Orientation and Induction:
Chapters Share Their Best Practices
When planning your membership acceptance campaign, take advantage of the resources provided by Phi Theta Kappa and your chapter is bound for success. Consider these proven methods for enhancing your chapter's orientation and induction.
Start with Your College Registrar's Office
Seek their assistance in obtaining a file of eligible students, rather
than a printed list or labels. Any text file will do. Then, load this file into
eMembers, Phi Theta Kappa's membership management software at
www.ptk.org. Now there's no need for data entry!
Use the Invitation Letter Template
If you're not a writer, don't panic. Download this template at
www.ptk.org/advisor/forms.htm and personalize it to fit your
chapter's needs. Be sure to include a Member Benefits Brochure with
each invitation. Member Benefits Brochures are shipped automatically
to each chapter in January and August, and give prospective members
detailed information about Society benefits, scholarships and programs.
Phi Theta Who?
Make sure prospective members know about your chapter, who the
officers are, and what membership means. Display Good as Gold
posters around campus to promote the day, time, and location of your
new member orientation.
Albert Silva, Phi Theta Kappa Chapter President at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Connecticut, said his chapter found success by hosting two different new member orientations, marketed by a large bulletin board in a very high traffic area and distributing flyers in other areas of the campus.
Call Them and They Will Come
Consider a Phone-A-Thon. Many chapters have had great success
calling prospective members to remind them about the new member
orientation. It makes them feel welcome, and gives chapters an
opportunity to answer questions about member benefits.
For the chapter at Great Basin College in Nevada, the calling tree was a tremendous success. According to chapter advisor Sean Thompson, "We had never conducted a fall induction. Because of the mailings that we did along with the calling tree, we were able to increase our membership from a typical 25 inductees per year to 56 this year."
Maximize Orientation Attendance
For the most part, a chapter's new member orientation is a
prospective member's first exposure to Phi Theta Kappa. In fact, a
recent Phi Theta Kappa survey indicated that a far higher percentage of
members attended an orientation than students who chose not to accept
membership. So orientation attendance is important to a successful
membership campaign.
It's also important to make everyone feel welcome, regardless of his or her background or uniqueness. Make your orientation a fun, festive occasion. Use Good as Gold Balloons and Banners available from Phi Theta Kappa's Recognitions Brochure, and offer candy, drinks, and snacks. Offering door prizes or membership incentives is a great way to spark interest. Send the right message about member benefits by showing the Good as Gold video and use the Membership Benefits PowerPoint Presentation. If you don't have time to show the entire video during your presentation, show it as prospective members are arriving.
Don't Forget to Follow-up
Follow up with an email to prospective students who couldn't attend
the orientation. Offer to meet with them one-on-one, provide a link
to Phi Theta Kappa's website so they can learn more about
membership, and answer any questions they may have.
Fall for a Fall Induction
Hosting a fall induction gives chapters an opportunity to bring in
potential members with December graduation dates who might
otherwise miss out on Society membership if an induction was only
held once per year. Fall inductions also result in more new members
and more participation sooner in the academic year, when chapters
need it most.
A second induction doesn't have to be an elaborate affair. Many chapters offer an informal induction in the fall, followed by a formal spring induction in which all new members may participate. Spring inductions can also serve as a "second chance" for eligible students who may have declined an invitation in the fall. In fact, chapters are encouraged to offer all eligible students a second chance to accept membership.
To learn more about planning a successful orientation and induction, refer to Phi Theta Kappa's Chapter Resource Manual online at www.ptk.org/chapters/resources/ or contact the Membership Services Department at 800.946.9995.
