Phi Theta Kappa
Encyclopedia
Phi Theta Kappa, also ΦΘΚ or sometimes PTK (see usage note), is the international honor society
of two-year colleges and academic programs, particularly community college
s and junior college
s. It also includes Associate's degree
-granting programs offered by four-year colleges. It is headquartered in Jackson
, Mississippi
and has more than 2 million members in more than 1,250 chapters, in each state of the United States
, U.S. Territories, British Virgin Islands
, Marshall Islands
, Canada
, Germany
, Federated States of Micronesia
, United Arab Emirates
, and Republic of Palau.
Phi Theta Kappa's mission statement:
Although the acronym "PTK" is sometimes used informally, it is heavily discouraged by the society and is not permitted for official business. The only notable exception is the use of "PTK" in URLs, such as the official international website, ptk.org, and similar regional and chapter websites. This is due largely to perceived disrespect for the institution by the shortening of the name, and also an attempt to prevent confusion with the Greek letters
Rho Tau Kappa, or ρτκ, which look like the Latin letter
s for P, T, and K that do not truly correspond to the proper Greek letters Φ (Ph), Θ (Th) and Κ (K). Members who use "PTK" in speech at official events are typically corrected, and no written or printed materials using "PTK" can be released to the public. At the organization's international conventions, speakers have been harassed due to the use of "PTK".
Members of Phi Theta Kappa are known as Phi Theta Kappans; any other form of reference, such as "Kappans" or "Phi Thetans," is deemed an "incorrect usage" by the organization.
, a Missouri
two-year women's college
, under the name of Kappa Phi Omicron. The society grew quickly and, in 1918, it became known as Phi Theta Kappa and was organized nationally. In 1924, an amendment to the society's constitution was passed to include all two-year college
s, regardless of single-sex or coeducation
al status. In 1929, Phi Theta Kappa was officially recognized by the American Association of Junior Colleges and became the official honor society of two-year institutions. It has been regarded as an honorable organization that promotes a service oriented member in the community and at large.
To qualify for initial Phi Theta Kappa membership, a student must maintain a GPA of, in most cases, 3.5 or higher. They must also pay a one-time international membership fee, plus any chapter or regional dues that may apply. Thereafter, a Phi Theta Kappa member must maintain a high academic standing, generally a 3.25 GPA or higher, to remain a member in good standing.
Members of Phi Theta Kappa have opportunities to receive some of more than $36 million in scholarships provided exclusively for Phi Theta Kappa members. Members in the United States
are also eligible to participate in the All-USA Academic Team program, co-sponsored by USA Today
, and by extension their own statewide academic teams. Members also receive automatic nominations to the National Dean's List and job postings exclusively for Phi Theta Kappans.
, at which some 3,000 Phi Theta Kappa members attended. The 2009 convention was held in April in Grapevine, Texas
. Around 4,000 Phi Theta Kappa members attended. The 2010 convention was held in Orlando, Florida
with over 3,600 attendees. The 2011 convention will be held in Seattle, Washington.
At the international convention, Phi Theta Kappans recognize achievements by members in "Hallmark" areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship. Elections for the five international offices are also held at the international convention. Also judged are entries for other various categories, including distinguished chapter officer, president, and advisor. Arts from across the country are judged as well as the chapters themselves. Every year a chapter is selected as chapter of the year; this is the chapter which has received the highest overall scores in all hallmark categories.
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
of two-year colleges and academic programs, particularly community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
s and junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
s. It also includes Associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
-granting programs offered by four-year colleges. It is headquartered in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and has more than 2 million members in more than 1,250 chapters, in each state of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, U.S. Territories, British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
, Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, and Republic of Palau.
Phi Theta Kappa's mission statement:
Name origin and usage
Phi Theta Kappa has a name similar to, and is heavily based on, Phi Beta Kappa, which is an international honor society for universities and traditional four-year colleges. Phi Beta Kappa presidents have spoken at Phi Theta Kappa conventions, and the two societies have formed joint programs to encourage community and junior college graduates to advance to four-year institutions.Although the acronym "PTK" is sometimes used informally, it is heavily discouraged by the society and is not permitted for official business. The only notable exception is the use of "PTK" in URLs, such as the official international website, ptk.org, and similar regional and chapter websites. This is due largely to perceived disrespect for the institution by the shortening of the name, and also an attempt to prevent confusion with the Greek letters
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
Rho Tau Kappa, or ρτκ, which look like the Latin letter
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
s for P, T, and K that do not truly correspond to the proper Greek letters Φ (Ph), Θ (Th) and Κ (K). Members who use "PTK" in speech at official events are typically corrected, and no written or printed materials using "PTK" can be released to the public. At the organization's international conventions, speakers have been harassed due to the use of "PTK".
