Phi Theta Kappa at Jackson College

Phi Theta Kappa is an international honorary society for students of two-year colleges.  The society is comprised of more than 1400 chapters internationally.  Each chapter is given its own Greek name to distinguish itself from the other chapters.  Jackson College’s chapter name is Alpha Rho Lambda. Phi Theta Kappa is centered around four hallmarks: Scholarship, Leadership, Fellowship and Service.

Members of Phi Theta Kappa are able to apply for scholarships, utilize exclusive benefits, and have lifetime membership.  Phi Theta Kappa does not require its members to be involved with their chapter.  This means that each member can choose to be involved as they wish. We have members who simply accept their membership and apply for scholarships, as well as members who are chapter officers and go on to become regional officers.

For more information, contact .

Accept Your Invitation

All-Michigan Academic TeamHow to Join Phi Theta Kappa

Letters of invitation to join our chapter are e-mailed to your JC student email address. You can only join if you’ve received a letter. If you have not received an invitation but meet the criteria, please contact Nicole Cossum-Ready

Criteria for Joining

Each candidate for membership must have completed 12 credit hours at Jackson College and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.  To graduate with an honors seal on your diploma and walk with regalia, members must be in good standing (3.25 or higher GPA).

Accept Your Membership Online

Within your emailed invitation, you received a pass-code.  Go to the Phi Theta Kappa website, click on the gold box on the left side of the screen labeled “Join Now,” and complete your application online.  Your one-time payment of $95 will also be made online.  This is a lifetime membership fee.  If you are joining PTK Honors @ Jackson College, please do not complete your membership acceptance online.  Instead, accept your membership through Nicole Cossum-Ready.

Officer Information & Forms

For additional information on becoming an officer or being active with the chapter, please contact Nicole Cossum-Ready.

The scholarships listed below are available for Phi Theta Kappa members.  Please check with your intended transfer college or university if you don’t see a listing.

Each transfer college or university sets its own policies and deadlines regarding Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships and Academic Merit Awards.  Your responsibility is finding out when applications are due and making sure that you have all documents in place before the deadline. You are responsible for notifying your transfer school that you are a Phi Theta Kappa member and want to apply and be considered for Phi Theta Kappa and other merit-based Scholarships.

PTK Scholarships

Phi Theta Kappa’s application process allows members to apply for multiple scholarship opportunities with just one common application. Submitting a common application will provide students access to as much as $18,500 worth of scholarship money from the following scholarships. Research these scholarships and the application submission deadlines on the PTK website.

  • Hites Transfer Scholarships
  • Guistwhite Scholarship
  • All USA Community College Academic Team
  • Coca Cola Community College Academic Team
  • Coca Cola New Century Scholar
  • Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship (highly competitive $40,000 a year)

Awards for Chapter Members

  • 2019 All-Michigan Academic Team : Laurence Setiawan
  • 2019 All-Michigan Academic Team: Askhahiran Devananda
  • 2019 Michigan Region Continued Excellence Advisor – Martha Petry
  • 2019 PTK Distinguished Chapter Alumni Officer– Nicole Cossum-Ready
  • 2019 Michigan Most Distinguished Member:  Ramsey Fakhouri, CEP (PEI) Student and 2019 Graduate, granted full-ride to UM
  • 2019 Jackson College PTK Leadership Award: Nicole Cossum-Ready
  • 2019 Jackson College PTK Leadership Award: Madison Record and Morgann Betterly
  • 2019 Jackson College PTK Service Award: Alicia Mosby
  • 2019 Jackson College Outstanding Student and JC Foundation Wickwire Scholarship Winner: Haley Rose, PTK Chapter President
  • 2018 All-Michigan Academic Team : Brianna Boley
  • 2018 All-Michigan Academic Team : Haoyang Li
  • 2018 Michigan Region Continued Excellence Advisor – Martha Petry
  • 2018 Michigan Region Distinguished Chapter Officer – Nicole Cossum-Ready
  • 2018 Jackson College PTK Leadership Award: Nicole Cossum-Ready
  • 2018 Jackson College PTK Leadership Award: Barbara Barber
  • 2018 Jackson College PTK Leadership Award: Paula Mikulen
  • 2017 All-Michigan Academic Team : Grace Biddinger
  • 2017 All-Michigan Academic Team : Loren Hall
  • 2017 Jackson College PTK Leadership Award: Olivia Gilbert
  • 2017 Jackson College PTK Leadership Award: Nicole Cossum-Ready
  • 2016 Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Finalist : Nicole Cossum-Ready
  • 2016 All-Michigan Academic Team : Todd Roberts
  • 2016 All-Michigan Academic Team : Nicole Cossum-Ready
  • 2015-2016 Michigan Regional President : Shane Stevens
  • 2015 All-Michigan Academic Team : Shane Stevens
  • 2013 All-Michigan Academic Team: Steven Wood, Carrie Timmerman
  • 2012 All-Michigan Academic Team: Christina Peltier
  • 2011 All-Michigan Academic Team: Candice Graham, Robert Lombrano
  • 2010 All-Michigan Academic Team: Mara Wierzbicki
  • 2009 All-Michigan Academic Team : Daniel Hovater, Kim Stairs
  • 2008 Outstanding Phi Theta Kappa Officers: Monica Rasmussen, Michael Caligiuri
  • 2008 Coca-Cola Scholar: Amanda Thiel
  • 2008 All-Michigan Academic Team : Michael Caligiuri, John Parker, Patricia Hartmann
  • 2007 New Century Scholar for Michigan: P. Kelley Emerson
  • 2007 All-Michigan Academic Team : P. Kelley Emerson, Emily Wunsch
  • 2007 All-USA Academic Team  – 1st Team: P. Kelley Emerson

