Don't Miss Your Chance! Apply for a Graduate Research Grant

Phi Kappa Phi is assessing the need to provide funding to members for graduate research travel. As part of this assessment, the Society is offering graduate research grants of up to $1,500 to eligible members who are enrolled in a graduate program. These grants provide funding for travel in support of career development opportunities, such as conducting or presenting research.

“In the spirit of innovation, Phi Kappa Phi is pleased to announce the pilot of a new award, the Graduate Research Grant,” said Dr. Mary Todd, Society executive director. “Because graduate research often involves travel, whether for gathering or presenting research, we hope a limited pilot offering will identify member interest in a travel grant program.”

To be eligible to apply, applicants must be an active member of Phi Kappa Phi or have accepted membership by November 30, 2018, and currently be enrolled in a graduate program. In addition, the travel to conduct or present research must take place between January 1, 2019, and August 31, 2019. Current Phi Kappa Phi Fellows or previous Dissertation Fellows are not eligible to apply.

To apply for a graduate research grant, please complete the request form by Friday, November 30. The number of grants to be awarded is contingent upon the availability of funds and the number of applications received.

To learn more about the Graduate Research Grant, click here.

Questions? Contact Kelli Partin, awards manager, at kpartin@phikappaphi.org.

AmazonSmile is Increasing Their Donation Rate 10x From Oct 29 - Nov 2

Calling all Amazon shoppers! AmazonSmile has donated over $100 million to charities around the world and to celebrate, they're launching their biggest bonus donation to date — 5% for 5 days.

From October 29 to November 2, AmazonSmile will donate 5% (ten times the usual amount) on all eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Society when you shop our AmazonSmile website at http://smile.amazon.com/ch/95-1856406.

You’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com. It’s the same Amazon you know and love, and you can even use your existing Amazon account to shop.

Don’t forget, AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to Phi Kappa Phi year round, which helps support Society award programs. We encourage you to bookmark the AmazonSmile link to make it even easier to support Phi Kappa Phi every time you shop on Amazon.

Click here to shop AmazonSmile today!

Chapter Update – October 2018

By Kay White

Chapter Development Director

Senior Chapter Development Officer Traci Payne and I, along with my fellow director Jami Prince, held a Growing Your Chapter event Oct. 20 in Chicago. This one-day intensive workshop had 16 chapter officers in attendance from chapters all over the United States. Previous workshops of a similar sort have been held over the last few years, but a move to a more condensed workshop on the weekend seems to have helped attendance and ease of travel for faculty and staff with busy schedules. The officers that attended were also a great mix of fairly new and more experienced officers, leading to fruitful conversations and brainstorming that may bring about some exciting developments on their campuses this year and beyond.

After the travel day, activities began with an emphasis on the basics of Phi Kappa Phi history and chapter management for those new to the organization. After lunch at the hotel and a break, presentations on Growing Your Chapter, focusing on chapter visibility and student acceptance, and Leading Your Chapter, focusing on chapter management and leadership growth, were given. A walk-through of the website and online resources was also given, with an emphasis on any new additions to make chapter management a bit easier.

One aspect that chapter officer attendees often find very useful is the small and large group discussions that are encouraged throughout the day. Also new to this workshop was the grouping of chapter officers into their divisions leading to more shareable ideas because of comparable institutional size. This seemed to bring both problems and solutions regarding Phi Kappa Phi on various sized campuses to the forefront, again making the small group conversations more engaging and rewarding.

Lola Norris, chapter president of Texas A&M International University, said, “I liked the walk-through of the website and the sharing by participants. The presenters were also great. This was all in all a very successful event.” California State University, San Bernadino chapter president Dorothy Chen-Maynard enjoyed networking with other officers, as well as hearing ideas for management of the chapter. Diana Elrod, chapter president-elect at Texas Woman’s University, commented on the excellence of the topics presented as well as the presentations.

Our hope is that we can continue to serve chapter officers with the most engaging and easy-to-attend trainings that we can offer. Please follow the lead of these officers and plan to attend our next training event in Baton Rouge, the home of our Society national office, on January 12. After the initial chapter fee of $150, travel and lodging are reimbursed, and meals are provided by the Society on the day of training. Click here for more details and to register.

To share your chapter’s events with the national office, email me at kwhite@phikappaphi.org.

Photo provided by Kay White – Phi Kappa Phi chapter officers gather during a Growing Your Chapter workshop held Oct. 20 in Chicago. Attending the event are, front row from left, Jean Cook, Elaina Koltz, Miranda Terry, Dorothy Chen-Maynard, and Teri Ternes; and back row, Minh Nguyen, Craig Bowe, Keyur Savla, Catie McCorry-Andalis, Romulus Godang, Ann Eisenberg, Brian Powell, Tabata Rodriguez, Diana Elrod, Lola Norris, and Monica Arroyo.

