Change Makers 2024

CH AN GE MAKERS

Phi Theta Kappa Mission

The mission of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is to recognize academic achievement of college students and to provide opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders.

About Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 4.3 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 countries.

Publisher

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Inc.

Editor Jennifer Stanford Senior Director of Student Leadership

Production Staff

Tracee Walker Content Manager

Makayla Steede Project Coordinator

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Lori Brechtel Graphic Designer

International Headquarters | 1625 Eastover Drive, Jackson, MS 39211 ptk.org | 601.984.3504

Phi Theta Kappa is committed to the elimination of unlawful discrimination in connection with all employment relationships, business operations, and programs. Discrimination based on gender, family or marital status, race, color, national origin, military of veteran status, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, genetic information or history, age, disability, political affiliation, and cultural and religious backgrounds is prohibited.

@2024 by Phi Theta Kappa, Inc., in the United States and Canada. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of Phi Theta Kappa. The name, logo, and various titles herein have been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Change Makers: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Student Leadership is published annually by Phi Theta Kappa, 1625 Eastover Drive, Jackson, MS 39211, 601.984.3504.

39 Get Ready to Takeoff! Boosting Transfer Readiness

Alpha Beta Upsilon Chapter

Redlands Community College El Reno, Oklahoma

43 Mental Health Resources for the College Community

Alpha Epsilon Pi Chapter

Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, New Jersey

47 Collaborating with Our College’s Career Technical Departments

Rho Rho Chapter

Gadsden State Community College Gadsden, Alabama

51 Campus Catalysts: Campus Visitation Day and Information Fair

Alpha Psi Rho Chapter

Lakeland Community College Kirtland, Ohio

55 Constructing the Future: Overcoming the Challenges of Campus Expansion

Beta Delta Omicron Chapter

Tarrant County College - Southeast Arlington, Texas

59

Expanding Student Resource Pantry

Alpha Chi Zeta Chapter

Seattle Central College Seattle, Washington

63 Understanding the Needs and Interests of Students at Meriden Campus

Beta Gamma Xi Chapter

CT State Community College Middlesex Middletown, Connecticut

67 Increasing Belongingness: A Pathway to Student Success

Rho Pi Chapter

Phoenix College Phoenix, Arizona

71 Home Away from Home

Alpha Zeta Eta Chapter

Dallas College North Lake Irving, Texas

A Letter from the Editor

Welcome to the fourth edition of Change Makers: Phi Theta Kappa’s Journal of Student Leadership. This edition highlights the incredible achievements of Phi Theta Kappa members who are leading the way in creating positive changes on their campuses through teamwork and dedication.

In this edition, we proudly showcase a collection of award-winning College Projects from 2023. Out of over 450 submissions to our College Project Hallmark Award competition, we feature 17 projects that are as diverse as they are transformational from creating an academic integrity course to hosting a STREAM Fair on campus for the community’s K-6 students.

Phi Theta Kappa chapters thrive on strong college administration support. The College Project is designed to strengthen the bond between chapters and their colleges through collaborative efforts, focusing on a central question: How can PTK members contribute to their college’s mission?

Every successful College Project begins with members reviewing the college’s mission and strategic priorities, meeting with their college president or other top administrators to discuss where they can best serve, and then collaborating alongside college personnel to make a difference.

We hope these outstanding examples inspire students everywhere to become catalysts for change.

With gratitude,

Jennifer Stanford Senior Director of Student Leadership Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

About the College Project

The Phi Theta Kappa College Project is designed to engage students in leadership and service that support their college’s mission and to establish a positive rapport with the college administration. The process of completing the College Project fosters student growth and helps fulfill our mission to provide college students with opportunities to grow as scholars and leaders.

Learning Outcomes

Planning, developing, and implementing a College Project contributes to personal, professional, and soft-skills development. It also provides opportunities for students to have a positive impact on their college campuses by implementing projects that support the college’s mission.

Members who engage in the development and implementation of a College Project will be able to:

1. Design, organize, and implement a plan of action that results in a project that supports their college’s mission.

2. Demonstrate leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving, and reflective skills throughout the project process.

3. Form and develop teams that collaborate and communicate with college administrators to determine and implement an appropriate project.

4. Engage in professional written and verbal communication.

5. Provide evidence of project impact using quantitative and qualitative assessments.

6. Compile a report using clear, correct, and effective language.

Achievement of these learning outcomes builds the analytic and collaborative problem-solving and leadership skills necessary and valued in advanced academic pursuits, workplaces, and communities.

Editorial Board

The Change Makers Editorial Board is comprised of officers of Phi Theta Kappa’s Association of Chapter Advisors (ACA). The ACA board includes four ACA officers, one from each of Phi Theta Kappa’s four divisions. ACA officers are responsible for providing feedback to Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters staff on a variety of Society programs and priorities. The ACA board is made up of Phi Theta Kappa chapter advisors. ACA officers are nominated and elected by fellow Phi Theta Kappa advisors.

Dr. Annie Tuttle

ACA Chair

Representing Division I

Onondaga Community College Syracuse, New York

Mathew Herrman

ACA Vice Chair

Representing Division III

University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton Morrilton, Arkansas

Madelyn Bowman

ACA Secretary

Representing Division II

Tarrant County College - South Campus Fort Worth, Texas

Octaviano Gutierrez

ACA Immediate Past Chair

Representing Division IV

Big Bend Community College Moses Lake, Washington

Fostering a Sense of Belonging: Early College Students Making the Smart Choice

Alpha Eta Chi Chapter

Passaic County Community College

Paterson, New Jersey

Abstract

“Fostering a Sense of Belonging: Early College Students Making the Smart Choice,” a mutually agreed upon, collaborative project between the chapter and administration, served as the groundwork for bringing the CCsmart initiative (ccsmart.org) to our community. Preparing to meet with our college president, we studied the college’s mission, vision, values, and strategic plan and gravitated toward program completion, transfer, and career preparation.

Passaic County Community College (PCCC) serves an urban population needing social mobility and educational capital. The decreasing high school graduation rates since COVID-19 served as the impetus to use CCsmart principles to strengthen the relationship between PCCC and the local high schools. We worked with our dean, advisors, and vice president (VP) of strategic initiatives to address the project direction of fostering a sense of belonging for pre-college programs.

With direction from our college president, we worked with the Pre-College Team to explore areas to help high school students, their parents, and guidance counselors understand that PCCC offers a holistic approach to learning. This led to a strong collaboration with our pre-college programs and has situated PCCC as an anchor institution in the broader community of Passaic County, bridging the gap between high schools and four-year colleges.

Planning

Our planning process began with advisor-led workshops before meeting with the college president. We studied the College Project’s purpose and rubrics, along with the college’s mission and strategic initiatives. We met with

EARLY COLLEGE STUDENT-FAMILY ORIENTATION

EVENT AGENDA

AUGUST 23, 2023

PATERSON ROOM

5:00-5:30 PM

5:30-6:15 PM

6:15-7:00 PM

7:00-8:00 PM

GREETINGS/INTRODUCTION (PATERSON ROOM)

SPEAKERS

CHECK-IN (BROADWAY LOBBY) SIGN IN WELCOME RECEPTION PTK@PCCC EDU

INTRODUCTION: MONIQUE BALMER COLLEGE

PROJECT CHAIR AI CAPSTONE PROJECT: BILAL GEBRIL AHX CHAPTER

PRESIDENT CCSMART INITIATIVE: DR JENNIFER GASPARINO ABOUT PHI THETA KAPPA: MR ANDY PERALES

SENSE OF BELONGING AT PCCC: NICOLETTE CARPENTER DUAL ENROLLMENT AND EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAMS: MS SROKA/MS BRUNSON/MS DA SILVA

COLLEGE TOUR

PARENT/STUDENT GROUP ACTIVITIES (CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE) “LEAF GOALS” ACTIVITY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ACTIVITY

8:00-8:30 PM 5:00 PM8:30 PM

SWAG BAGS/CONVERSE WITH PTK MEMBERS SURVEY CLOSING REMARKS

the VP of strategic initiatives, chair of the social science department, and our advisors, who assisted us in connecting our project ideas to the college’s mission and strategic initiatives. Instructions from our college president prompted a meeting with the director of pre-college programs. We learned our pre-college programs were growing, but high school students struggled to commit as they lacked the sense of belonging they felt in high school. Studying the CCsmart initiative, we discovered that our connections to high schools lacked fellowship. We decided to mimic the “student-led” approach to helping pre-college students, hoping to put “community” back into community college.

The Pre-College Team led us to focus on early college students from two local high schools. We fostered collaborations and began to plan the program, setting two primary objectives:

-Infuse CCsmart into the community; and

-Develop initiatives to create a sense of belonging for early college students.

With the Pre-College Team, our advisors, a former dual-enrollment student, and alumni, we planned a semester-long endeavor to introduce how PCCC offers a holistic education, beginning with an orientation (Figure 1) and ending with a capstone project. We drilled down the areas that would interest early college students, incorporating CCsmart and creating a sense of belonging. With the rising interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI), we decided to include AI in the project. Together, we arrived at more defined objectives:

-Enhance the early college program to be inclusive of families,

-Develop a program that prepares high school students for transfer and workforce,

-Model holistic support through mentorship, leadership development, and academic preparation; and -Create a student-led capstone project to collaborate with faculty on the use of AI.

We presented our project goals and objectives to our college president and received his full support.

Leadership Development

To successfully implement this project, we recruited a committee of 11 members. We researched early college programs and sought out former pre-college students to discuss their experiences. We learned that they felt like outcasts and hesitant to engage during their time on campus. This meeting helped us understand, as a holistic institution, that we needed to create an inclusive environment for pre-college students.

We began conceptualizing a sense of belonging and recognized we could benefit from training in project development, time management, effective communication, writing skills, team building, and mentoring. The Teacher Excellence Project (TEP) focuses on professional development for faculty and creating student academic success initiatives. At our request, they provided workshops that helped us develop the skills to meet our deadlines, create agendas, and team building that assisted us with communicating and coordinating project tasks.

Figure 1

To effectively collect data, we contacted the director of institutional research for instruction on developing an ethical survey and analyzing data. We learned about avoiding truisms, loaded terms, and leading and biased questions. We identified that data collection and analysis would continue throughout the project and requested ongoing support to help us strengthen our analytic skills. To create leadership opportunities, we devised four sub-groups: orientation, team building, curriculum development, and generation of the capstone project. We instituted a project tracker and timeline (Figure 2) to include collaborations and curriculum development. The tracker was shared with our advisors and the pre-college program to ensure accountability and project updates.

COLLEGE PROJECT TIMELINE

FALL SEMESTER 2023

SEPTEMBER

Together, we identified additional collaborators, crafted the orientation, developed leadership roles, created the curriculum, and designed the capstone project.

To address our core objectives, we emailed and met with the high school’s deputy director of innovative programs, who assisted us in inviting the families into the fold of the project. We designed the student-family orientation to demonstrate the enhanced academic experience. Chapter members were designated to lead the orientation, and we communicated with facilities and craft services to ensure space and food were confirmed.

We contacted faculty to help design a 15-week curriculum to foster a sense of belonging for these students who were giving up their high school experience. The curriculum included the following areas:

-Presentation skills

Welcome to Fostering a Sense of Belonging: Early College Students Making the Smart Choice

AI Project: Team Building

DATE: EVENT: 9/15 9/22 9/29 The Art of Listening and Communication (Nancy Silvestro)

10/6

AI Project: App Research

-Vetting academic resources

-Researching generative AI tools

-Scriptwriting

-Video production and editing

DATE: EVENT: 10/27

AI Project: Continued Research 10/20 10/13

AI Project: Prompt Engineering (Daiela Gomez)

Data Detective: Tools for Effective Research (Kenneth Karol)

DATE: EVENT: 11/03 11/17 11/24

AI Project: Continued Research

AI Project: Finalizing Script Writing 11/10

From Script to Screen: Video Production (DMCC)

AI Project: Start Instructional Videos

DATE: EVENT: 12/01 12/08

2

AI Project: Finalize Instructional Video Lunch and Learn Presentation OCTOBER NOVEMBER

Collaboration

To carry out the project and align with the college’s wishes, the Pre-College Team joined our committee to help develop goals and objectives. Chapter members presented CCsmart research and connected it with the college’s strategic initiatives.

We held several meetings with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), TEP, and Library Services, who trained the mentors in designing workshops that aligned with CCsmart and sense of belonging research. We contacted the digital media program chair to help initiate the videos, but he failed to commit to meetings. We established a contingency plan with chapter members from the digital media club to secure video production and editing training.

The curriculum development spearheaded the capstone project; creating an instructional video to showcase how generative AI can be infused into teaching and learning. We joined forces with TEP to research using AI in academics and discovered ways to integrate the student perspective into faculty development. We arranged for the videos to be presented to the college community and, for future access, housed in the online Faculty Resource Center.

We created a timeline and utilized the project tracker to continuously update the college

Figure

president, administration, and stakeholders on project development. Our final report discussed the challenges that arose from early college student and chapter member absences, which shifted the number of AI applications researched and the number of videos produced.

Impact

Completing the PTK Edge Programs and attending the 31 trainings provided leadership development and transferable skills that taught us the value of implementing curriculum, project development, and mentoring. One member stated, “This experience taught me so much about myself and what is possible for me in the future.”

The five strategy meetings with the Pre-College Team helped craft the foundation of the entire project. Chapter members reported feeling valued because the administration welcomed their ideas, reinforcing the bond between our chapter and the Pre-College Team.

The orientation hosted 13 early college students, 12 family members, and two guidance counselors. After the orientation, the team stated, “We never realized how important including families in the orientation strengthens the process it really is CCsmart.” To gauge the initial impression of early college students’ sense of belonging, we conducted a survey where only 25% of the students expressed positive emotions toward belonging at PCCC.

The early college students engaged in 13 co-curricular workshops and developed six student-led instructional videos addressing how to incorporate AI into teaching and learning. We hosted a Lunch and Learn to showcase the videos. Sixteen faculty attended and reported the following:

-97% agreed the strategies for embedding AI into teaching and learning were helpful

-95% agreed feeling more confident about AI

-82% agreed these suggestions prompted new ideas for combating AI as plagiarism and including it in the learning process

We disseminated a completion survey to capture early college students’ perspectives and the program’s efficacy. We received 100% participation. Students reported enhanced confidence and a deeper connection, attributing these outcomes to the project’s interactive nature and collaborative learning approach, and the survey revealed that:

-91% agreed PCCC supports their academic growth

-80% reported feeling comfortable seeking help from faculty or staff when needed

-76% reported feeling a strong connection with their fellow students

-76% reported feeling a sense of community

-70% expressed positive emotions towards belonging at PCCC

-62% expressed college administrators and faculty value their opinions

The survey was extended to the committee members; the findings underscored a sense of fulfillment and professional growth. The members reported that their involvement positively influenced their teamwork and leadership skills, emphasizing the project’s impact on personal and professional development.

Chapter-College Relationship

Our ability to connect the college’s mission and strategic initiatives and execute the goal of enhancing the pre-college programs significantly impacted the community, honing our relationship with the administration. Historically, guidance counselors in our district resist recommending PCCC as a viable choice. However, our efforts to create a sense of belonging and infuse CCsmart resulted in increased funding to aid in combating the financial barriers to pre-college programs. This funding will undoubtedly increase the potential for upward social mobility and educational capital. Our proven leadership, constant reporting, and enhanced relationship with the Pre-College Program and high school district led our college president to invite us to present our final project to the Board of Trustees.

Hispanic Heritage Festival

Alpha Gamma Alpha Chapter

Pikes Peak State College

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Abstract

Colorado’s Latino/a/x/e community is flourishing, contributing to the state’s diverse cultural landscape. The surge in first-generation Hispanic Americans has propelled this ethnic group to become the second largest in Colorado (Figure 1). “Data USA” highlights significant Latino populations in Colorado Springs, Colorado (18.4%) and Fountain, Colorado (27.3%), both near Pikes Peak State College (PPSC). However, the Latino population at PPSC remains below one-fourth of the student body, with many students concealing their ethnic identity due to undocumented status.

PPSC administrative leadership recognizes the injustice to these students and has made it a priority to change this inequality while breaking down social and educational barriers that have come to exist within its doors. PPSC’s mission “provides high-quality educational opportunities to all with a focus on student success and community needs…” opened the opportunity for conversation between college leaders and Phi Theta Kappa-Alpha Gamma Alpha Chapter (AGA) to empower individuals from traditionally marginalized communities to foster an inclusive environment encouraging full participation. PPSC recognizes the significance of celebrating heritage as an integral aspect of identity and a means to find a sense of belonging.

The Hispanic culture, characterized by its emphasis on bringing family and friends together, inspired the vision of a celebration featuring authentic live music, dancing, and food. This event serves as a connection to Hispanics’ home countries, reflecting national pride and cultural traditions. The College Project’s vision transforms into a proposal aimed at positioning PPSC as an

institution that actively serves Hispanic students by embracing and honoring their cultural heritage and legacy.

