Middlesex College Phi Theta Kappa Chapter Recognized Internationally for “Commit-to-Complete” Initiative
The honor society chapter was featured in the international organization’s Change Makers publication for their work in promoting student retention and increasing graduation rates.
The Phi Theta Kappa Upsilon Gamma chapter at Middlesex College authored an insightful piece on its role in revitalizing the College’s Commit-to-Complete initiative. The piece was recently featured in the international honor society’s publication 2025 Change Makers: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Student Leadership.
Change Makers is a journal that showcases the impact of Phi Theta Kappa chapters on their campuses across the country. The journal is only published once per year and out of 450 articles submitted, only 15 were chosen.
“Change Makers has been in existence for roughly five to six years. We have never been published in it prior to this, so it is an incredible honor,” said Middlesex College Phi Theta Kappa Advisor, Charlotte Quigley.
Entitled The Commit-to-Complete Initiative: A Dual-Purpose Approach to Fostering Retention and Honoring Student Perseverance, the four-page article – including photos – discusses how the chapter was given the goal of promoting retention and increasing graduation rates by Middlesex College administrative leadership.
The chapter opted to revive the school’s Commit-to-Complete initiative, hosting a presentation at New Students Day and the Student Engagement Fair in the Fall of 2024. The students came up with ways to formalize the pledge by adding names to a banner located at College Center, creating a recognition platform at graduation, and working with the IT department to create a card swipe system to track progress.
At New Student Orientation and Involvement Day, the chapter signed up 500 students, with an additional 100 sign-ups from the Student Engagement Fair. The group concluded that linking recognition at graduation was a key component to maintaining the initiative.
Later in the school year, the chapter was able to directly contact students who had made the pledge and connect them to the newly-established dual-admission partnership with Rutgers–New Brunswick, which guarantees Middlesex College graduates admission to Rutgers–New Brunswick to continue their education.
“This groundbreaking opportunity exemplifies how collective effort and visionary leadership can open doors for academic and personal growth,” concludes the Change Makers article. “As we celebrate the success of our initiative, we remain committed to empowering students and building a legacy of support that will shape the future of Middlesex College for years to come.”
Read the full story here: https://issuu.com/ptkstrategicplan/docs/change_makers_2025
