From The Center For Excellence

August 2005

Dear Colleague,

Greetings to our college presidents and administrators. In this issue of From the Center, we are delighted to share with you a brief assessment of our work this past academic year and announce several major new initiatives, including the National Transfer Center for Community College Students.

Now...on with the news.

Rod A. Risley
Executive Director

Phi Theta Kappa To Develop National Transfer Center

Phi Theta Kappa and other leaders in the community college arena are currently developing a new web-based resource to assist any community college student -- as early as the first days of enrollment at the community college -- to plan and navigate the transfer process.

The National Transfer Center for Community College Students will address the difficulties facing community college students whose access to campus counselors and information concerning financial aid, transfer credits and transfer procedures is, for whatever reasons, limited or nonexistent.

One of our goals is to raise the aspiration of all community college students to excel in their work and to consider the attainment of a baccalaureate degree. Furthermore, we will provide the tools to encourage students to start planning the transfer process the moment they take their first community college class. This will establish, very early, a personal relationship between the potential transfer student and senior college admissions staff.

Community College Transfer Advisory Board Appointed

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has appointed a national Community College Transfer Initiative Advisory Board, on which I will serve. The eight-member board will offer advice on research and evaluation; financial aid and admissions at selective colleges; operations of community colleges; issues to consider in the solicitation, review, and selection of grant recipients; along with speakers and topics for a national conference. This new initiative of the Foundation will address the institutional challenges that well-qualified students from low-income backgrounds may face as they pursue their dreams of higher education.

18 Jack Kent Cooke Scholars Are Phi Theta Kappa Members

Eighteen Phi Theta Kappa members were among the 25 recipients of 2005 Jack Kent Cooke Scholarships, selected based on academic excellence and leadership potential.

Through these undergraduate transfer scholarships, the Foundation offers support for tuition, room and board, books, and other required fees for the remainder of the Jack Kent Cooke Scholar's bachelor's degree. While the amount of awards will vary by student based on the cost of attendance or grants received, awards can total up to $30,000 per year for each student. There is no larger scholarship, or one involving such intense competition, available to community college students.

Presidents Recognized at International Convention

During Phi Theta Kappa's 2005 International Convention in Dallas, 28 community college administrators received the Shirley B. Gordon Awards of Distinction, commending their exemplary support of Phi Theta Kappa on the chapter, region and international levels.

Eight community college presidents were recognized with the Michael Bennett Lifetime Achievement Awards, given to administrators who have been supportive of Phi Theta Kappa and are retiring from their careers.

Learn more about the support these college administrators provided, and the respect they consequently earned from their students, through online video tributes presented by a member of each recipient's campus chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. Chapters must submit nominations for these awards.

Convention Breaks All Records

Some 4,000 Phi Theta Kappa members, advisors and alumni converged on Dallas, Texas, April 14-16, for the Society's 87th International Convention -- setting records for attracting the most-ever attendees, and more chapters than ever before.

Community college presidents also turned out in record numbers. Nearly 100 attended the Presidents Luncheon with special guest and former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani.

Phi Theta Kappa's chapter at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi received the 2005 Most Distinguished Chapter Award. Runners-up included chapters at St. Petersburg College, Florida; Ivy Tech State College-Evansville, Indiana; Rio Salado College, Arizona; Bergen Community College, New Jersey; and Cleveland State Community College, Tennessee.

Visit our website for information on Phi Theta Kappa's International Officers for 2005-06, elected at the Convention, including: Arthur Vargas, International President, Austin Community College, Texas; Mia Ramos, International Vice President - Division I, Orange County Community College, New York; J.T. Bullock, International Vice President - Division II, Jefferson State Community College, Alabama; Steven Hassenplug, International Vice President - Division III, Coffeyville Community College, Kansas; and Lindsay Moore, International Vice President - Division IV, Canada College, California.

Mark your calendars for the 88th International Convention in Seattle, Washington, April 20-22, 2006.

Career Resource Center Launched at 2005 Convention

This year's Convention offered a new opportunity for members to get a head start on career planning and a decided advantage when they enter the job market: Phi Theta Kappa's first Career Resource Center. For students who plan to seek immediate employment after earning their associate degrees, this new opportunity was especially welcome.

Members interacted with human resource professionals, corporate recruiters, service organizations, law enforcement, and armed forces representatives. Participants were also invited to schedule mock interviews and have resume review sessions with professional career coaches and human resource professionals.

Four Faculty Advisors Receive $5,000 Mosal Awards

Four Phi Theta Kappa chapter advisors have been named 2005 recipients of the Society's Mosal Awards, which recognize outstanding professional achievement and encourage and support individual growth through professional development. The award includes a $5,000 stipend to be used to complete a scholarly project of the recipient's design.

Recipients of the 2005 Mosal Awards, and their projects, include:

Evelyn Beck, an English instructor at Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, South Carolina, "Creative Nonfiction and the Community College Story"

Cathryn Cates, a biology instructor at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, "Ecology of the Colorado Plateau"

Elizabeth Parks, an English and reading instructor at Kishwaukee College in Malta, Illinois, "An American Teacher Becomes a Foreign Student"

Dr. Ranjana Segal, a chemistry professor at Tarrant County College - Southeast Campus, in Arlington, Texas, "Small-Scale Chemistry: Integrating Lectures and Laboratory Experiments."

Bring National Experts to Your Campus Live Via Satellite

Bring outstanding experts discussing interdisciplinary aspects of a pertinent topic to your campus through Phi Theta Kappa's 2005 Honors Satellite Seminar Series. The series can be used to augment your current honors program by integrating the Seminars into honors courses. The Satellite Seminars may also serve as effective recruiting/public relations tools by cultivating the opportunity to invite high school students and community groups to your college to view and discuss the presentations. See the calendar section of this newsletter or the Society website for a complete list of seminar dates, topics and presenters who will address the current Honors Study Topic, Popular Culture: Shaping and Reflecting Who We Are.

Featured Member and Administrator:

Dr. Robert Aguero, President of Austin Community College in Texas, and member Arthur Vargas are spotlighted in this edition. Arthur is the 2005-2006 International President of Phi Theta Kappa, and was recognized as a Distinguished Chapter President in the Hallmark Awards. Arthur was also selected for the 2004 All-Texas Academic Team and is a recipient of the 2004 Coca-Cola Scholarship. To submit a photograph for consideration, please contact Melissa Mayer at 601.984.3504, ext. 584. Submissions for the next edition will be accepted until October 1.