Planning

In 2020, the American Immigration Council (AIC) reported that about 150,000 U.S. citizens in Colorado live with a family member residing in the state illegally. Jacquelyn Gaiters-Jordon, vice president for instructional services at PPSC, recognized the fears and challenges placed on families with immigration status barriers hindering further education. She initiated collaboration with the AGA chapter to establish a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for current and future Hispanic students, leading to the conception of the 2022-2023 College Project.

To ensure a unified approach, the College Project team adopted a one-voice motto, guided by the quotes “Planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal” and “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” This one-voice attitude kept the team pushing forward when obstacles, risks, and stagnant periods arose during the project’s implementation.

The PTK team reviewed the existing charter and stakeholder documentation provided by the administration and drafted a narrative proposal for administrative leadership approval. The document, encompassing project scope, schedule, cost, risks, resources, and connections, underwent meticulous review by AGA chapter advisors. The team Hitcel

Hernandez, Suzan Perreault, Ashley Murdzia, and Vanessa Arguelles conducted a very detailed and impactful presentation, marking the project’s approval and collaboration initiation due to leadership’s swift endorsement.

Critical elements for College Project approval included incorporating it into the planned week-long school celebration (of transitioning from a community college to a state college) and presenting a threetier budget proposal. The largest proposed budget received leadership approval, elevating the project to be a pivotal component of PPSC’s recognition week.

The team embraced the challenge with enthusiasm and strategically chose Hispanic Heritage Appreciation Month to host the school’s first Hispanic Festival. This time aligned with festivals scheduled to “inspire younger generations and bring communities together” (Smithsonian).

Recognizing past attempts at inclusion and celebration that yielded little to no success from other faculty and students, the team identified a historical threat – the risk of not following through. Other Hispanic-inspired events, although successful, did not move Hispanic students to increase nor engage with the school culture. To mitigate this risk, AGA advisors guided the project goals to be refined to increase Hispanic student attendance by 2% and cultivate interest in AGA among 10 targeted students.

An Excel spreadsheet served as the project’s central repository, tracking tasks by percentage and color-

Figure 1

coded tabs, ensuring organizational efficiency. This maintained regular communication with the administration and AGA advisors while facilitating collaboration and transparency. The documentation guaranteed tasks were not missed, and as new tasks were realized, they were added to the appropriate week to be completed.

The planning and implementation of such a successful project involved numerous volunteers and departments from across the college including administration, media & public relations, student clubs, PPSC Foundation, culinary arts, friends of PTK/student volunteers, procurement, PTK AGA, student government, business engagement, learning commons, and student life.

Leadership Development

Utilizing class materials, the team harnessed their knowledge for practical application in the project. Past assignments served as a foundation to evaluate the team’s collective knowledge, skills, and abilities. In addition, a SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat) was performed revealing a training opportunity for project management methodology. Each team member was assigned tasks based on their natural strength, skill weaknesses, and professional opportunities.

Strengths – culture knowledge, external business and internal school connections, public speaking, coachable, time management, risk takers, finances, organizational skills, and business knowledge.

Weaknesses – lack of exposure and experience with school protocol and procurement processes,

fear of professional leadership, and obtaining local community support.

Opportunities – develop professional speaking in the native language, build self-confidence, present Hispanic culture, professional development, develop networking skills, and interact with local external businesses.

Threats – authentic vendors already pre-committed during Hispanic Heritage Month, state of Colorado regulation guidelines.

Collaboration

The College Project served as the culminating celebration for PPSC State Recognition Week, involving over 12 college departments to coordinate a vibrant four-hour Hispanic Festival showcasing cultural music, dancers, and food.

An initial challenge arose when college leaders requested a venue switch from an outside parking lot to an indoor location, necessitating the coordination of over 30 vendor tables from internal and external organizations, all providing resources and future opportunities for Hispanic students. Collaborating with the Events Planning department, the team secured two large rooms, ensuring a seamless flow between them to overcome the initial risk.

Engaging with the facilities management team’s expertise became crucial to harmonizing the separate rooms and maintaining a cohesive atmosphere. Each room was strategically designed to feature specific attractions, such as dancing in

Figure 2

one room and food in another. Leadership also mandated the team to support a local Hispanic restaurant to cater the event due to the venue shift. Despite the preference for authentic food trucks, the team found a restaurant to cater flavorful dishes for the event.

The festive atmosphere, integral to any celebration, was enriched through bright and colorful decorations, symbolizing the vibrancy inherent in Hispanic culture. The decorations would not only help illuminate the venue but serve as a bridge between the rooms. To overcome budget constraints imposed by school and state policies of spending taxpayer dollars, the AGA advisors directed the team to the PPSC Foundation, which enthusiastically sponsored the requested decorations. However, when the ordered decorations were delayed, a last-minute shopping spree was needed at local Hispanic businesses two days before the event.

The inclusion of traditional music and dancers (Figure 2), celebrating the cultural richness and community connection, posed challenges as many performers lacked essential state-required business documentation (W-9 forms, onemillion-dollar business insurance, and accidental waivers). While the dancers complied with the requirements, the selected band did not.

Two weeks before the event, the team, guided by advisors, decided to find a new band that met the vendor requirements. A team member made the difficult call to the band that due to their failure to meet the vendor requirements, they would no longer qualify for the event. It was astounding to witness a phenomenonal occurrence when a new band that met state-required documentation was secured within two hours. Immediate collaboration with the procurement department facilitated the cancellation of the initial band’s check and the submission of new documentation for the replacement. The team navigated the pressure to turn this situation around in 24 hours to ensure the timely distribution of all checks on the day of the festival.

Impact

Quantitative and qualitative outcomes were encapsulated in four key goals: attendance and involvement, participation of school clubs and external nonprofit organizations, student feedback, and adherence to the budget.

Anticipating low student attendance, catering was initially arranged for 200 people, but attendance exceeded expectations by 200%. In response to the unexpected crowd, AGA advisors authorized additional catering to accommodate the surge. The heightened attendance generated vibrant energy and active participation in organizations and entertainment. Over 30 student volunteers contributed to maintaining an interactive atmosphere and managing the increased crowd. The PPSC marketing department successfully invited two radio stations, including the highestrated Hispanic platform in the US, challenging our Spanish-speaking officers to communicate professionally in their native language for the first time.

Originally targeting 20 internal and external organizations, the event received participation from over 30 organizations. The budget, designed with a 10% (+/-) buffer for unforeseen expenses, proved beneficial when the risk of a new band materialized, and high attendance necessitated extra food. The total expenses for the festival aligned with the originally approved budget by leadership.

In concluding the project documentation, the team meticulously documented over 200 lessons learned, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the project’s successes, challenges, and areas for improvement.

Chapter-College Relationship

AGA raised the bar in its relationship with the college administration. To demonstrate, the administration has authorized funding to ensure that the Hispanic Heritage Festival continues as PPSC’s annual festival. For this to occur, the president of PPSC has assigned this festival to the vice president of student engagement and DEI. AGA has increased its influence with diverse students at PPSC. Students are requesting AGA’s mentorship to create their footprint on campus. This comes from the AGA Chapter and administration partnership raising student leadership voices.

Supporting the Promise Program

Omicron Psi Chapter Grayson College Denison, Texas

Abstract

Members reviewed the college’s mission and strategic plan in preparation to meet with the college president. Understanding engaged students are more likely to succeed, the college president and chapter members decided to focus on creating opportunities for students to connect with the institution. This directly supports the college’s mission, which states, “The mission of Grayson College is student success.” It also reinforces the college’s strategic plan of “Connect, Commit, Complete,” which is designed to provide engagement opportunities and resources to support students’ completion of their academic goals.

Members were instructed to work with the director of promise programs (DPP) to determine a project that engaged Promise students. After meeting with the DPP, members worked closely with the administration to serve as tour guides for local high school students during the college’s Senior Day events and to create an event known as Promise Day, which was designed to connect Promise students with various resources that would support their success.

Members also collaborated with the marketing director to promote the events through all communication channels to best reach students. Since the Promise Program is a new college initiative, members and administrators felt these efforts would help Promise students feel more connected to the college and the resources provided would aid them in completing their academic goals. Equally important in this project was strengthening the relationship between members and the college’s administration.

Planning

Before meeting with the college president, members discussed Grayson College’s (GC) mission and strategic plan. They understood any project implemented would center on these objectives.

Knowing the essential roles engagement and resource access play in student success, the college president asked members to create opportunities for Promise students to connect with the college and its resources. The Promise Program enables graduating high school students to attend GC for free.

Supporting this initiative, the chapter received a grant from the Greater Texas Foundation (GTF) to be used to assist Promise students. After discussion with the college president, the chapter decided to use this grant to provide free Phi Theta Kappa membership to eligible Promise students. Members further agreed that promotion of the Promise Program would be valuable to students and would support the college’s mission and strategic plan.

The college president directed members to work with the DPP to plan and implement the project. The chapter worked with the DPP to develop project objectives:

1. Create student-focused engagement opportunities.

2. Connect Promise students with resources on campus.

3. Promote the Promise Program to area high school seniors.

4. Develop marketing materials to promote engagement opportunities.

5. Improve members’ communication and networking skills.

6. Develop a stronger relationship between administrators and members.

The DPP felt it was important to have students directly involved in the promotion of the Promise Program, which prompted her to invite members to serve as tour guides for the college’s Senior Day events. Members were tasked with showing local high school students around campus and encouraging them to attend GC through the Promise Program.

The DPP also wanted to provide engagement opportunities for current GC Promise students. This prompted members and administrators to collaborate in the creation of Promise Day, a tabling event at which Promise students were able to connect with campus resources, including financial aid, academic advising, and the career center, as well as visit with representatives from four-year universities that are designated Promise Partners.

The chapter hosted a table for qualifying Promise students to accept free membership provided through the GTF grant. The DPP also invited members to host peer-to-peer tables related to student success, providing another opportunity for student-based engagement. After discussing several ideas, members decided to host two tables, one focusing on college success tips and the other focusing on transfer tips. For the transfer table, members enlisted help from Society alumni. Members collaborated with the student life director to plan Promise Day logistics and secure the space and tables for the event, as well as create the free membership signup form. The marketing director helped members market this event to students to encourage their participation.

Leadership Development

Members first needed training about the Promise Program as it was central to the project. Members asked the DPP to provide instruction about the program, and this coaching allowed members to promote the Promise Program more effectively. During the planning phase, members and advisors assessed the members’ skills and identified areas for which additional training was needed. Because much of this project required communication with various administrators and college departments, a communications professor worked with members to provide training on professional communication, focusing particularly on email. To prepare for running their peer-to-peer tables during Promise Day, members were also given training on how to conduct short presentations at tabling events. To serve as tour guides for Senior Day, members received training from the DPP on their roles and responsibilities, the various programs offered at GC, and best practices for engaging students during the tours.

Members took on leadership roles in planning Promise Day. They worked with the student life director to submit the proper paperwork to host the event, as well as secure the event space and tables. Two members were assigned to recruit college representatives from financial aid and other departments for Promise Day. Another was tasked with identifying alumni to host the transfer tips table. Because marketing was a significant responsibility for this project, members received training from the marketing director on best practices for posting to social media, such as what information to include, best times of day to post, and the frequency of posting. Members had the responsibility of developing and executing a marketing plan based on that training.

Collaboration

Members worked closely with the DPP to plan and implement the project. Because Senior Day and Promise Day were held just two weeks apart, the DPP could not meet weekly as desired. To ensure consistent communication with the DPP throughout the project, members corresponded with the DPP via email between regular monthly meetings to provide updates and gain needed guidance.

Members worked with the DPP and the student life director to serve as tour guides for Senior Day. Members shared with the DPP the feedback gained during the tours to help improve messaging for next year’s Senior Day events.

Members collaborated with the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and the Greater Texas Foundation to secure the grant, as well as with GC business office staff to facilitate the use of the funds.

Members collaborated with the DPP to directly email all Promise students about Promise Day and coordinate a text message campaign inviting them to the event. Members worked with the student life director for Promise Day event space, to have all needed tables and chairs, and to create the free membership signup form. Members collaborated with the directors of the financial aid, academic advising, and career services departments, as well as with six four-year universities to host resource tables at Promise Day. Members worked in partnership with three

alumni from our chapter and one from a sister chapter to host the transfer tips table.

Members collaborated with the marketing director to design the marketing plan and all the digital materials for Promise Day. All information about Senior Day and Promise Day was shared on the college and chapter social media accounts. Members promoted the events on their personal social media accounts to further increase the project’s outreach.

At the end of the fall semester, members held a final meeting with the DPP to review and debrief on the various project components. Members also reflected on what they learned throughout the process.

Impact

Five members joined with college staff members to serve as tour guides for over 1,500 high school students from 23 local high schools during Senior Day. One member reflected, “It was really neat to share my experiences with these students, and I hope they left with a deeper understanding of the opportunities they have at GC through the Promise Program.”

Over 100 students attended Promise Day, connecting with representatives from six four-year universities and staff members from three college departments, as well as eight members and four alumni at their respective tables. Nineteen Promise students were able to join Phi Theta Kappa for free.

Through members’ participation in Senior Day and Promise Day, students were given opportunities to connect to the college and its resources, fulfilling the project’s two biggest goals. These opportunities will persist as GC will continue to host Senior Day and Promise Day in the years to come. The chapter will continue to offer membership to all eligible Promise students until the grant money is exhausted.

Members improved their communication and networking skills throughout the project. Members also learned how to schedule campus events, create a marketing plan, and more effectively engage with fellow students. They gained insight

into the college’s operations, learning more about how various departments work together to execute a project. Members felt empowered by having an opportunity to create something that connects both current and future students with the college and its resources.

Chapter-College Relationship

This was the first occasion to work with the DPP, so this was a fantastic opportunity to build a new relationship. This project also enabled the chapter to work directly with three college departments and develop those new relationships as well. The project enabled members to build upon the existing relationships with the marketing director, student life director, and the college president, developing even stronger champions for Phi Theta Kappa. All this contributed to supporting the college’s mission of “student success” and the strategic plan of helping students “connect” to the institution and its resources so they can “complete” their academic goals.

STREAM Immersive Fair

Beta Iota Epsilon Chapter

Arkansas State University - Mountain Home Mountain Home, Arkansas

Abstract

STREAM, an expansion of STEM, is not just a science fair but an exhilarating learning experience. It stands for “Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math.” This dynamic event, open to all local K-6 schools, sparks a unique passion for learning in schoolage children. It expands their views of education and college through interactive learning stations, student collaboration, and play, making learning a thrilling adventure.

Arkansas State University Mountain Home (ASUMH)’s mission is to LEAD through educational opportunities. LEAD stands for “Lifelong Learning, Enhanced Quality of Life, Academic Accessibility, and Diverse Experiences.” The college’s priority is to provide expertise and resources that create opportunities and change lives.

STREAM is a shining example of an activity that perfectly aligns with ASUMH’s mission. It’s a testament to the fact that learning begins in childhood. STREAM introduces kids as young as five to aerodynamics, health science, and architecture, laying a strong foundation of education and enjoyment. It’s not just about play but about enhancing the quality of life through education.

STREAM is accessible and free, with a wide range of activities for all ages, mobility constraints, and social comfort levels. It provides diverse experiences where children can interact with other students from across the area. The activities offer diverse perspectives, from tours of local ambulances to tutorials on podcasting and creating circuit boards.

The STREAM Fair brings in the best to inspire the next generation. Local industry leaders create interactive stations for children, from fire department chiefs to professional robotics team members. This immersive, one-day experience is a unique opportunity for children to interact with these leaders and glimpse the real world of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. It’s a chance for them to dive into play and fall in love with the world of academics, sparking a lifelong passion for learning.

Planning

The planning began with reviewing the college’s mission and values and examining the current PTK Honors Study Topic, The Art and Science of Play. After reviewing the mission and priorities, the chapter generated over five potential ideas and summarized potential projects. The summarized ideas were forwarded to the campus chancellor. The chancellor highlighted one idea, the STREAM fair, for the chapter to focus on, and both the chapter and campus administration mutually agreed on the project’s plan and goals.

ASUMH’s Honors Leadership and Business Leadership and Ethical Decisionmaking course s have collaborated with Phi Theta Kappa to bring all STREAMs to Arkansas State University Mtn. Home. We appreciate all of our volunteers from the campus faculty, staff, and students and the community . No event would be possible on our campus if we did not have the wonderful staff, especially in our maintenance department, who help set up, tear down, and generally manage the chaos of organizing our events.

formed a timeline for when stakeholders should be contacted, purchased and set up booths and equipment, and decided on activities. Members focused on when to reach out to schools to ensure they had an accurate attendance to expect. We appointed individuals to teams and specific outreach groups. Each member listed the organizations they had contacts with and was responsible for contacting for involvement. Frequent contact between the chapter and administration ensured the mutual meeting of goals. Every campus activity board meeting mentioned STREAM, and STREAM reports were distributed at faculty senate and campus committee meetings.

THANK YOU.

Leadership Development

The chancellor suggested that the fair was a legacy project and should be a priority because of its significant success in previous years. The goal for this project was to stay within the capacity of earlier years but to run the fair more cohesively for all participants. Several hundred unregistered K-6 students arrived at the last fair, leaving volunteers scrambling for resources. To avoid this, the campus administration and chapter began planning for more space and time between activities in case of a lastminute change in capacity.

