Dr. Michael Chipps, President Emeritus of Northeast Community College in Nebraska, has been named to the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Foundation Board of Trustees.
Chipps has held various leadership positions at Nebraska colleges during his nearly 40-year career in higher education. He was President Emeritus of Mid-Plains Community College from 2003-2012 and prior to that was vice president and chief executive officer of North Platte Community College. He also held numerous instructional, student affairs, and administrative positions at Central Community College.
“We are proud to welcome Dr. Chipps to the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Monica Marlowe, Executive Director of the Foundation. “He has devoted his career to recognizing student achievement and has been a passionate advocate for community colleges — particularly career-technical education. He will be a true asset and partner to the mission of the PTK Foundation.”
Chipps holds a doctoral degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in Educational Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction with a Specialization in Management of Colleges and Universities. He completed a counseling internship at the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and holds both master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He also served 21 years in the United States Army Reserve and retired as a Major in 1995.
Since 1994, Chipps has served as a consultant to more than 60 colleges and universities and as team chair for numerous accreditation visits. He was on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission for Academic, Student, and Community Development Council in Washington, D.C., and the Institutional Actions Council for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in Chicago, Illinois. He also served as co-chair of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission’s Education Council and on the Joint Commission on Federal Relations of the AACC and Association of Community College Trustees.
“For 40 years, I have had the privilege and honor of creating environments that incubate the ‘miracle of student transformation,’ ” he said. “There is just nothing like America’s community colleges. We take people at all ability levels and foster excellence even beyond the student’s imagination.
“Phi Theta Kappa is the organization that recognizes, cherishes, and honors that student transformation. So, it is an honor to serve Phi Theta Kappa, whose values and goals I share.”
Chipps has also served on numerous regional, national, and international boards, including the AACC Board of Directors, the HLC Board of Trustees, and the Board of Directors for the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) based in Canada. In 2015, he was named to the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Advanced Manufacturing Coalition and to PTK’s Presidential Advisory Council.
In 1995, Chipps received the Meritorious Service Medal from the United States Army for outstanding military service. He has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including the Outstanding Administrator Award from the Nebraska Community College Association and the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from PTK for his leadership and support of the honor society.
In April 2020, he will receive PTK’s Michael Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award, given to retiring college presidents who have shown strong support of student success on their campus by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students over the course of their career. Students at Northeast Community College nominated him for the award.
The Phi Theta Kappa Foundation was established in 2010 to secure the financial resources to support the value, vision, and priorities of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
