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Dear Colleague,

Much has been written of late about the lack of engagement of community college students during their journey through our institutions. In other words, community college students aren't interested in helping others or accepting responsibility as civic leaders in the community. They simply want in and out of our colleges as quickly as possible and care not about anything else.

Before you throw in the towel, let me share with you some ways community college students are engaged and making an impact: In 2004, at least 13,000 more people became registered voters, due to our Voice Your Vote program. In 2004, 23,000 books were distributed to low-income children in one Oklahoma city alone, though our Project Graduation collections. In 2004, members of the growing Hispanic community in Ellsworth, Iowa, learned the language and customs of their new country from Society members who incorporated the Community College Readership Program into the English as a Second Language class by volunteering to read and discuss newspaper articles.

Learn more about these stories of civic engagement and more in this second issue of From the Center for Excellence, Phi Theta Kappa's quarterly eNewsletter.

Rod A. Risley
Executive Director

Dr. Shirley Gordon to Receive AACC Leadership Award
We are delighted to announce that our Board Chairman, Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, a distinguished educator for more than 40 years and a tireless advocate for academic excellence among community college students, has been selected to receive AACC's 2005 National Leadership Award. "Dr. Shirley Gordon has earned our respect, our gratitude and our friendship for a lifetime of service. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership among and on behalf of our colleges and has significantly advanced academic opportunities for students through her work with Phi Theta Kappa," said AACC CEO and President, Dr. George Boggs, in making the announcement. Please visit our Press Room to read more about Dr. Gordon's illustrious career. She will be recognized at the opening session of AACC's Annual Convention, scheduled April 9-12 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Nominate your Students for Jack Kent Cooke Scholarships
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation administers one of the nation's largest and most competitive private scholarship programs for community college students. Approximately 25 students in associate degree programs annually receive scholarships ranging as high as $30,000 - the amount is determined by the expenses of the recipients' transfer institution. Students must be nominated by a designated faculty representative. If your college has not named a faculty member to oversee the application process on your campus, you may select a representative by telephoning the Foundation at 1.800.498.6478. We encourage you to take this step immediately, and to consider appointing your Phi Theta Kappa faculty advisor. Applications are available online and must be received by February 1, 2005. Please ensure that this incredible opportunity is accessible to your students.

You're Invited to Phi Theta Kappa's International Convention in Dallas
College administrators attending Phi Theta Kappa's 2005 International Convention in Dallas April 14-16 will have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear two outstanding nationally-known speakers. One of America's most distinguished leaders, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani, who led New York City and the nation through its darkest hours, will be the special guest at the Presidents Luncheon on April 15 before speaking to the Convention's Third General Session.Our Service Keynote address will be delivered by Patti LaBelle, soul singer and an activist in the battle against cancer. Pop diva LaBelle will speak during the morning session on April 15. We hope you will be a part of the energy and excitement generated by 3,800 students and faculty, representing the largest association of college honor students in the world. Sample the Convention experience by viewing video highlights from the 2004 International Convention! Very soon you will receive a special invitation to register for Phi Theta Kappa's International Convention! We hope see see you there!

Voter Education Initiative Resulted In Increased Civic Involvement
Phi Theta Kappa's Voice Your Vote initiative sought to empower one voter at a time - and to date we can claim responsibility for registering more than 13,000 new voters. Our voter awareness education programs reached more than 68,000 people. This enthusiastic response to the mandates of the Higher Education Act brought more students into the election process, and they helped define the political landscape. Although few high profile elections are scheduled for 2005, we will continue to make voter education a priority under our civic engagement umbrella.

Engaging Students Through Newspaper Readership
Our commitment to civic engagement continues in 2005. We are pleased to report the steady growth of the Community College Readership Program, which was launched in the fall of 2003, and now is a presence on 24 campuses in 20 states. Nearly 630,000 newspapers were provided complimentary to students during the year. We believe that one of the major contributions we can make is to develop readership habits among students as early as possible. It is imperative that our future leaders are cognizant of the need to be well-informed about current events and civic affairs. In December, USA TODAY compiled survey results from 11 participating chapters. The surveys proved that students understand the educational value of newspapers, as 97% of those surveyed agree that newspapers are important to their education. In the upcoming months, the results will be shared with college administrators to communicate the impact newspapers have on education outside the classroom.

