Cottey’s Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Earns National and State Honors

Cottey College has one of the most popular Phi Theta Kappa chapters in the country! Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college honor society, announced Cottey College’s Epsilon Chapter has the fourth highest acceptance rate of 1,300 chapters in the nation. In 2018 Epsilon Chapter reached its all-time high of a 73.6 percent acceptance rate compared to 53 percent in 2017. Phi Theta Kappa bases the acceptance rate on how many of the students offered membership accept it.

The recognition is part of Phi Theta Kappa’s REACH Rewards competition to increase membership among eligible students. Nationwide, only 11 percent of students eligible to join Phi Theta Kappa do so. For its achievement, Epsilon Chapter members will receive complimentary gold stoles with the Phi Theta Kappa emblem to wear at Commencement.

Although Cottey College is now a four-year college, the institution still honors its membership in Phi Theta Kappa and Epsilon chapter’s heritage as the oldest operating chapter in the organization.

To become eligible to join Epsilon Chapter, Cottey students must take 15 credit hours the previous semester, have a 3.5 grade point average for that semester as well as have a 3.5 cumulative grade point average. Twenty-nine students met those requirements in fall 2018 and 26 of those have become members of Epsilon Chapter.

“As the PTK membership advisor, I take great pride in this!” said Robin Conner. “We are three students away from having a 100% acceptance rate for the spring 2019 semester. We are going to see how we can help these last three students accept their membership.”

Cottey’s Epsilon Chapter has been active longer than any chapter in nation. This provides a rich heritage of support for the society. At the society’s regional conference on March 9, advisors Dr. Mary Mba and Dr. Ganga Fernando were honored for their service. The Epsilon Chapter received the Distinguished Chapter Award. Students and advisors also received two awards for Distinguished Honors in Action and several other awards. One award was for a service project at the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri.

“This past year, our students and advisors worked hard on both our College and our Honors in Action Projects. We are proud and honored to have received the numerous awards at the Region 3 Conference,” said Dr. Mary Mba, Epsilon Chapter co-advisor.

Dr. Joann Bangs, Cottey College vice president of academic affairs, delivered the keynote address at the conference.