Tracing its history: The Phi Theta Kappa then & now
Chris Markarian
Issue date: 5/11/09 Section: Campus News
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Today, PTK is one of the largest honors societies in the world. Headquartered in Jackson, Miss., the 25,000 sq. ft. Jeffersonian Design building sits in a 5.5 acre land of Mississippi's Education and Research Center. Dedication ceremonies for the Center for Excellence were held Oc-tober 18, 1997.
PTK is governed by a seven Board of Directors who are elected from various Society Constituencies. Currently more than 600 colleges and universities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Great Britain offer more than $36 million in transfer scholarships to PTK members. In addition, each year PTK awards up to $590,000 to students and advisors. The Society also provides up to $90,000 in scholarships for members to attend the International Honors Insti-tute. In 1992, PTK received nearly $2 million from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to launch a leadership development program designed for two-year colleges.
While PTK places Scholar-ship first in its mission, it also instills a belief to members that scholars have a responsibility to serve. Each year in the spring, PTK holds an International Convention attended by 4,000 chapter members, advisors, alumni, and college presidents. PTK has 29 regional organizations, many being state organizations, which hold conventions and leadership conferences, offer awards and scholarship programs.
Following induction, a new member receives a gold em-bossed membership certificate, a membership identification card, a membership key pin, a diploma seal, and a transcript notation of membership. Each member is automatically nominated for inclusion in the prestigious National Dean's List biographical publication and is enrolled in the Society's Transfer Database, linking senior institutions offering scholarships to Phi Theta Kappa members. Members are accorded the privilege of wearing the Society's Gold Stole and Tassel at graduation.
Membership with PTK also provides access to:
www.collegefish.org
This is a website which brings together community college students, admission counselors, advisors, administrators and scholarship partners together. Collegefish.org has been assisting community colleges since 1918.
The COD Beta Rho Iota Chapter just started in Fall 2008. Students at COD now have the opportunity to join one of the most prestigious honor societies in the world. Members of the society focus on 4 Hallmarks: Service, Leadership, Scholarship and Fellowship. "We are also focusing on a discussion topic of the 'Paradox of Wealth'. We hope to have a forum on homelessness in the Coachella Valley still this spring," said Wendy Sanders, the advisor for PTK at COD.
She added, "Students have helped with tutoring, with orientation tables the first two days of the semester, with gathering supplies for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission when it burned in March. We really want to encourage students to join if they received a letter of invitation.."
At the induction ceremony on April 24, the second batch of PTK inductrees were welcomed ino the society.
Visit:
www.collegeofthedesert.edu
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