PROVEN PATHWAY TO STUDENT SUCCESS
“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.” —Nelson Mandela
At Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, we know our members are that “something very special” to which Nelson Mandela refers. They are smart, yes; but they are so much more than that. They are true servant leaders who are using their sharp minds to better themselves, their college campuses and their communities. Phi Theta Kappa is the world’s oldest, largest and most prestigious honor society for two-year college students. We recognize that community college students are among the best and brightest in the world, and we encourage them to fulfill their potential to the highest degree possible. In 2010, the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) laid out five Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice proven to be powerful contributors to effective teaching, learning and student retention: active and collaborative learning, student effort, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction and support for learners. The programs and opportunities we provide our members are guided by these benchmarks. We invite you to explore the programs and opportunities afforded to your students through Phi Theta Kappa. And you will learn what we already know and have proven to be true: that a college campus is only as successful as its student body. By supporting a Phi Theta Kappa chapter on your campus, you will be building toward a more engaged and successful college community…toward your own “something very special.” Sincerely,
Rod A. Risley, Ph.D. Executive Director and CEO Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
PHI THETA KAPPA AT A GLANCE
Founded in 1918 at Stephens College in Missouri
MORE THAN
1,285 CHAPTERS
Our chapters are located in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, Peru, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions.
MORE THAN
AND APPROXIMATELY
STUDENTS INDUCTED SINCE 1918
STUDENTS INDUCTED ANNUALLY
2.5 MILLION
Offers 1,455 transfer scholarships annually
135,000
Scholarships are funded through partnerships with senior colleges, universities and foundations.
In recent years approximately 85% of Jack Kent Cooke Scholars were Phi Theta Kappa members
THE PHI THETA KAPPA IMPACT COLLEGE PROJECT Connecting chapters and administrators for campus and community impact
HALLMARK AWARDS Recognize superior individual and chapter achievement
FIVE STAR COMPETITIVE EDGE Our tiered professional development plan
THE EMPOWERED CHAPTER
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STUDIES Diverse, interdisciplinary leadership curriculum
FIVE STAR CHAPTER PLAN Our blueprint for developing strong and effective chapters ANNUAL CONVENTION An international gathering for recognition, education, idea-sharing and engagement
NOTA BENE Our literary anthology providing a publishing venue for outstanding two-year college writers
Nota Bene
HONORS IN ACTION Interdisciplinary research topic promoting active and collaborative learning
COLLEGEFISH.ORG Connects students with their best-fit transfer options
THE STUDENT SCHOLAR THE GROWING COLLEGE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMPLETION CORPS (C4) The nationwide movement to foster completion SCHOLARSHIPS Over $87 million available annually to members
ENGAGE
THE FACTS
YOUR STUDENTS
96%
THERE IS A GROWING MOVEMENT TO TIE COLLEGE FUNDING TO GRADUATION RATES.
of all occupations require oral comprehension and expression to be either very important or extremely important to success.1
of students have never worked with a faculty member on a project outside of the classroom.2
Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020. Georgetown Public Policy Institute Center on Education and the Workforce. 2 Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) 1
THE PROGRAMS
Many of those principles — specifically integrated support, intensive student engagement, high expectations and high support and professional development — line up directly with programs offered by Phi Theta Kappa. The study found that promoting student engagement is “the overarching feature of successful program design, and all other features support it.” Colleges must make engagement “inescapable” for their students. Phi Theta Kappa seeks to do just that, through programs that offer professional development, validation and recognition and that foster scholarship among members.
60%
of all occupations require critical thinking and active listening to be either very important or extremely important to success.1
And yet, although 79 percent of entering students reported plans to earn an associate degree, just 45 percent of full-time students meet that goal within six years.1 A study published by the Center for Community College Student Engagement entitled A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success (A First Look) found that certain design principles are “critical for student success.”
69%
OVER
LEARN MORE
Student engagement, recognition and validation begin as soon as the invitation for membership in Phi Theta Kappa is accepted. Set high expectations for your students early by informing them of your campus’ Phi Theta Kappa chapter as soon as they walk through the door. Give them the goal of receiving an invitation of membership, and set a tone of engagement early.
