
 * 4) Full implementation of the Help America Vote Act.

As part of their advocacy for voting rights, Delta Sigma Theta has partnered with VoteRiders, an organization that seeks to assist eligible voters in exercising their right to vote.

World AIDS Day
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority supported the World AIDS campaign in observance of World AIDS Day, on December 1, 2008. With the slogan "Stop AIDS! Keep the Promise", Delta Sigma Theta promotes workshops, programs, and information dissemination. Individual chapters and members continue increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS in the community

Mary Help of the Sick Mission Hospital
Concerns about inadequate prenatal and maternity care for women in Africa prompted Delta Sigma Theta to invest in health care for women in Kenya. In 1955, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority established a maternity wing and health services in Thika Town. The sorority began planning for a larger facility in the early 1960s and financed the construction of Thika Maternity Hospital. The first hospital to open after Kenya gained independence in 1963, it is now known as Mary Help of the Sick Mission Hospital. Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary operate the facility.

In 1985, Delta Sigma Theta members visited the hospital. They were able to see the positive results of an increased population and improved infant mortality rate in and around Thika. In response, the sorority donated another $20,000, to establish two additional maternity wards and an administrative office.

Mary Help of the Sick Mission Hospital now has 121 beds and provides affordable prenatal and postnatal care, nutritional education, child immunization, and family planning. The hospital gives prenatal care, including lab work, blood tests, and examinations for 200 women each day. The facility also has a special-care nursery for newborn babies. The hospital serves to educate nurses and midwives. Over 66 students are trained each year.

Summit VI
In April 2006, Delta Sigma Theta commemorated 25 years of providing summit programs with an International Awareness Program: "Summit VI: Health Issues Impacting Women of African Descent". Held in Jamaica, the health issues summit heightened awareness of increases in diabetes, heart disease and obesity among African-American women. The conference included various formats for a variety of healthcare experts to disseminate information, such as workshops, panels, and town hall formats.

Embezzlement
On 2021-04-20, former executive director and member Jeanine Henderson Arnett and her husband Diallo Arnett pleaded guilty in Federal court to embezzling more than $200,000 from Delta Sigma Theta. Due to the gravity of the crime, Jeanine Henderson Arnett was expelled from the organization when the sorority discovered the misappropriated money and reported the crime.

News reports indicate that the couple spent the money on items like designer Coach handbags, rental cars, real estate, Amazon purchases, and other expenses between 2017 and 2019. Federal prosecutors also determined that over $14,000 had been transferred to their personal bank account. Channing Phillips, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a press release: "While Delta Sigma Theta and its members were committed to a mission of public service, the defendants were committed to a mission of personal benefit, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars to use for their pleasure."

In November 2021, Jeanine was sentenced to 16 months in prison and her husband Diallo was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. They must collectively pay $228,357 in fines and will be placed on five years' supervised release after their prison sentence.

North Texas rapist
In October 2011, a serial rapist in the Dallas area was reported to be targeting Delta Sigma Theta alumnae, attacking four alumnae in their mid-50s to mid-60s over eleven months. The sorority issued a release advising its members not to identify their affiliation with the sorority via their cars, key chains, clothing, or Facebook postings.

The case was featured on the December 9, 2011, episode of America's Most Wanted. In 2021, a 48-year-old Texas man was arrested. In 2024, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

Hazing
At Western Illinois University in January 1999, a Delta pledge was hospitalized due to torn skin on her lower back and buttock from severe beatings by Delta women. She sued the sorority for an undisclosed amount.

At Norfolk State University in February 1999, a Delta pledge was hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit after a series of physical beatings and strenuous activities. Nine sorority members, two of whom were about to graduate, were expelled from the university in May.

At McNeese State University in September 2006, the sorority was found guilty of severely hazing pledges. 11 members involved were each fined $1,000 and the chapter was fined $1,000 by the sorority's headquarters. The university banned the sorority from campus for four years.

At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, in April 2009, one Delta was arrested on two counts of simple battery, and several other Deltas were disciplined for the physical and mental abuse of pledges. One pledge was admitted to the hospital due to internal bleeding and stomach pains she developed because of physical abuse by members of the sorority.

