Schoolcraft College returned home from the 2012 International Phi Theta Kappa Conference in Nashville, TN with several prestigious awards. Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is the international honor society for community colleges.
Dr. Conway A. Jeffress, president of Schoolcraft College and Novi resident, was presented the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction. Gordon award recipients are recognized by the international PTK for providing extensive support and resources for their colleges' local Phi Theta Kappa chapters, including faculty advisor release time, funding for the chapter, scholarship opportunities for PTK members, and supporting chapter member participation in regional and international events.
Specifically, Dr. Jeffress was nominated for the award for his dedication to the ‘Complete the Degree Initiative’ and his dedication to the students and school through his support of the the pending baccalaureate legislation in Michigan, which would allow community college’s to grant bachelor’s degrees in a limited number of applied areas and give students more opportunities for pursuing their higher education goals. He also supports Schoolcraft College’s Learning Assistance Center (LAC) by obtaining funding from federal and state programs. The LAC offers tutors at no cost to students that need help in their studies. Dr. Jeffress also is a strong proponent and advocate of students becoming leaders in their communities, something he encourages new and current PTK members to do whenever he speaks at induction ceremonies for the Omicron Iota Chapter of PTK at Schoolcraft College. Dr. Jeffress is one of only eight college presidents/campus CEOs to receive the 2012 Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, named in honor of the late Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, who served as Chair of Phi Theta Kappa's Board of Directors for 20 years.
In addition, Michael J. Wisniewski, Jr. of Romulus, was named as one of the Top Ten Regional Officers and the Michigan Region was named one of the Top Ten Distinguished Regions for 2012. This is quite an honor for Wisniewski as he not only serves as the president for the Schoolcraft College Omicron Iota Chapter of PTK, he is also the president of the Michigan Regional Chapter of PTK. The Distinguished Region award recognizes achievements in areas of programming, regional meetings, membership growth, and the quantity and quality of chapter participation in PTK chapter, state and international programs.
Elaine Langlois, a resident of Northville, was named one of only 30 Distinguished Members of PTK, selected from the more than 125,000 of members elected annually from throughout the world.
“Attendees of the conference also had the opportunity to attend numerous educational workshops and hear from several outstanding speakers, all in preparation for another successful year in 2012-13,” said Todd Stowell, coordinator of student activities for Schoolcraft College.
Schoolcraft College is Schoolcraft College is a public two-year college, offering classes at the main campus in Livonia, Haggerty Road between Six and Seven Mile Roads; at the Radcliff Center in Garden City; and online at www.schoolcraft.edu.
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest honor society in American higher education with 1,270 chapters on two-year and community college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than 2.5 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 125,000 students inducted annually.