Who's Who for Faculty Awards First Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships
Four chapter advisors of Phi Theta Kappa have been chosen to receive scholarships of $250 each from Who's Who Among America's Teachers. This new program exemplifies Phi Theta Kappa's continuing efforts to recognize the signal contributions of our chapter advisors. Congratulations to the first recipients of this annual scholarship award, and their college presidents:

* Isaac Solis of Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, and his college president, Richard Sanchez

* Stephen Matern of Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington, and his college president, William Bonaudi

* Kay Helms of Athens Technical College in Athens, Georgia, and her college president, Flora Tydings

* Sallie Wolf of Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado, and her college president, Berton Glandon

Learn more by visiting our Advisor Recognition website.

Project Graduation Impact Reaches over 400 Communities
At this time of year we invite our member colleges to enroll in Project Graduation 2005, our civic engagement initiative to combat hunger and illiteracy. What began as a small venture by one college has become a major service thrust. In more than 400 communities in 47 states and such faraway locales as Canada, Guam and American Samoa, colleges collected donations of canned goods and books, for delivery to local social service agencies. A record 125,102 food items and 111,544 books were donated to feed bodies and feed minds. Project Graduation has a double impact - not only do communities benefit, but our members learn that as scholars and leaders they have a responsibility to make a difference. We encourage you to make this program part of your commencement activities - some colleges prefer that collections not be made at the actual ceremonies, and many alternate options are available. At some colleges, students have also taken their requests for donations into the community and have received considerable support from business leaders - again underscoring the civic commitment our scholars possess.

Society Raises $732,000 toward Goal of $1 Million to Fight Cancer
We're closing in on our goal of contributing $1 million to the fight against cancer. With more than a year to go, we now feel confident that we will not only reach our $1 million goal but will very like go over the top. The funds raised are only a part of the story - our members have also contributed more than 723,000 service hours, and touched the lives of 682,522 cancer patients through their volunteer efforts. Two of our Phi Theta Kappa chapter presidents, from community colleges in Texas and Tennessee, represented the Society at the recent Relay For Life Youth Summit, where they accepted the American Cancer Society's Youth Partnership Award.

Tennessee Presidents Support Academic Excellence
Kudos to Volunteer State Community College President Dr. Warren Nichols and his colleagues for their continuing support of the All-Tennessee Academic Team. Team members currently are eligible for generous transfer scholarships offered by 14 four-year colleges and universities. Lane College, Bethel College, Free-Hardeman University, Union University and Lambuth University are the most recent institutions to announce plans to establish a scholarship for All-Tennessee Academic Team members. Dr. Nichols, who is Phi Theta Kappa's Presidential Ambassador in Tennessee, is continuing to provide exemplary leadership in the area of scholarship procurement.

50 Phi Theta Kappa Members Receive Dean's List Scholarships
In 2004 the National Dean's List significantly increased their scholarship offering to Phi Theta Kappa and now provides 50 awards to members of $250 each. In announcing this enhanced benefit, Dean's List publisher Jefferey Fix referred to his company's longtime relationship with Phi Theta Kappa, and the fact that Phi Theta Kappa is the only community college organization whose members are automatically nominated for the National Dean's List. We invite you to visit our website to learn the names of these 50 scholarship recipients, and the colleges they represent.

Featured Member and Administrator
In this issue our banner honorees come from the state of Ohio. Dr. Ronald Abrams is president of North Central State College in Mansfield. Our member and North Central State graduate, Sandra Mahl, served as Phi Theta Kappa's International Vice President for Division I in 2004-05. She received Phi Theta Kappa's Guistwhite Scholarship of $5,000 to fund her baccaluareate studies and is now attending the University of Findlay, completing her degree through online classes while working as a human resources officer. She is a member of the All-Ohio Academic Team and a former chapter officer. To submit a picture of a college president and a Phi Theta Kappa member for consideration, please contact Nell Ewing at 601.984.3516. Submissions for the next edition will be accepted until February 5, 2005.