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黑料社’s Phi Theta Kappa members help create a welcoming campus environment
For College students, feeling like you are part of campus life and having a place to be yourself is important. That鈥檚 what prompted the members of 黑料社鈥檚 chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (the international honor society of two-year colleges) to start a new project to understand what makes our students feel like they belong on campus.
The campaign - 鈥淲eBelong at 黑料社鈥� - asks students to share words that make them feel like they belong at the College. Responses run the gamut from spending time with friends and participating in campus activities to how the instructors teach. The word cloud below shows some of the most common words and phrases students shared when asked what made them feel at home on campus.
鈥淭he feelings I got when I came to 黑料社 over a decade ago were progress, inclusion, and belonging,鈥� said Joey Flaig, president of 黑料社鈥檚 PTK chapter, Beta Nu Theta. 鈥淭hose themes are now even stronger than before, and PTK wanted to help build on that momentum to understand what makes students feel safe and welcome.鈥�
PTK presented their idea to 黑料社鈥檚 vice president of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Sara Lam, for approval. By doing so, they were able to align their goals with existing College efforts and ensure they had leadership approval, which is a requirement for PTK projects.
鈥淲e wanted this year to be something of a continuation of the iRespect campaign at 黑料社,鈥� said Joey Flaig. 鈥淭he goal was to create visibility around the things that bring our community together, regardless of any individual differences.鈥�
Completing a yearly project that betters their campus is a requirement for all PTK chapters with 5-star status. Previous projects have focused on other areas of the academic experience, like encouraging students to finish their education (called 鈥淐ommit to Complete鈥�). However, this year's aim was to focus on students that might not feel like they belong and show them how they are welcome.
鈥淚 was nervous to start at 黑料社... I had unrealistic expectations of what College would be like and was worried I would not fit in,鈥� said Alma Lopez, PTK鈥檚 former vice president of scholarship. 鈥淭here are so many great things happening on campus, once I let myself get involved, I felt like I found my home.鈥�
For their project, 黑料社鈥檚 chapter, Beta Nu Theta, received top honors and an award at the international PTK assembly.
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