Editor’s note: This post was written and submitted by Oklahoma alumna Liz Tabak.
Congratulations, you’ve had a dynamic PTK Awareness Week and have exceeded your REACH Rewards goals! So, how do you encourage your new recruits to become active and involved members?
A great deal of your success in making sure those new members become involved will rest with the health of your chapter. Make time for regular chapter checkups like these:
- Has your chapter used the Five Star Chapter Plan to develop your schedule and goals?
- Does everyone — officer team and members alike — know their role and how your team intends to reach those goals?
- Are your officers and advisors invested and engaged in their roles?
- Does your officer team communicate well with one another and stay connected within the chapter?
- Do you have active alumni members who can offer insight into how Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) has helped them after their community college experience?
If your chapter is running smoothly, you will have more energy to focus on those new members. Where do you go next? Here are some tips to inspire your new crew to get and stay involved:
- Connect with them at induction. Induction is the perfect time to show new members what your chapter has to offer. Have officers and current members attend to welcome these new members to the PTK family, and make sure they mingle with the crowd after the ceremony. Show a home video about what current members have gained from membership or create a video slideshow featuring pictures of your chapter’s “Greatest Hits” — community service activities, your regional convention and PTK Catalyst, candid shots of your chapter at meetings, and even graduates decked out in their regalia.
- Know your members. PTK boasts an amazingly rich and diverse membership, and each chapter has its own mix, all with their own strengths and challenges. Knowing a little about your members will help you connect and draw them into the chapter, as well as identify the best times for events and meetings. You may have seen the #PTKfamily hashtag? That family begins at the chapter level.
- Offer scholarship support. Many students accept membership to gain access to PTK scholarships. Not only can your chapter offer opportunities to add substance to scholarship entries, but you can also provide practical support like hosting workshops on completing applications. Some chapters reserve a computer lab on campus and offer real-time support for those completing PTK’s common application.
- Give members something worth their time. Scholarships and cool graduation regalia are not the only things PTK offers. College students have a lot on their plates, so give them a good reason to invest their time in your chapter. Offer workshops on developing resumes and soft skills or tackle the Five Star Competitive Edge challenge as a chapter. Offer a mentorship program or partner with campus resources and other organizations to connect members with some of the unique things your college has to offer.
- Use social media to stay connected. Work with your college and your advisor to create a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat to show your members what activities you’re doing and draw them in. Celebrate awards, scholarships, graduation, and other successes on social media so family and friends can also see the value of membership.
With these tips and your new members, you’re ready for success!
Liz Tabak is past president of Rose State College’s Alpha Eta Alpha chapter and currently serves as Vice President of the Oklahoma/Arkansas Region Alumni Association. She is a humanities/English major and 2018 Ronald E. McNair Scholar at the University of Central Oklahoma. Liz is excited to be in college with her two children, Christian and Kat, and her proudest Phi Theta Kappa moment was serving on the same officer team as her son.