After this agreement, the chapter began meeting weekly to organize planning. The meetings started with brainstorming. We evaluated resources,

STREAM improved our members’ leadership skills in every way. Members chose task forces and then specific activities based on their interests and specific skills. Officers helped sort individuals into groups. The project required great flexibility and creativity. When stakeholders didn’t show up or answer emails, individuals worked together to fill in gaps in activities. When members could not continue their activities because of work or sickness, other members stepped in to keep the activities running, whether putting the materials together before the fair or running two booths simultaneously.

While members were comfortable working within their expertise, they needed to be more comfortable operating as a team. To remedy this, members attended a semester-long leadership class together at the college, learning about leadership theories and examining group theory and personal leadership style. Through journaling and group discussion, the class helped members examine their weaknesses in leadership and where they needed to improve as a team.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed

The team used critical thinking and examined not only their weaknesses but also the weaknesses of past projects. The chapter examined what events had drawn the most participation in the past, what issues arose, such as crowd control, and where the chapter should focus on improvements. This leadership experience helped grow the members and allowed them to collaborate better. In a final reflection, members reported the skills they had gained through the project, such as time management, communication, and leadership.

Collaboration

The team developed a system of contacting campus administration with updates, using faculty connections to relay important messages through faculty senate meetings. We assigned specific community collaborators to contact periodically for updates, ensuring that members shared the burden of communication. The chapter held campus-wide meetings to discuss the fair’s goals and scope. Members could access and contribute to online project forums posted through Blackboard, an online learning management system.

Students also kept journals to share among the chapters, which recorded resources, volunteers, and project updates. Externally, updates were provided to stakeholders frequently through emails, phone calls, and social media advertising. Students shared email and phone numbers during the fair to communicate live updates, what activity stations needed help, and what to expect from schools. This year, one different aspect was that the Salvation Army reached out to the team leadership and asked to be involved in STREAM. They set up a booth to provide snacks and a place to rest and reflect between activities.

After the event, a debriefing session was held with the administration and campus stakeholders to discuss the successes and trials of the event.

Impact

Our STREAM leadership team consisted of over two dozen people. The fair invited approximately 1,400 individuals to attend. We received several hundred students and family members from all local schools, including Mountain Home, Norfolk, Yellville, Viola, Ozark Mountain, Melbourne, and Cotter, as well as many local homeschool families.

The fair had 27 exhibits, led by the chapter and the dozen volunteer groups that agreed to help with

the event. While this was a much smaller audience than the previous year’s fair, the chapter met its most crucial goal of providing a less chaotic and crowded event. The students were able to offer more one-onone mentorship with school children.

This event continues its legacy of being one of the biggest events for K-6 students each year and one of the biggest events on campus. The team surveyed students and volunteers after the event. Every respondent indicated that they would help with STREAM again if they could and were either satisfied or very satisfied with the outcome and process of the fair. Regarding supplies, 91% of respondents indicated they had enough materials for their activity, an enormous improvement from previous years when nearly every booth ran out of supplies.

Respondents also showed that 83% of the time, there were enough volunteers in their activity area, which is another enormous improvement from the previous year when there were not enough volunteers at most activity stations.

This project helped chapter members push themselves. Members learned how to communicate with all levels of students, from kindergarten to other college students. Members had to think on the fly and exercise leadership and management skills to control crowds and ensure all students could participate in activities. Members could practice the leadership theories they had learned in class that semester and do hands-on exercises such as time management to strengthen weak areas in their leadership style.

Chapter-College Relationship

This year’s STREAM fair was the last to be held in collaboration with Chancellor Robin Myers. Dr. Myers retired two months after the event. The event was partly dedicated to his years of service and his love of outreach to local schools. The project was a beautiful gift to the end of the chapter’s relationship with Dr. Myers and an impressive example of how the chapter can benefit the campus and community that can be shown to the incoming administration.

The chapter met its goal of creating a less chaotic experience, which built trust between members and the administration. The relationship was further strengthened by frequent meetings, discussion of goals, and teamwork. Additionally, the college gained immense publicity for the event, and participants were all the more eager to engage with the fair, knowing its role in sending off Dr. Myers to his retirement.

Three-Phase College “Revitalization” Project

Beta Beta Epsilon Chapter

Great Basin College

Elko, Nevada

Abstract

During the spring 2023 induction, the Beta Beta Epsilon members were inspired by GBC President Helens’ keynote address, as she spoke of a direct parallel between the GBC mission, “Transforming Lives through Education,” and the mission of Phi Theta Kappa. Transforming lives by providing opportunities for GBC students to grow as leaders and community servants has become the 2023-2024 optimum goal of the GBC administration and Beta Beta Epsilon.

This year, our chapter continued to strengthen ties with the GBC administration. Monthly reports were submitted to keep the administrators abreast of all PTK happenings and to seek recommendations. President Helens created a placeholder on the GBC All-Campus monthly meeting agendas for PTK updates. She repeatedly shared our chapter’s transformation from a one-star to a five-star chapter, in three years, with GBC staff.

The rapid success of our chapter was the result of focused recruitment and planning, participation regionally and nationally, and establishing an ongoing relationship, built on trust, with the GBC administration. Our chapter is more professionally prepared to develop collaborative initiatives that transform GBC students into successful scholars, leaders, and community servants. Daisaku Ikeda stated, “Effort and hard work construct the bridge that connects your dreams to reality.” Due to an earnest and industrious partnership with the administration, a systematic structure focused on collaboration and shared goals has become the working model for future PTK students.

In August 2023, the officers organized a PTK Strategic Planning Retreat. The top item on the agenda was to

schedule a collaborative meeting with the GBC administration to determine the focus of the College Project.

The chapter president requested a September Zoom meeting with the college president and vice president. They readily accepted. The administrators were asked to discuss their hopes and dreams for GBC. The conversation was fluid, honest, and joyful. We learned the art of collective, strategic planning.

As the meeting drew to a close, the vision for the College Project was clear. We were confident that the intended outcomes would come to fruition through a shared vision and proactive planning. The administrators’ request was mutually agreed upon -- to “Revitalize” GBC after a lagging oncampus return following the pandemic. The slow return snowballed into a reduction of full-time enrollment, a cutback in operating funds, staff shortages, and a decreased community presence.

Through courteous discourse, our chapter developed a robust plan of action based on the administrators’ recommendations. We looked deeper into what it means to revitalize. MerriamWebster states that to revitalize means “to give new life or vigor to.” That is what we do! As a chapter, we took this request seriously and went straight to work! The administrators approved the “Revitalization” plan of action.

GBC Campus Revitalization Project, Phase

1

Sponsored by GBC Phi Theta Kappa Students

A r e a s o f E n h a n c e m e n t : I s l a n d s , w i t h c u r b i n g , w i l l

b e r e - l a n d s c a p e d t o c r e a t e

a w e l c o m i n g a p p e a l .

S t a r b u c k s c o f f e e , h o t c h o c o l a t e , a n d

e r 6 t h

T i m e : 7 : 0 0 A M - 1 2 : 0 0 P M

p a s t r i e s w i l l b e s e r v e d f r o m 7 : 0 0 A M t o

1 0 : 0 0 A M P i z z a w i l l b e s e r v e d a t 1 1 : 0 0

A M f o r a l l v o l u n t e e r s

A s p e c i a l t h a n k s t o J e f f W i n r o d ,

G B C F a c i l i t i e s D i r e c t o r , a n d h i s e n t i r e s t a f f f o r m a i n t a i n i n g o u r

f o r t y - f o u r a c r e c a m p u s !

The “Revitalization” Project was developed in three phases: Campus Grounds Revitalization, GBC & CCsmart Student Recruitment Booth & Cameos, and Christmas Festival Community Outreach.

Planning

Phase I: Campus Grounds Revitalization

Upon entering GBC in two main entry areas, curbed islands were filled with weeds and discolored lava rock. The appearance was unappealing and sent the message that GBC was not open for business. The areas were not maintained due to a staff shortage. Our officers requested a meeting with the supervisor of maintenance and offered PTK assistance. The request was welcomed.

A “Campus Revitalization” flier (Figure 1) was distributed to the entire college. Our PTK special

Figure 1

events coordinator was closely connected to the county fairgrounds crew. She recruited four volunteers along with their dump truck for six hours of service. Throughout the day, PTK students, professors, staff, and volunteers removed, with shovels, four tons of old lava rock and replaced it with four tons of new river rock. The students and volunteers received a special visit from President Helens. She thanked them for their amazing effort (Figure 2). Video Link: https://youtu.be/5DBIV62OJU0

Phase II:

Upon our chapter’s recommendation, VP Rivera researched CCsmart and provided support by enlisting GBC’s videographer to film CCsmart and GBC cameos featuring PTK students at no cost to the chapter. The videos have been posted to the PTK website, the Canvas site, and social media platforms.

GBC: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BS6HKeKehYI CCsmart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqzWeUCc

Phase III:

During the annual GBC Winter Festival, PTK sponsored a student recruitment booth. The Elko High School Choraliers, comprised of 55 students, were invited to visit the booth to consider GBC as their college of choice. Recruitment gifts filled with incentives and GBC contact information were given to each student. Festival attendees also visited the booth. Their contact information was shared with GBC’s recruiter.

Our chapter also created a North Pole setting and arranged a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus, which brought over 300 children and their family members to the GBC campus. The community presence enlivened our campus. We sent the message, “GBC is here for you.” (Figure 3)

Leadership Development

The “Revitalization” College Project was a robust undertaking. The initial planning strategy to revitalize the college was set in motion by referring to the intricate notes taken during the initial meeting with the administration. During the meeting, our president and vice president provided an overarching vision. However, with purposeful intent, President Helens encouraged our members to use their critical thinking skills to piece the revitalization plan together.

Through careful analysis and unwavering communication with the administration, the threephase project was set in motion. Each phase called for a different action plan, which sparked the need for a unique skill set. As a team, we

communicated weekly to organize each phase while ensuring that GBC special event policies were met.

Advertising materials, fliers, and cameos were created for each phase by chapter subcommittees. We learned to hone our public relations skills by promoting each phase across campus sites and within the community. We knew we could breathe new life into GBC if we worked together, and we did.

Twelve students have completed the Competitive Edge training, which was helpful for learning soft skills. However, we soon realized that the members who worked at the recruitment booth needed public discourse training specifically in the recruitment area. Future planning will include training on the hallmarks of professionalism focused on how to effectively interact with potential students and the community at large.

Collaboration

The most significant collaboration was with the GBC administration. The first organizational meeting planted a seed for success. Since the “Revitalization” project was GBC-focused, the collaborators were college-affiliated except for the Elko County Fairgrounds crew and the Elko High School Choraliers.

PTK subcommittees met with the following entities to ensure the College Project “Revitalization” plans were initiated and carried out successfully. In addition, chapter representatives provided the following collaborators with regular updates to ensure project efficacy:

GBC Administrators: Planned an initial College Project brainstorming meeting.

GBC Grounds Supervisor: Organized a joint campus beautification project.

GBC Media Services/Videographer: Discussed, organized, and recorded recruitment cameos featuring PTK students.

GBC Webmaster: Arranged CCsmart and GBC recruitment cameo postings with administrative approval.

GBC Theater Department: Planned and designed the North Pole set for Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Figure 2

Beta Beta Epsilon revitalized the Great Basin College Campus with administrative support on October 6, 2023 President Joyce Helens inspired the PTK students and volunteers with her presence and words of appreciation

GBC Student Life Committee: Adhered to festival planning procedures for reserving a PTK recruitment booth and North Pole venue.

Elko County Fairgrounds: Networked with the superintendent to assist with the campus grounds beautification project.

Elko High School Choraliers: Established a communicative relationship with them and their advisor for recruitment and community outreach purposes.

Impact

Our campus entryways are beautifully landscaped. Our CCsmart and GBC cameos are currently viewed by potential students. Recruitment outreach prompted interested students to contact GBC. Approximately 300 families from our community experienced a winter wonderland at GBC. The intended outcomes are enduring.

In alignment with our college mission, we were instrumental in helping to create inclusive, diverse, equitable, and welcoming access to GBC. During the winter festival, VP Rivera commended the students for creating a recruitment booth that reflected the best of GBC. He stated, “Your work is creative and meaningful.” One hundred and two potential non-traditional and traditional students visited the booth.

During the restoration of the grounds, 26 PTK students, GBC staff, and community volunteers physically moved eight tons of rock in six hours. The Elko County Fairgrounds crew donated $800 worth of in-kind service.

Three videos highlighting PTK students, focusing on campus revitalization, CCsmart, and GBC recruitment, were developed with an intended audience of over 2,000 viewers. One hundred and two interested individuals visited the GBC/ CCsmart recruitment booth.

One hundred and eighty-two children visited Mr. and Mrs. Claus, accompanied by 300 family members. The impact of this project filled us with confidence and pride. This experience helped us to discover who we were meant to be.

Chapter-College Relationship

Our chapter’s relationship with the administration was strengthened through collaborative goal setting, planning, and unfaltering communication. On January 7, President Helens was emailed a final report. She immediately replied with the following message:

“Happy New Year! What this chapter has accomplished is nothing short of incredible! The enthusiasm, planning, follow-through, and serious reflection on what has been accomplished has given each student reallife experience in how successful leaders get important work done, and this has made GBC stronger.” - President Joyce Helens

Through our collaborative, heartfelt work, we built a trusting relationship with our administrators. Stephen Covey stated, “It is trust that transforms a group of people into a team.” Working with our administrators has been life-changing. We were committed to a common cause which mattered immensely to all of us. As a chapter, we have learned that teamwork and collaboration are the key attributes that define inspirational leadership. We are grateful to our administrators for giving us the opportunity to grow as leaders through our united revitalization efforts. We believe our altruistic work is long-lasting.

As a chapter, we remain GBC strong and PTK proud.

Santa & Mrs. Claus and their Beta Beta Epsilon Elves recruited traditional and non-traditional GBC students by sharing CCsmart awareness. “Revitalization was set in motion!”

Community Garden Initiative

Rho Sigma Chapter

Jones College Ellisville, Mississippi

Abstract

Rho Sigma’s College Project was initiating a community garden to help provide food for our college and community. The chapter determined that supporting staff and community members in need would be especially important.

Our College Project team and advisors met with the Jones College president during the summer. Dr. Smith expressed concern about rising inflation in the community and suggested providing food, free of charge, for our college staff and, eventually, the wider community.

The Jones College mission supports workforce, economic, and community development. This portion of the mission is directly tied to our Garden Initiative, which educates participants in horticulture, contributes to economic relief, and strengthens ties between the college and the surrounding community.

Planning

The Rho Sigma officer team met during the summer to review past projects and College Project procedures. We reviewed our college mission statement and how it related to the Hallmarks of Phi Theta Kappa, especially service. Since this was our fourth project, in conjunction with the president, he anticipated our request for a meeting.

The president discussed several issues on his mind. The College Project team was open to any of the president’s initiatives but wanted a project that could become an ongoing effort for Rho Sigma and other entities on campus.

Possible project topics included the usefulness of AI, climate awareness, mental health, and inflation. Through much discussion, it became apparent that the president’s main concern was easing the financial burdens of the campus community, even if the initial impact was moderate. Dr. Smith already had the idea of a campus garden to ultimately help provide our campus staff and local community with vegetables and herbs. We also determined that such an idea may give us the ongoing impact we sought.

We would table our decision until meeting with the rest of the officer team and advisors. After sharing the president’s thoughts, we delved into the possible scenarios for each project. Agreeing with the officers, our advisors also thought a community garden could have ongoing benefits, support the campus community, and meet the college’s mission. The project could benefit those in other majors, including horticulture, science, and culinary. A Campus Garden (Figure 1) seemed like the idea with the most potential.

The College Project team had a second meeting with the president to accept the Community Garden project and to determine what resources

his office could provide. Science faculty had approached the president about creating a pollinator/herb garden but had yet to determine a location. The president conveyed that the head of our campus grounds department was willing to assist in the effort. Managing the project’s scope was discussed, as everyone was concerned about keeping it manageable.

As recommended by the president, the team members contacted the science faculty and the head of grounds to propose a collaboration. Everyone involved strongly suggested we begin with a proof of concept (test plots) before we expand. Secondly, only certain varieties of vegetables and herbs will grow in the winter months. Through conversation with the dean of science, the team learned of a pair of large dormant planters filled with rocks at the end of the building as a possible adequate test plot. The dean also offered four larger planting areas in the front of the science building, but they contained four large trees.

Lastly, a solution for watering or an irrigation system would be needed. The president also agreed that a proof of concept was a wise course of action. He also shared that only certain

Figure 1

things would grow in the winter, and we should approach the garden with the idea of doing it well and then expanding in the spring.

After meeting with campus grounds, they offered to tear the trees from the front planting area if Rho Sigma members removed the rocks from the additional dormant planters. To assist in planting and maintaining the garden, horticulture students and Phi Theta Kappa members would supply the workers.

