Riverland Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa Chapter, Zeta Eta, was recently recognized as a Distinguished Chapter at the Phi Theta Kappa International Convention in San Jose, California April 6. This award was given to the top 32 chapters out of 1,300 in the organization. In addition, the chapter received a Distinguished Chapter Officer Team Award.

To be considered for a Distinguished Chapter Award, a chapter must submit entries for both the Honors in Action Project and College Project Awards. Selection of the Distinguished Chapters is based solely on the written entries for these Hallmark Awards. The scores in each of the two Hallmark categories are averaged to determine a chapter’s overall ranking. Awards are presented to the top 10 percent of chapters entering the Honors in Action and College Project categories.

Chapter President, Heather Fast, accepted the awards on behalf of Zeta Eta.

Sue Grove and Melissa Siebke, chapter advisors, credit the recognition to chapter members for their hard work, creativity and team work.

This year’s Honors in Action Project, based on the topic, The Culture of Competition, involved research into the topic of how socioeconomic background impacts learning. After researching the topic, chapter members collaborated with Sumner Elementary School to provide after school mentoring during fall semester.

The College Project involves collaboration with the college president and vice president to accomplish a goal for the college. This year, the chapter’s initiatives focused on college completion. After a series of Commit to Complete signing events, the students organized a rally entitled DreamZ R RealitZ, which was held on 12/12/12. The event featured live music, motivational speakers, resource providers from campus, and professional graffiti art as a background. Students were asked to sign a banner proving their intent to complete their two year degree.

Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, symbolizes excellence in higher education and a commitment to students. Phi Theta Kappa’s mission is twofold: (1) recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and (2) provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service and fellowship programming.

Phi Theta Kappa has recognized and encouraged two-year college students for 80 years, providing stimulation and enrichment while promoting the academic integrity of the associate degree program. For these reasons, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has designated Phi Theta Kappa as the official honor society for two-year colleges.