Members of Phi Theta Kappa are known as Phi Theta Kappans; any other form of reference, such as "Kappans" or "Phi Thetans," is deemed an "incorrect usage" by the organization.
History
The society was established in 1910 at Stephens CollegeStephens College
Stephens College is a women's college located in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833 as the Columbia Female Academy. In 1856, David H. Hickman turned it into a college,...
, a Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
two-year women's college
Women's college
Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women...
, under the name of Kappa Phi Omicron. The society grew quickly and, in 1918, it became known as Phi Theta Kappa and was organized nationally. In 1924, an amendment to the society's constitution was passed to include all two-year college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
s, regardless of single-sex or coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al status. In 1929, Phi Theta Kappa was officially recognized by the American Association of Junior Colleges and became the official honor society of two-year institutions. It has been regarded as an honorable organization that promotes a service oriented member in the community and at large.
Symbols
The distinctive gold key membership pin was adopted in 1930 and is officially described by Phi Theta Kappa as follows:
The Key is a golden slab, keyed at the top and bottom. Across the center of the slab is a black enamel band upon which three Greek letters appear, which are the initials of three mystic Greek words meaning phronimon (PhiPhiPhi may refer to:In language:*Phi, the Greek letter Φ,φ, the symbol for voiceless bilabial fricativeIn mathematics:*The Golden ratio*Euler's totient function*A statistical measure of association reported with the chi-squared test...
), thumos (ThetaThetaTheta is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, derived from the Phoenician letter Teth...
), katharotes (KappaKappaKappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, used to represent the voiceless velar stop, or "k", sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 20. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Kaph...
) and meaning "wisdom," "aspiration," and "purity."
Behind the band is a wreath, on one side composed of oak leaves, and on the other, of laurel. The wreath of oak leaves denotes stability and strength of character, and the curling leaves of laurel signify achievement and success. Above the band is a representation of the head of Athena, Goddess of Learning; in the base appear the mystic Greek letters meaning light, the light of learning and knowledge.
Membership
According to Phi Theta Kappa, it is estimated that 200,000 students participate in Phi Theta Kappa programs every year, with approximately 100,000 students inducted annually. In 2006, Phi Theta Kappa inducted its two-millionth member.To qualify for initial Phi Theta Kappa membership, a student must maintain a GPA of, in most cases, 3.5 or higher. They must also pay a one-time international membership fee, plus any chapter or regional dues that may apply. Thereafter, a Phi Theta Kappa member must maintain a high academic standing, generally a 3.25 GPA or higher, to remain a member in good standing.
Members of Phi Theta Kappa have opportunities to receive some of more than $36 million in scholarships provided exclusively for Phi Theta Kappa members. Members in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are also eligible to participate in the All-USA Academic Team program, co-sponsored by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and by extension their own statewide academic teams. Members also receive automatic nominations to the National Dean's List and job postings exclusively for Phi Theta Kappans.
Events
Phi Theta Kappans participate in several gatherings each year, with the international convention generally held in early to mid-April. There have been a total of 92 international conventions for Phi Theta Kappa. International conventions take place in different areas of the United States each year. The 2008 convention was held in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, at which some 3,000 Phi Theta Kappa members attended. The 2009 convention was held in April in Grapevine, Texas
Grapevine, Texas
Grapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
. Around 4,000 Phi Theta Kappa members attended. The 2010 convention was held in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
with over 3,600 attendees. The 2011 convention will be held in Seattle, Washington.
At the international convention, Phi Theta Kappans recognize achievements by members in "Hallmark" areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship. Elections for the five international offices are also held at the international convention. Also judged are entries for other various categories, including distinguished chapter officer, president, and advisor. Arts from across the country are judged as well as the chapters themselves. Every year a chapter is selected as chapter of the year; this is the chapter which has received the highest overall scores in all hallmark categories.
Notable members
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