Leadership Development

This project required us to consider light, water, temperature, humidity, fertilization, and soil composition. We had to rely on our head of grounds and science faculty’s knowledge to implement a successful garden. Members learned to prepare nourishing and sustainable soil properly, discovered beneficial pollinators, and acquired equipment and labor from other campus entities. Most importantly, we researched plants suited for our state’s unpredictable weather conditions, procured adequate amounts of vegetables to plant, and developed a maintenance schedule. Working with a set budget, the project lead had to enlist the help and resources from other campus entities. Due to time constraints, participants learned on the job by receiving direct instruction from science faculty and grounds members. Participants cleared the planting area, constructed raised beds, and assisted in building the irrigation system (Figures 2 and 3).

The College Project team also organized work schedules and carefully facilitated the maintenance and watering schedules. Leaders had to monitor weather conditions to prevent over- or under-watering.

This project taught our team to enter unfamiliar territory, such as coordinating meetings with the president, science faculty, chapter officers, advisors, and members. Lastly, the garden project required ongoing event recording to maintain a straightforward narrative.

Collaboration

Once we settled the project logistics, Rho Sigma began communicating with the chapter members through blanket email announcements and prepared a project presentation for each chapter meeting. The chapter announced work dates and times and requested helpers. QR code sign-up

sheets enabled the College Project team to keep up with hours.

The team quickly realized that our window for planting was closing. The project team and advisors purchased the winter vegetables. As suggested by the science faculty, the team would purchase starter plants, including 24 collards, 24 broccoli, 12 cauliflower, 12 cabbage, 12 lettuce, 12 parsley, and flowering plants for pollination. The head of campus grounds created a diagram of the proposed garden, which was sent to everyone for their approval, including the president. The president approved the removal of the trees and the construction of the raised beds.

Ground crews quickly removed the trees from the proposed planting area so construction could begin. Horticulture students and Rho Sigma members worked under the direction of the grounds department to bury PVC pipe for an irrigation system, build each of the four raised beds using large paver bricks, and fill them with rich soil. With help from our science department, we would fertilize, prepare the ground, and finally plant. Our science faculty directed a watering schedule, in which Rho Sigma supplied membership help.

As students passed the project, they often asked about the effort. Members seized opportunities to tell people about Phi Theta Kappa and actually recruited several members.

Everything was growing well until, surprisingly, termites began eating the broccoli. Science faculty quickly used diatomaceous earth to rid the garden of all pests. Besides a handful of broccoli plants, the garden grew very well, and maintenance continued smoothly through December.

The College Project Director frequently updated the chapter and the president throughout each phase. We strongly believe that the president’s approval was due to our frequent updates and consideration of his wishes.

Impact

Working between classes, one advisor, 18 members, four officers, and three horticulture students were involved in constructing the raised beds and rock removal. Twelve members, four officers, two science faculty, and three horticulture

students planted the garden. Lastly, 24 members, two officers, four grounds workers, and two science faculty maintained the watering schedule.

A total of 92 man-hours were involved in completing the garden and maintenance. As of December 31, 2023, the garden was projected to produce approximately a bushel of collard greens (12 lbs), half a bushel of broccoli (12 lbs), half a bushel of cauliflower (12 lbs), 20 heads of lettuce, and 20 heads of cabbage.

The goal of the Garden Initiative is to cultivate a sustainable food source for our college community, although it has exceeded its expectations. A once-overlooked patch of soil was transformed into a living classroom. Participants

were exposed to a feeling of community service, fellowship, and camaraderie. Participants could experience turning dormant soil into sustenance, providing a lasting sense of fulfillment.

The Garden Initiative became a communal core for learning, peer collaboration, and personal growth. Fifty-four members, eight officers, five horticulture students, and three advisors learned the cultivation strategies of numerous winter plants. Beyond its utilitarian purpose, the Garden Initiative emerged as a genuine place for bonding. Rho Sigma remains committed to expanding the garden, ensuring its enduring impact in our community through the spring.

Chapter-College Relationship

This year was the fourth year that we have directly collaborated with the president, and it is evident that he is familiar with the process. Our summer administrative meetings with Dr. Smith and his staff have become a staple in our College Project process. Our president has become a friend of Rho Sigma and has realized that we can serve as an arm for his creative ideas.

In conjunction with the president’s needs or wishes, we always aim to implement a project that will impact our campus and community the most. Through direct interaction, our president knows he can count on Rho Sigma to assist or implement

trust and continued support for our chapter from

Figure 2

Figure 3

WeConnect: A Collaborative Approach to Peer Mentoring

Omicron Iota Chapter

Schoolcraft College

Livonia, Michigan

Abstract

Recognizing the significance of an associate degree and the diverse programs offered at Schoolcraft College, our primary objective was to promote recruitment. With the support of Dr. Glenn Cerny, the president of Schoolcraft College, we sought counsel from Chief Student Enrollment Officer Melissa Schultz to further understand recruitment procedures. Among the insights she shared, a noteworthy revelation was that the success rate of Michigan Reconnect (MREC) students at Schoolcraft fell below the state standard and many MREC students did not complete their programs despite admission. This issue, which directly impacts the future of these students, became our new focus. We redirected our objective from recruitment to assisting MREC students, understanding the crucial role we play in their academic journey.

A study by Concordia University--St. Paul titled “A Study to Determine Barriers That Impact Adult Learner Academic Success” noted that despite a significant surge in adult learner enrollment, annual attrition rates have increased due to barriers hindering academic success, leading them to withdraw from courses or drop out of college.

To comprehend the challenges of MREC students, such as being over 25 years old and juggling multiple responsibilities, we embarked on a collaborative effort. We worked with Krystal McIntyre, market research manager, and Sharon Christian, associate dean of student success and retention, to design a survey. This survey, a product of our collective understanding and

dedication, unveiled insights into barriers, with 68% of respondents expressing a desire for mentorship opportunities to know available resources.

We discovered that Schoolcraft offers many resources encompassing academic, financial, and emotional support. Suspecting that struggling MREC students are possibly unaware of these resources and identifying barriers, we collaborated with Ms. Christian to design a peer mentorship program to provide personalized support, guidance, and resources to MREC students. We supported the college mission by aligning with the administrative target to uplift at-risk MREC students: “to provide a transformational learning experience designed to increase the capacity of individuals and groups to achieve intellectual, social, and economic goals.”

Planning

Initially interested in enhancing recruitment, our journey began with Dr. Cerny, who encouraged us to investigate further by engaging with relevant administrators, resulting in a meeting with Ms. Schultz. A pivotal moment occurred when she revealed the success rate of MREC students at Schoolcraft, measured by next-term persistence, graduation, and transfer, fell below the state standard. The four-year completion rate for MREC students at Schoolcraft College in 20172018 was 24.16%, below the state standard of 30%. This was concerning because, according to the Michigan Reconnect Grant Act of 2020, “an institution that fails to achieve its annual completion-gain target could be placed on probationary status.”

However, this data did not consider COVID disruptions nor acknowledge the diversity and adversities faced by the cohort. We understood potential barriers hindering the success of these students as we were MREC students ourselves; thus, we shifted our focus from recruitment to assisting already-enrolled MREC students.

We gained insights into existing strategies, such as email and text alerts for students nearing completion, by engaging with critical individuals like Director of Data Strategy and Effectiveness Michelle Stando and Ms. McIntyre. In a concurrent

discussion with Ms. Christian and Dr. Carmen Wilson, academic success coach, we learned about initiatives designed for MREC students, including coaching, Persistence Plus (a psychosocial texting service), and learning center services. Diverse resources beyond academics, such as help for food insecurity from the student activities office and immediate financial assistance from the Hinkle Center, were also noted. We realized that diverse resources are available for students, not limited to academics.

Through multiple meetings with Ms. Christian, we brainstormed a peer mentorship program dedicated to helping MREC students by providing personalized guidance and resources. Collaboratively, we listed available resources based on needs. However, to develop effective strategies, we needed to identify the unique barriers MREC students face at Schoolcraft and understand if students wanted learning opportunities democratically.

To address this, under the expert guidance of Ms. Christian and Ms. McIntyre, we designed an unbiased survey through multiple revisions and corrections. We offered incentives to encourage student participation. Despite conducting the survey twice, the response was below expectations. However, it provided important insights, such as the majority of the participating students strongly/agreed to have mentorship opportunities to know about available resources.

Therefore, we collaborated with Ms. Christian to develop a peer mentorship program to overcome barriers hindering students from sharing personal struggles with administrators or faculty. The program named WeConnect aims to create a space for students to share challenges with peer mentors of similar ages and experiences and provide them with personalized guidance and resources.

Undergoing training by learning support services, we acquired knowledge of institutional policies, safety protocols, and the do’s and don’ts of peer mentorship. The training equipped us with skills to offer support, guidance, and referrals while maintaining professionalism and adhering to the Student Code of Conduct. Our responsibilities include researching to locate resources,

tracking attendance to events, documenting communications, and ensuring synergistic efforts with stakeholders.

With the help of our advisors, we hosted an event featuring Jamie Storey, director of higher education innovation, and Patrick Brown, director of adult student attainment strategy, from the Michigan College Access Network. Their insights revealed challenges adult students face, such as family obligations, single parenting, childcare, limited financial resources, and lack of time, corroborating our research findings. We incorporated their strategies for success into WeConnect.

Before marketing WeConnect, we advocated for paid peer mentor positions to ensure the program’s sustainability. Ms. Christian’s passion for our collaborative goal led to establishing paid mentorship positions, securing the program’s continuity.

Leadership Development

Our chapter aimed to positively impact the academics and, arguably, the lives of the MREC students at Schoolcraft. We researched to understand data from the student enrollment office and state legislation to craft strategies to help MREC students. We learned that multiple factors unrelated to academics play a role in this issue. Acknowledging these students’ diverse backgrounds, economics, family dynamics, and age, we systematically influenced the MREC demographic by collaborating with multiple administrators to draw a better impact.

We led by proposing objectives and active listening while advocating for this program. By focusing on administrative targets, acquiring new skills, writing proposals, and aligning with the college mission, we successfully established a common interest for administrators and students. This led to the creation of a peer mentorship program that introduced a unique element -- the students’ perspective.

We learned new methods while writing the survey and underwent multiple revisions to achieve impartiality. We underwent training to learn about administrative responsibilities and college policies to serve MREC students professionally. Among many things, we learned time management, event management, prioritizing targeted communities’

needs, and solving problems through collaboration, making WeConnect a sustainable part of Schoolcraft administration.

Collaboration

Our project unfolded through constant communication with all administrators involved. As MREC students managing multiple responsibilities, we utilized technologies like emails, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, overcoming transportation and time constraints. Bi-weekly virtual meetings with administrators facilitated data understanding, survey design, and strategic planning.

Efficient information exchange occurred through shared Google Docs and email updates. Inperson meetings with vital collaborators, such as Dr. Cerny and Ms. Christian, were established. We regularly communicated with Ms. Christian in structuring the project. We ensured the success of WeConnect through regular chapter meetings.

Impact

Although we fell short of our target with 26 participants instead of the intended 30 in our “Understanding Your Pathway to Success” survey, it revealed specific challenges for MREC students at Schoolcraft. Surprisingly, childcare emerged as a challenge for 20%, and food insecurity for 16%. While 60% crafted a balance of non-academic with academic responsibilities, 90% felt confident in their academic success. Problem areas included 68% struggling to afford course materials and 68% desiring mentorship opportunities. Certain resources on campus, such as Reconnect Boost scholarships, assist with books.

From the data gathered, we initiated the WeConnect program. Future plans of the WeConnect involve creating separate funding to further assist students in affording books. We have received praise from college administrators for our project. LSA Opportunity Hub Coach Kimberly Truong praised our initiative, saying it was “so cool.”

We collected three responses from students and prioritized each individual: students finding it difficult to navigate financial aid, students struggling as a single mother, and students struggling to afford books. Our next objective is to contact and help these students through

these barriers. Many students also said this peermentorship program, which will offer service starting February 2024, is unlike anything on campus.

Chapter-College Relationship

For our project to be successful, we established WeConnect, not just as a student-led organization but as a part of the college administration by collaborating with many stakeholders since the dawn of our journey. The research started from the data given by the student enrollment office, showing concerning trends. With administrative support, we developed strategies to help the MREC cohort. However, the administrative data was several years old, resolved by the survey and research we conducted in “real time.”

The results are useful for our team and administrators, providing them with student perspectives. The survey findings will enable stakeholders on campus to apply faster solutions to the success barriers of MREC students, ultimately satisfying our collaborative goal. Administrators agree with us that adult students require additional care and support where WeConnect will serve.

Working with multiple administrators, we built strong relationships and mutual interest. Ms. Christian worked tirelessly with us to make this program sustainable while creating job opportunities. By maintaining the relationship with the administrators from a personal and adequate level, we built bridges that will benefit the MREC students’ academic success.

Academic Integrity Course

Alpha Epsilon Iota Chapter

Shelton State Community College

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Abstract

Our College Project is an academic integrity course in Canvas, the college’s Learning Management System (LMS) made available to all students at Shelton State. The course is divided into eight modules, each concerning a different aspect of academic integrity that intends to inform and cultivate the habits of successful students. Each module contains a pre-quiz, a video, an embedded quiz, and links to various resources to help the student learn more about each topic.

First, the students take a pre-quiz to gauge their current knowledge of the subject, then watch the module’s video, which has a quiz embedded to test the student on how well they are learning the material. In total, the modules contain nine videos, five of which are made by faculty or staff at Shelton State. That way, students can learn from people they may already be familiar with, and it promotes a greater level of interaction between the students and employees. Other videos were downloaded from YouTube.

This project was a request presented to us by our dean of academic services, originally intended to help educate students who are on academic suspension. However, the idea quickly expanded, and we saw the potential it could have for all students at Shelton State. By allowing access to all Shelton students, this course directly supports our college’s mission statement by providing “accessible learning opportunities to advance academic excellence.”

It also upholds our current 2023 strategic plan by providing “quality programming that will promote academic progress.” Overall, we intend

this course to be an educational resource for every student to promote academic integrity, responsibility, and awareness of student resources at Shelton State Community College.

Planning

During the planning phase of our work on the College Project, we first were uncertain about exactly how we wanted to design our course. Our deans (academic services and student services) told us they wanted an academic integrity course within Canvas, but the rest was left to us. We knew we needed to know precisely what our administration wanted out of our project and what their expectations of us were.

So first, two of our officers set up a meeting with the dean of academic services and talked with him to better understand what we were trying to convey to the students taking this course. We prepared for this meeting by creating a list of points we wanted to talk about, looking over the college project guidelines, and reviewing Shelton State’s mission statement.

This meeting was extremely helpful to us because we discussed our ideas, how we wanted to carry out the project, and the vision for the project as a whole. After this, our chapter met to discuss our finding and started brainstorming various ideas for the class. We settled on a typical online class design where the students would watch informative videos and take quizzes to determine the knowledge they had gained and reinforce what they had learned throughout the course.

We knew we needed someone to help us in Canvas because none of us knew how to create anything within the program. Finally, to help us with this, we set up a meeting with the director of instructional technology and met with him throughout the course creation. To organize the course and determine the exact points about academic integrity we wanted to discuss, we created a list of topics relating to academic integrity. We separated these topics into eight sections to break down the idea of academic integrity into digestible, easy-to-understand points. Then, with our foundation set, we started building the project.

Leadership Development

Before beginning the project, our members needed a fundamental understanding of academic integrity, experience designing in Canvas, and some basic written and oral communication skills. First, we needed to ensure we had a solid understanding of academic integrity. To help address this issue, we discussed what we each thought about the subject and then did some research online to give us further insight.

To take our understanding further, we then met with the academic services dean and the student services specialists who work with students on academic probation and suspension to discuss the issues they see as being obstacles for Shelton students achieving academic success.

Next, we met with our director of instructional technology to discuss how to work in Canvas, and we continued to meet with him throughout the project’s creation so he could teach us how to build a course and format it the way we needed. Finally, the absolute most important step in our work was our communication skills. To make sure the project ran as smoothly as possible, the team met with our advisors and scheduled a time each week we could meet to work on the project. We also wrote down the names of those we would need to collaborate with to get our College Project rolling and established meeting times or email communications with them.

Collaboration

Our deans at Shelton State came to us in early January and let us know the project they wanted us to do. They told us they wanted an Academic Integrity Course within Canvas, which gave us a great starting point to work on. First, our chapter got together, talked about the project, and tossed around several ideas. We wanted a course that had videos and quizzes similar to how a regular online class might be. Still, we had to consider that this class would not have a full-time teacher assigned to it, so it needed to be maintenancefree.

We collaborated with the director of instructional technology and had him create the Canvas shell for us to build the class and later to assign badges

to students when they completed the course. He also advised us on how to work in Canvas and the best design for the course.

Next, we thought about including YouTube videos and some videos that officers created ourselves. However, a biology teacher we collaborated with told us about his YouTube channel where he would record videos for his students to watch. These were not content specific, but were successful tips for his class. This was a perfect opportunity for us since we were considering videos just like his.

Through his videos, the idea only expanded, and we got the director of Student Opportunities for Achievement and Resources (SOAR), the director of library services, and one of Shelton’s business instructors to create videos for our project as well. To record these videos, we enlisted the help of the media and communications office to get high-quality, professional videos made for our course.

