The Journey
A newsletter for chapter advisors, chapter officers, and regional officers.

Grow Your Chapter, Embrace Diversity
By Tracee Walker

For some time now, diversity has existed as a buzzword circulating in the ranks of businesses, colleges, and even student groups. Phi Theta Kappa is no different. Our Honors Study Topic, “Customs, Traditions and Celebrations: The Human Drive for Community,” has brought the issue of diversity to the forefront in our chapters. The topic has given us the vehicle to not only study our own customs, traditions and celebrations, but to explore those of other groups as well.

Phi Theta Kappa’s first satellite seminar on the Honors Study Topic, “The Marginalized Community: Bridging the Great Divide,” introduced diversity from the standpoint of the issues facing marginalized communities.

During this first seminar, Dr. Carlos E. Cortes, panelist and author of The Children Are Watching: How the Media Teach About Diversity, said that it is natural for groups of people with similar characteristics to gather together. “The danger is staying together all of the time and never venturing out of your comfort zones,” said Cortes.

Relating the college experience to diversity, Dr. Evelyn Hu-DeHart, seminar panelist and Chairman of the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said, “College campuses are such unique spaces because where else in American society would we ever find so many of us thrown together for a period of time sharing the same space.” She reminded us that college is the best place to reach outside of our comfort zones to learn about other cultures and interact with people who are different from us.

Phi Theta Kappa chapters too can benefit from Hu-DeHart’s challenge to educate ourselves about others and to take the second, and sometimes more difficult, step to interact with different groups.

Whether the difference is one of gender, age, academic major, ethnic background or enrollment status, chapters benefit from a diverse membership. From diversity come innovative ideas, different life experiences, renewed enthusiasm and an opportunity to experience “real world” situations.

Phi Theta Kappa chapters can increase diversity among their members by taking simple steps and focusing on a few of the following key areas.

Gender: Our membership is over 70 percent female. You only have to attend a chapter or regional meeting to quickly see that men are in the minority here. To increase the testosterone levels in your chapter, try a little male bonding. When calling potential members to invite them to your orientation, ask current male members to place calls to the males on your potential member list. This way the new guy on the block will know that he won’t be the ONLY male should he choose to accept membership. If that doesn’t work, promote the 3:7 male:female ratio. Many a relationship has taken root at a Phi Theta Kappa meeting!

Ethnic Background: Our membership is nearly 80 percent Caucasian. College campuses are filled with student organizations, many of which focus on the needs or interests of students of a particular ethnic or cultural background. Invite one or more of these groups to join your chapter in a project to benefit the college or community. You may be surprised by the bonds that can form while working side by side to achieve a common goal. Also, network with officers of ethnic clubs. Invite them to your meetings to educate your members about their organizations and ask for the same opportunity to tell their members about Phi Theta Kappa.

Average Age: The average age of our members is nearly 29. If your chapter members are mostly younger than the Society’s average age, you may be missing an opportunity with the non-traditional market. Tap into this market by offering non-traditional students the flexibility they need. Offerings like night meetings, childcare, and the opportunity for spouses or children to participate in chapter events will keep your non-traditional members coming back for more.

Enrollment Status: Our membership is nearly 80 percent full-time enrollees. Make your chapter part-time student friendly by making the chapter easily accessible. Part-time students may not be on campus during the time your chapter meets or the time your office is open, so make information about chapter activities accessible to them, too. Try a web page or email as a source of information on upcoming activities, minutes from meetings and even voting on chapter issues. Focus attention on part-time students by establishing a “Part-Time Student Representative” on your executive board. This will help part-time students see that they are a vital part of your chapter.

No matter which area you choose to approach or how small your first step is, taking a step toward building diversity among your membership is a step in the right direction.

For more ideas on building a diverse membership, contact Chapter Officer Coordinator Tracy Thomas-Wade at 601.957.2241, ext. 580.

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This page last modified -- Friday, 14-Nov-2003 11:00:21 CST (cwe)