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Chapter 062:
Actions Taken to Revitalize Our Chapter (1994-1999)
The following list are activities that we pursued in the effort to
revitalize and keep our chapter active both locally and nationally.
Organizing and Centralizing Chapter
Office
- Organized Files
- Created professional, printed letterhead, envelop and return envelope
- Created Secretary/Treasurer position as a paid position
- Required Secretary/Treasurer to provide central file space and storage space
- Put Secretary/Treasurer office phone number in campus directory as office number for
Chapter 062
- Re-wrote and updated chapter by-laws
- Created campus directory of PKP members currently employed or serving on campus (Did not
include all student PKP members)
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Establishing
History and
Perpetuating Chapter Activities
- Searched files and organized historical documents and information
- Created Chapter 062 history
- Requested University Public Information Office to photographically document events
- Had a PKP member also take additional candid pictures at events and of chapter displays
- Created Chapter 062 scrapbooks covering PKP members, activities, etc.
- Created perpetual plaques for chapter awards
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Improving Member Recognition and
Benefits
- Established chapter internet web site
- Established perpetual scholarship trust to provide student scholarship funding
- Established University Scholar and Artist Awards
- Awarded Distinguished Member Awards as possible
- Created personal award plaques and perpetual award plaques for each chapter award
- Flagged student members in the university’s data base and used this as a means for
having all graduating members recognized in the university’s commencement program
- Established yearly library displays to recognize chapter authors, members, qualified
students for induction, 4.0 students, the chapter and honor societies on campus
- Inducted at least 4 faculty, 2 administrators, 1-2 alumni and 1 staff member as honor
initiates at each initiation
- Created a campus directory of PKP members working or serving on campus both
alphabetically and by area of work
- Strove to have more chapter members attend national activities
- Nominate campus members for National Scholar and Artist Awards
- Created a computer program to identify greater numbers of students qualified for
submitting fellowship applications
- Solicited student members, identified by computer program, to apply for the fellowship;
Students were sent a cover letter and a fellowship brochure
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Improving Phi Kappa Phi Name Recognition, Chapter
Support, and Creating Chapter Prominence
- Color coordinated all printed materials, including letter head, envelop, invitation,
programs, etc.
- Established annual library displays
- Distributed event advertisement fliers
- Established a web site for active honor societies on campus
- The site is listed on the university's home page and linked directly to it.
- All honor societies must be linked to this site
- Prepared a basic site page for each society
- Offered to help each society to establish their own web site
- Established internet presence with a chapter web site
- Used campus publications and electronic news to announce events or recognize individuals
- Played PKP music (now the Centennial March) on the university’s carillon bells
during the week of the chapter initiation event and randomly throughout the year
- Involved university president, provost, dean of student, and all academic deans in the
initiation event
- Informed and involved all academic deans in the student invitation for membership and in
the call for fellowship applications
- Had campus musicians provide music during the buffet reception at the initiation event
- Created a promotional video presentation to be used during the honors reception
for the chapter initiation and at other chapter events or programs and at regional and
national conferences
- Created a chapter brochure and bookmark
- Created service brochures featuring campus honor societies and achieving academic
excellence
- Placed a descriptive paragraph on Phi Kappa Phi Scholars in the university’s
commencement program
- Increased member activity and participation in campus academic committees, task forces,
honor’s program and new student programs
- Increased chapter and member involvement in national activities and award programs
- Prepared plans to establish a chapter newsletter
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Improving
Finances
- Established initiation event co-sponsorships requesting financial support or service
support
- Established a perpetual student scholarship trust
- Established relationship with the campus food services director to obtain more favorable
catering rates and special service
- Charged attendees to the initiation event a small fee to help cover the initiation event
buffet
- Prepared plans for scholarship fundraising concerts and mixed venue programs
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Improving
Membership Numbers and
Participation
- Recognized more individuals publicly
- Established PKP as the University’s Honor Society and set precedence for chapter to
become a campus leader in academic honor programs
- Involved all attending members in the initiation event
- Chapter members became more visible on campus through participation in campus academic
activities, such as University One, a course for all entering students, campus committees,
taskforces, etc.
- Increased chapter participation in national activities
- More effectively advertised chapter events and activities
- Began to establish more meaningful membership benefits
- Prepared plans to establish a chapter newsletter
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Establishing
Initiation Event as
Premiere University Academic Event
- Initiation
- Created new computer programming to retrieve pertinent data from the university’s
database and to improve identification of eligible students
- As a function of chapter usage
- As an assistance to the academic deans
- Created an improved invitation packet which included: chapter invitation letter, formal
invitation card, dean’s letter encouraging invited students to join, chapter
brochure, national brochure, transaction card and return envelop
- Created and printed professional looking invitation card
- Followed invitation RSVP with an acknowledgment letter, which included a pledge ribbon
to be worn until initiation and on academic gown at commencement
- Streamlined registration process
- Created a packet to be given each student at registration that
contained all initiation materials, except the medallion
- Established help table to answer questions and solve registration
problems
- Created professional graphic materials to introduce PKP and the chapter to the attending
audience including histories, symbolism, chapter banners, etc.
- Incorporated existing university banners recognizing each school in the initiation
decorations
- Incorporated our chapter pledge as part of the initiation ceremony
- Incorporated the personalized placement of the society medallion on each inductee as
part of the ceremony
- Included live music presentations during the reception performed by campus individuals
or groups
- Began having all campus chapter members attending participate in the event by either
having an assigned duty or by having them welcome the new inductees into the chapter
- Initiated the wearing of academic regalia and a formal processional to increase feeling
of academic pageantry
- Streamlined student contact during initiation, while still maintaining a personal feel,
by implementing a card system which to be read by readers, instead of having each dean
read the names of their students
- Deans now only shake hands and give a short general comment about
their students or school
- Created script detailing all facets of the event and gave a copy to all presenters in
the stage party
- Changed event format
- Held only once each year in the Spring instead of being held once
each semester
- Held in a large auditorium with a stage instead of a typical
banquet room
- Eliminated sit-down banquet dinner format which included a speaker
and established a light buffet dinner and reception
- Arranged seating in an auditorium format facing the stage and
eliminated table seating
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- Awards: Part 1
- Recognize chapter scholarship winner
- Recognize University Scholar and Artist awardees
- Recognize Distinguished Member awardees
- Recognize National Fellowship nominee/winner
- Recognize National Scholar and Artist nominees/winners
- Recognize other chapter awardees
- Awards: Part 2
- Created a new event, University Honors and Awards, to recognize all chapter awardees,
along with general university scholarship recognition, which included a light dinner
buffet and reception format with theater style seating
- Recognized all awardees in Part 1, above
- Recognized all 4.00 students from each class
- Recognized all entering students from local high schools who had
received the highest GPA offered by their school
- Found cost of holding two separate events, without increased funding, proved
economically prohibitive and event was not continued; awards were then limited to chapter
awards and combined with the initiation
- Initiation Week activities: Part A
- Established free lecture presentations
- Established free music performances
- Had PKP music (Centennial March) played on the university carillon bells throughout the
entire week
- Pre-initiation event activities: Part B
- Established an informational reception to answer questions from students invited to
join.
- Cookies and Punch format
- Invitation included in initiation invitation letter
- Held during the invitation RSVP period
- Reception was later canceled due to poor response rate and turnout
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