To make sure our scripts were grammatically correct, we had SOAR tutors to look over our work and provide suggestions for improvement. Then, some of our officers tested the course and made sure all videos, links, and quizzes worked properly as well as to make sure the course was coherent and conveyed all the information we intended. Finally, we took the course back to our deans, and they approved it to be open for all students at Shelton State.

Impact

This course was initially designed for students who were on academic suspension or probation. Yet, as the project progressed, we were encouraged to build it where students at Shelton State could benefit and then demonstrate their new or sharpened knowledge in the classroom. The content modules included an overview of academic integrity, plagiarism, time management, study skills, library resources, SOAR/tutoring, financial literacy, and classroom behavior. These areas had been identified by administration and staff as the most important areas for focus.

Overall, during the fall 2023 semester, 158 students completed the course, about three percent of students at Shelton State. Roughly nine percent of those students stated their

reason for completing the course was because of academic misconduct. The course had been required for students appealing their suspension and applying for readmission. These figures did not meet our goal, which was to have 10% of all students complete the course; however, out of the 158 students, 98% of them claimed that our academic integrity course would assist them in being better students.

The project made a significant impact, we would argue, on our chapter’s team: we strengthened our ties with school administrators, instructors, and staff members. For some of us, working in Canvas was the first time we have worked with software for an organization in a professional environment. We had a blast researching and creating a tailor-made course designed to meet Shelton State’s mission!

Chapter-College Relationship

Overall, this project strengthened our ties as students to the school since we had a chance to meet with many employees regularly. Meeting with them gave us a new perspective on the school and allowed us to grow by seeing just how many different job positions and offices there are here. Our team now feels like we have a deeper connection to our campus community, and an appreciation for the jobs they do for students.

As students at Shelton State, as we grow, so does the school and the community surrounding it. This project also strengthened our chapter’s relationship with our college’s administration by working with them to create a tangible opportunity to upholding Shelton State’s mission statement and strategic plan. It showed the administration that our PTK chapter is willing and able to join with them to achieve the college’s goals.

It also gave them renewed confidence that they may come to us with more extensive and ambitious projects in the future. Overall, this project has led to a more trusting and deeper relationship between our chapter and college administration, which has experienced more turnover in 2024 with a new college president.

Get Ready to Takeoff! Boosting Transfer Readiness

Alpha Beta Upsilon Chapter

Redlands Community College

El Reno, Oklahoma

Abstract

The mission at Redlands Community College is to provide a learner-centered environment committed to academic excellence strengthened through service and civic engagement, which learners engage in designing and completing individual educational goals. With this mission in mind, the Project Team met with senior administrators to discuss an optimal contribution for PTK to make related to the newly released strategic plan designed to support the mission.

After discussion, the chapter was asked to focus on transfer readiness, particularly for students transferring to one of five institutions for which we are a primary feeder. This project is in direct alignment with the strategic plan and with the priorities of the president, academic affairs vice president, and Board of Regents. Monthly reports and a final report were provided to the administration.

Key components were:

Virtual Transfer Fair - 41 four-year institutions participated in a virtual transfer fair. Institutions could post information and have a breakout room to visit with prospective students.

PTK Connect Workshops - Members were guided through accessing PTK Connect and searching potential institutions using a variety of parameters.

Transfer Workshops - Workshops were conducted focusing on specific aspects of the transfer process including collecting materials, interviewing, answering essay questions, applying for scholarships, and questions to ask when considering transfer.

Specialty Tours - Students visited institutions for tours in which they were able to visit with transfer counselors and faculty in intended majors.

Marketing - Bulletin boards/digital media provided information related to transfers, including scholarship offers from institutions outside the general region. A rocket theme for “Transfer Take Off” was leveraged.

Planning

Chapter officers and advisors scheduled a meeting with the president, vice president of academic affairs, and one member of the Board of Regents to discuss the 2023 College Project. Chapter officers approached the meeting with brief synopses of three possible projects, but after discussion, were asked to pivot to a previously unconsidered area - transfer readiness, which is a new category in the Strategic Plan.

After meeting with administration, the project team collaborated with institutional research to get baseline statistics on the percentage of students transferring to specific institutions in and out of state.

Brainstorming sessions were conducted and the following project components were identified: PTK Connect Workshops; Virtual Transfer Fair, Specialty Tours, and Transfer Workshops. The project team and advisors confirmed approval for these targeted activities with college administration. Once approved, each activity had an individual project plan managed in either Excel or Microsoft Project, a Padlet to collect links and other materials, and a project lead.

The Team researched each target school using websites and other materials to determine requirements for transfer, deadlines, major fields of study, availability of PTK specific scholarships, and other requirements (transcripts, letters of reference, applications, GPA, etc.). This information was used to plan activities.

In planning for the virtual transfer fair, the team worked with IT and advisors to use a Zoom account which allowed for multiple breakout rooms (one for each participating institution) and practiced conducting meetings using the more advanced features. In addition, Project Team

members gained proficiency in Padlet to share information from all participating institutions. Key collaborators included: president, vice president of academic affairs, vice president of finance, registrar, institutional research, external communications, financial aid, information technology, advisors, and admissions.

Leadership Development

Project team members read Leadership Skills for Project Managers (Project Management Institute) and identified four of the six skills for focus –communication, organization, adaptability, and empathy.

Communication skills required the team to acknowledge not only the stylistic differences within the team and best ways to communicate, but also recognition of varied stakeholders. The project team completed True Colors and the DISC profile to gain insights as to their team dynamics, work styles, and communication preferences, and developed a list of stakeholder types to better tailor for varied audiences.

Organization options introduced the team to multiple approaches to project management, and while they decided to use Padlet, Microsoft Project, and Excel as primary vehicles, they also translated that into focused calendaring. Each team member contributed to a shared calendar to better identify viable meeting times, identify deliverable deadline responsibilities, and allow for maximization of resources.

Tips for adaptability helped the team learn to pivot when one door closed and when unavoidable circumstances derailed or delayed an activity, to regroup rather than giving up or viewing the change as an insurmountable roadblock.

Empathy proved to be one of the most useful constructs, in that it challenged team members to see another perspective. This was particularly helpful when coaching members and faculty about letters of reference. Team members could see what caused frustration on both sides.

Collectively, these aspects allowed members to have more meaningful discussions and feedback, and to find alternate means of success. A key

example included cold-calling institutions to get transfer information. From a communication standpoint, a script proved invaluable to ensure all contacts got the same message.

Organization let the team track all contacts and keep materials organized by institution. Adaptability allowed the team to pivot and change the time of the calls, and empathy allowed the team to better understand the frustrations of students trying to get accurate information.

Collaboration

The team developed a communication plan and standards of communication. Advisors and team members were updated every week, and college administration and key stakeholders were updated in a monthly report. The team used advanced organizers to let stakeholders know when they needed information/material/data to stay on track.

Within the team, text messages had the highest priority, followed by GroupMe or email messages. Group norms regarding response times were established. A final report was given to the administration for inclusion in a larger strategic planning effort.

The team learned from roadblocks, and while aspiring to conduct a second virtual fair, realized other activities such as the tours would be more immediately beneficial. They were skilled problem-solvers in determining access to a professional Zoom account and were able to see from the other side of the desk how challenging that format can be.

Impact

PTK Connect Sessions - Team members conducted six PTK Connect sessions in a computer laboratory and assisted 41 members in access and basics of searching potential transfer institutions.

Bulletin Boards/Digital Media - Team members posted transfer contact information for all Oklahoma-based institutions as well as selected state-adjacent institutions. In addition, they created a Padlet reference with information from 80 institutions, highlighting those that send out PTK transfer opportunities.

Virtual Transfer Fair - All 15 public four-year institutions in Oklahoma, 10 of the 15 private Oklahoma institutions, and 16 institutions in neighboring states participated in a free virtual fair informing students of transfer opportunities and requirements. Of this group, 21 institutions had a representative available on Zoom to visit with interested students at a designated time. A total of 119 Redlands students joined the virtual fair in some capacity, and 73 students visited representatives.

Transfer Workshops - The team conducted six transfer workshops, in which a total of 59 students participated in at least one. Workshops focused on relevant topics and promoted readiness checklists to assist students in gathering materials and information needed for a smooth transfer.

Specialty Tours - Specialty tours were arranged to nine four-year institutions in Oklahoma and two out-of-state institutions. Tour destinations provided 44 students the opportunity to visit a potential transfer location, tour the overall campus, and meet with department representatives in their anticipated majors.

Feedback from all participants was overwhelmingly positive, and being able to “dig deeper” than the traditional sales-pitch tours and meet with faculty and other majors were the most popular aspects of the tours. From the opposite perspective, four transfer representatives from these receiving institutions have asked to be included next year, and reported the face-to-face, more personal interactions with the prospective students was beneficial at determining both fit and opportunities.

At the end of both the Spring 2023 and Fall 2024 semesters, a survey was sent to all members who participated in at least one event. Overall satisfaction ratings were 100% positive (Very Good; Excellent). Comments included:

“I felt so prepared on the tour at OU because I already had a lot of information from the Transfer Fair, and the workshops helped me have a list of questions to ask so I was interviewing them while they were interviewing me.”

“Much to my surprise, I realized that where I had always planned to go was not a good fit, and I’m going to a school I never considered before — in part because of the sweet scholarships they give PTK members and that I could line up an internship before I complete the transfer.”

“I assumed all colleges would offer my major but realized that is not true. I could have transferred and then had to transfer again without using PTK Connect.”

Chapter-College Relationship

During the project, the college experienced a planned transition in leadership in which a national search was conducted to hire a new president. The successful candidate was an internal candidate who had been included in all planning meetings and progress reports, thus making this part of the transition as easy as possible.

The team was already familiar with all administrators, but this was the first opportunity the new president had to interact on a deeper level with the chapter. The relationship overall was strengthened when the project was successful, and President Marr recognized the project team and advisors at a board meeting, complimenting their willingness to deviate from an original plan and take action that would be of benefit to the college.

Activities developed and conducted throughout the project are being continued, as they received positive feedback and met a criterion of the Strategic Plan. Several components will be duplicated in the coming year.

Mental Health Resources for the College Community

Alpha Epsilon Pi Chapter

Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, New Jersey

Get Certified in Mental Health First Aid!

Join PTK on Friday, November 10th, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm in the Atrium

will be catered by Panera Alternatives may be provided with prior notice of dietary restrictions!

Spots are limited, and must be reserved. Contact Mikaela Lijo (Mlij3485@stu.raritanval.edu) in order to secure your spot. Pre-course work includes an asynchronous module which may be completed at your own pace

Abstract

Raritan Valley Community College’s mission statement is “an inclusive college community inspiring excellence in education, creating opportunity, and transforming student lives.” For our College Project we worked to create inclusivity of neurodivergence and atypical learning environments to create a space for all students to nurture excellence in all we do.

Meeting several times as a team, we brainstormed project ideas to discuss with administration, including mental health. We then met with the provost, and from our presentation it was decided that mental health was an essential issue to pursue. We surveyed our student population about their mental health to determine the direction of our project and found that a significant number of students self-reported poor mental health. This solidified the direction we chose to take for our project. Following up with administration, we received their full support for our plans.

We decided to take a multi-pronged approach to tackling mental health issues on campus. First, we hosted a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training event (Figure 1) to give students tools to understand mental health and help other people in the community. Next, we held a Coping with Anxiety event to help students understand and process their feelings of anxiety, especially in an academic setting.

Lastly, we set up a sensory room space (Figure 2) designed to give neurodivergent students a place to self-regulate by decreasing outside stimuli.

STUDENT LIFE PHI THETA KAPPA STUDENT LIFE PHI THETA KAPPA

Course will be taught by a licensed therapist, with subjects focused on higher education

By focusing on mental health, our project helps the college improve retention and academic excellence, while giving PTK a way to contribute to an inclusive college environment.

Planning

Our officer team started by thoroughly reviewing our college’s mission statement to better understand how we could develop an effective College Project. Over several meetings, we brainstormed with members multiple ideas that we felt would make the most significant difference on campus. These ideas included revamping the college’s enrollment website, workshops to help set goals and develop a growth mindset, a campus-wide mural, a sensory room, and a mental health first aid event.

As part of our preparation, our team researched each idea to be based on data which would strengthen our proposal to be shared with administration. We created a PowerPoint presentation that outlined our reasoning behind each idea and scheduled a meeting with administration.

During this meeting, we extensively discussed each idea, answering the provost’s questions and incorporating her suggestions into our proposals. At the end of the meeting, the provost agreed that a multi-pronged approach to improving mental health was the most impactful idea and was excited to get involvement from students.

At our next officer meeting, we created SMART goals to achieve this project. At each following

team meeting, we monitored our progress and prioritized our next steps. We established clear leadership for each event to ensure its success and created a team system for support. With guidance from administration, we hosted events to destigmatize mental health, which included the MHFA training and Coping with Anxiety event. We also proposed a new addition to the college, which was a permanent Sensory Room.

Leadership Development

Our officers attended a regional PTK Conference about creating and implementing a College Project to develop our knowledge and skills. The conference provided step-by-step instructions for what we needed to do. This conference also allowed us to communicate with other chapters to hear about their successes and struggles.

While brainstorming, we identified numerous skills necessary to be successful in our project, such as communication, organization, and effective planning. Our communication skills were the first area we focused on for improvement. As the group was not familiar with each other before being elected as officers, we initially struggled to communicate effectively. We strengthened these areas by establishing guidelines for when, where, and how we communicate. We used apps to text and keep up with each other outside of computer use and set expectations to reply to messages within 24 hours.

We also added a communications channel in our Microsoft Teams for our members to express

Figure 2

interest in service and involvement. This channel was used to ensure members were up-to-date on valuable information if they missed meetings. We also hosted informal get-togethers off-campus to strengthen our bonds and communication patterns.

Once we improved our communication, we worked on getting organized. We utilized agendas to set tasks for meetings, gave weekly progress reports, and set strict deadlines. One officer proficient in Microsoft Teams trained other members in its use. The whiteboard in our office was also crucial for posting important dates, duties, and office hours.

Finally, to improve our planning processes, we set up meetings with student life about our events. These meetings allowed us to discuss all logistics in detail and foster a relationship with our closest collaborators. Through these discussions, our team expanded their knowledge about the event planning process, including budget code requirements and event set-up forms.

Collaboration

Our team kept in direct contact with key collaborators throughout the project, including advising and counseling, the resource center, student life, and student government. For our MHFA event, one of our officers researched a specialist to host the event. Once they were found, our officer team remained in close communication with them through phone calls, text, and email to discuss the specifics around setup, cost, and other logistical issues.

For our Coping with Anxiety event, one of our members, who is a NASPA certified peer educator, developed an in-depth and interactive presentation about methods for coping with anxiety in school and daily life. Both events were advertised through multiple channels, including email, Microsoft Teams, and physical posters.

For both events, our officers remained in close contact with student life, who approved budget requests, reserved rooms and dates for our events, and assisted in displaying advertisements around campus. We also contacted local establishments to secure catering. After both

of our events, we communicated with all the stakeholders to give a final report and received positive feedback. After our Coping with Anxiety event, our student life director stated, “PTK is doing great things this year! Keep it up!”

To implement the sensory room, our team conducted a search across campus with student life and advising and counseling to find a suitable location. Once we discovered that there would not be adequate space for the fall semester due to construction, our team created a temporary sensory space in our office.

Our officers conducted research on sensory items, selected those items for purchase, and then set up the entire space. To advertise, we set up signs and posters across campus while sending out messages through email and Microsoft Teams. We also developed a petition to advocate for a permanent sensory room on campus, which was circulated during the fall semester and submitted to the president in December. This resulted in a meeting scheduled for early spring. Further, advising and counseling staff promised a permanent location for the sensory room in early 2024.

Impact

For our MHFA event, all students who participated in the event acquired essential skills and knowledge to respond during mental health and first aid situations. After completing this multi-hour training program, all 15 students, the maximum amount allowed by our budget, received certification in mental health first aid.

Following the success of the event, we had discussions with student life about continuing this event annually.

The Coping with Anxiety event was another step in providing more support to students who struggle with mental health while also drawing attention to existing on-campus resources. Twenty attendees provided their input and shared their experiences through an interactive presentation, so they had healthy discourse about their anxiety experiences.

The sensory space that we implemented allowed students to have a space where they were not overstimulated or overwhelmed by the stresses

of college. On average, five students per day utilized our sensory equipment. After collecting 147 signatures for our petition, we showed the administration how important this project was for the student population.

Before these events, our officers did not have much leadership experience on campus. However, these opportunities allowed our officers to grow as professionals and as student leaders. Through regular meetings with administrators, our officers learned about communicating in a professional manner, which allowed us to work effectively with our collaborators. Beyond what our team accomplished professionally with the administration, we were able to act as the voice of our student population. Our officers brought student concerns to light and provided a perspective on future projects that the administrators did not have.

Because of our work, many of our officers now get recognized by other students, which is symbolic of our impact.

Chapter-College Relationship

Through our work hosting multiple events, we were afforded unique opportunities to work with high-level administrators that most students do not have. Our officers took advantage of these opportunities and implemented a College Project that contributed to the goals of the college regarding mental health and aligned with the college’s mission.

