Phi Theta Kappa Background Information
The Center for Excellence
In 1996, The State of Mississippi, in an unprecedented move, conveyed to Phi Theta Kappa 5.5 acres of land located on the grounds of Mississippi's Education and Research Center in Jackson, Mississippi, for construction of the Center for Excellence, Phi Theta Kappa's Headquarters facility.
The Headquarters building is of Jeffersonian design and occupies 25,000 square feet. Construction costs were $3.3 million. The two-story facility houses office suites, conference rooms, library, reception room, boardroom and kitchen. A focal point of the facility is the octagonal rotunda, reflecting the rotunda design found at Jefferson's Virginia home, Monticello. A brick courtyard flanks the building. Dedication ceremonies for the Center for Excellence were held October 18, 1997.
Governance and Staff
Phi Theta Kappa is governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of seven members, with representatives elected from various Society constituencies. Annually, five students are elected to serve as international officers during the Society's International Convention. One international officer is elected to a one-year term to the Board of Directors. The Headquarters staff of more than 50 is led by an executive director, who is appointed by the Board.
Find out more about the Board of Directors, the International Officers and the Headquarters staff.
Phi Theta Kappa Foundation
To ensure that Phi Theta Kappa will have the necessary resources to continue to provide quality programs and innovative services and keep membership costs as low as possible, the Board of Directors established the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation. Governed by the Board, the Foundation provides members, alumni and friends the opportunity to invest in the Society.
Find out more about the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation.
Distinguished Alumni
Distinguished alumni include Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Ambassador; Fred Haise, Apollo XIII Astronaut; Sela Ward, actress; Dr. William Roper, director, Centers for Disease Control; and H. Ross Perot, businessman; Trisha Yearwood, entertainer. See an extensive list of distinguished alumni.
Scholarship Opportunities
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 Phi Theta Kappa members. In addition, each year Phi Theta Kappa administers and awards up to $590,000 to students and advisors. These include the Guistwhite Scholarship Program, which awards to members twenty $5,000 stipends for completion of baccalaureate studies. Leaders of Promise scholarships offer thirty $1,000 scholarships to students pursuing an associate degree while enrolled at a community college. With the American Association of Community Colleges and USA TODAY, the Society administers the All-USA Academic Team for Community College students which offers twenty $2,500 stipends and national press coverage in USA TODAY. In addition, with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and the Coca-Cola Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa administers the New Century Scholars Program offering fifty scholarships, each $2,000.
The Society also provides up to $90,000 in scholarships for members and faculty advisors to attend the International Honors Institute. Four $500 cash stipends are offered to winners of the Honors Case Study Challenge related to the current Honors Study topic. One outstanding International Officer Candidate may be awarded the Orlowski Scholarship of $1,000 and those selected as International Officers receive $2,000 upon completion of their terms of office. Phi Theta Kappa presents students one $1,000 and four $500 awards for winning writings appearing in the Society's honors anthology, Nota Bene. For chapters and regions successfully increasing their membership acceptance rates, varying Pinnacle Awards are offered. Generally, up to $100,000 total is awarded each year.
Chapter advisors compete for Mosal Awards with up to ten $5,000 stipends available. Sixty $525 awards waiving convention registration fees for both an Advisor and Chapter Officer, as well as Chapter Office Academy fees for the Officer are offered. And finally, a Chapter Advisor selected as a Faculty Scholar who has never attended an International Convention or Honors Institute will be designated a Parnell Scholar. This award pays for all travel, accommodations, and registration fees to both meetings - up to $3,000.
Finally, over 34 states offer All-State Academic Teams. Students nominated to the All-USA Academic Team may be eligible to participate in an All-State program. Members of an All-State Academic Team may be eligible for additional scholarship opportunities. Last year, over $41 million was available to participants of All-State programs. For more information regarding All-USA Academic Team and All-State Teams, please see below.
Find out more about Phi Theta Kappa scholarship opportunities.
Honors Program
Every two years, Phi Theta Kappa's Honors Committee unveils the Society's Honors Study Program, an interdisciplinary study of a timely topic which is used by chapters and colleges as the basis for honors study in colloquies, courses, and seminars. Phi Theta Kappa publishes the Honors Study Guide which serves as a resource guide for exploring the Honors Study Topic. The cornerstone of the study program is the highly acclaimed Honors Institute and Faculty Development Conference.
