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RAYMOND – All six chapters of Phi Theta Kappa honor society at ��«Ӱҵ exceeded the international organization’s benchmark acceptance rate for 2020, with the Rankin chapter placing in the top 15 nationally.

PTK International established the REACH Rewards (Recognizing Excellence in Acceptance and Completion with Honors) to encourage broader membership acceptance by rewarding chapters that achieve or exceed a 15 percent acceptance rate in a calendar year. The calculation is based on the numbers of eligible students, those who accept membership and total college enrollment.

��«Ӱҵ’ six PTK chapters include Gamma Lambda, based at the Raymond Campus; Alpha Omicron Omega, based at the Rankin Campus; Alpha Iota Kappa, based at the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center; Alpha Beta Xi, based at the Utica Campus; Alpha Zeta Omega, based at the Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center; and Alpha Omega Chi, based at the Vicksburg-Warren Campus.

A 63.2 percent rate achieved at the Rankin chapter was a successful end to a challenging year, said Joy Rhoads, director of the Rankin Honors Program and Social Sciences Division Chair at the campus.

“The work our chapter does in leadership development and community service is enhanced by greater membership acceptance,” Rhoads said. “The hallmarks of PTK – leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and service – are the experience we provide for our chapter members. The REACH Reward is for 2020, which makes it even more of an achievement since we were certainly hampered by COVID-19 during the spring semester.”

PTK members will receive free graduation stoles and hearty congratulations as a reward, Rhoads said, in addition to the automatic scholarships to a four-year university members enjoy when they transfer after ��«Ӱҵ. “The value of these scholarships goes well beyond dollars – for many, it is the ticket to a bachelor’s degree with little or no debt,” Rhoads said.

Phi Theta Kappa membership is extended to students with a 3.5 cumulative GPA on at least 12 hours of college-transfer credit coursework earned at ��«Ӱҵ. Students who reach this benchmark by the end of this semester may still join PTK. For more information on how to join chapters at ��«Ӱҵ, contact the Honors Institute at 601.857.3531 or 601.857.3837.

New members moving directly into the workforce will find that PTK honor society membership an excellent addition to their resume. For new members moving on in higher education, Mississippi’s public and private colleges and universities award generous, non-competitive scholarships to members. Most require students to complete 48 hours at the community college level before the scholarship is awarded, while some require graduation from the community college. For complete details on how these PTK scholarships are awarded, new members are encouraged to contact the scholarships office at their transfer college or university.

“The acceptance rates we see signify very hard work on the part of our PTK advisors leading their PTK officers in comprehensive membership campaigns,” said Debbie McCollum, Honors Institute Dean. “We hope our new members will take advantage of leadership, scholarship, service and fellowship opportunities within their chapters.”

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations. Learn more at .