By communicating with our student population and spreading awareness about existing resources, our College Project was able to develop a more mental health-conscious campus environment. Our success in this endeavor has paved the way for permanent additions to our campus, such as the MHFA event and the sensory room.

With biweekly meetings and communication with administrators, our officers developed a working relationship with all our partners to the extent that they want to continue collaborating with us in the future. Our officers are frequently asked for our opinions and perspectives about upcoming projects due to our previous collaboration. This shows how highly administration values the effects of our College Project and how much our relationship has grown. We will remain in close contact with administrators and departments to implement future projects and further our relationships.

Collaborating with Our College’s Career Technical Departments

Rho Rho Chapter

Gadsden State Community College

Gadsden, Alabama

Abstract

The mission and vision of Gadsden State Community College (GSCC) is to prepare students from all backgrounds for success through quality education, innovative workforce development, and inclusive community and global engagement.

For our College Project, the Phi Theta Kappa team supported the Etowah Qualified Workforce Immersion Program by leading tours for over 450 educators from area public school systems. We helped educators learn about the career technical departments of our college to be able to share information with their students.

Our goal was to increase enrollment and retention and therefore increase workforce participation. Reaching the students in high school and earlier is essential to enrollment and retention. Having an affordable, accessible, and comprehensive community college for a diverse group of students is necessary for our students, our industries, and our community.

Planning

Our advisor informed our PTK officers about the College Project during our first meeting. We reviewed the college mission statement, and then took time to reflect on this statement and consider how we could implement a project that would embody that vision. We broke down each part of the mission statement and asked how we could be inclusive for all students and incorporate our workforce development.

The poverty rate in Etowah County is higher than the national average; we wanted to work toward the long-term goal of breaking the cycle of poverty in our county through education and employment. After preparing our research, we met with Gadsden State’s vice president. Because of the positive relationship our advisor and PTK team have with our college administration, we were able to easily schedule a meeting with our vice president to ask what project GSCC would like us to implement.

The vice president was delighted to meet with us and asked us what our goal was for this year and what ideas we had regarding the College Project. After our discussion with her on how our team could support the college vision, we mutually agreed upon a collaboration with GSCC to help with the Etowah Qualified Workforce Immersion Program. We then scheduled a meeting with GSCC’s dean of workforce development to discuss a plan to implement our project. He was eager to have our team serve as tour guides for the educators.

Keen to take the lead on our portion of the event, we discussed a plan to implement our project. We began by gathering the information needed to be well-informed for EQWIP. We created a schedule for the team members and informed them of the details at the following PTK meeting and in our online communications. We planned our uniform—khakis or jeans and our PTK shirts — and prepared ourselves for the event.

We learned about each of the following fields, including employment statistics and career opportunities:

• Diagnostic Medical Sonography

• Registered Nurse

• Licensed Practical Nurse

• Radiography

• Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology

• Dental Assisting

• Construction Technology

• Welding Technology

• Electrical Engineering Technology

• Electrical Technology

• Mechatronics, Robotics and Automation

• Spa and Salon Management

• Court Reporting Technology

• Automotive Services Technology

• Auto Collision Repair Technology

• Industrial Automation Technology

• Precision Machining Program

• Mechanical Design Technology

• Civil Engineering Technology

• Truck Driving

Leadership Development

As tour guides, we needed to be well educated on our college’s career technical programs. Our biggest weakness was not knowing enough about each program. There were some programs we did not even know our college offered before this project. To help us learn about the various programs, we spoke with the dean of workforce development and our advisor, and researched statistics on each program.

There was a lot about our college that we did not know before this project. It was exciting to learn how many programs GSCC offers and the potential income for graduates. GSCC has over 20 technical programs that could be completed in two years or less, leading to high-demand job opportunities. We even learned some history. For example, the GSCC Valley Street campus, established in 1960, was the only technical school enrolling Black Americans until desegregation in 1970.

For some of us, the idea of leading tours for teachers was quite daunting, because as Phi Theta Kappa representatives, we needed to make sure we were not only knowledgeable but also well-spoken and confident. Lessons we learned from the PTK Edge courses as well as feedback from our administration, advisor, and each other, helped us to improve our abilities to succeed in this endeavor. Practicing beforehand and presenting the information in front of others and being asked potential questions, for example, was helpful for us.

Collaboration

We first reached out to our college vice president; it was important for us to understand Gadsden State’s wishes for the College Project. It was a productive meeting that ended with a mutually agreed upon project - Etowah Qualified

Workforce Immersion Program. We then met with the dean of workforce development and discussed how our PTK team could best be of service at the EQWIP event.

The event was a collaboration and partnership between Gadsden State Community College, East AlabamaWorks, area public school systems, The Chamber of Gadsden, Etowah County, and Phi Theta Kappa.

The program started with breakfast and speakers from The Chamber of Gadsden and Etowah County and East AlabamaWorks as well as presentations on the importance of education in the workforce and updates on local businesses. This was followed by tours of local industries. This allowed educators to learn about the jobs and careers available in our community. The lunch session, served by GSCC, featured a “Women in Industry” panel discussion moderated by Gadsden State’s Dean of Workforce Development (Figure 1).

We then loaded 10 buses for the tours of the technical programs at GSCC and covered three different campuses and 20 different technical programs. Although there were some last-minute changes in assigned buses, we were able to be flexible rather than panic and we maintained our professionalism. Learning to work well under pressure is essential and this gave us an opportunity to grow and be tested.

We checked in with the workforce development dean regarding the needs for the project throughout the weeks leading up to and on the day of the event to ensure a seamless execution. Communication from the start to the conclusion of this collaboration project was key to our success.

Impact

Through research and training to be guides and advocates for education in our community, our members gained knowledge and skills that not only helped us to facilitate a successful event, but also helped us grow as researchers and leaders. In our research on Alabama’s workforce participation, we discovered that Alabama has one of the lowest national averages of workforce participation, at 57% (Figure 2). According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2023), Alabama is one of the 13 states most affected by labor shortages.

It is important for our community and state to invest in education and training programs to enhance workforce skills and change those statistics. That is our long-term goal for this project. For EQWIP, over 450 teachers attended and learned about career technical courses at our college. Gadsden State has over 20 technical programs that can be completed in 2 years or less and lead to high-demand, rewarding careers. The hope is that those educators who visited our campus will share all that they learned with their students. Imagine how much hope those students will have when they realize how much money they could be making in these fields. A few examples:

• Diagnostic Sonography - $78,210

• Electronic Engineering Technology - $66,390

• Industrial Automation Technology - $61,210

• Mechanical Design Technology - $60,400

• Civil Engineering - $59,630

• Precision Machining - $49,560

Those are exciting numbers!

The dean of workforce development and other leaders at GSCC expressed satisfaction with our reports on the College Project and our collaborative efforts during the EQWIP event. Our joint efforts with the college administration not only met the project goal but also strengthened our relationship. This collaboration allowed us to share the excitement and progress towards the college’s project goal, enhancing awareness of our workforce programs for educators in the community.

Our final reports show the success of the College Project and we are hopeful that the true success story will be the future students who positively change those statistics for Etowah County and Alabama.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Chapter-College Relationship

We were able to communicate effectively with each other throughout the project, providing updates and receiving feedback. We not only focused on the college’s wishes and supported the college mission, but through the process, we better understand the importance of collaborating, planning, and learning. We grew individually and as a chapter. Because of that growth, we are stronger advocates for our college and can more easily help with recruitment and retention.

We now know about the career technical programs to share with our community and future students. We have sharpened our public speaking and collaboration skills and reinforced our positive and productive relationship with our college administration. After the project was completed, we received high praise for our work from the college administration.

Campus Catalysts: Campus Visitation Day and Information Fair

Alpha Psi Rho Chapter

Lakeland Community College

Kirtland, Ohio

Abstract

Like many community colleges across the United States, the pandemic hit our campus hard. Largely as a response to the pandemic and subsequent economic challenges, community college enrollment has decreased nationwide, and our institution has not been immune. According to Lakeland Community Office of Institutional Research (2023), college enrollment decreased by 9.2%. With enrollment decreases, however, the need for student clubs, organizations, and support across campus continues to climb. In many cases, this system of support is what keeps students attending our college and many other community colleges across the country.

Like most community colleges, Lakeland hosts several campus visitation and information fairs throughout the school year. During the pandemic, those important events went virtual, and attendance radically decreased. In spring 2021, the college brought this event back to campus, but attendance remained low, and the event itself suffered from a lack of participation from current students. Our student government has seen a decrease in student participation. As a result, our administration turned to our chapter to become student leaders by acting as hosts for our Fall Campus Visitation Day and Information Fair in November 2023.

The idea was to not only provide knowledge about what Lakeland Community College offered academically, but also to lead student tours, co-host Q&A sessions, and, perhaps most importantly, provide information about campus activities and student clubs to increase participation from future students.

Planning

Like other student organizations on our campus, the spring 2023 semester did not start out on a bright note. At our March all-member elections meeting, only one student ran for office. As a result, our planning for the College Project did not start until summer, when two other students were recruited and eventually elected as chapter officers.

Our first discussion for potential College Projects took place at the Ohio Regional Conference in July. Our advisors had been talking with Kristina Willey, Lakeland Community College’s senior director for student recruitment, about the decline in student involvement across the college and how this has been affecting many college initiatives. From this discussion in the summer, our chapter officers and advisors followed up with a meeting with Dr. Laura Barnard, the college’s executive vice president and provost.

At that meeting we discussed our idea for our campus project, and our concerns for student engagement across campus. We wanted to volunteer our chapter to be “college catalysts” to help recruit, and hopefully retain, new students. Dr. Barnard felt this idea of “college catalysts” who bring awareness for student clubs and engagement as well as help with enrollment and retention issues, would be highly beneficial and was supportive of this being our College Project.

From there, we followed up with our next meeting with Kristina Willey. Ms. Willey felt that it would be beneficial to have our chapter start this process by helping with campus tours and providing information to prospective students about the clubs and organizations on campus at our big fall visitation day. During this Campus Visit Day and Information Fair, Alpha Psi Rho led student tours and staffed an information table which allowed potential students to learn about student services on campus and promote our chapter at the same time.

Leadership Development

Our officer team tackled the planning by organizing an action plan and keeping a spreadsheet of who was doing what activity.

The two most important skills required for this part of the project were communication and organization. We divided each part of our action plan among the officers and advisors.

Before implementing the project, we had to strengthen these skills to maintain a steady flow of communication between the chapter officers, members, and outside stakeholders. We met several times to discuss the project and the goals we had in mind to ensure everyone understood the objectives. We ensured our communication methods were reliable and quick, predominantly using email and text, with one officer keeping track of and saving each communication.

Another important skill that members needed for this College Project was organization. For most of the officers and members, this was the first College Project they had worked on. Our chapter had never been asked to act as “college catalysts” and lead tours and information sessions. Because of this, they had to learn the best approach as they went along and adapt to any problems they encountered. Our returning officer was very helpful throughout the project in sharing her organizational knowledge and experience.

When it came to carrying out the project, the “customer service” skills of the members became very important. The campus visit day was expected to bring in between 90 and 120 prospective students, which meant more than 200 people once parents were counted. Having four officers alone (a new officer was elected two weeks before the Campus Visitation Day) would not be enough to do the job. Our officers reached out to members and alumni to recruit additional volunteers while keeping all of them in the communication loop.

While volunteering at the PTK Informational Table, members practiced empathy, patience, and other similar skills to best represent our chapter. Additionally, before volunteering for the campus tours, we attended a quick training session to gain more knowledge about college resources. We had to know about the college, where resources were located, where prospective students could gather more information, and provide a listing of the academic clubs and campus

activities. For questions we could not answer, we directed students (and parents) to one of the administrators attending the Visitation Day.

Two weeks after the conclusion, our officers met with Ms. Willey and placed follow-up phone calls to each student who attended to ask if they had any further questions or needed any additional information. Ms. Willey firmly believed that these follow-up calls were vital to recruiting efforts and praised our chapter in the college-wide newsletter.

Collaboration

Once we had our goals and action plan in place, we kept in close contact with Ms. Willey, who directed us on how to advertise the Campus Visit Day and Information Fair across campus. Before the event took place, our officers wrote a summary of the planned event for our campus Student Involvement Newsletter and reached out to other student organizations on campus to recruit additional volunteers.

Officers then advertised the event on our social media platforms, Blackboard, and through email to recruit chapter members and alumni. Our vice president of media created a promotional flyer that our officers put into faculty mailboxes and placed on student engagement billboards around campus.

A Sign-Up Genius was created by our vice president of special events to provide our chapter members an opportunity to donate time at the table, participate in guided tours, and help with follow-up phone calls. Our advisors acted as conduits, passing along information from our college to the officers and forwarding our questions to Ms. Willey or other administrators.

Impact

This event was vitally important to our institution. When prospective students visit campus, they feel more welcome when they can talk with current students in both formal and informal ways. The event had a significant quantitative impact on our chapter. Our advisors were very disheartened when only one student attended elections in the spring. Yet, the turnout for the Visitation Day was

phenomenal. All four officers, four members, two alumni, and one advisor came at nine o’clock on a Saturday morning to attend the training, lead tours, and staff our chapter information table (Figure 1).

We were able to reach over 100 potential students (and parents!) and help them learn more about student services and the academic programs at Lakeland. We raised awareness about Phi Theta Kappa, the scholarships offered, the services to the college and the community that we are involved in, and the fun times members have at regional and international conferences.

Qualitatively, by following up with prospective students, we let them know we didn’t forget about them and that we were here to offer any support possible. Should any of those students decide to attend Lakeland, this introduction to our campus will hopefully convince them to become engaged in campus activities, which in turn will help with retention.

Chapter-College Relationship

Lakeland’s current mission statement is to provide quality learning opportunities to meet the social and economic needs of the community. By assisting the college administration with the need to increase college enrollment and raise awareness of activities across campus, we not only helped with enrollment but also with engagement

Figure 1

in student clubs. It also raised awareness that we are not just a college, but a community that supports its student body, thereby igniting student engagement and inspiring excellence. This aligns with Phi Theta Kappa’s core values of scholarship, leadership, service, and fellowship.

Following the event, our advisors received multiple thanks from Ms. Willey as well as our student engagement and leadership office. We have been asked to fill a similar role at our college’s Spring Fling event, which will feature not just campus tours and information, but also food trucks, face-painting artists, classroom demonstrations, and other fun activities. Our chapter is very excited that the college is now looking to us as “college catalysts.”

Constructing the Future: Overcoming the Challenges of Campus Expansion

Beta Delta Omicron Chapter Tarrant County College - Southeast Arlington, Texas

Abstract

Tarrant County College District (TCCD) is currently in a transitional moment with a new chancellor and an $820 million building campaign underway. Nevertheless, the unswerving aim of the institution remains to provide consistent and successful student experiences. On the college’s mission and vision page, student success is defined as “providing quality instruction, resources, and support services to assist” students in achieving their goals. Our project supported this goal by aiding students through the transition caused by the construction of two new buildings and the relocation of services at the Southeast Campus while maintaining a “successful student experience.”

We met with the campus president in June of 2023, and his recommendation for our College Project was immediate and emphatic. Southeast Campus is benefiting from the addition of a student services building and a new academic building. Additionally, the campus’s main building will be closed for renovations.

While advantageous for future students, the construction caused the president concern for the student population during the three-year building period. Almost all services—registration, financial aid, the library, learning centers, and more—will be displaced into temporary locations. These changes threaten the college’s mission and pose unique obstacles to student success.

Before we could inform students, we compiled a list of the relocated services and developed a plan for disseminating information to students including the following five-step approach:

1) meet with the president’s assistant, the head of the campus construction team, to gain insight into construction plans;

2) prepare a presentation for the president illuminating a plan to mitigate potential disruptions to student learning;

3) conduct an interactive event to encourage students to visit campus resources and to learn about their services and transition plans;

4) host an informational FAQ table with maps and details about the construction transition phases; and

5) maintain close connections with construction personnel, the president’s assistant, and the president because plans were fluid.

A final report was prepared for the president, acknowledging our chapter’s continued dedication to ease the construction transition process. Providing this information was consistent with our college’s mission statement regarding student services and student success.

Planning

Our initial meeting with the president left us with the formidable task of communicating information about a moving target—the construction plans.

After meeting with the president’s assistant, we set up a table in the main commons to survey students concerning their knowledge of construction plans. Officers canvassed academic and support departments to gather information on transition plans and brainstormed potential issues that could arise.

Student services proved to be an important partner, providing information about their relocation and helping develop contacts with student organizations. Also, per the suggestion of our president in our initial meeting, we spoke with a sister campus, Northwest Campus, to learn about issues that arose during their campus construction. They cited parking and a lack of communication with the students.

We also met with the PTK chapter on another campus to discuss our ideas and receive feedback. Knowing that lack of communication was an issue, we needed to ensure continued student success by disseminating as much information as possible. We settled on an interactive event with incentives and hosted a scavenger hunt so students could learn about campus resources and discover transition plans for themselves.

Planning for this event required working with our campus events scheduler and with maintenance. Compiling a list of resources reflecting most

students’ needs, we reached out to the library, student support services, financial aid, and other departments to verify our knowledge of their services and transition plans and discussed involvement with our scavenger hunt. Having documented students’ questions at the event, we were able to couple that with our gathered information to formulate an FAQ sheet to further help address questions and concerns raised by students.