At Northern Kentucky University in 2009, the chapter was suspended from campus for beating three pledges repeatedly and severely with paddles.

At the University of Tampa in 2010, three high-ranking Deltas of the university's chapter had a complaint filed against them by the university in a circuit court for hazing pledges. These three Deltas forced pledges to run long distances, do push-ups, and squats, eat garlic wrapped in Big Red gum and drink hot sauce, hold a match between their fingers while reciting a pledge, have rocks and grass thrown at them, and paddled them. The Deltas accused of hazing filed a petition against the university stating they were unfairly targeted as black women because all-white fraternities on campus engaged in similar hazing rituals, including tasering pledges, but were collectively sanctioned and given probation for one semester. The Hillsborough County Circuit Court dismissed their petition stating that the university was not at fault.

At East Carolina University, in November 2010, Delta pledges Victoria Carter and Briana Gather died in a traffic accident around 6:30 am on the way to a hair appointment that had been set up to prepare for initiation. Gather and Carter had undergone several grueling hazing activities that week, including the "Delta TV", in which the pledges were forced to get into and hold a push-up position, do "wall sits" and maintain that stance for a long period, and do the "Delta Chair": standing on one leg and holding heavy bricks over their heads. The pledges also wore "Delta Lipstick": hot sauce rubbed on their lips, and ate a "Delta Apple", a large raw onion; they were also asked to eat large amounts of cottage cheese, and drink buttermilk. The driver of the vehicle, a fellow pledge who survived, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. According to the lawsuit filed by the family, she was suffering from "excessive and overwhelming fatigue, exhaustion and sleep deprivation and fell asleep behind the wheel" due to the pledging exercises. The night and morning hours before the accident, the pledges had been practicing the "probate death march", an aspect of the initiation ceremony. They did not have the opportunity to sleep as a result of the long hours of practice. Members of the sorority were also accused of lying and attempting to destroy all evidence of hazing throughout the investigation process in the lawsuit filed.

In 2010, the sorority was banned from Winston-Salem State University for ten years following a hazing investigation, however, the suspension was lifted five years after the initial ruling. The sorority was previously suspended for endangering pledges and other hazing activity.

At Baylor University in 2012, the sorority was placed on suspension by the university for a few years due to reports of hazing. Delta Sigma Theta and Alpha Kappa Alpha were the only sororities on campus suspended for hazing between 2010 and 2015.

At Florida A&M University in 2013, it was anonymously reported a Delta pledge lost consciousness one night after being forced to do squats for a long period. Women pledging were physically and verbally punished if any forgot information they were asked to remember about each of their 54 "line sisters." Members of the sorority initially denied all hazing allegations but a thorough investigation led to the sorority being placed on suspension until at least June 2016 and the 2013 pledge line was dropped.

At Ohio State University in 2013, the university banned Delta Sigma Theta from campus until at least fall 2016. The sorority was found guilty of hazing and violating the university's codes of conduct.

The chapter at Louisiana State University (LSU) was banned from campus for several years (ended July 2019) for reported repeated hazing violations. The banning of sororities at LSU is rare; the banning of fraternities is more common.

Sorority Sisters
In December 2014, VH1 debuted a reality TV show named Sorority Sisters that followed the personal and professional lives of several alumnae members of National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities in Atlanta, Georgia. Five members of the cast were Deltas who complained about death threats and harassment they received from those displeased with their appearance on the show. In January 2015, the highest leadership of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. expelled the five cast members from the sorority. The expelled members maintain their innocence and feel like they were mistreated by their former sorority. The Delta cast members were the only cast members that had their sorority memberships permanently revoked. Two cast members of Alpha Kappa Alpha had their memberships temporarily suspended. Cast members having Zeta Phi Beta or Sigma Gamma Rho memberships never had them jeopardized. The show was canceled before the last three scheduled episodes aired.

In January 2018, one of the expelled members filed a lawsuit against Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. In her lawsuit she states the sorority never reprimanded members that she alleged publicly harassed her and sent death threats, never expelled a celebrity sorority member who starred in similar shows on VH1, she never claimed on the show to represent the sorority, and she lost many paid opportunities due to the sorority involvement in vilifying the show and getting it canceled. As the plaintiff in the lawsuit, she is seeking to be compensated for lost wages and mental and emotional abuse.