FIVE STAR COMPETITIVE EDGE Our tiered professional development plan
HONORS IN ACTION Interdisciplinary research topic promoting active and collaborative learning
NOTA BENE Our literary anthology that recognizes outstanding writing
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STUDIES Diverse, interdisciplinary leadership curriculum
THE IMPACT “ Without Phi Theta Kappa, I would not have gotten any scholarships. It wasn’t just the service or the volunteering. There are many aspects that are important…you have to go above and beyond just a 4.0 GPA.”
Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2012). A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success (A First Look). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program. 1
— Member Olya Homonchuk, who received a full scholarship to Cornell University LEARN MORE
THE IMPACT
OUR PROGRAMS
PROMOTING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO FULL RIDE TO CORNELL Phi Theta Kappa member Olya Homonchuk’s mantra is simple: never doubt yourself. As an international student dedicated to pursuing her dreams, she set her sights on success from the beginning. And now, her dedication has paid off, as she attends Cornell University — on a full scholarship.
FIVE STAR COMPETITIVE EDGE What students learn in the classroom is only part of their education. Integrating ideas from various sources for a project or paper; reading books for enlightenment; utilizing the skills lab that is the Competitive Edge platform; these processes and more build soft skills such as critical thinking and create a student leader. CCCSE Benchmarks: Active and Collaborative Learning, Student Effort Engaging with students from different economic, social and racial backgrounds builds professional etiquette and team-building skills. CCCSE Benchmarks: Student Effort, Active and Collaborative Learning
HONORS IN ACTION
NOTA BENE
The Honors Program fulfills multiple dimensions of Phi Theta Kappa’s purpose, building its foundation and focus on the Honors Study Topic.
Phi Theta Kappa’s honors anthology recognizes outstanding writing of Phi Theta Kappa members.
Develop critical thinking skills, research skills, problem-solving skills and collaborative learning skills through an examination of the Honors Study Topic. CCCSE Benchmarks: Active and Collaborative Learning, Student Effort, Academic Challenge Engage with leaders in the community and with college faculty to develop and fulfill the Honors in Action project needs. CCCSE Benchmarks: StudentFaculty Interaction, Support for Learners
Displays writing skills and demonstrates to the literary public the academic excellence and commitment to scholarship found at twoyear colleges. CCCSE Benchmarks: Student Effort, Academic Challenge
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SERIES This curriculum, developed by Phi Theta Kappa and grounded in the humanities, delivers a diverse, interdisciplinary approach to leadership instruction. Collaborative learning, working in groups, engaging with students on projects during and after class and initiating a community-based project, combined with the study of great leaders in the history and the arts, encourage personal reflection and the development of a personal philosophy of leadership. CCCSE Benchmarks: Active and Collaborative Learning, Student Effort, Support for Learners
“Many people were doubting me, but I always wanted to go (to Cornell),” said 20-yearold Homonchuk. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as just luck. I believe that the harder you work, the more luck you get.” Homonchuk first moved to the United States from the Ukraine when she was 15 as an international transfer student. Upon graduating from high school, she returned to her native country, where she worked and saved money so she could pursue her dreams of attending college in America. “The first time I came to the United States, I saw how many opportunities there are,” she said. “And here, if you have an education, you have endless possibilities.”
Olya Homonchuk
Homonchuk returned to the United States and enrolled at Normandale Community College in Minnesota. A friend encouraged her to accept membership into Phi Theta Kappa; and, just two weeks after her induction, she was named Vice President of Scholarship. Homonchuk quickly became one of the most well known Phi Theta Kappa members on her campus. She organized a successful food drive for the then-Minn-Wi-Kota Region, went on to serve as her chapter’s president and was runner-up for 2012-2013 International President, earning her friends on the local, regional and international levels. She has also become close with her college’s administrators, faculty and staff. Homonchuk is the fifth Jack Kent Cooke Scholar from Normandale since 2006, all of whom are Phi Theta Kappa members. She was also named a Guistwhite Scholar and a member of the All-Minnesota Academic Team. The full scholarship to Cornell University is the cherry on top of an already successful academic career. Homonchuk credits her chapter advisors with helping her submit winning scholarship applications. She encourages other members to reach out to their advisors for help when writing essays and completing applications. “Without Phi Theta Kappa, I would not have gotten any scholarships,” she said. “I would not have all of the qualities that schools are looking for…the service, the leadership, the scholarship. It also helped with my research ability. “It wasn’t just the service or the volunteering. There are many aspects that are important when you’re applying for scholarships. You have to go above and beyond just a 4.0 GPA.” Homonchuk is majoring in industrial and labor relations with an emphasis in global health and public policy. She also plans to pursue her master’s degree from either Stanford or Columbia. “You always have to dream big,” she said. “To get something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done before.”
