The College Project: Becoming Your College’s Best Ally

The College Project is designed to help your chapter develop and/or strengthen a supportive working relationship with your college administration.

Administrative support is essential for all active Phi Theta Kappa chapters – funding their travel, granting access to campus resources, and celebrating in person the chapter’s inductions. Instead of asking for a handout, this is your opportunity to offer a hand with whatever the college needs to support its mission.

Your project can be anything that benefits the college and is approved by the college administration – preferably the campus president/CEO.

Path to Success:

• Know Before You Go. Research the college’s mission statement and their current strategic priorities before you meet with the administrator. Being informed will demonstrate how seriously you’re taking this chance to partner with your college.


• The Ball Is in THEIR Court. Being prepared doesn’t mean you choose the project. Let the administrator share their thoughts and wishes before coming to an agreement on the best project to pursue.


• Collaborate and Listen. The first meeting is only the beginning. Keep the administration apprised of your progress, and go back to the table to discuss any obstacles. It’s the college’s decision if plans need to change.


• Rewards and Awards. A job well done will surely impress your administration sealing your chapter’s reputation as a star ally. And there are other rewards for completing a stellar project. The College Project is part of the Five Star Chapter Plan, and your chapter could win an award on the regional and even international level of Phi Theta Kappa. Be sure to enter your College Project into the Hallmark Awards competition.

Check Out These Award-Winning College Projects:

• The Iota Zeta Chapter at Northeast Mississippi Community College stepped up their collaborations college-wide to allow every chapter member to make an impact:
  • Tiger Tips with PTK – created instructional videos to help incoming students
  • Mentored special needs students
  • Restocked the campus food pantry
  • Donated $10,000 to college’s Tutoring Center


• At their college president’s request, Alpha Sigma Zeta Chapter at Onondaga Community College in New York turned their College Project into a “Major” event, helping students connect academic majors to career possibilities. The two-tiered project featured a faculty-led speaker series and an educational expo with 29 companies.


• Omicron Beta’s College Project, “Caring Connections: Retention Resources,” at Mesa Community College in Arizona, tackled the obstacles students must overcome to stay in school including lack of healthcare coverage and inadequate transportation. Their capstone event featured a college resources workshop, a video showing students helping each other locate resources, a guest speaker from the Student Success Department, informational tables from eight departments, and an interactive scavenger hunt.


• The Alpha Omicron Chapter at Tyler Junior College in Texas united with the administration to introduce an important component to the college’s revised mission statement – a “caring” core value. “TJC Cares! Physical, Emotional and Academic Wellness Expo” connected 600 students with college and community resources to take care of their academic, physical and emotional needs.


• Challenged by their college president to increase solidarity among the student clubs on campus, Alpha Lambda Phi at Joliet Junior College in Illinois got to work. Their discussions with other groups led to an Inclusion Forum where student reps from all organizations learned methods to broaden their social circles and combat stereotyping. Faculty even released students from classes to attend the forum.


• Advocacy of green space led the Alpha Omicron Alpha Chapter at Lehigh Carbon Community College to work with the administration to catalogue their campus' trees and plants. Identification of more than 100 types of trees and plants allows better care to ensure their Pennsylvania campus landscape remains sustainable for years to come.


• The Northeast State Community College president, Dr. Bethany Flora, knew the need was great for a Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) for students struggling or recovering from substance use disorder. So she turned to the PTK chapter to help establish the first program of its kind at a Tennessee community college. The Alpha Iota Chi Chapter researched and collaborated with college personnel and outside experts to meet the requirements to become a registered CRP through the Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE) and a fully sanctioned student organization. The new student group is appropriately named Students H.O.P.E. (Hold. On. Pain. Ends.)