PTK FAQ:
What is PTK? PTK stands for Phi Theta Kappa. Phi Theta Kappa is an International Honors Society for students that have a 3.5 GPA or higher. Our organization has over 1,200 chapters around the world. Altogether, we try to provide an outlet for leadership development, fellowship among student members, community service, and continuing academic excellence. Is PTK a fraternity/sorority? Alth
ough the name of our organization is denoted by Greek letters, we are an Honor’s Society for students that have taken pursued their academic achievement. In addition, we are a Co-Educational Honors Society. How do I join PTK? You can join PTK by filling out an application for membership. Our applications are located in the Honors Center. There is also a membership fee of $85. While it may seem like this fee is high relative to other clubs, this is a one-time fee. In fact, paying the fees for other clubs over several semesters will be equal if not more than PTK’s one-time fee. If you cannot afford this fee due to a serious financial situation, you can ask about our Adopt-a-Scholar program. After you have met the requirements for joining PTK and completed the application, you will be invited to attend the PTK induction ceremony. Even if you are not a member you are always welcome to attend our meetings and events, however you will not have voting rights or access to members only resources such as PTK member scholarships and leadership conferences. What is the Adopt-a-Scholar Program? The Adopt-a-Scholar Program is a program set up to help students with serious financial need join PTK without having to pay for the membership fee. This program is aimed only for students with serious financial burdens. Students interested in the Adopt-a-Scholar Program need to write an essay that describes their financial situation. Any documents that prove their financial need would also be helpful in substantiating their financial need. All the membership fees that would have are needed to induct students that would qualify for the Adopt-a-Scholar Program would be provided by donations from on-campus faculty. You will also need to bring EOPS information. What (and when) is the Induction Ceremony? The induction ceremony is held once a semester to recognize all the new members of PTK. At the induction ceremony, there will be several speakers that will discuss various topics involving pursuing higher education. Family and friends are both invited and encouraged to attend this event. Students that are being inducted will be introduced and will be sworn in as PTK members. There will also be food provided before and after the event—free of charge. What is the difference between AGS and PTK? Both and AGS and PTK are excellent honor societies that provide services to the campus and the surrounding community. The key difference between the two organizations is in what they fall under on our campus and how they are regulated within their larger organizational structure, as well as differences in philosophy of volunteering. While AGS falls under a larger organization found within the state of California, PTK is an international organization that has chapters both in the United States and abroad. In addition, our PTK chapter, Alpha Omega Alpha, is an on-campus organization that is run through the Honors Center, which is under the Humanities Department. AGS is an ICC that is run through the Student Life Center, which is under the Student Services Department. Another key difference between the two organizations is that PTK does not require any volunteer hours for members. Nonetheless, we highly encourage all members to attend general meetings and participate in PTK events. In terms of events, PTK is more geared towards events that follow an annual theme regarding a pertinent topic that can be related to current events and several academic disciplines. As such, PTK makes an effort to deal with events that are more geared to raising money for certain causes and hosting panel discussions—all of which relate to that year’s event. Because PTK and AGS work together and supporting each others causes and events, we encourage students become active in both organizations. What does PTK do? PTK hosts/sponsors panel discussions, participates in community service events, and raises money for certain causes. Our purpose is to bring students together in order to achieve results that benefit members, the campus-at-large, the local community, and the rest of society through hosting events that promote important causes. When are PTK general meetings? PTK general meetings are held monthly every other Wednesdays, 5-6pm, at bldg. 26A, Room 1811. General membership meetings are approximately one hour long. What happens at PTK meetings? At PTK meetings, you will learn about all the upcoming events that our club is hosting. You will also learn about upcoming scholarship deadlines and events taking place on campus. There will also be social activities that will allow members to get to meet one another and contribute to planning future PTK events.