2019 Phi Theta Kappa International Awards

  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 3rd Most Distinguished Chapter Finalist (3rd out of 2340 entries received)
  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 5-Star Chapter
  • Top 100/Top 40 Chapters
  • Distinguished Honors in Action Project Award
  • Distinguished Honors in Action Theme Award–3rd place
  • One of top 16 Honors in Action Projects, published in Civic Scholar
  • Distinguished College Project Award
  • Named Distinguished Chapter Officer Team
  • Named REACH Chapter, 21% of eligible students accept PTK Membership

2019 Phi Theta Kappa Michigan Region Awards

  • Michigan Region’s Most Distinguished Chapter
  • Michigan Honors in Action, 1st Place Winner
  • Michigan College Project, 1st Place Winner
  • Michigan Region Distinguished Chapter Team Award

2018 Phi Theta Kappa Awards

  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 5-Star Chapter
  • Top 100 Chapters
  • Distinguished Honors in Action Project Award
  • Top 15 Honors in Action Projects, published in Civic Scholar
  • Michigan Most Distinguished Chapter Winner
  • Michigan Honors in Action Winner
  • Michigan College Project—Third Runner Up
  • Michigan Region Distinguished Chapter Team Award

2017 Phi Theta Kappa Awards

  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 5-Star Chapter
  • Top 100 Chapters
  • Distinguished College Project Award
  • Alumni Award of Appreciation – Karen Marler
  • Michigan Region Continued Excellence Advisor – Martha Petry
  • Michigan Region Distinguished Chapter Officer – Nicole Cossum-Ready
  • Michigan Region First Runner Up Distinguished Chapter

2016 Phi Theta Kappa Awards

  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 5-Star Chapter
  • Top 100 Chapters
  • The Distinguished College Project Award — The Institutional Launch of CollegeFish
  • Distinguished Region Award
  • Distinguished College Administrator Award — Charlotte Finnegan
  • Alumni Award of Appreciation — Robert Lombrana

2015 Phi Theta Kappa Awards

  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 5-Star Chapter
  • Top 100 Chapters
  • Distinguished Honors in Action Theme and Project Award
  • Distinguished College Project Award
  • Distinguished Advisor Award—Martha Petry
  • Distinguished Chapter Officer Team
  • Distinguished Region Award

2014 Phi Theta Kappa Awards

  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 5-Star Chapter
  • Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction presented to Jackson College President Dr. Daniel J. Phelan
  • Distinguished Region Award

2013 Phi Theta Kappa Awards

  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 5-Star Chapter
  • The Distinguished College Project Award — Culture of Competition, Lessening the Fear: Helping Students Register Online and Acclimate to our Community College Culture
  • 2013 Paragon Award for Distinguished New Advisor: Martha Petry
  • Distinguished Region Award

2012 Phi Theta Kappa Awards

  • Alpha Rho Lambda named 4-Star Chapter
  • Top 100 Chapters
  • The Distinguished Honors in Action Theme Award – Theme 3: #1 in The Individual & the Community;
  • The Democratization of Information: Power, Peril, and Promise.
  • Distinguished Honors in Action Project Award
  • Distinguished Region Award

Award Descriptions

Distinguished Honors in Action Theme Award
Honors in Action recognizes chapters whose Honors in Action project award entries scored highest in each of the themes related to the Honors Study Topic.

Distinguished Honors in Action Project Award
The Honors in Action Project Award recognizes the top chapters whose Honors in Action Project entries demonstrated excellence in academic research into the Honors Study Topic, leadership roles and leadership development activities, service learning and collaboration.

Distinguished College Project Award
The purpose of the College Project is to establish a supportive relationship between the chapter and the college administration. College Projects are agreed upon by the chapter officer team and a college administrator.

Distinguished Region Award
The Distinguished Region Awards recognize achievements of regions in areas of programming and organizational structure. Criteria include quality of regional programming, especially demonstrated leadership and/or Honors in Action programming at regional meetings; overall strength of chapters in the region,; membership growth; and the quantity and quality of chapter participation in such programming as the Five Star Chapter Development Plan and Hallmark Awards.

Paragon Award for New Advisors
New advisors are recognized for significant contributions to the growth of individual members, service as the chapter’s advocate on campus and encouraging the chapter to be involved on the local, regional and/or international levels of PhiTheta Kappa. Advisors are nominated by chapter members.

Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction
College presidents are selected for this award on the basis of outstanding efforts given toward promoting the goals of Phi Theta Kappa.