Golden Anniversary
In 1963, the sorority celebrated its Golden 50th Anniversary was celebrated; this was the same year as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Delta Sigma Theta's national president Dorothy Height was an organizer of the march and was the sole woman to have been seated on the speakers' platform. Delta members were also present at the march in large numbers.

The Golden Anniversary Luncheon was held January 12, 1963. President John F. Kennedy addressed the membership, congratulated the sorority on their anniversary, and explained the necessity for all Americans to have equal education opportunities. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas also addressed the membership during the Golden Anniversary Celebration in 1963 at a reception held January 13. Founders Osceola McCarthy Adams, Winona Cargile Alexander, Ethel Cuff Black, Bertha Pitts Campbell, Myra Davis Hemmings, Jimmie Bugg Middleton, Eliza Pearl Shippen, Florence Letcher Toms, Wertie Blackwell Weaver, and Madree Penn White were in attendance. Soror Mary Elizabeth Vrooman wrote Shaped to its Purpose, a 50-year history of Delta Sigma Theta, which was published in 1965.

Centennial Celebration
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. began a year-long centennial celebration on January 1, 2013. It kicked off its centennial year by being the first Black Greek letter organization to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, with a float entitled "Transforming Communities through Sisterhood and Service." Officials in Pasadena presented a proclamation to national president Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre in honor of the sorority's 100 years of public service.

On Thursday, January 10, 2013, hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta gathered in New York City in Times Square for appearances on the Today Show and Good Morning America, followed by a caravan to Washington, D.C., which included buses bearing the Centennial logo. Between January 11 and 13, 2013, more than 12,000 members of Delta Sigma Theta convened at Howard University to participate in a range of activities, including 22 service activities and galas.

On February 22, 2013, the American and Canadian side of the Niagara Falls were illuminated with red lights in honor of the sorority's centennial. Similarly, the White House was illuminated in red on January 13, 2013,

From March 1 to 5, 2013, thousands of members of Delta Sigma Theta participated in the Delta Days at the Nation's Capital. This is an annual event in which members of Delta Sigma Theta travel to Washington, D.C. to discuss pertinent issues that affect women and the Black community with members of Congress. On March 3, 2013, the sorority organized a re-enactment of the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913. Delta Sigma Theta was the only Black women's organization to participate in the original march. On March 8, 2013, Delta Sigma Theta participated in its tenth annual Delta Day at the United Nations.

In June 2013, Delta Research & Educational Foundation supported an elementary school in Cherette, Haiti which was impacted by the earthquake of January 2010. In recognition of the foundation's grant, the Chérette school administration will name the school Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Elementary School, The Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre Campus. The rebuilt school included six larger classrooms, new technologies, an administrative office building and access to clean water. Designated areas of the school was named in honor of the seven former national presidents: Frankie Muse Freeman, Thelma T. Dailey, Mona Humphries Bailey, Bertha M. Roddey, Marcia L. Fudge, Gwendolyn E. Boyd, and Louise A. Rice.

The sorority celebrated its Centennial Convention in Washington, D.C. the week of July 11–17, 2013. More than 40,000 members participated in service activities and recognition events. As part of the yearlong celebration, a 22-city tour of the Delta Torch, which symbolized the "passion and commitment to the organization's global reach", kicked off in Los Angeles – with Delta's historic participation in the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade – and continued through Seattle, Dallas, Little Rock, Detroit, Atlanta, Charlotte, New York City and Baltimore and International chapters in Japan and Bermuda. The tour culminated in Washington, D.C., at the 51st national convention on July 11, 2013, when it was passed to the national president, signifying the start of the convention. During the Centennial Convention, the mayor of Washington D.C., honored the work of the sorority by renaming the 1700 block of New Hampshire Ave NW in Washington, D.C. "Delta Sigma Theta Way".

Throughout 2013, Delta Sigma Theta was honored in many ways, including being highlighted in a Wal-Mart commercial, being honored by an NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, being featured by CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. A Delta Sigma Theta-themed window was dedicated Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel at Howard University. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said "Delta means change and Deltas are called to serve... Wherever you see women advancing, you see Deltas!". President Barack Obama invited the Delta leadership to the White House and addressed them in the Oval Office. The president addressed closing gala attendees via video.