Leadership Development

Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and leadership were essential skills necessary to ensure the success of our project. Temporary spaces changed daily; therefore, we had to think critically about how we could obtain the latest information. We communicated with a dean to obtain updated information which was imperative to the scavenger hunt’s success.

Additionally, we dedicated time to think critically about our progress and where we could improve. Creativity was present throughout the entire process—especially in the various forms of digital media. Officers created items to appeal visually to students such as a slideshow of our proposal for the president (Figure 1), surveys to gauge student input, and websites to organize volunteers.

Collaboration proved essential; the extent of the relocation of services grew daunting. Our chapter collaborated with nearly all the departments and resources on campus for information about what they provide for students and their plans for construction. For example, we worked with student activities regarding logistics, surveys, advertising, and mass emails to students. Additionally, we communicated with the administration for up-to-date information.

Completing the project required multiple members to assume leadership roles. During our brainstorming phase, we attended a regional leadership conference where we gathered information about how to become better leaders and utilized this with the planning and implementing of our project.

The vice president of College Project took the lead in consulting with the campus president, but other officers led efforts at creating a survey for students, reaching out to sister campuses, and

delegating general members’ tasks in managing the information tables. Our leadership skills allowed us to tackle many different facets of this project.

Collaboration

Communication emerged essential to our project; face-to-face meetings, email, and Microsoft Teams played roles. After contacting different departments, administration, students, and sister campuses, we began developing the scavenger hunt. Subsequently, we shared our progress with the president for his input. We compiled information to relay to students about campus resources and their transition plans.

With our acquired data, QR codes were made for each of the campus resources with landing pages containing information we amassed. We created a fill-in-the-blank handout where students could visit the departments listed and scan a QR code to complete the handout. With ever-changing information, we collaborated with one of the deans to make sure we were up-to-date, making amendments until the day of the event.

With the documentation completed for the scavenger hunt, we focused on the logistics of the event. We collaborated with student activities to reserve tables, rent equipment, acquire approval for fliers, and send mass emails to the student body. On the morning of the event, we printed and distributed QR code flyers to the participating departments.

During the event, students participated in the scavenger hunt, viewed maps and renderings of the new construction, and asked questions (Figures 2 and 3). We documented questions for which we lacked answers so we could research and include their questions in our FAQ pamphlet. We compiled the pamphlet and will publicize it during the spring semester based on questions asked at the event and information we gathered.

Our president was engaged with our event, stopping by to check in and chat with volunteers and students. We continued to keep him apprised of the progress throughout. Later we provided a synopsis of the outcome and our continued commitment to help in this effort to ease the transition.

Impact

To relay hard data to the campus president, the chapter took care in assessment. Advertising the event through email blasts, posters, and personal communication positively influenced student engagement with our project. In September, during the information gathering stage of our project, we conducted a preliminary survey. The survey spanned 10 days with 146 participants. When asked, “Do you know what will happen with the construction on campus,” only 34% of student respondents answered “Yes.” With over half of the respondents unaware of the construction’s effects, our project had a chance to make a meaningful impact by bridging information gaps.

With our scavenger hunt and FAQ table conducted in October, 132 participants experienced our fourday event. We included approximately 30 campusbased resources. Of students who attended, 47% of students completed the preliminary survey. While connecting with students at the event

tables, we recorded several responses indicating “information listed in physical form was helpful.”

Students deemed the scavenger hunt as a “transparent means” for current students to know where locations will be and the reasons behind the moves. At the onset of the project, chapter members and officers lacked information about the impact of construction. By the project’s conclusion, we were experts. We provided information on facilities, cataloged class locations, and offered a platform for questions.

Chapter-College Relationship

Our chapter strengthened our working relationship with the college with communication, developing members’ leadership skills, and informing students how construction would affect campus resources. Our actions aligned with the college mission, providing consistent student success throughout the construction phase.

We cultivated relationships and strengthened rapport with the campus staff and administration. To benefit students’ knowledge, we gained insight on resources, locations, and programs at the Southeast Campus. We regularly informed the president throughout the process and sent a formal final report, conveying our desire to continue aiding with the transition beyond this project.

Our chapter forged a way for students to be involved with the project, developing leaders within the school. We provided relevant information to students about the construction and helped them reflect on upcoming semesters. We developed relationships with administration, faculty, and students so that we could be the conduit through which pertinent information could be transferred.

Discussions with deans, department chairs, and coordinators increased officers’ professionalism throughout the process. Moreover, because of our successful relationships developed with administration, a department administrator reached out to us to collaborate on a project to provide additional construction awareness to students in the spring. As we watched the building rise on our campus, we realized we were building lasting human connections.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Expanding Student Resource Pantry

Alpha Chi Zeta Chapter

Seattle Central College Seattle, Washington

Abstract

Seattle Central College (SCC) is an open-access learning institution with a mission to prepare students for success in life and work. At SCC, we like to say that the “Central” in Seattle Central is our diversity. Surrounded by rainbow crosswalks and urban life, SCC focuses on fostering an engaging, dynamic, and diverse community of students. With a vision to go beyond being an exemplary learning institution, SCC sets out to transform lives and enrich our community. The college strives to find ways to create equity for all students, particularly the underserved in our campus community, by providing student support programs such as our campus food and resource pantry.

The pantry seeks to provide food and stability resources that are available to all students at SCC during the academic year. In 2018, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report indicating that insufficient food and housing undermines postsecondary educational experiences and credential attainment for many of today’s college students. According to the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, 48% of students in twoyear institutions who responded to the survey experienced food insecurity.

In light of our research findings and in support of our college’s mission to promote equity amongst our student body, our chapter partnered with the campus pantry to expand their services. We focused on increasing the menstrual products offered, campaigning for more pantry space on campus, and expanding free clothing resources for students.

We met our goals of increasing menstrual cup availability by sourcing 600 menstrual cups as

donations from Pixie Cups, collecting numerous hygiene products such as shampoo, conditioner, menstrual products, etc., and obtained over 1,500 pounds of used clothing to start a free clothing market for students on campus. In partnership with Clubs and Activities Board, the Office of EDIC, Jubilee Women’s Center, and the college library, we also organized a workshop for Women’s History Month to raise awareness on women’s menstrual health and healthcare disparities impacting women.

Planning

In January of 2023, the executive officer team was short one officer. As our project supported our traditional role as ambassadors for the college pantry, we focused our vice president of service and our previous chapter president on the College Project. We began with having meetings with our dean of student development to discuss our previous work with the college pantry and to give us more possibilities for our future work on campus.

After getting caught up to speed on work accomplished by previous members, we reinstated weekly meetings with the college pantry’s program specialist. From those meetings, we noticed that the pantry had very little room for the clothing it housed, and the clothing was taking up space that could house a commercial-

sized refrigerator to provide more fresh produce to students. Our informal surveys of the students that had participated in our clothing giveaways the previous year had given us important information about students’ desire to have more frequent access to clothing as well as a place to donate clothing.

After several meetings with the program specialist and meetings with our advisor and dean of student development, we brought our discoveries to our membership meetings to discuss setting our goals and establishing a College Project committee. We started with a group of two and grew the project to involve around 10 students. After several committee meetings, the team started work on completing the following objectives:

1. Conduct a menstrual cup campaign that increased the supplies given during the previous year.

2. Conduct clothing drives in our communities and clothing giveaways on campus.

3. Obtain dedicated space on campus for a free clothing store.

Leadership Development

Given that our project included three substantial and distinct tasks, we utilized our skills of delegation and organization. We realized that we needed to hone those skills throughout

Figure 1

our project as well as our willingness to work across several different college departments to achieve our goals. Our team worked in tandem partnering with various organizations both within and outside the college. It was only possible with seamless communication among all parties involved as well as coordination to break the tasks into smaller responsibilities.

Our subcommittees oversaw clothing drives, our work with Pixie Cups, and a search committee for campus space to house our new free clothing market. To prepare for the demands of our project, our vice president of service completed the Competitive Edge and the Employment Edge courses prior to taking over the College Project. We all joined a Microsoft Teams account and familiarized ourselves with the tool so that we could post our meeting minutes and notify of tasks completed.

Our previous chapter president took part in Washington State’s PreCycle virtual pitch competition for our free clothing market idea. She attended a six-week online program focused on business development. Our project placed in the top five in the idea-stage competition for Washington State and she presented during the Circular Innovation Summit 2023.

Collaboration

Subcommittee leaders delegated many tasks to reach our objectives. The Pixie Cups Subcommittee met with representatives from that organization and the college program specialist to understand the logistics of that project to plan the campus menstrual cup campaign. To prepare for these meetings and our future presentations of the campaign at tabling events on the college campus, we practiced elevator pitches and role modeling. These practice sessions helped us learn how to talk openly and appropriately about hygiene products in a gender-neutral way, in keeping with our college’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The Clothing Subcommittee researched different ways to obtain larger amounts of clothing and worked on the skill of delegating and requesting help from volunteers. With the large amounts of clothing that we obtained, it became critical to reach out for help moving, washing, and sorting clothing for giveaways.

This research involved becoming more aware of each of our committees and finding opportunities for the procurement of items for our giveaways and future free clothing store. We contacted the Sustainable Bainbridge Harvester manager to register to become an official harvester of clothing and backpacks after the annual community Rotary auction, and took part in harvesting over 1,000 pounds of clothing and accessories. We also coordinated a donation of approximately 300 pounds of clothing with the 2023 Clothing Swap Coordinator on Bainbridge Island.

To understand how we could secure classroom space on campus, the Free Clothing Market Subcommittee utilized their skills of determination and research. Due to turnover within the college administration, the task proved to be challenging, requiring several searches on foot and online to figure out which department we needed to speak with and which college vice president was in charge of classroom space on campus.

The vice president of service and previous chapter president took their campaign on foot, found the college VP in charge of room

Figure 2

assignments, and conducted in-person meetings throughout the academic year. After the space was assigned, the VP retired and the space was reassigned.

The subcommittee turned their efforts to the student leadership department on campus and was able to secure a space within that building. Once the space was secured, we continued to communicate via email and by phone as we set up the new Free Clothing Market on campus.

Impact

Over the course of 11 months, we offered seven clothing giveaways and gave away approximately 300 pounds of clothes to students on campus. During our hallway clothing giveaways, we advertised the food pantry and helped at least five students sign up for weekly free food. Our work with various college organizations like DEI, Clubs and Activities Board, as well as external organizations like Pixie Cup and Jubilee Women’s Center resulted in the distribution of 600 free menstrual cups to not only the students but also to staff, faculty, and people from our community.

During the course of the Menstrual and Hygiene Product Drive event, we strategically placed 20 drop boxes around the campus buildings where the college community members could drop off items they wished to donate for the drive. We also held 12 tabling events during that period with the goal of promoting the event and getting people to sign up for the menstrual cup giveaway, as well as to promote PTK membership.

By implementing the free-clothing model, our chapter offered a clothing pop-up giveaway during our PTK regional conference. From that event, we helped two colleges within our region, Bates College and Grays Harbor College, launch their free clothing giveaways by supplying them with clothing to get started. We also set up approximately 1,000 pounds of clothing in our new space on campus designated for the Free Clothing Market (Figures 1 and 2).

Chapter-College Relationship

With our weekly meetings with the program specialist as well as many other meetings throughout the past year, we developed a much

stronger relationship with several departments and organizations on campus. Those meetings involved the following positions from our college: executive director of auxiliary services and facilities, director of student support programs, director of student leadership, president’s office executive assistant, executive VP of instruction and planning, and our PTK advisor.

Our vice president of service also collaborated with Seattle Central’s College Activities Board and Center for Equity, Diversity, and Community on our Women’s History Month program. As a result of our 2023 work, we have strengthened our relationships with the college administration. The college’s recognition of our work resulted in our previous chapter president receiving the Vice President’s Medal for her work with the free clothing market for our campus.

Understanding the Needs and Interests of Students at Meriden Campus

Beta

Gamma Xi Chapter

CT State Community College Middlesex

Middletown, Connecticut

Abstract

The primary goal of this project was to provide the college administration with comprehensive insights from students’ experiences at the satellite campus (Platt). The objective was to collect feedback that would enhance the overall quality of offerings and services, aligning directly with the mission of CT State Middlesex, which prioritizes students. This initiative gained prominence, especially following the merger of Connecticut community colleges into CT State. The transitional phase brought some chaos, underscoring the imperative not to overlook the evolving needs of the students.

Our College Project involved surveying both current and potential students at CT State Middlesex’s satellite campus located at Platt High School in Meriden. The project comprised two components: an online Microsoft Forms survey and in-person focus groups. The survey targeted current student residents of Meriden and high school members of the GEAR UP program.

Importantly, the administration specifically requested that our survey questions delve into the academic interests of students, desired activities and services on campus, and the barriers hindering their class-taking experiences. Both components of the study underwent a thorough review and approval process by the college’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Planning

In the preparatory phase for our projects, the chapter decided to divide the officer team into

two committees, each responsible for a project. This approach aimed to ensure that each project received the necessary attention and oversight. The project’s inception involved initiating contact with the CEO and deans of the college to arrange an initial meeting. This meeting, which took place before the semester began, included the participation of the CEO, dean of students and faculty, dean of campus operations, dean of student affairs, and the director of student activities.

During this meeting, the administrative team shared their perspectives on prioritized areas and discussed potential ways our chapter could contribute. Subsequently, our committee deliberated on these ideas and presented a project proposal to the administration via email. Our project focused on comprehending the interests and needs of students at the Platt Campus. The inspiration for this idea stemmed from the notable decrease in enrollment on this campus post-COVID pandemic, as highlighted by the dean of students and faculty and CEO.

Our proposal outlined the creation of a survey targeted at students residing in the city of Meriden. This concept garnered support from the administration. Considering suggestions from the CEO, our chapter decided to implement focus group sessions as part of the study. The planning process also involved reaching out to the Platt campus coordinator, the GEAR UP program director, and the chairman of the board at Castle Craig Adult Learning Center (CCALC) in Meriden to secure connection to participants meeting the study’s demographic requirements. Additionally, our chapter had to coordinate with the IRB of CT State Community College to obtain approval for the study’s development.

Leadership Development

In the development of our project, fostering effective communication emerged as a crucial skill. This entailed establishing a robust channel not only among the committee members but also with key stakeholders such as the college administration, the IRB for compliance assurance, the Platt Campus coordinator/administrator, and the GEAR UP program director for seamless coordination on study logistics. The team

collectively cultivated essential networking skills to facilitate smooth interactions.

To uphold ethical research standards, each officer completed Lesson 1 of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Protecting Human Research Participants (PHRP) training, gaining a comprehensive understanding of participant protection principles. Leadership skills were crucial, and effective delegation and meticulous time management were essential as the president played a pivotal role in planning, organizing, leading, and monitoring the overall progress of the project.

Technological proficiency became a focus as some team members developed skills for designing and distributing the online survey. Contacting the dean of institutional effectiveness was instrumental in obtaining a directory containing the necessary contact information. During the execution of focus groups, officers assumed specific roles outlined by the IRB. The president simplified the IRB’s guide, and officers took on roles such as facilitators, requiring objective listening and skilled communication, and note-takers, demanding a keen eye for details. Each officer adapted and excelled in their designated roles, contributing to the success of the focus group sessions.

Collaboration

Communication was initiated and sustained between project and community leaders throughout this endeavor. Officers maintained communication with one another and community leaders to ensure understanding for all those involved. A preliminary meeting was held with college leaders, including CEO Kim Hogan, to discuss opportunities to impact the college.

Once the topic was determined, several meetings were held with other leaders, including Carolyn Innocenzi, the program coordinator of CT State Middlesex at Platt High School (Meriden Campus), and Kaara Koplowitz, GEAR UP Meriden Coordinator, to gather alternate perspectives and opportunities from leadership.

Additionally, a meeting was held with the board chairman of Castle Craig Adult Learning Center

(CCALC). Originally, this group was going to be considered in our study; however, after the meeting, both parties agreed that this demographic did not meet the objective of the project.

Officers coordinated and conducted two focus groups to gather data, and an online survey was sent to 316 students who met the demographic requirements for this study. Upon completion and review of the findings, officers compiled a final report using quantitative and visual media to communicate the findings and recommendations to all stakeholders of this study, including the college administration. Subsequently, the college administration held a meeting to analyze and discuss the findings of our research study. The dean of students and faculty personally thanked the chapter and indicated areas where she would like further research to be done.

Due to the process of obtaining approval from the IRB presenting a delay to the launch of our project, it was agreed with the college’s administration that the research will continue in the spring semester. Communication with community leaders will be sustained to gather more data and have a prolonged impact beyond this project’s timeline.