THE ACTIVE CHAPTER
At the helm of your chapter is at least one advisor. This faculty or staff member, appointed by the college administration, should be highly motivated and engaged, as he or she can greatly determine the success of your chapter. Our best advisors are not only moved to support their students in educational success and completion, but they also are moved to support these same ideals in themselves.
1. Recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students;
Our chapters put Phi Theta Kappa’s mission into action through levels of engagement progressing from local to campus, community, regional and international involvement. The chapter environment and the overall Phi Theta Kappa Experience offer collaborative learning opportunities in an atmosphere that encourages the exchange of intellectual ideas and ideals as well as programs to develop leadership abilities.
2. Provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service and fellowship programming.
The ability to write and conduct research, as well as work with a team, are highly sought-after traits in today’s workforce, regardless of the field of study. Communication skills such as active listening, speaking and reading comprehension; analysis skills such as critical thinking, monitoring and coordination; and leadership skills such as social perceptiveness and judgment and decision-making are widely used across all occupations.1 Phi Theta Kappa has custom-designed programming to encourage your chapter members to develop these traits. Growing your chapter not only means a greater on-campus presence; it also means a more engaged student body that is poised for success in college and beyond.
THE FACTS
PHI THETA KAPPA’S MISSION IS TWO-FOLD:
MORE THAN
887
Number of chapters setting a goal in the Five Star Chapter Plan in 2013
86
520 360 chapters reached 5-Star Status in 2013
awards are presented to chapters, regions and individuals during Phi Theta Kappa’s Annual Convention
ANNUAL CONVENTION Provides recognition, education, idea-sharing and engagement
HALLMARK AWARDS Recognize superior individual and chapter achievement
chapters reached 4-Star Status in 2013
THE PROGRAMS
Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020. 1
Georgetown Public Policy Institute Center on Education and the Workforce.
LEARN MORE
FIVE STAR CHAPTER PLAN Our blueprint for developing strong and effective chapters
COLLEGE PROJECT Connecting chapters and administrators for campus impact
THE IMPACT “ The leadership skills that we build through collaborations with college personnel and people in the community are going to help us along the way to get the project done. Having frequent communication with the administration is what makes it work.” LEARN MORE
— Chapter Advisor and Alabama Regional Coordinator Nora Lee
THE IMPACT
OUR PROGRAMS
PROMOTING ACTIVE CHAPTERS
MOST DISTINGUISHED CHAPTER ACHIEVES SUCCESS WITH TEAMWORK The Alpha Zeta Iota Chapter from Northwest Shoals Community College in Phil Campbell, Alabama, takes a unique approach with its chapter officer team, making relationship- and team-building a priority from the start. And it paid off, as the chapter was named Phi Theta Kappa’s 2013 Most Distinguished Chapter.
FIVE STAR CHAPTER PLAN
COLLEGE PROJECT
ANNUAL CONVENTION
HALLMARK AWARDS
The roadmap guiding chapters through five levels of engagement — progressing from local to regional and international involvement.
Helps chapters gain administrative support by having members work directly with college administrators to develop a project that supports the college.
Annual Conventions afford members the opportunity to engage with other members in a learning environment that fosters the exchange of ideas and ideals.
This competitive program recognizes superior individual and chapter achievement in Society programs.
Promotes involvement on campus and in the community through recruitment and the Honors in Action Project, which includes writing and research. CCCSE Benchmarks: Active and Collaborative Learning, Student-Faculty Interaction, Student Effort Encourages engagement with other chapters through attendance of Regional and International Conventions. CCCSE Benchmarks: Student Effort, Support for Learners Participation encourages excellence, recognizes attained goals set by the chapter and enhances the chapter’s working relationship with the college administration. CCCSE Benchmarks: Active and Collaborative Learning, Student-Faculty Interaction
Identify projects to be carried out by the chapter that match the priorities of the college and its administration. CCCSE Benchmarks: Student-Faculty Interaction, Active and Collaborative Learning
Phi Theta Kappa’s Annual Convention offers hundreds of educational forums and leadership forums for advisors and students designed to develop stronger chapters. CCCSE Benchmarks: Support for Learners, Academic Challenge Awards given to strong chapters, members and advisors recognize the growth, development and leadership demonstrated through Honors in Action and College Projects. CCCSE Benchmarks: Student Effort, Support for Learners
Participation encourages excellence, reflects fairness, recognizes quality and leads to enhanced student, advisor and chapter development. CCCSE Benchmarks: Academic Challenge, Support for Learners, Student Effort
“We try to develop a program that starts with relationships,” Chapter Advisor Nora Lee said. “When you play together, you eat together, you care about each other, then the project begins to take on more meaning for you. You care about each other, and that makes a lot of difference.”
