Member Spotlight – Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
“We recognize and give opportunities to more than 250,000 active Phi Theta Kappa members each year, and it would not be possible without the dedicated college faculty and staff serving as chapter advisors. Just as they are the front lines promoting college success and completion for their students, they are also the front lines providing scholarship, leadership, and service opportunities for our members. Many do this voluntarily because they believe — just as we do — that there’s no more rewarding work than changing the trajectory of a student’s life.”
–Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Members
Member Spotlight Question and Answer
Why is Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society a NISOD Member?
Because we rely on college faculty, administrators, and staff to help us achieve our mission at the individual chapter level, partnering with NISOD is a great way for us to connect with hard-working and award-winning college faculty who are dedicated to helping students succeed. Just as we want to grow our student membership, we also want to recruit more faculty to serve as Phi Theta Kappa chapter advisors, where they will not only give opportunities to students, but also have opportunities themselves to serve in leadership roles, gain professional development, and receive awards to pursue personal and professional projects.
Which NISOD benefits does Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society use the most and how?
We find the annual conference most beneficial for a few reasons. We enjoy networking with all college educators because we get to see the many innovative ways educators are connecting with their students. The special sessions and workshops keep us up to date on the issues facing colleges and their students, and we learn trends in teaching that we can incorporate into the courses and curricula we develop for our advisors and members. We’ve conducted workshops at the conference in the past, and for two years we hosted training for our chapter advisors onsite, saving advisors with a limited travel budget both time and money.
Interesting News Happening at Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Phi Theta Kappa Launches Sixth Edition of Leadership Development Studies
PTK recently unveiled the sixth edition of their nationally recognized Leadership Development Studies curriculum, and it is more accessible than ever before. The course is online only and free to all PTK members. Non-members can also access the course for a $10 fee. College administrators, faculty, and staff can get certified to teach the curriculum on their campuses for credit or non-credit courses.
Phi Theta Kappa featured in The New York Times
PTK was thrilled to be included in The New York Times article, “Where 4-Year Schools Find a Pool of Applicants: 2-Year Schools,” highlighting the work colleges are doing to make it easier for community college students to transfer. More than 750 four-year colleges and universities now offer transfer scholarships exclusively for Phi Theta Kappa members, and some of those colleges — and the members who received scholarships — were featured in the article.
Why PTK Offers Second Chances to Inmates
In 2017, the PTK Board of Directors voted unanimously to extend membership to individuals incarcerated or on parole; since then, numerous PTK chapters across the country have hosted induction ceremonies. PTK’s 2019-2020 International President James Elliott — a student at Delaware Technical College and a former inmate — recently attended a graduation and induction ceremony at Eastern Correctional Institution in Maryland and blogged about his experience.
Every month, NISOD turns the spotlight on the effective ways member colleges use NISOD benefits. These member colleges exemplify NISOD’s mission of improving teaching, learning, and leadership, with the ultimate goal being to increase student success.