You Earned It … Now Frame It! ®

You worked hard and your membership in the Society is a true accomplishment representing time, energy, sacrifice, money, and dedication. Showcase, preserve and safeguard your initiation certificate in a handcrafted Phi Kappa Phi frame from Church Hill Classics.

Customize your frame with cutting-edge designs, mouldings, and matting styles to complement your home or office decor. In addition, you can find a frame to showcase your medallion, stole, or Phi Kappa Phi photos.

Enjoy free domestic ground shipping on all orders placed October 25-31. Apply promo code GHOST18 to your order to access the savings.

Click here to browse and start designing your custom frame today!

Questions? Contact info@diplomaframe.com or call 1.800.477.9005 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. E.T.

Save the Date for Giving Tuesday

On November 27, 2018, Phi Kappa Phi will join thousands of organizations around the globe to celebrate Giving Tuesday. Now in its seventh year, Giving Tuesday is a day of philanthropy dedicated to giving back through the support of nonprofit organizations.

This year after all of your holiday gifts have been purchased on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we ask that you consider making a gift to the Phi Kappa Phi Foundation. All gifts, no matter the size, will open doors of opportunity to members both near and far. Your gifts can help deserving students and members realize their educational and career goals, from study abroad to graduate school to lifelong learning.

Want to see exactly how your contributions can make an impact? Check out these testimonials from Phi Kappa Phi members across the country.

Ready to join the Giving Tuesday movement? Make sure you save the date on your calendar (Outlook, iCal, Google Calendar) and follow us on social media for updates leading up to the big day.

GRE Strategy Webinar October 17

The Weber State University Phi Kappa Phi Chapter will host a free GRE Strategy Webinar presented by The Princeton Review on Wednesday, October 17, at 6 p.m. M.T. A Princeton Review instructor will teach attendees how to maximize their score, and topics will include:

• GRE misconceptions and truths
• Exclusive Princeton Review test-taking strategies to achieve a higher score
• Question types, scoring and structure
• Ways to dodge "traps"

There will be a question and answer session available to all attendees at the end of the webinar and attendees will have access to a special offer from The Princeton Review.

The webinar is available for anyone to attend online. Students on the Weber State campus can attend in person in the Honors Classroom, Stewart Library #325. Refreshments (pizza) will be provided, and attendees are asked to arrive 15 minutes early.

Can't attend the webinar live? Click here to sign up to receive a free recording!

Questions? Contact Jamie Chapman at jchapman@phikappaphi.org or 1.800.804.9880, ext. 217.

Executive Director's Blog - What Is Phi Kappa Phi to You?

From the Executive Director
Forum, Fall 2018

Identity is one of those terms often taken for granted. Some say, “I know who I am, so I don’t have to dwell on it.” But let’s do dwell on for a bit. Identity is something we each have individually, but it’s also something organizations have. Identities change; history makes that clear.

It’s not always an easy task to define one’s identity. Much easier is defining who we are not. I often used a simple exercise in my college classrooms to introduce the topic of identity. I handed out a Mr. Coffee filter and gave a simple prompt: divide the circle like a pie and write down the various aspects of yourself that help define who you are. The obvious demographics came first: age, gender, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, field of study, line of work. Then I asked students to think about how each of those elements becomes a filter through which one views events and developments. Together they contribute to the unique YOU. Those individual identities matter.

How would you describe Phi Kappa Phi’s identity? Our mission helps do that, as do our legal documents such as bylaws. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to recognizing and promoting excellence in higher education. We’ve done that very pointedly in the past four years with the creation of the Phi Kappa Phi Excellence in Innovation Award. We decided for the first time to recognize excellence in institutions of higher learning, not only in individuals.

We think the innovation award is an innovation in itself. In fact, the Society was recently awarded a Silver Power of A Award by ASAE, the association of nonprofit executives, through its program to showcase the ways in which nonprofit associations leverage their resources to kickstart innovation.

The innovation award is but one in the suite of awards Phi Kappa Phi bestows each biennium. Our signature Fellowships for graduate study were first awarded eighty-five years ago, in 1933. Since that time nearly 2,400 members have been named Phi Kappa Phi Fellows. A dissertation fellowship was created in 2014 and now supports ten doctoral candidates toward completion of their degrees. In addition, we annually provide literacy grants, study abroad grants, and the ever-popular Love of Learning award.

Significant increases to the awards program were announced at the recent convention. Phi Kappa Phi awards now total nearly $1 million annually.

Central to the management of awards are the selection committees made up of Phi Kappa Phi member volunteers who read and score applications. Each biennium, nearly 100 individuals serve on selection committees, screening committees, and the innovation jury.

When I speak to new initiates, I encourage them to say they are Phi Kappa Phi graduates of their college or university. When I’m asked about Phi Kappa Phi, I like to say we’re the prestigious collegiate honor society for all disciplines, and awards are what we do. What’s your elevator speech when someone asks you about Phi Kappa Phi?

-Mary Todd, Executive Director