Popular culture and literature
The poem "Delta Girl" was written by honorary member Mary McLeod Bethune. The poem is said to embody the ideals of a Delta Sigma Theta woman.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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Max van den Berg

Margrietus Johannes "Max" van den Berg (born 22 March 1946) is a Dutch politician and member of the Dutch Labour Party. From 1979 to 1986 he was the chairman of that party and from 1999 to 2007 he was a Member of the European Parliament. From 2007 to 2016, he was the King's Commissioner in Groningen, until 2013 as Queen's Commissioner.

Early life
Margrietus Johannes van den Berg was born on 22 March 1946 in Ammerstol in the Netherlands.

His high school was the Carmelieten Paters in Oldenzaal. In 1969 he received his degree in sociology in Groningen, where he specialized in urban planning and political science. From 1969 to 1970 he was an academic staff member and lecturer at the sociology faculty of the University of Groningen.

Political career
From 1 September 1970 to 5 September 1978, Max van den Berg was an alderman in Groningen; the last six years of which he was also the deputy mayor of Groningen.

From 26 April 1979 to 25 April 1986, he was the chairman of the Labour Party.

From 1986 to 1999 he was the secretary-general of the non-governmental organisation Novib.

From 20 July 1999 to 1 September 2007, he was a Member of the European Parliament. He was the leader of the PvdA delegation in the European Parliament, and from 1999 to 2004 he was also vice-chairman of the Committee on Development and Cooperation. He is also a substitute for the Committee on International Trade and the Subcommittee on Human Rights, vice-chair of the delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community, a substitute for the delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and a member of the temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007–2013.

Organisations
Max van den Berg is or was a member of several organisations:
 * Member of Eurostep (1990–1999)
 * Member of Oxfam International (1995–1999)
 * Member of the board of governors of the African Studies Centre, Leiden
 * Member of the management board of the Jan Vrijman Foundation
 * Chairman of the management board, Theater Zeebelt, The Hague
 * Member of the management board of Wereldomroep (Radio Netherlands International), Zeist
 * Member of the management board of the Design Academy, Eindhoven

Honour

 * Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau (2016)
 * Honorary citizen of Groningen (2016)

title: Max van den Berg


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User talk:ConfusciouSay

Please stop. If you continue to vandalize pages, you will be blocked from editing Wikipedia. -- Chris 73 Talk 05:55, Feb 8, 2005 (UTC)

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Ieke van den Burg

Ieke van den Burg (March 1952 – 28 September 2014) was a Dutch politician and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

Van den Burg was born in Apeldoorn, Gelderland. She was a member of the Labour Party, which is part of the Party of European Socialists, and sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. She was also a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and a member of the delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand.

From 2011 to 2014, van den Burg chaired the Brussels-based NGO Finance Watch and was a member of the European Systemic Risk Board's Advisory Scientific Committee. In recognition of her contribution, the European Systemic Risk Board has established an annual research prize dedicated to Ieke van den Burg's memory.

Van den Burg died 28 September 2014 in Amsterdam.

Career

 * First degree in psychology (1974)
 * Various diplomas in graphics (1976–1983)
 * Training and work in the graphics sector (1976–1983)
 * Policy adviser, Printing and Paper Union, FNV (Netherlands Trade Union Confederation) and the FNV Women's Secretariat (1984–1990)
 * Administrator, FNV (1990–1997)
 * Adviser, European Trade Union Confederation (1998–1999)
 * Member, SER (Social-Economic Council) (1987–1997)
 * Delegate to the ILO Conference (1990–1997)
 * employees' spokeswoman on the Convention on Part-Time Work (1993–1994) and the convention on Homeworking (1995–1996)
 * Member of the European Trade Union Confederation executive committee (1994–1997)
 * Member of the Economic and Social Committee (including Chairwoman of the Social Affairs Committee and member of the Bureau) (1994–1998)
 * Member of the European Parliament (1999–2009)
 * Substitute member of the Convention on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000)

title: Ieke van den Burg


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