The Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) Cumberland and Gloucester campuses are celebrating the remarkable accomplishments and awards of its members at a joint, virtual Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 4, at 7 p.m., via Zoom.
One hundred nine members of the PTK Rho Gamma chapter at RCSJ Cumberland will be inducted during this virtual event. Additionally, 99 members of the RCSJ Cumberland PTK and 181 members of the Alpha Psi Pi chapter at RCSJ Gloucester will be graduating this spring.
PTK is the largest honor society in higher education with nearly 1,300 chapters on college campuses worldwide. More than 3 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918. Students must maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher to be a member of the venerable honor society.
This year, because of its persistence and perseverance, the Rho Gamma chapter garnered several, noteworthy awards.
“First, the chapter has historically been a One Star chapter and this year, through their hard work, the Officer Team made Rho Gamma a Four-Star chapter,” said Michael Goonan, Cumberland’s PTK Rho Gamma chapter advisor.
According to Goonan, the Office Team, which consists of members De’Chyna King, Smirna Hernandez, Nayeli Merino, and Carlos Montilla, helped Rho Gamma reach Four Star status for the first time by engaging at the regional and international levels through attending conferences, submitting a College Project and collaborating with local chapters on various initiatives.
“Rho Gamma was also a REACH chapter,” Goonan revealed. “The REACH encourages membership by rewarding chapters who achieve or exceed 15% of their membership acceptance rate.”
Goonan, who became the Rho Gamma chapter advisor in January 2020, spoke highly of his Officer Team and the fortitude they displayed while helping RCSJ Cumberland’s PTK level improve.
“I am just really proud of our group of officers this past year,” said Goonan, “because they really had to adapt to a virtual environment as it came to leading, collaborating, and communicating with one another to make Rho Gamma a Four-Star chapter.”
Last, but not least, Goonan was honored with the prestigious Five Star Chapter Advisor award. This award is given to PTK advisors who completed a Five Star level curriculum that includes modules in communications, leadership, service learning, student success and building collaborative partnerships.
“The Five Star Advisor training was a fantastic way to receive suggestions for our chapter from seasoned advisors throughout the country,” said Goonan.
“I am just happy to be part of an elite group of advisors who took the challenge to take this deep dive into the PTK world to better support our chapter members.”
For more information about Rowan College of South Jersey’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, visit
RCSJ.edu/PTK.