Alpha Zeta Iota Chapter
Most Distinguished Chapter is the highest honor given to a Phi Theta Kappa chapter. To be considered for this honor, a chapter must submit entries for both the Honors in Action Project Award and the College Project Award. Alpha Zeta Iota’s Honors in Action Project examined Alabama’s controversial immigration law, and its College Project focused on college completion. Alpha Zeta Iota doesn’t have a chapter president; instead, vice presidents rotate serving as chapter president for one month. The chapter has put together a winning formula: build relationships early, and share all of the work. The group meets in early June to begin planning for the year. Lee said starting early is a key to the chapter’s success, as is letting the research dictate the action that the project will take. Retreats foster teamwork and create personal bonds among team members. It all adds up to a more cohesive and successful officer team, which leads to a more successful chapter overall. “When the chapter got together to do training for leadership, each one contributed at least one idea for behavioral goals…how they would treat each other, how would they function as a group,” Lee said. “And these were the beginning goals for what the projects would be. The projects came later. It was how we treat each other and how we work together that set the stage for how these projects are going to go.” An Honors in Action journal is kept through the process, helping the team stay organized. Chapter officers and members have to work closely with college administrators, faculty and staff to learn new skills that will help with the completion of the projects. For Alpha Zeta Iota, that meant reaching out to audiovisual specialists to learn how to make quality videos, economics and public speaking professors to provide guidance, and college administrators to approve and oversee efforts to distribute the chapter’s findings to the college campus. “The leadership skills that we build through collaborations with college personnel and people in the community are going to help us along the way to get the project done,” Lee said. “Having frequent communication with the administration is what makes it work.”
HELP
THE FACTS
YOUR COLLEGE SUCCEED
An engaged and successful Phi Theta Kappa chapter can be a boon to your college campus in many ways. Our programs create student leaders who are not only active on campus but also competitive on a national and international level for scholarships, awards and recognition. Their success means your college will be represented in the global spotlight.
27.6%
*
Two-year college graduation rate
Phi Theta Kappa doesn’t only benefit its members; its chapter advisors are also presented with opportunities for professional growth and leadership development. Accolades such as our Marshall Award and Mosal Award provide financial support for the completion of a project that leads to personal leadership growth beyond the completion of professional degrees.
Increase in senior-college tuition over the last 10 years
7,000
$
Average debt for a two-year college graduate
* This number does not account for many of the community college students who subsequently transfer.
With many states tying funding to graduation rates, college completion is more important now than ever before. Phi Theta Kappa is committed to increasing college completion rates, not just among its members but also among all community college students. This cause is too important to ignore; we must all be leaders in this movement. Active and collaborative learning; student effort; academic challenge; student-faculty interaction; support for learners: these are the proven benchmarks for student success.1 Phi Theta Kappa programming directly targets these benchmarks for its members, turning the success of your students into success for your college, community and beyond.
52%
THE PROGRAMS COLLEGEFISH.ORG Connects students with their best-fit transfer options LEARN MORE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMPLETION CORPS (C4) The nationwide movement to aid completion
SCHOLARSHIPS Over $87 million available annually to members
THE IMPACT “I am in a position to impact the lives of students, and modeling the way as a completer seems one of the best ways to do that.”
Center for Community College Student Engagement. Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program. 1
— Chapter Advisor and Texas Regional Coordinator Debbie Esparza LEARN MORE
OUR PROGRAMS
THE IMPACT
PROMOTING COLLEGE SUCCESS
PRACTICING WHAT THEY TEACH College completion isn’t limited to students; two Phi Theta Kappa Regional Coordinators recently sought advanced degrees, serving as role models for their students and as examples to their peers that it’s never too late to finish what you’ve started.
