“Let the love of learning rule humanity” may sound like the catchphrase of the next biggest superhero league. That is, if you are willing to see the extraordinary in ordinary people.
That phrase is the mission of the University of Guam’s first chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
UOG’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi was established earlier in March of this year. UOG’s chapter is the third chapter personally established by UOG’s 11th President, Dr. Thomas Krise.
The organization focuses on provided funds for its student members. A large part of the chapter’s work is geared towards fundraising for scholarships and research surrounding academic achievement.
The society faced the challenge of working around quarantine policies the moment it was established.
“We were born in the pandemic – and we didn’t really have any other options,” said Troy McVey, Ed.D., the chapter’s president and UOG’s vice provost for Academic Excellence, Graduate Studies & Online Learning.
The conditions pushed members to put a great amount of thought and planning into how the program would manage virtually. Although their zoom meetings are not frequent, members still take time out of their days to discuss and organize events.
The membership installation ceremony was the society’s first event which took place during Pandemic Condition of Readiness 3 and was adjusted to follow social distancing guidelines.
Although it strayed from the usual induction ceremony that participants were familiar with, the unique experience was a memorable moment for many.
The society then moved onto their next event that took place from September to October of the fall 2020 term.
During their Fall Service Literacy Project, 30 t0 40 members read local-based legends, poetry, and non-fiction stories, which were posted as videos on the Phi Kappa Phi Instagram and Facebook pages.
The videos were distributed to schools and left available as content for students to discuss and review. Guam’s KPRG public radio station also aired the stories.
By the 2021 spring semester, the program intends to sponsor academic conversations, such as the School of Business & Public Administration Dean Series and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Colloquium series.
Phi Kappa Phi does plan activities that benefit certain programs, but it is not disciplinary-specific. Instead of restricting to certain majors, the society welcomes any student who meets the required academic standards.
Juniors, seniors, and graduates who have completed 18 credits are eligible to apply. Undergraduate juniors must be in the top 7.5 percent of their academic major, while seniors and graduate students must be in the top 10 percent.
A list from the Registrar’s Office is usually reviewed to send invitations out to eligible students attending UOG.
Although there are fees that come with applying, college deans, the president, and senior vice president of UOG covered most of the costs thanks to a challenge match funding, easing the financial worries of the first wave of applicants.
“Sometimes members steer away from joining an honor society because of the application fee, but the application fee is lifelong,” said Jestyne Sablan, the society’s current student vice president.
She noted that applying for membership can be daunting, but serving those in the community is all worthwhile.
“I think of always coming back to that,” said Christopher Garcia-Santos, PhD, assistant professor of English and the society’s president-elect. He expressed how there is a constant reminder to focus the organization on the issues that matter the most. “As an organization, we can promote learning across members and non-members and the greater community that the university serves.”
Allowing the love of learning to guide them in the decisions they make remains the greatest motivation for the society.
For more information on The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, you can visit their Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also contact them by sending an email to phikappaphi@triton.uog.edu.