SCC's Phi Theta Kappa to Host "Commit to Completion" Signing

Published: 11/09/2011

From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 14-15, in the College Center Gym, students will gather to sign the completion pledge, part of a national community college movement. The event will be hosted by the college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter. Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members are serving as the student arm of the Community College Completion Corps, a national education initiative.

A large banner will be available to sign and a student-produced video will present facts and student testimonials validating the reasons to commit to complete one’s degree or certificate.

In April 2010 leaders of six national organizations representing the nation’s 1,200 community colleges signed the “Call to Action,” a pledge to increase student completion rates by 50 percent over the next decade. Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society was the only student organization asked to participate.

In October 2010 the first White House Summit on Community Colleges was hosted by Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden and a community college professor. President Obama, philanthropist Melinda Gates and a host of speakers praised community colleges for serving almost half of the nation’s college students and playing a pivotal role in educating the workforce.

The president has called for community colleges to produce an additional 5 million degrees and certificates in the next 10 years, part of his goal to restore the United States as the world’s leader in college graduates.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon also set a goal of 60 percent of Missouri citizens having a college degree by 2020.

“The signing event will help SCC raise awareness of the benefits of completing a community college degree or certificate before transferring or entering the workforce,” said Brenda Hollrah, Phi Theta Kappa adviser.

“Completing an associate-level degree or certificate is a valuable effort which increases the student’s chances toward completion at a four-year institution,” said Yvette Sweeney, dean of student development. “By personalizing the goal for themselves, students are more likely to be successful, both in transferring or in entering the workforce.”

SCC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter, Alpha Xi Chi, currently has approximately 300 student members. For more information on SCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, visit www.stchas.edu/athletics_activities/clubs_organizations/phi-theta-kappa/index.html. For more information on the Community College Completion Corps, visit www.cccompletioncorps.org.

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, Miss., is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,250 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than 2 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 100,000 students inducted annually.

Established in 1986, St. Charles Community College is celebrating 25 years as a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.