COLLEGEFISH.ORG For us, giving students the support they need doesn’t end at the community college level. This planning tool helps all students take the correct transfer courses in sequence, providing academic advising and saving time and money. CCCSE Benchmarks: Support for Learners CollegeFish.org provides a vast scholarship search engine matching students with scholarships and senior colleges with their best-fit students. CCCSE Benchmarks: Support for Learners
COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMPLETION CORPS (C4) An initiative to help all students understand the benefit of completing a college credential and the consequences of not. Students engage with faculty and staff outside the classroom to discuss career paths. This type of engagement has been shown to increase student college completion. CCCSE Benchmarks: StudentFaculty Interaction, Support for Learners Colleges monitor the progress of students toward completion and intervene at critical points to ensure they stay on track. CCCSE Benchmarks: StudentFaculty Interaction, Support for Learners
SCHOLARSHIPS Scholarships are increasingly critical as more and more students assume debt just to complete an associate degree. Phi Theta Kappa offers more than $87 million in scholarships to members, helping students complete their two-year college degrees and transfer to senior colleges. CCCSE Benchmarks: Support for Learners
“I am a lifelong learner,” said Debbie Esparza, Texas Regional Coordinator who recently received her master’s degree in leadership development from Walden University. “I am in a position to impact the lives of students, and modeling the way as a completer seems one of the best ways to do that.” The statistics speak for themselves: only about 38 percent of U.S. residents ages 25 to 64 hold a college degree, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey. About 22 percent have attended college but never received a degree or certificate.
Debbie Esparza Texas Regional Coordinator
Phi Theta Kappa is working to boost the number of college completers through its Community College Completion Corps (C4) program, calling on college students, faculty, staff and administrators to not only commit to completing a degree or certificate but to also encourage at least one other person to do the same. Esparza fell in love with Phi Theta Kappa upon receiving her invitation to join. She became an advisor in 2006 and regional coordinator in 2011. “Working with Phi Theta Kappa is an honor and a privilege,” Esparza said. “This provides an opportunity to help students embrace possibility and realize their potential. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.”
Amy Wolgamott Mississippi/Louisiana Regional Coordinator
As many working adults know, getting a degree can be extremely time-consuming. Time management was key — Esparza ultimately began getting up around 4:00 a.m. each morning to work out and focus on her personal schoolwork before going to work. But, she said, it’s absolutely been worth it. She is now Executive Director of Organizational and Leadership Development at her college. “I simply cannot imagine not continuing my education,” she said. “While the value is difficult to articulate, the results are tangible and take the form of an expanded world view, a network of like-minded individuals, and the promise of possibility. Who wouldn’t embrace that?” Amy Wolgamott, Regional Coordinator for the Mississippi/Louisiana Region, recently completed the doctoral program for Community College Leadership at Mississippi State University. She knows it’s an important step to take, both for her and for the students she leads. “I want to be an example to my students to show them you can be a lifelong learner and to know that education is something no one can ever take from you,” she said. “I don’t think it matters what age or stage in life; if you want to go back to school — or even start — there should be nothing stopping you.”
DON’T JUST SIT THERE. Active and collaborative learning; student effort; academic challenge; student-faculty interaction; support for learners — Phi Theta Kappa understands the importance of these benchmarks for student success, which is why we have tailored our programming to bring this success to our members. We take the best of the best that community colleges have to offer — the true scholars — and we develop their leadership abilities and their soft skills to make them more marketable and competitive on your campus and beyond. But we don’t stop there. Our college completion agenda is important to all community college students and is a boon to your campus. Encouraging students to finish what they start is a big job, and we hope you’ll help us. A stronger, more engaged student body. A higher graduation rate. A campus of servant leaders who care about their peers and their community. National and international recognition for the achievements of your students — A Phi Theta Kappa chapter on your campus can bring you all of this and more. Engage with our members at facebook.com/phithetakappa, and see what they love about Phi Theta Kappa. Support your students in their academic success. Support your existing chapter or establish one today!
Learn more at ptk.org or call 800.946.9995
Copyright Š 2014 by Phi Theta Kappa. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Phi Theta Kappa. Phi Theta Kappa has registered the name, logo and various titles herein with the U.S. Patent Office. Phi Theta Kappa is committed to the elimination of discrimination based on gender, race, class, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, political affiliation and cultural and religious backgrounds.