The Honors Institute is a week-long summer conference held for studying in depth the current Honors Study Topic. The Institute is generally held on a senior institution campus and attendance is limited to 450 participants. Following daily lectures, students meet in small group seminars led by a faculty member to discuss presentations and issues raised. Off-site cultural experiences constitute a major component of the program. Prior to the Institute, a Faculty Scholar Conference is held where 25 faculty members convene with noted scholars from diverse fields of study to examine the Honors Study Topic. These faculty members serve as seminar leaders for the Institute and are selected by application. Major funding for the Faculty Development Conference was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Find further information and resources on Honors Programs, the Honors Study Topic Program Guide and the Honors Institute.
Leadership Programs
In 1992, Phi Theta Kappa received nearly $2 million from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to launch a leadership development program designed for two-year colleges. The Kellogg Grant introduced and evaluated the program at 100 community colleges and certified 200 faculty members, administrators, or college presidents to teach the humanities-based leadership studies course. From 1990 to 1998, the Kellogg Foundation funded a total of 31 leadership development programs in higher education, naming Phi Theta Kappa's and only seven others Exemplary Programs. Since the conclusion of the Kellogg Grant Period, Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Development Studies has expanded to more than 470 institutions with more than 1,450 people who have attended a Certification Seminar in preparation to teach the curriculum. The leadership development program, participatory in nature, utilizes readings and films from the Classics to unleash the leadership potential of emerging community leaders and students.
Find information for faculty and students interested in Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Development Studies.
Service Program
While Phi Theta Kappa places Scholarship first in its mission, the Society also encourages members in the belief that scholars have a responsibility to serve. The Society selects an International Service Program to unite Phi Theta Kappa's army of scholars toward a single beneficent goal. Past service programs have included working with the Department of Education to improve literacy through President Clinton's America Reads initiative; America’s Promise to mentor underserved young people; and, most recently, the American Cancer Society in the fight against cancer. Phi Theta Kappa's 2006-08 International Service Program is a partnership with Keep America Beautiful entitled Operation Green: Improving Our Communities.
Read more about "Operation Green: Improving Our Communities", the 2006-08 International Service Program.
Publications
Phi Theta Kappa publications include the Visionary, annual publication; Golden Key electronic newsletter; The Golden Key Newsletter (formerly The Journey), a newsletter published six times during the academic term for chapter advisors and officers; Honors Study Guide, annual guide for implementing Honors Study Program; The Chapter Resource Manual, annual reference and planning guide; Hallmark Guide and Five Star Guides, reference guides for awards competitions; Scholarship Directory, listing of senior institutions providing scholarships to members; and Nota Bene, an honors anthology publishing student writings which is circulated to all two-year colleges.
Browse on-line versions of selected issues and read more about Society publications.
International Convention
Each year in the spring, Phi Theta Kappa holds an International Convention attended by 4,000 chapter members, advisors, alumni, and college presidents. During the Convention, speakers of international renown address the Honors Study Topic and service program. Education forums are held on topics related to chapter programming, preparing members for transfer, and member motivation. Hallmark Awards are presented to individuals and chapters for distinguished accomplishment in Society programs. Immediately prior to the Convention, pre-conferences are held for chapter advisors and regional and chapter officers.
Find out more about the International Convention.
Regional Organizations
Phi Theta Kappa has 29 regional organizations, many being state organizations, which hold conventions and leadership conferences, offer awards and scholarship programs, and conduct Regional Honors Institutes. Regional organizations are headed by a Regional Coordinator (Phi Theta Kappa Advisor) and elect student regional officers.
Find out more about Regional Programs.
Phi Theta Kappa sponsors with the national newspaper USA Today and the American Association of Community Colleges the All-USA Academic Team for Community and Junior Colleges. Two-year college presidents may nominate up to two students per campus for recognition. Students are selected based upon academic achievement, community service involvement, and leadership accomplishment. Twenty students are named to a first team, second team, and third team. First team students are featured in an April issue of USA Today and received $2,500 stipends. Second and third team members are listed in the newspaper and receive medallions. As an extension of the All-USA Academic Team Program, Phi Theta Kappa has partnered with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, the Coca-Cola Foundation and the American Association of Community Colleges to award fifty $2,000 scholarships to the New Century Scholar, the top-scoring student in each state in the All-USA Academic Scholarship competition.
Phi Theta Kappa, two-year college presidents, and community college state associations co-sponsor All-State Academic Team recognition programs in 32 states. Students nominated to the All-USA Academic Team are automatically named to the All-State Academic Team. Ranking on the All-State team is often determined by the student score in the national competition. All-State Recognition programs are held in the state capital with legislators, education leaders, and corporate leaders attending. All-State Team members receive special recognition including medallions and often times stipends and scholarships. More than $26 million dollars is available in scholarships and stipends for All-State team members.
Recognition Items
Following induction, a new member receives a gold embossed 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.