Impact

Quantitative Outcomes

(Survey Figures 1, 2, and 3):

The survey reached 316 Meriden residents, with 9.17% responding by the end of the fall semester. Predominantly, respondents were current CT State students followed by students from the GEAR UP program. The age distribution showed 71% falling in the 16 to 19 range. In terms of race or ethnicity, 42% identified as Hispanic/Latino, and 31% as White. Regarding education, 46% completed high school or equivalent, while 42% reported having less than a high school diploma. For academic interests and goals, 47% of individuals are currently taking two classes, while 27% are enrolled in three classes. As for aspirations, 42% aim to obtain a bachelor’s degree, and 27% aspire to pursue a graduate degree. The popular fields of interest among this group include business and hospitality, with

engineering and technology following closely. Student experiences and needs at the Meriden Campus indicate that 50% have taken classes or are currently enrolled. The preferred class schedule is from 4 pm to 5:15 pm, followed by 5:30 pm to 6:45 pm.

Popular disciplines at the campus include English, business, social and behavioral science as well as computer science & engineering. Barriers identified include transportation and class timing; a significant portion indicated no barriers. Furthermore, 69% of students are open to enrolling in a class at the Meriden campus for upcoming semesters.

Qualitative Outcomes (Focus Group Sessions):

Current CT State Community College, Middlesex at Platt Students: Expressed overall satisfaction with its accessibility but reported dissatisfaction with communication about campus resources. In terms of preferences, there is a desire for expanded course offerings in psychology, criminal justice, music, and business through in-person classes. However, students face challenges, including issues with locked restrooms and classrooms.

Figure 1

GEAR UP Students: Students have had positive experiences in summer courses but express a desire for more hands-on classes. There is a request for increased communication regarding the tuition-free funding program and expanded course offerings. Additionally, students show a preference for the main campus over returning to high school.

CCALC Chair: Insights reveal that Platt Campus classes do not align with the interests of Castle Craig members. Recommendations include providing a directory of professors for seminars and enhancing collaboration.

This project had a great impact on the officer team as it offered several opportunities for chapter members to grow as scholars and leaders. The process of planning and implementing a project in collaboration with the administration helped us develop leadership skills and see the necessity of group cooperation and delegation.

Chapter-College Relationship

This project significantly strengthened our chapter’s relationship with the college administration by effectively communicating student needs and interests at the Platt Campus. Our study identified that

students seek increased diversity in course offerings and in-person classes, along with a perception that communication between both campuses could be improved.

While we’ve broadened the administration’s understanding of why students might prefer taking classes at Middlesex’s main campus versus the high school campus, unfortunately, more data is needed for us to provide concrete recommendations. Nevertheless, in the report presented we suggest a few observations based on our current findings.

Among these observations, it is worth noting that students express dissatisfaction with communication and outreach regarding campus resources. We suggest providing a directory of professors for seminars to the CCALC, addressing students’ tech support needs, and exploring the possibility of offering hybrid/online options for the summer program courses in the GEAR UP program. The project’s impact has fostered a more collaborative and responsive relationship between our chapter and the college administration. Constant communication between both parties has been beneficial and has positively influenced the chapter’s perspective on the college´s educational community.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Increasing Belongingness: A Pathway to Student Success

Rho Pi Chapter

Phoenix College Phoenix, Arizona

Abstract

At the start of the Spring 2023 semester, our advisors and chapter leaders described the College Project and its purpose to new PTK scholars -- to connect the chapter to the college administration through acts of servant leadership. While half of the chapter had participated in PTK for over a year, new members joined. Therefore, we prioritized integrating new members into PTK’s culture and values.

To better understand our college, our advisors shared the college’s mission, vision, and values statements with us. Understanding the college’s history of equity and belongingness was pivotal in our mission to contribute to our college’s legacy. Phoenix College was founded in 1920 and was Arizona’s first and only racially integrated college. Internalizing this history of fellowship was crucial to our preparation to meet with the college president to discuss the College Project.

One of our officers, a significant leader for the Honors Council, had recently participated in a skate event with the college president to increase student engagement. The president sought more opportunities to increase feelings of community and personal affiliation with the college. Our officer shared the president’s desire to create such an event with the chapter. This led to our chapter meeting with the president, where she shared her desire to host a field day (Figure 1) at the college to welcome students and their families. Hence, the event would increase a sense of belongingness and build a pipeline for younger scholars to connect with community college culture.

This project directly supported the college’s values of collaboration, community, and equity by creating an environment of inclusivity where everyone in our community was invited to participate. Moreover, this year, our college was especially interested in increasing a sense of “belongingness” among students and community members as we applied for the Seal of Excelencia (which we received) and prepared to apply to be an Achieving the Dream (ATD) certified institution.

Planning

Hosting an event of this magnitude required our chapter to collaborate with the administration team, student life and leadership, and numerous other departments. We consistently communicated through the arduous process of planning an event of this caliber. Collaborating with 10 student clubs allowed us to engage multiple areas of the campus, considering their input and creative ideas to maximize participation in this event. As we assessed the amalgamation of ideas, we created a tentative plan for the event.

We understood that it was essential that participants engage in playful, outdoor, accessible group activities. To increase opportunities for social engagement, we also planned to serve food. Considering all of this, we knew we were working against the clock as an extreme Arizona summer loomed near.

We initially planned for an early April event to avoid extreme heat. However, the president requested that we move the date to May 6, coinciding with a Fashion Program event. Although this date increased the likelihood of more extreme temperatures, we were delighted to collaborate with the Fashion Program to increase attendance at both events.

To accommodate the date change, we knew we had to prepare for the Arizona sun. Therefore, we collaborated with facilities to erect shade structures, planned water activities, and ensured cold water was easily accessible. As our administrators wished, these two events became a seamless celebration of the opportunities that Phoenix College provides our students and community.

Facilitating this success required chapter officers and advisors to expand their circle of communications. Honoring the fashion design department’s gala event necessitated a mutual understanding of our time, space, and shared goals. Rho Pi devoted multiple meetings and emails to identify win-win solutions for students, departments, administrators, and community members. Acting as a conduit between the clubs, the fashion design program, and the college’s administration team, we shared plans and further opportunities to collaborate.

Leadership Development

For this endeavor, members needed strong leadership, critical thinking, self-assessment, and organizational skills to implement our college project successfully. Our chapter fulfilled significant leadership roles throughout the project by directly communicating with numerous college departments. We delegated multiple facets of the project to chapter members, including marketing,

Figure 1

fundraising, event coordination, food service, and project direction.

By engaging in these processes, we developed strong leadership skills to enable us to execute the project effectively. Members participated in training, such as food handling, and college processes, such as marketing guidelines and safety protocols.

The chapter had to use critical and strategic thinking to tackle obstacles. When selected dates and venues fell through, we coordinated as a team to workshop thoughtful solutions that adhered to the college president’s vision for the event.

By evaluating and strengthening our leadership, critical thinking, and organizational skills, we were prepared to accomplish this major project. However, the most fundamental lesson the chapter learned was to lean on our teammates and build resiliency in the face of challenges. Through the lessons we learned, we are empowered to continue developing these core skills to lead future initiatives.

Collaboration

The chapter collaborated with three administrators, 10 clubs, and seven academic programs. We kept an open line of communication to ensure our shared vision with the administration came to life. We were required to maintain mental flexibility for changes during the planning process. The administration wanted the field day before the college Fashion Show event. This change required finding a new location and changing dates and times, which, in turn, led to changes in activities, facility requests, and more. The chapter kept each of our collaboration partners in the loop to ensure that all

changes would allow each party to have their needs met and, if possible, exceeded.

After a long, exciting, and water-filled day, our chapter members and other collaboration partners shared a quick debrief and then had a day of rest. The chapter was back in action Monday morning, analyzing the survey data results and sharing a report with our collaborators. After we were certain each team’s ideas were included, we submitted a written report to the college administration team.

The quantitative and qualitative results showed improved students’ sense of connectedness and belongingness at the college. After we submitted the written report, we met with the administration team, where we thanked administrators for their ideas and support for the field day. This event was a great way to create a sense of belonging among students, their families, and our community.

Impact

The field day (Figures 2 and 3) had phenomenal results. Over 200 people attended the event, allowing us to gather a wide range of data that we used to gauge the results of the field day. The administration hoped to increase students’ and community members’ sense of belonging and connectedness with the college.

For quantitative data, we had people complete a survey when they entered the field day area. Approximately 73% of participants initially said they felt a strong “sense of connectedness and belonging at PC.” Over 12.2% of people said they felt “no sense of belonging at all” or “very little sense of belonging.”

Figure 2

Figure 3

At the end of the event, participants completed a final survey to help us gauge any change in their sense of connectedness. For the second measure of belongingness, 86.7% of people said they felt a strong “sense of connectedness and belonging at PC.” Zero (0) percent of people selected that they felt no or little sense of belonging at all.

For qualitative data, we took notes from our interactions with participants. A young mother spoke about her opportunity to “ease into” her next step in life as a college student. She felt the freedom to pursue dreams while balancing life. A father of young children spoke about his time at PC and his gratitude for the opportunity to attend college close to home. One family told a chapter member that they didn’t expect such a lively environment or event to be hosted at a community college. These selected responses showed how the field day helped people build a positive relationship with the college and its opportunities.

Chapter members were able to bond with fellow students from across the campus, administrators and their families, professors, and community members that we might not otherwise have met. During our reflections, we all shared that engaging in activities with people from all stages of their lives created a sense of kinship within our community.

As members helped with food and facilitated activities, members felt proud of their leadership as PTK scholars. In turn, we inspired individuals outside the chapter to become interested in PTK and our values.

Chapter-College Relationship

Due to reduced student engagement on campus during the transitional period from pandemicisolation to reintegration with the college, the administration team and the chapter needed to create a project that improved student connection through socialization and camaraderie, as we know these factors enhance student success. As the quantitative and qualitative data showed, we helped contribute to the college’s goal to increase students’ sense of belongingness from 58% in 2013 to 67% in 2023 (as reported at the College’s Spring 2024 Convocation).

Our efforts strengthened our relationship with the college administration team by helping them address students’ needs to feel connected to the college. Working with student life further cemented our partnership with their team and new leader.

Every part of this project addressed PC’s mission, vision, and values and helped move the needle for the administration’s desire to increase a sense of belongingness. Without our intensive collaboration efforts, the event would not have been successful. Being a part of a college that shares the collective mission for fellowship and inclusivity empowers us as students, scholars, and humans.

Home Away from Home

Alpha Zeta Eta Chapter

Dallas

College North Lake

Irving, Texas

Abstract

In support of Dallas College’s mission statement, “to cultivate and sustain a diverse, inclusive, equitable, welcoming, and belonging-based community where our members actively practice solidarity for the greater good of the community culture and everyone’s experiences,” the chapter worked closely with our members to identify a belonging-based need. After conducting research, we arranged a meeting with Dr. Slejko, the college president, and the college administration at the start of the spring semester to present our top three ideas.

With their support and guidance, we progressed with the “Home Away from Home” project (Figure 1), which focused on offering international students detailed information about the range of services provided at Dallas College. With our campus administration’s help, we created a oneday campus event where we collaborated and held presentations from different departments.

The “Home Away from Home” initiative was implemented to offer international students comprehensive information about the wide range of services available at and outside Dallas College. Although international students received limited information about these services during orientation, we recognized the importance of providing additional information to ensure they fully understand and use them. We provided information on important aspects such as insurance, driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers, transportation options, employment opportunities, scholarships, transfers, emergency funds, and housing resources.

Additionally, we organized a table format (Figure 2) where students could visit each designated

table during breaks. We enhanced our project by incorporating games from various cultures to foster a sense of connection and make our campus feel like home for our international students.

Planning

We began having informal, monthly conversations with Dr. Slejko about her goals for our upcoming College Project. On April 5, 2023, after research and preparation, we presented three ideas at a formal meeting with campus administration. After discussion, Dr. Slejko chose our project, “Home Away from Home.”

In July and August, we prioritized contacting departments. We collaborated with counseling services, success coaches, Dallas College Foundation, Women’s Empowerment Network (WEN), Men’s Achievement Program (MAP), basic needs, Frost Bank, multicultural affairs, honors program, accessibility services, and the C5 Youth Foundation of Texas (C5 Texas). Our vice president of leadership organized our team to contact departments and organizations to set up meetings to discuss our intentions.

Members initiated communication with all departments and had in-person and virtual meetings with them. While all departments expressed their enthusiasm for our objective, counseling and accessibility services provided valuable insights and potential connections to ensure the success of this event. We discussed tabling events for students to learn more about their departments.

Once the fall semester commenced, we began holding monthly meetings with officers to update and seek guidance from the college president. She suggested that we communicate with the designated school official (DSO) as they would be the primary point of contact for our interactions with international students. We also wanted to include a form of financial support for international students, like Frost Bank. Since most international students have less than a month to transition, we wanted to help them access financial support and establish a credit history.

Members also established communication with the Dallas College Foundation. Many international students need to learn they are eligible for many scholarships. We ensured they could receive that crucial information.

Two weeks before the event, we proactively contacted faculty members on our campus to request the opportunity to present the project to their students in hopes of positively impacting international students.

Leadership Development

Our officer team recognized the importance of acquiring group dynamics and communication skills. Through workshops provided by our advisors, we learned that effective communication was crucial to determining various departments’ participation. Practical organizational skills played a role in successfully implementing the project, as there was a need to arrange various documents, data, and presentations systematically. The MAP and WEN organizations trained the team to plan and prioritize tasks. As a chapter, we created a timeline to identify deadlines to achieve our goal.

As international students, part of the team was able to identify significant issues and concerns experienced by this population and clarify why an intervention was needed. After meeting with the DSO, the team became aware of all the federal and college requirements for international students. This population of students has limited time to enter the country and get situated in the new environment before classes start, including finding housing and registering for classes.

Figure 1

A training session from counseling services taught us the importance of mental health care in higher education. International students experience loneliness and homesickness, so it was important to add this topic to the project. The basic needs department met with us and assisted with food and clothing resources available for all students. This department can assist students in finding housing opportunities as well as linking them to any additional resources they might need. In addition, their team offered insight into how to apply for on-campus jobs available for international students.

The leadership VP organized tasks which included who would contact each department for training, inviting them to the orientation day, developing surveys, and asking international students about the issues they felt needed addressing. Invitations and event organization tasks were also delegated. For the summer and fall semesters, the team would meet weekly to update committee members on their progress. Specific roles were assigned to our members, including signing in, providing directions, and assisting with food services. Members introduced each department before their presentations ensuring the event would flow effectively and efficiently.

Collaboration

Chapter members demonstrated flexibility, problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication skills. Learning these skills meant everyone remained adaptable when arranging meetings, presenting our project, conducting classroom visits, making posters, and seeking collaboration.

We established a well-planned timeline to facilitate effective management and organization. However, we encountered challenges in scheduling meetings and class visits due to unavoidable communication delays due to officers’ availability. In addition, we had several committee members volunteer to address the classes about the “Home Away from Home” event.

We kept active members updated on our College Project through our different platforms,

such as social media, Group Me, and email. We communicated effectively and leaned on one another for support when it came to “Home Away from Home,” as we were on a tight schedule. During our general meetings, we provided members with regular updates such as time, date, location, resources available, and the QR code to register and volunteer for the College Project. Our active members were involved with volunteering and making the event a success.

We maintained a unified objective and consistently emphasized the importance of keeping all team members updated about our tasks and expected results for the project. We provided Dr. Slejko with a final report of the College Project on how “Home Away from Home” impacted our fellow active members and students in college.

Impact

Our project allowed us to develop a stronger relationship with the North Lake Campus staff and provided insight into the college’s efforts regarding international students. Professor Escoto helped us create our surveys, allowing us to understand attendees’ ages, countries, and insights about the United States.

Figure 2

We implemented a survey that helped us gather insights into their desire for additional information about the event and their anticipated experiences. We reached out to 17 classes to promote the event and obtained responses from 67 students.

We strategically positioned the pre-event survey at the event entrance where students registered. One of the questions asked about any concerns or uncertainties individuals had regarding the education system in the United States. One participant expressed doubts about succeeding in a different education system and different language. We conducted a follow-up survey, revealing that 83.3% of students found the information they received valuable. At the same time, 66.7% of the students would then be able to use the resources provided to help them in their daily lives.

This event wouldn’t have succeeded without the support of our 19 volunteers, 11 faculty and staff speakers, three student speakers, and individuals who set up seven resource tables. Their involvement contributed to the smooth running of the event.

Chapter-College Relationship

This project enabled us to strengthen our bond with Dr. Slejko and consider her a valuable resource to accomplish our goals. After the event, we sent her a report with qualitative and quantitative data to demonstrate the impact of our event. We also connected with different departments on campus to establish a deeper relationship. Trevon Oliver, MAP program lead, stated that the event made students feel welcome and that they left with “a greater sense of belonging and some awesome resources to improve their experience here at Dallas College.”

We included basic information such as how to get a driver’s license, how to build credit, and more that isn’t always included in the college’s resources. One hundred percent of the responders met new people during this event, and 66.7% answered that they would very likely use the information. Many comments in the post-survey considered the event “perfect.” Most attendees felt well-informed about scholarship information, too.

Since the primary mission of our college is “to cultivate and sustain a diverse, inclusive, equitable, welcoming, and belonging-based community,” we feel accomplished by the results of our event. It helped the students build a community and learn about the opportunities Dallas College and the community provides. The planning and execution of the event helped us become better listeners and filled us with motivation to be a voice for those who need it.